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141 Comments
- ehaugan, on 04/24/2009, -9/+70Its pretty sad that other cell phone companies have not been forward thinkers and come up with the ideas Apple has released like the App Store or iPhone.
I truely hope this spurs competition in the industry, but so far, it doesnt look like there is anything remotely close to the innovation and success Apple has had in this short period of only 2 years. - stoitofardo, on 04/23/2009, -4/+53Before someone says the counter was not a counter and actually a timer here are the facts:
This file (which was fetched by the counter) was updated every hour(and hasn't been taken down yet): http://www.apple.com/autopush/us/itunes/includes/c ...
Before the billionth:
23-APR-2009 13:00:00|999801691|328836
After:
23-APR-2009 14:00:00|1000299497|497806 - BBarash, on 04/23/2009, -7/+48Got a good screenshot - http://www.twitpic.com/3unet :D
- timusca, on 04/24/2009, -6/+24As far as I can tell, nobody read the details on the contest... everyone I saw online was frantically buying apps at the last second to be the billionth downloader. If you read the details from Apple's website, its a random drawing from EVERYONE who downloaded an app from when they started the contest to when they sold the billionth app. It even said you enter as many as 20 times a day.
Anyway... thought you all would like to know that you're all eligible to win. - inkswamp, on 04/24/2009, -0/+16As much as Apple is in fact grandstanding with this, they are also drawing a huge amount of attention to programs made by lots of small-time developers who likely don't have their own marketing dept. and budget. They will likely see more customers as a result of this promotion. I'm betting not a single one of them are complaining about that.
And anyway, a lot of the iPhone apps are free so Apple's giving away a lot of bandwidth to accommodate their customers. I don't begrudge them their right to let everyone know about that. - vptel, on 04/24/2009, -0/+15you won a CAR
http://www.xkcd.com/570/ - LanMan66, on 04/24/2009, -2/+17Shake the Baby
- TubbyMcGee, on 04/23/2009, -9/+22so.... iFart won?
- ehaugan, on 04/24/2009, -5/+18From a cell phone for a cell phone? I guess the answer is yes?
- seltaeb4, on 04/24/2009, -10/+21The public has voted!
This is another victory for computers and electronic devices that aren't pieces of *****. - InorganicMatter, on 04/24/2009, -2/+13Monopoly? You mean there aren't any alternatives to the iPhone, and Apple is blocking everyone from making cell phones with built-in MP3 players by placing unreasonably high barriers to entry?
- wilhoitm, on 04/24/2009, -3/+14Ballmer is hyperventilating again!
- inkswamp, on 04/24/2009, -1/+12Oh yeah... just wait for the Zune phone to put an end to this quality nonsense.
/s - Takuro, on 04/24/2009, -1/+11Very cool, but I doubt the counter is live.
- dronkmunk, on 04/24/2009, -9/+19Yeah this is big news for anyone who...i mean, this means a lot to those of us that...um...
Seriously, unless you work for apple or invest in them, then who gives a *****?
And down I go.. - sickb13, on 04/24/2009, -2/+11yay im so excited that I'm just going to continue my day as usual
- MacHarborGuy, on 04/24/2009, -0/+8Umm, I seem to remember an AppStore on my RAZR back in 2006 when I got it. You could either buy apps or pay a monthly fee to use them. The iTunes AppStore just happens to be better and open for more developers. Apple just took someone else's idea and made it better.
- hayden.evans, on 04/24/2009, -2/+10A ***** 13 YEAR OLD WON?!!! WTF!!!!
- ZhiZaki, on 04/24/2009, -4/+12I tried like hell to be that guy.....Congrats to whoever you are.
- mrBitch, on 04/24/2009, -0/+8Lol, I used to think the same thing, until I found that the "walled garden" was the one where I had data that was being stored in proprietary formats that kept changing in order to throw off anyone from being able to reverse engineer those damn locked formats.
It's a simple choice, you can either choose to live with being locked in by software (Microsoft), or being locked in by hardware (Apple), or being completely free (Linux). - fr0mundacheese, on 04/24/2009, -1/+8mad props to you ranza! you did your part, absolutely second to none. don't you ever let someone tell you different.
- ranza, on 04/24/2009, -5/+12I was there when the itunes store hit the 1billion... I just wanna say, im better than you!
- inkswamp, on 04/24/2009, -0/+7Yep, I agree. Yay monopolies. Because of course, monopolies are not illegal and in some cases, perfectly fine. There have been times in the past where the government has blessed a monopoly to ensure that it pushes things forward in the interests of the consumer.
What's illegal is, say, when a company becomes a monopoly and starts exerting its muscle in the market to block competition and control the environment in a way that stifles everyone else in it. Apple isn't doing that. Other tech companies, who shall remain nameless, have. - mrBitch, on 04/24/2009, -0/+7RE: "... anyway, a lot of the iPhone apps are free so Apple's giving away a lot of bandwidth to accommodate their customers. I don't begrudge them their right to let everyone know about that."
Good point. - squeevey, on 04/24/2009, -5/+12Maybe you didn't read the rules, or maybe someone is misunderstanding them (i'll separate out the MAIN binding point)
Sweepstakes. Sponsor is the sole judging organization whose decisions as to the operation of the Sweepstakes and the selection of the potential winner are final and binding in all matters related to the Promotion.
--------------------------------------------------------
The prize will be awarded for the entry (either through an app download or through the non-purchase online entry) sent immediately following the download of the 999,999,999th app.
------------------------------------------
The potential winner will be determined by the order of the entries received. In the event that more than one entrant would be a winner based on the simultaneous timing of entries, one entrant will be randomly selected from those entrants as the winner. Each entrant’s chances of winning are dependent upon the number of eligible entries received.
What that says to me is that you have to be the one to submit an entry IMMEDIATELY after the 999,999,999th ENTRY.
http://www.apple.com/itunes/billion-app-countdown/ ... - Slackdragon, on 04/24/2009, -0/+6Ziggy, in this country, at least until recently, we celebrate success. Reaching a goal is a good thing. Success is a good thing. Riches are a good thing. Kudos to Apple for their success in this endeavor.
"To them you are just a faceless consumer..." So? Do you want them to set up a personal relationship with you? Do you really think you're so important that Steve Jobs should know ZiggyPlayedG just bought an iPod? Maybe he should have you over for lunch?
"but people seem to take it very personal." The only person I see taking things personally is you. You're somehow riled by people getting excited by a corporate success story. Lighten up. Life's more fun without a pole up your bum. - inkswamp, on 04/24/2009, -2/+8So, every time there's an update for apps on my iPhone, it downloads the whole thing all over again--which is not a complaint as it's reasonably fast and completely automated. However, I'm wondering if each time I've downloaded the entire app again for a given update, does Apple count that as a "download?" I assume they do.
What's implied by this 1 billion goal is that, 1 billion times, users have consciously chosen to download apps to their iPhone. I have about 15 downloaded apps on mine, most of which have been updated about 5 times in the last 6 months. That's roughly 90 downloads for me or about 5 times more than what this promotion implies. Assuming the average user has about as many applications that update as often and that 1 billion doesn't look quite so impressive.
I mean, it's great that they have the infrastructure in place to accommodate that much downloading, but I take issue with the way it sounds like it's 1 billion consciously selected and downloaded applications. I doubt that's really the case. - kronzdigg, on 04/24/2009, -2/+8Where's my free laptop?
- MacHarborGuy, on 04/24/2009, -0/+5@Vincent21212: That has nothing to do with the AppStore. The iPod Touch has access to the AppStore and that is fine. Plus the data package for the iPhone is roughly the same price as data packages for other phones on AT&T, so clam up and learn to pay.
- molotovcat, on 04/24/2009, -0/+5 Someone sure is bitter. :)
- vinod1978, on 04/24/2009, -0/+5obviously you did since you clicked on this dig posting and replied.
- FreeTheFreaks, on 04/24/2009, -0/+5With a last name like that of course he has a scholarship.
- QuackMasterDan, on 04/24/2009, -0/+5Actually the billionth song purchased from iTunes was Speed of Sound by Coldplay, and Alex Ostrovsky won ten iPods, a computer, a $10,000 gift certificate, and a scholarship named after him.
- LR2_, on 04/24/2009, -0/+4Why is squeevey being dugg down? He is completely right. The reason there is a stipulation that one can only enter 20 times a day, is so that someone doesn't set up a macro that enters thousands of entries near the end of the promotion.
Here is the direct quote:
"Timing. The Promotion shall run from 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 10, 2009 and ends with the downloading of the 1 billionth app (“Promotion Period”). For purposes of the Promotion, the downloading of the 1 billionth app is considered to be either the downloading of the 1 billionth app from iTunes or the receipt of the non-purchase entry after the download of the 999,999,999th app, whichever comes first. Only entries submitted in this time period will be accepted. Sponsor’s computer is the official time keeping device for this promotion." - Black6x, on 04/24/2009, -6/+10Has Apple deducted the number of apps sales where they refunded money and canceled an apps sale?
- Dalhectar, on 04/24/2009, -3/+7Only an Apple fanboy thinks Apple invented cell phone purchasing and downloading of apps.
What Apple did first was create a walled garden where all application purchases/downloads are done in 1 place. Windows and Palm users have been able to use a phone web browser to download and purchase apps for a while now. Long before the first Apple phone. - ZiggyPlayedG, on 04/24/2009, -6/+10I've never understood why people celebrate this kinds of things. A company made a lot of money, money they're not gonna share with you. It's the same with the PC vs Mac or the Console wars. To them you are just a faceless consumer, but people seem to take it very personal.
I guess that means the marketing team got what they wanted. - Elranzer, on 04/24/2009, -0/+4Oh yeah, well, I BOUGHT the billionth song from iTunes...
and it was "Milkshakes" - vinod1978, on 04/24/2009, -1/+5It's not about having an invention - it's about creating a product and integrating in a service that people ACTUALLY use. That's the amazing part - making a device so easy that even a 5 year old child and a 70 year person can use it.
- plastiqmanb, on 04/24/2009, -0/+4that never happened. The javascript code was that when the counter went beyond 999,999,990 it called to the "Thanks a billion" page id.
- molotovcat, on 04/24/2009, -0/+4Seems fairly real to me. I don't have any problem using it.
A fake keyboard wouldn't actually work. - MacHarborGuy, on 04/24/2009, -3/+7Microsoft = locked in by software
Apple = locked in by hardware
Linux = locked in by... who the hell uses Linux as a consumer desktop OS?
digg me down bytches XD - vinod1978, on 04/24/2009, -0/+4Before I got an iphone I actually thought the same thing - then I used it. I'm actually faster using just one hand in portrait mode then I was using both hands on my Treo. The reason is because the OS learns what you are trying to say and just fixes your words in real time. The learning/OS part of the keyboard totally out ways having a physical keyboard. If you use one for 24 hours you won't be able to use anything else.
- whytey, on 04/24/2009, -1/+4So it was an include?
- Wilddigi, on 04/24/2009, -5/+8One billion of apps I don't need or want
- mrBitch, on 04/24/2009, -3/+6@ Elranzer, RE: "...Verizon's always had their own apps store for cell apps, games, music, etc.
Once again, Apple didn't do anything new (but the Apple cultists think they did)."
Except for making the GUI and mouse combination "popular", Apple hardly ever do anything "new", they just do it "better".
Palm even hired a bunch of Apple engineers to build their "Pre" (which is looking pretty damn nice, by the way). - dizavin, on 04/24/2009, -2/+5walled garden?
uh... I'd like to see Nokia or Motorola come even close to the kind of freedom you have with the iPhone. - Quizboy, on 04/24/2009, -0/+2Too bad they accidentally the whole thing.
- s73v3r, on 04/24/2009, -0/+2I run linux myself on my desktop, but convenience? No, not really. When you have to fight with config files to get your networking going, or have to redo your X.org config because it won't remember your dual monitor setup, I can't really call that convenient.
BTW, Windows Vista did the same thing to me with the dual monitors too. - vinod1978, on 04/24/2009, -0/+2"How's life in the walled garden?"
Pretty damn cool actually. I use my iPhone a ton more then any other smart phone - and I've had plenty of them, and to me actually being able to use the features it has rather then just having features that are just too hard or slow to use is more important then the idea of "I can do it if I really want to." -
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