there's a lot of crap to wade through on both app stores... a lot of which is just copies of other apps... of course it's going to drag down the profitability of apps. It was a bubble. Only the ones that offer actual innovation and real usefulness are going to make any profit - until someone copies it and puts it out there cheaper.

From the user POV is see a sort of app overload. I have a good friend who has to have the latest gadgets, whether, it's a phone or a laptop or a camera. I visited him and asked to see his phone, just hundreds of apps, dozens of folders. So I asked the obvious question, why so many apps and just how many did he use on a daily or even weekly basis.. He answered, using only a few and in fact most he hadn't even bothered to open. The app stores look thriving and loaded, but it's a big sham, it's a marketing and PR ploy.

I really don't understand this thread. It's obvious that the Apple app store is for Apple to profit

You analogies are ill by themselves, but they are also incorrect. If you do not like large shop - you can open small new one near it. Not so in Apple case. As only applications made on Apple hardware (even if for compilation only), checked by Apple and located in Apple store can work on mobile devices (I am not talking about tiny minority doing jailbreak, if it is even possible for OS version).

Another aspect is media myth about profitability developing for Apple devices. I know at least few media who had been told behind curtain that Apple like this myth to be mentioned as frequently as possible.

Local supermarket is not there to provide me with the most healthy food choices. It's there to make money for itself.

Well, it is quite strange understanding of business (as money can't be the target, it is just helps to do something). Profit must be byproduct for doing useful thing. If owner want to supply bad and unhealthy products - government and local community must stand and throw it out of business without usual bullshit about free market forces.

App development as a profit stream is a myth on ANY platform, not just Apple.

Let's not talk like guys with pair of beer on the bench, ok? PV is not a place for this.

Money is not the object, it's just part of the equation & a necessary part of staying in business. A business without profit has no future.

Do not twist my words and point. Business where all costs are equal to income can live happily :-) It just means that such thing as non working owner-parasite can not exist :-)

There were a lot of crap apps that sucked peoples money way before the app stores arrived on the scene.

From where it came, as it is unrelated to all previous discussion?

Crap apps always existed, but was never a problem, until horribly (and intentionally so!) designed stores appeared. Even old shareware software catalogs where light ahead of this crap.

Nothing has changed but the delivery format and the improvement to compatibility with the OS, due to the hardware maker checking the software. Previously the software could be real crap and make the hardware (or in Microsoft's case, the software) look like the problem.

It is just incorrect statement. Never before developer was told that hardware and tools to use (initially even language they must use was specified), where they are unable to sell their software independently, where access to platform is restricted due to some bugs in some boys head or by US government (and you can be thrown out just by posting in a blog something Apple do not like), and many other points.

As I know it inside including talks with many successful developers, we are just wasting time here.

Here we have very bad precedent that must be fully destroyed as soon as possible. As it is one of foundations required to build future corporations want to impose on us.

Therefore if you look at the three parties involved: consumers, developers, and the marketplace-maker, the system really only works well for one of those three. Where in an ideal and sustainable world, it would provide real and equitable benefits to all three. This should correct itself except that there is an artificial monopoly in place where consumers and developers can't really sell or install apps from a competing marketplace.

Yep. Thing is, if corporations own government you can not expect them to stand and do something.

And yes, Apple intentionally wanted very cheap (or preferable free, advertising supported only) applications. OF course, from the start they also perfectly knew where it leads.