23 Things, Thing 20: Mobile Apps

Didn’t need much prompting with this one. All my mobile devices are FULL of apps, and have been for about 5 years since I first got one!

An app is either a trimmed-down version of a web program, or a completely individual program, designed for use on a smart device – phone or tablet.

There are literally millions of apps (if you count the non-English language ones) on absolutely anything and everything. 99% of them are possibly completely pointless. And yet, the global market revenue for apps is somewhere in the region of US$20 billion (and that’s not even counting the free apps!) so something’s working!

The main apps I have on my devices are:

• Games. I have a lot of games. I also have a lot of kids games, but that’s because I have a toddler, a lot to do and poor parenting skills 🙂
• Reference. I’ve got the app versions of Wikipedia and IMDb on my devices. The content’s no different to the web version, and it’s not equipped for offline use, but the apps are easier than the web versions to use on a tablet and phone touchscreen
• Maps – UQ Nav, Apple Maps and Google Maps (the latter mostly so I could catch Pokemon on April Fools Day)
• Shopping. Again, most of these shopping sites have web versions, but the apps are easier than the website for smart devices.
• TV – both ABC iView and SBS On Demand so I can watch catch-up TV. (iPad only)
• eBooks – got Overdrive for reading BCC Library ebooks, and BlueFire Reader for UQ ones. I got the Kobo app but haven’t used it yet. (iPad only)

One really useful app I check every day is AppOfTheDay – every day they have a different app (usually a paid one) that they’re offering for free for 24 hours. I don’t get most of the apps they feature – many don’t appeal to me – but I’ve picked up a couple of useful productivity apps, and a game or two, from there. Sometimes you get a $4 or $5 app for free.

I reckon I probably add one new app a week, and keep maybe one in every two I download. Many apps offer a Lite or Free version of a full app so you can take a test drive before you commit to paying for the full version.

In some ways, apps have made life easier – remembering things, communicating, accessing information – and in many others they draw more and more on my free time. Though I suspect that’s my own fault. Now please excuse me – I have candy to crush!!