app stores in different countries

[cantovento]

I have accounts in the German, Portuguese & S.African app stores. When trying to update apps on my iPhone 3GS, I often get "Your account is only valid for purchases in the XYZ iTunes store. Tapping OK will take you to this store." Tapping OK sometimes works, sometimes it will simply repeat "Your account is only valid in the XYZ store". In the other store the apps to be updated are others or "all apps are up to date." Sometimes tapping OK does not work at all & changing accounts has to be done by manually logging in and out. Between 3 stores this can be very frustrating.
1) Is there a way of updating all apps of all stores in one operation?
2) What is the difference between an iTunes store & an app store?

[foghat]

1) I have not found a way to update all accounts at once. I see the same behavior as well.
2) from an iphone perspective, the app store is where you buy apps. the itunes store is where you buy music and such.

[harakiri]

Apple does not like you having accounts in other countries than yours.
Luckily enough there are loopholes to do it nevertheless.

Unfortunately the behavior you described is what you need to come to terms with.

I have two accounts that I use. I usually have my Mac switched to the German account and the iPad is an American.

Then when an app gets updated I get the new versions on either the Mac or the iPad. When I sync the iPad the apps get transferred both ways ....

[cantovento]

THANKS foghat & harakiri. I wonder why Apple is so fussy about accounts in different app stores. I wonder why they have different app stores at all. After all, the easier they make it, the more they would sell. Their policy encourages jailbreaks.