BlackBerry App World needs fixing

Posted by Joe on July 6, 2009 | 13 comments | Filed under : BlackBerry Applications

As we’ve noted before, BlackBerry App World is far from perfect. It has some neat applications, though it’s no BBGeeks App Store. RIM could be onto something here, but they’re going to give the application a facelift and a tune-up if it wants to in any way compete with other mobile app stores. The inimitable Al Sacco of CIO Magazine notes nine fixes for RIM to take care of in the next App World update. Much ground as Sacco covers, they still probably need to do more.

The basics are all there. Sacco leads off with the issue that has many turning away from App World immediately: memory usage. The thing is just a blob of memory waste. It makes everything on the Berry run slower, and it makes scrolling within the application a chore. I couldn’t agree more on this one.

The other major improvement would be the addition of credit card payments. PayPal is fine…for some. Others don’t prefer to use that particular broker. Why limit them. There are many valid forms of payment, and RIM will have to expand that in order to get App World to an acceptable usage level.

Sacco also touches on issues like sorting paid vs. free apps, PC backups, and MY World issues. If you’re frustrated with App World it’s a welcome read. Feel free to leave your own gripes in the comments.

BlackBerry Accessories

1 me September 3, 2011 at 6:19 pm: What I hate about BB is the fact that its apps are not available in most countries… I mean what the hell does it matter where you live… As ling as you can pay.. Right?
2 abc July 31, 2009 at 4:24 pm: I downloaded the new Blackberry App world 1.1 and it appears to have issues from the get go. Not sure if this is an improvement. After language as English, the whole sets or Terms and Conditions were in either Spanish or French (I couldnt tell if it was anything else either). I understood only the I Accept at the end and accepted it (i doubt anyone every reads those terms and conditions and probably they should have a link for folks who read rather than having to make you scroll (just too many scrolls).

Problems didnt end there, now I am getting network issues error asking me to check my network and then it just closes out. I am able to get to website (duh i was able to download it) and to any other page on the web but just this app if having issues. Permissions are set to ALL Allow.

New app and maybe great features too but if it has not been tested, I consider a miserable failure.
3 Martha July 9, 2009 at 1:19 pm: Wow! I removed BB app world from my pearl& oh my! Everything began working correctly & fast again.thanks Geeks!
4 element526 July 8, 2009 at 2:15 pm: App World sucks for two main reasons in my book. Paypal and its requisite scams and lack of a save to SD card. The new Mobihand App Store on device app smokes and makes RIM’s attempt seem amateurish.
5 Cooper July 7, 2009 at 7:00 am: @karen – have you tried the BBGeeks app store? It has the functionality you are looking for
http://store.bbgeeks.com/appstore
6 Berk Gün July 7, 2009 at 5:39 am: I’m living in Turkey but i can access App World because i have an unlocked Verizon 9530.. (a biiiig “but” here) APP WORLD RUINS MY MEMORRY :(
7 Karen July 6, 2009 at 10:01 pm: App world is good when it starts but the more you browse the slower it gets. Would be nice to have new apps separate so you don’t have to browse everything to find new
8 DavidB July 6, 2009 at 2:00 pm: I agree with Al on points 1 through 8. I don’t think BB needs the kind of crapware that proliferates on iTunes.
Major improvement would be at a minimum a web store where I can browse from a PC, and then when I run the client on my BB it will download what I bought. I really don’t need an iTunes type app installed on my PC’s, plus then someone has to code those apps for a myriad of PC OS. Just put it on the web so I can get to it from any Windows/Mac/Linux/whatever PC.
9 Cooper July 6, 2009 at 1:18 pm: @iskandar ahmat – check out the BBGeeks App Store here – it will work for you http://store.bbgeeks.com/appstore
10 Cooper July 6, 2009 at 1:18 pm: @mmci1525 You can download our app store and it will work in Australia =) here is the link http://store.bbgeeks.com/appstore

would love to see you hold on to that 8310 a bit longer =)
11 Ajay Kulkarni July 6, 2009 at 9:20 am: The biggest gripe I keep hearing is how its so hard to browse the store and discover new apps. Even if the AppWorld app were faster, less of a memory hog, etc, there’s only so much you can see on your small mobile screen. The iPhone has iTunes, a great way to explore the AppStore from your computer (and an awesome way to feel like a kid in a candy shop).

BlackBerry needs a similar way to browse AppWorld from the desktop. But would users prefer a desktop app like iTunes or a cleaner website? Would love to hear your thoughts.
12 mmci1525 July 6, 2009 at 8:34 am: well, if the bb app world was actually world wide that would be a first thing. here in aust there is no app world or anything! no support, they have nothing here over the iphone, so there is no way i’ll be keeping my 8310. there is no worth.
13 iskandar ahmat July 6, 2009 at 8:25 am: “World” does not mean US, Canada and UK. What about the rest of us?

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