14 DAY TRIAL // Go ahead and look for an app in AppStore. You'll be amazed to notice that, even if you type its exact name, you will get dozens of similar-looking or similarly dubbed apps.
That is not helpful in any way, and if you combine that with the fact that iTunes on the Mac is a bloated everything store, you come to realize that something needs to change right away.
The good old iPod times
Apple is working on the AppStore on a trial and error basis. Services like Ping (the Apple social network) and other stuff that was part of the iTunes app and the AppStore are long gone. However, Apple has never really managed to have a clear vision for the way they distribute music, videos, apps and podcasts.
Back when the iPhone was not around, having a store just for music was simple, and everything was working just fine. iPod users were purchasing their music using a computer and then transferring it to the iPod.
The iTunes app is still there on your computer, but the interface is more confusing now. In order to get to the music store, you need to select the musical note on the upper left corner and then look for the "iTunes Store." For someone who has not used this before, it is very difficult to understand the difference between iTunes Radio, Connect, and Apple Music.
Apple's music directory is both a blessing and a curse. If you are an Apple Music subscriber, you can listen to whatever you want and skip the buying part. However, if you are not a subscriber, you can listen to some songs as a 90-second preview before pressing the "Buy" button, and the option is hidden for other songs. There's no indication of which ones are available until you hit the little "Play" circle.
iTunes gets even more confusing because of the layouts of the store pages. Apple is known for experimenting with the iTunes app to see if users are actually getting the menus. Remember the vertical traffic light buttons from a couple of years ago? Multiply that by 10! When you go to the "New" section, the right sidebar disappears. There is no way to select your account or do other things unless you change the tab.
Confusing is the best way to describe the "Radio" tab. You can see the stations, even the ones you recently played, but when you click on any of them, you are taken to a pop-up alert that asks you to "Join Apple Music." Same thing happens in the "For You" menu, but now the Apple Music logo and offer are front and center.
Searching for a better AppStore
Apple is said to be making an effort to change the way things work in the AppStore. But the rumors only talk about the Cupertino-based team considering a paid search model.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but how do you know you are getting the game you want, and not some poorly written knock-off? What if the developer of the said knock-off has the money to promote their app while the original developer is left behind?
I am pretty sure Apple knows exactly what the problem is with the AppStore, but they have not figured out how to deal with it.
First of all, the AppStore needs to be a separate app on the computer, just as it is on the iPhone. Sure enough, you would have to install or keep your computer drive busy with another app, but this may help with all the clutter.
Discovering new apps is another problem. Sure you can check the "Editors' Choice," the "App Collections," and take a look at the stuff you find in there. Sure you can search for a term and pray you will find something that resembles what you need, but there's no way to get away from the bad apps.
A nice way to do this would be to have checkboxes. Let's say you want to look for a game, so you can select that. You're left with half of the Apps. Then narrow the search by choosing the genre, release date, best games for your device, and top grossing. Well, this may take you somewhere.
You will probably be left with 200 games to choose from, so this is when it becomes interesting.
What if you could play the ones you want for 5 minutes as a preview? You currently have the option to see a photo or video, but there's no way to know if the game is what you are really looking for.
This is one of the two BIG problems of the AppStore: there are no trials, and there is no way buy an upgrade. Simply having these two options in store for apps, just like you can listen to the 90-second preview of a song or watch a short fragment of a video, can make a big difference.
There is hope. Apple has recently assigned Phil Schiller to be in charge of the App Store team, and we have already seen some tweaks of the iTunes interface.