Mobile Apps Transforming Desktop Software

Jul 10, 2019

Mobile Apps Transforming Desktop Software

The launch of the iPhone App store back in the day hardly created any spectacle. Few could understand just how revolutionary this technology was. It took only four years for everyone to see how much its technology has firmly rooted itself into the software industry. The app craze has now spread far beyond regular cell phones.

The app store seems to be taking over regular desktop PCs. Back in January 2011, Apple launched the Mac App Store. Today the Mac App store has experienced over hundreds of millions of downloads. Microsoft too joined the fray with the launch of the Windows store. This happened lust after Windows 8 was launched and acts as its centralized location for tablet and desktop apps.

To figure out the impact of app stores on emerging desktop software, you need not go far. A simple conversation with research analytic firms and software makers will reveal a ton. A good number of developers are ecstatic of the ease in distribution and streamlined billing system provided by app stores. Despite the new advancements, the app stores have special challenges unique to desktops, and others affecting smartphones.

Apps – Mobile vs. Desktop

From an overview, both Desktop and Mobile Apps work in the same principle. They both carry a small footprint, run on single-use programs, and their developers can easily write off desktop apps. Going by opinions from developers across the board, fully-featured software has a long way to go and will remain present in desktop app stores.

Other industry experts believe that limitations in smartphone apps are directly attributed to technical limitations arising from weak processing power and low storage. The more capable devices, running on powerful microprocessors and memory, shall power even better apps.

The users perspective is key when developing anything. That is why developers aim to deliver a seamless experience, as much as they possibly can. For instance, accessing three or four apps on your smartphone to get something done can be frustrating.

The term freemium is slowly gaining popularity among iOS and Mac developers when they sell their goods on the Mac App Store. That term refers to a free app that requires you to part with money to unlock more features. Only 4 percent of the highest grossing Mac apps fall into this category, as compared to 50 percent on the mobile app store.

People who are skeptical of the app stores consider the desktop software store as a joke. This difference arises from cellphones and full-size PCs. On the iPhone, the games are dominant according to data released by market research. In the Mac App store, utilities stand out as the most popular.

Love for Software

OfficeDrop, a cloud storage company, reveals how user engagement is seven times more from its apps than through the web browser. Since releasing its first apps back in 2011, the user base has exponentially exploded. It is only through such data that we can see and predict new trends. As of now, one thing stands out – people love installing the software.