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Most iPhone Apps Redundant, Pointless, Says NY Times Blogger

by Kaiser Hwang on March 3, 2009 at 11:20 AM



Saul Hansell over at the New York Times has a blog post up asking why iPhone users pay for content. His argument is that many of the non-game applications available on the iPhone simply contain information we could all get online for free, such as a directory of Congressional offices, public domain e-books and gym workout videos. Yet, while this content is readily available with the iPhone's browser, many people are choosing instead to buy it.

Trying to explain this phenomenon, Hansell points to the ease of the transaction, combined with the fact that Apple users are accustomed to buying software. Okay, we agree that it's easy to buy applications on the iPhone. But there are also the impulse-buy prices, novel touch interface, always-with-you convenience, and much, much more.

Frankly, we buy more apps from the App Store than we probably should. Why? Because we simply can't help ourselves. Why do you buy apps from the App Store? [From: New York Times]

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Tags: apple, apps, appstore, iphone, iphone apps, IphoneApps, nytimes

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