In Defense of Single Serving Applications

Venture Beat blogger MG Siegler’s recent criticism of “Single-serving” iPhone applications got me thinking – is this really bad (or confusing) for consumers?

finder-apps1

In the article, he specifically points to the restaurant finder applications by “IntelligentMobiles”. If you aren’t familiar, basically, they are all the same application, but they vary by restaurant. So you have “Burger King Finder”, “Pizza Hut Finder”, etc.

MG’s criticism is two fold – 1) Developers are “flooding” the AppStore with “crap” in attempts to “milk” customers for money and 2) The iPhone offers the same functionality in the native Google Maps application (for free).

I personally don’t get the rub here.

InteligentMobiles understood that finding a restaurant with Google Maps, while straightforward, could be much simpler. Instead of a few clicks, their app does it in one. If you frequently look for a specific restaurant, their app is a much better experience. To some consumers, that convenience is worth $1.99. Don’t blame IntelligentMobiles for that.

MG’s point that these apps are a “rip-off” (and “confusing” to customers) since Google Maps already offers this functionality is flawed. It’s like saying the ability to add shortcuts on the home-screen is unnecessary because there is a perfectly good URL bar and search box in Safari.

4 Comments

  1. Cam Beck said:

    These apps are confusing? Now, I haven’t used them, but it seems as if it’s pretty straightforward. It’s clear what they do and it’s clear what they cost, and users are free to buy or not buy them, at their own discretion.

    Jan 16

  2. Travis Isaacs said:

    My thoughts exactly Cam. I simply don’t buy that consumers are confused.

    Jan 18

  3. Munchichis said:

    And when you’re looking for a Taco Bell at 2am, chances are that the less steps requiring fine motor skills and higher cognitive reasoning, the better. I haven’t seen these apps, but they should just be a huge button you can stab at with one eye closed that says ‘Food’.

    Jan 22

  4. Omi Chowdhury said:

    Maybe the issue is that the iPhone OS, for understandable reasons, doesn’t allow more than one button per application, one button IS one application after all.
    If buttons were instead shortcuts to specific functionality, you could install one app, then add the different buttons as you see fit. The important thing would be to keep the power in the user’s hand, so as not to clutter the home screen. Then again this would go against Apple’s philosophy.

    Jan 26