Question: When Is An App Not An App?
By 
Answer: When It Is An eBook Or A Shortcut
Okay, this may seems like a mindless rant. It is… but this just bugs me.
With over 1000 applications already in the App Store and many added each and every day it is hard enough to sort through the applications without non-applications clogging things even more.
The degree of pollution is astounding!
Two cases in point-
Example 1: Zapp Tek
Zapp Tek creates free standing ebooks. On many levels it is (or could be) a great concept but…
Zapp Tek has released eight books (actually, they are more like novellas) and each is listed as an independent application by the App Store.
Repeat after me– "An eBook isn’t an app… it is an eBook!"
(And at $1.99 each they are over-priced short stories, at that.)
Example 2: DiggNation
DiggNation released an "app" late night… or did they. I downloaded it, fired up the "app" and discovered that this "app" is just a link to DiggNation’s videos (advertisements and all).
Don’t get me wrong- the video was amusing. The beer recommendations and constant dropping of the gratuitous F-bombs at every turn- it all added to the FratBoy-esk feel of the rundown of the top stories on Digg. The fact that the sound and the video were slightly off added to the amusement. Funny. Entertaining. I’ll even be watching them…
But where is the app??
Repeat after me– "A Homescreen icon is not an app… it is a shortcut."
Listen Apple- neither a free-standing short story or a homescreen icon does an app make. Would you at least make sure that whatever makes it through your (supposed) policing is actually a application.
(BTW- our "application" is available for free. Just go to our site in safari and add WOiP to your homescreen as a favorite. You’ll have our shortcut application in no time at all!)
