App alerts... wouldn't it be great....

1611mac · 01-14-2013, 12:21 PM

The app store (iOS and OSX) is so unfriendly... you see an app name, category, and a rating, but NO Description. To really see what an app is you need to click on each and every app to see the descrip, what a pain.

Wouldn't it be great if you could get an email, tweet, rss, notifier when a new app hit the store? Complete with description!

Wouldn't it be great if you could subscribe to only certain categories?

Wouldn't it be great if you could download delimited "app index" text files from the app stores to open in Bento, Filemaker, Numbers, pages? (these delimited files would have app name, category, full description, etc.)

How do YOU keep up with all the new app releases?
How do YOU find out about apps that might be of interest to you?

(I just learned of "Alfred" and "Popclip" (OSX) and I love them both...what others are out there that I don't know aobut?)
.

.

Jessica Lares · 01-14-2013, 02:46 PM

I LOVE Alfred and Popclip (I know I'm over the top enthusiastic most of the time around here, but really, I love all the stuff I use, hahaha), both great apps. You should check out Two Dollar Tuesday, I got Popclip during their special.

If you're really into your apps on OS X, I recommend Bartender. It's a bit pricey, but it will help you organize and hide all the junk that a lot of apps leave all over your menubar. A GREAT program. It's not in the App Store though.

Just the stuff I have in my dock, not all in the store:

Espresso - A web editor, really like that you can edit the CSS in real-time and has X-ray, so you can see which elements are causing what issues
Day One - Cool journal app, have it for iOS too
Marked - Markdown previewer which lets me use whatever editor I want to write it with
Evernote - For my notes
Pocket - Save articles for later
Scrivener - GREAT software for writers who want to do everything in one program
Courier - A little program that lets me multi upload stuff to Facebook/Flickr/etc
Favs - Kinda like a reader app, but for stuff you favorite on social sites
Firetask - Project/task management

CloudApp is great for getting stuff quickly uploaded too, and I use Living Earth for displaying current weather conditions on my menu. It has a beautiful interface too.

As for how I keep up with releases? Well, MacRumors is my preferred Apple related site. A lot of developers post around those parts, and that's actually where I saw Kris that makes Marvin for the iPad first post it about it. 9to5Mac, Cult of Mac, Macgasm and RazorianFly are also all very good.

MacUpdate is pretty good too. They catalog just about every piece of Mac software ever made and give you links where to get them, whether it be in the Mac App Store or on the developer's website.

1611mac · 01-14-2013, 02:56 PM

Yes, I've used MacUpdate for years but I have never forced myself to check it daily, just when I'm looking for something. They do have a nice daily summary so I guess that if I could force myself to check it daily for both OSX and iOS that would pretty much give me what I'm whining about....

lostknitter · 01-14-2013, 04:10 PM

Appsgonefree has apps that are free daily, usually marked down to $0 for a day. Have found some nice apps that way.

Wickedkitten · 01-14-2013, 04:24 PM

I use appshopper and appzapp pro

kyteflyer · 01-14-2013, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wickedkitten

I use appshopper and appzapp pro

I use the app shopper website to keep tabs on specials and price reductions. I dont think I would want to get an alert for every new app, geez, there are thousands.

Wickedkitten · 01-14-2013, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

I use the app shopper website to keep tabs on specials and price reductions. I dont think I would want to get an alert for every new app, geez, there are thousands.

Nah, I just browse through the new ones, but I do have a wish list set up for ones I actually want. Luckily I've had the app for ages so it just pushes them through

Faterson · 01-14-2013, 10:07 PM

The AppStore is a mess and a disgrace, especially the monumentally inane geographical isolation it practices. I can never see any app reviews and ratings except from my own tiny country, which makes them next to useless. Neither would anyone outside my own tiny country see my app review if I bothered to write one. Apple should be ashamed.

1611mac · 01-14-2013, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faterson

The AppStore is a mess and a disgrace, especially the monumentally inane geographical isolation it practices. I can never see any app reviews and ratings except from my own tiny country, which makes them next to useless. Neither would anyone outside my own tiny country see my app review if I bothered to write one. Apple should be ashamed.

Heartily Agreed...

Jessica Lares · 01-14-2013, 11:13 PM

Oh yeah, it's a huge mess, although that has always been the case. the Mac portion of it anyway. Apple used to have a website section especially for third-party downloads, and I never liked using it. When the original iPhone came out, they had that kind of system for web apps too. It was very ugly.

Chomp has to be the worst integrated product ever. I really want them to go back to the old format.

kyteflyer · 01-15-2013, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessica Lares

Chomp has to be the worst integrated product ever. I really want them to go back to the old format.

Chomp was a waste of effort. useless. IMO of course so YMMV. I had the first version and did not like it at all. deleted and never redownloaded.

MeSue · 01-15-2013, 05:02 PM

I like Appshopper. I wrote a bit about it here: http://www.geekintheforest.com/ios-apps-free/

Yes, the App Store since iOS 6 is horrible.

Jessica Lares · 01-15-2013, 08:16 PM

Developers have actually blamed the new store UI for loss of revenue in the last year.

Faterson · 01-15-2013, 10:02 PM

It's not (only) about the new store UI. The old store is extremely bad as well, although it appears Apple managed to make it even worse.

Jessica Lares · 01-16-2013, 01:42 AM

I think there are many reasons for the geography separation though.

01-14-2013, 12:21 PM	#1
1611mac eWanderer Posts: 523 Karma: 1441998 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: iMac,iPad3,iPhone5-Kindle Fire,Touch,PaperWhite	App alerts... wouldn't it be great.... The app store (iOS and OSX) is so unfriendly... you see an app name, category, and a rating, but NO Description. To really see what an app is you need to click on each and every app to see the descrip, what a pain. Wouldn't it be great if you could get an email, tweet, rss, notifier when a new app hit the store? Complete with description! Wouldn't it be great if you could subscribe to only certain categories? Wouldn't it be great if you could download delimited "app index" text files from the app stores to open in Bento, Filemaker, Numbers, pages? (these delimited files would have app name, category, full description, etc.) How do YOU keep up with all the new app releases? How do YOU find out about apps that might be of interest to you? (I just learned of "Alfred" and "Popclip" (OSX) and I love them both...what others are out there that I don't know aobut?) . .

01-14-2013, 02:46 PM	#2
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	I LOVE Alfred and Popclip (I know I'm over the top enthusiastic most of the time around here, but really, I love all the stuff I use, hahaha), both great apps. You should check out Two Dollar Tuesday, I got Popclip during their special. If you're really into your apps on OS X, I recommend Bartender. It's a bit pricey, but it will help you organize and hide all the junk that a lot of apps leave all over your menubar. A GREAT program. It's not in the App Store though. Just the stuff I have in my dock, not all in the store: Espresso - A web editor, really like that you can edit the CSS in real-time and has X-ray, so you can see which elements are causing what issues Day One - Cool journal app, have it for iOS too Marked - Markdown previewer which lets me use whatever editor I want to write it with Evernote - For my notes Pocket - Save articles for later Scrivener - GREAT software for writers who want to do everything in one program Courier - A little program that lets me multi upload stuff to Facebook/Flickr/etc Favs - Kinda like a reader app, but for stuff you favorite on social sites Firetask - Project/task management CloudApp is great for getting stuff quickly uploaded too, and I use Living Earth for displaying current weather conditions on my menu. It has a beautiful interface too. As for how I keep up with releases? Well, MacRumors is my preferred Apple related site. A lot of developers post around those parts, and that's actually where I saw Kris that makes Marvin for the iPad first post it about it. 9to5Mac, Cult of Mac, Macgasm and RazorianFly are also all very good. MacUpdate is pretty good too. They catalog just about every piece of Mac software ever made and give you links where to get them, whether it be in the Mac App Store or on the developer's website. Last edited by Jessica Lares; 01-14-2013 at 11:09 PM.

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01-14-2013, 02:56 PM	#3
1611mac eWanderer Posts: 523 Karma: 1441998 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: iMac,iPad3,iPhone5-Kindle Fire,Touch,PaperWhite	Yes, I've used MacUpdate for years but I have never forced myself to check it daily, just when I'm looking for something. They do have a nice daily summary so I guess that if I could force myself to check it daily for both OSX and iOS that would pretty much give me what I'm whining about....

01-14-2013, 04:10 PM	#4
lostknitter Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Missouri Device: Kindle2, nook	Appsgonefree has apps that are free daily, usually marked down to $0 for a day. Have found some nice apps that way.

01-14-2013, 04:24 PM	#5
Wickedkitten Member Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: iPad Pro	I use appshopper and appzapp pro

01-14-2013, 10:07 PM	#8
Faterson pokrývač škridiel Posts: 1,525 Karma: 3300000 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Bratislava, Slovakia Device: 3iPad, SamsungNote & Tabs, 2OnyxBoox, Huawei 8″, PocketBook	The AppStore is a mess and a disgrace, especially the monumentally inane geographical isolation it practices. I can never see any app reviews and ratings except from my own tiny country, which makes them next to useless. Neither would anyone outside my own tiny country see my app review if I bothered to write one. Apple should be ashamed.

01-14-2013, 11:13 PM	#10
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	Oh yeah, it's a huge mess, although that has always been the case. the Mac portion of it anyway. Apple used to have a website section especially for third-party downloads, and I never liked using it. When the original iPhone came out, they had that kind of system for web apps too. It was very ugly. Chomp has to be the worst integrated product ever. I really want them to go back to the old format.

01-15-2013, 05:02 PM	#12
MeSue Geek in the Forest Posts: 399 Karma: 1077186 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: FL Device: iPad Air, iPhone 4s, Nexus 7	I like Appshopper. I wrote a bit about it here: http://www.geekintheforest.com/ios-apps-free/ Yes, the App Store since iOS 6 is horrible.

01-15-2013, 08:16 PM	#13
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	Developers have actually blamed the new store UI for loss of revenue in the last year.

01-15-2013, 10:02 PM	#14
Faterson pokrývač škridiel Posts: 1,525 Karma: 3300000 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Bratislava, Slovakia Device: 3iPad, SamsungNote & Tabs, 2OnyxBoox, Huawei 8″, PocketBook	It's not (only) about the new store UI. The old store is extremely bad as well, although it appears Apple managed to make it even worse.

01-16-2013, 01:42 AM	#15
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	I think there are many reasons for the geography separation though.