Apple has dealt with criticism on how the App Store is arranged. Developers complained that the layout wasn't conducive to selling apps that weren't 99¢ or free. Twitterriffic developer Craig Hockenberry, wrote an open letter to Steve Jobs explaining that developers have been lowering the price of their Apps in order to get some top ranking face time in the App Store.
"This proliferation of 99 cent 'ringtone apps' is affecting our product development," he said. "We have a lot of great ideas for iPhone applications. Unfortunately, we’re not working on the cooler (and more complex) ideas. Instead, we’re working on 99¢ titles that have a limited lifespan and broad appeal. Market conditions [on the App Store] make ringtone apps most appealing."
It seems like good ol' Steve Jobs was listening. This week Apple has begun to make changes to the App Store layout in order to showcase categories and the top ranking Apps in both pay-for Apps and free Apps. Even though these steps may not solve all the problems developers have with the App Stores set up, it shows that Apple is working on creating a better service for both developers and customers of the App Store.
