On: Apple Starts to Woo Its App Developers

[pcwalton]

The same type of benefit that Apple gets from making iTunes available on Windows: a broader userbase.

A broader base of developers can mean more and higher-quality apps. A better selection of apps can lead to greater sales of iPhones and iPads.

(It also might not. But there is certainly a potential benefit for Apple here.)

[paulcole → pcwalton]

> A broader base of developers can mean more and higher-quality apps.

One word counter-argument: Android.

[pcwalton → paulcole]

I don't think that Android would have had better apps if Android developer tools were Mac-only. The reason behind the Play Store/App Store quality difference has more to do with the way the store is run, the system frameworks (Core Animation vs. the Java frameworks, etc.), and the inclination of users to purchase apps.

[paulcole → pcwalton]

> I don't think that Android would have had better apps if Android developer tools were Mac-only.

Would it be worse?

[ChrisLTD → pcwalton]

Apple platforms already have the best consumer software, so maybe Apple's strategy is the right one?