14 DAY TRIAL // “Looks like sort by release date in App Store only sorts by original release date now, not update date,” a Twitter update from the developer of PCalc, a scientific calculator for iPhone and iPod touch, reads. “Say hello to page 342 of Utilities...,” his tweet adds.
On the desktop side, PCalc for Mac OS X is a fully featured scientific calculator with support for hexadecimal, octal and binary calculations, as well as an RPN mode, parentheses, programmable functions, and an extensive set of unit conversions. For the iPhone version, James Thomson redesigned the program from the ground up to give the best handheld experience, keeping all the features intact.
Thomson’s tweet refers to PCalc now being featured on the last pages of the immense utilities section in the App Store, 9to5Mac points out, because it was one of the earliest apps on the store, released on July 11, 2008. Even with an update hitting PCalc for iPhone on October 18, Apple still hasn’t moved PCalc up the list, in order to make it more visible. Frustrating to say the least for developers like Thomson who rely on regular updates to provide fans with the best experience possible.
The logic behind this move is simple. Soon after the App Store was live, developers realized that, by issuing constant updates, their apps would be listed as recently approved titles. Some went as far as giving their apps strange names to always have them featured on the first pages. Abuse is what prompted Apple to stop moving apps up the list with every update release, giving an equal chance to newer entries. While not bad for new developers, this spells tragedy for those whose apps were first in the App Store.
Apple continues to iron out bugs, but this move is likely to spur yet more complaints from the ever-frustrated iPhone developers. The Mac maker needs to provide a way for developers to stand out whenever they issue an update, be it a minor one. The solution is a simple one, as 9to5Mac points out – a way for the users to filter apps by update time – a ‘recently updated’ button. It’s not as good as being placed at the top of the list in your category, but it ensures fairness between developers.