According to jkOnTheRun.com, iPhone application developers have found a way around not being able to offers users free trials of their products.
Prior to the invent of the iPhone, many of us were just getting used to downloading free trials of games on our mobile phones before making the commitment of actually purchasing the application, or moving on to something bigger and brighter. With iPhone Apps, we have to plunk down the $0.99 to $19.99 (or even $999) to even get the first glimpse of what the product actually has to offer. At this time, there are technical reasons as to why “trials” are not currently available. In order not to bore you, I will just tell you that they have to do with license keys, and Apple’s current inability to only offer functionality for a given length of time. In other words, once you buy it, you own it.
Today jkOnTheRun.com shared with their readers that by using the search keyword “lite” in the App Store search tab, you can find a plethora (two dozen or so) of free to discounted versions of watered-down Applications. This allows the user to, at the very least, check out the functionality of the App, as well as visuals, usability, and likability. Then, the consumer can make an educated decision as to whether or not they want to invest in said Application.
As of now, creating a “lite” version of their product is a developers solution for coaxing their way into the iPhone App purchaser’s heart. But we can expect (or hope) to see Apple’s solution in the form of free, time sensitive trials in the near future. Maybe it can squeeze its way in line behind Mobile Me?
via jkOnTheRun
