> But how many non-geeks will be installing software outside that store?
Depends how strict the app store policy is I guess. If Apple allowed this option then I'm sure a lot of geek and non-geek users would take up the option.
> Personally, I'd think a multiple-store method should work best
Agreed. Payments would be difficult and I guess they would want to discourage a 'pirate store' as well. But different listing criteria would be useful.
> I was referring to the openness of the store, not the platform
>> Someone actually admitting that there's a benefit to filtering! Who saw that coming?
I don't think the idea that assisting users to filter their options was ever controversial or surprising. With your multiple-store idea the openness of any particular store wouldn't be such an issue.
There's been a redonkulous amount of uproar over Apple's filtering of their own store. Often coinciding with people saying the world would be a better place if only Apple would allow their app, and if puppies fell from the sky, and nobody had to go to work, they could just bang on these drums all day.
Granted, it's the only store, so it's a different situation. It's just a nice reversal, where Android fanbois have been ripping on Apple fanbois for having such a closed store, and now the benefit of that closing is being made apparent. There's not much Android ripping here, most people here are at least somewhat geeky, and would love to see Android become bigger and better than iWhatever.
edit: as to the first point, I'll still say "very few", unless drastic steps are made to make it easy to choose from the very first interaction. There's a lot of change-fear out there in normal people - change means you don't know where your favorite button is any more, and it now breaks in new and exciting ways instead of the ones they could somewhat predict.
Depends how strict the app store policy is I guess. If Apple allowed this option then I'm sure a lot of geek and non-geek users would take up the option.
> Personally, I'd think a multiple-store method should work best
Agreed. Payments would be difficult and I guess they would want to discourage a 'pirate store' as well. But different listing criteria would be useful.
> I was referring to the openness of the store, not the platform
>> Someone actually admitting that there's a benefit to filtering! Who saw that coming?
I don't think the idea that assisting users to filter their options was ever controversial or surprising. With your multiple-store idea the openness of any particular store wouldn't be such an issue.