iPhone Apps Store has 2 billionth download

If you do the math it comes out to be 40 apps per person, that's not too horrible, right? (2,000,000,000 apps for 50,000,000 iPhones or iPod Touches). Actually that seems pretty astonishing since the average person probably doesn't even install that many apps on their personal computer. I don't even think I currently have 40 apps on my PC right now (not including default programs). I wonder how many of those are flashlights apps, or some variation? Also, if you want to do pure math, each app would have been downloaded an average of 23,529 times or so. (2,000,000,000 apps downloaded and 85,000 available apps). Granted some have probably only been downloaded a couple of times, while others have been downloaded more. Very interesting.

@Logjamming Sure, as I could say the same about the iPod, or any MP3 player for that matter. However, when you sell a product that is only available in select markets, while your competition is available throughout the world, this becomes a very big weakness. Perhaps, the single greatest weakness of the product. No matter how good (or bad) a particular product is, if it's not available to a certain clientele, they will more than likely not buy it, right? Therefore, this will affect the overall marketshare of that particular product.

I don't understand why Microsoft should be worried about anything other than the Mac platform. Who at MS really cares if Apple turns into nothing more than a iPod/iPhone company as long as their computer systems remain with a less than 10% market share? If it wasn't for the iPod/iPhone, Apple would have faded out long ago. So they make nice toys...who really cares? It's the computer market that really matters and Apple can't compete there no matter what their ads say.

I think the low pricing of the apps is still very interesting. My daughter needed a graphing calculator for her advanced math classes, and the school recommends a $100+ Texas Instruments model. She found a solid graphing calculator in the App Store for $4.99, and it does everything she needs. So that saved me about $100. Great for the consumer today but how does a company like TI compete?

@techman I completely agree. After-all Microsoft's core business is towards businesses. Multimedia (such as the Zune and even the Xbox 360 for that matter) is just a secondary source of income (at best). This is like comparing Microsoft's server side of its business to Apple's. Guess what, Microsoft is completely dominating Apple in this market. Does Apple care? Probably not a whole lot. So, who really cares if Apple's beating Microsoft in the MP3 market? Microsoft probably cares a little bit, but really? I don't think so.

"Most (if not all) of my instructers (at the college level, anyway) don't allow iPhones or iPods (or similar devices) to be used in lieu of actual calculators because the students could easily switch from the calculator to their notes and cheat on tests (although you can also do this on a TI-83 or 84 very easily)." I remember playing Space Invaders on my TI-85 during some of those particularly boring lectures. The data cables for those were just stupid expensive too.

This is somewhat related: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=1349

Waethorn, if the Zune software platform is more important than the Zune hardware, and I'm not disagreeing with you on that, why don't MS simply make it compatible with the iPod and see how many podheads decide to switch services? I really don't see the Zune HD making any significant inroads in the player area, but if MS allows Windows to be run on a Mac, then turnabout is fair play. It would be interesting to see how Apple would react...maybe they would block such access and then we'd see what legal repercussions would result from such a blockage. In any event, I'm sure that MS is happier to see Apple spend their resources on MP3 players than on what really matters...computers and operating systems.

@Avro Microsoft's market cap is 66 billion dollars greater than Apple's on significantly greater numbers of shares. They are very different stocks. Further, Microsoft pays dividends to shareholders; Apple does not. Microsoft also offers favorable stock buy-backs at very favorable rates, which rewards shareholders - again, they are very different stocks. Finally, look carefully at the forward PE vice PE for each company. Microsoft's stock price is undervalued; Apple's is not. With so much good stuff shipping from Microsoft this year and next and given the very real differences in the companies and their stocks, their respective market caps alone do not lend themselves well to a direct comparison.

On a comic note: remember how the Anti-Apple crowd was lashing Apple when they announced that they were finally opening up the app development and that for that devs would have to use Apple central store to distribute their softs ?? Some many people shouted heresy, how unacceptable it was ...!!! And now who wants to copy the model ???

@mikegalos@msn.com, This would not be much different than the package manager used for Ubuntu Linux, and other distros - where yeah... it is possible to install something new and get it into the package manager, but not without significant effort that precious few end lay users would dare attempt. Not saying that getting items approved for the package manager is all that tough on a dev, but again, not something most lay end users would try. Apple could do something very similar with OS X - not that ISV's and end users would be very happy about it. About the only good thing I can say about the model is that it makes for one very secure OS - after all.... nothing may be installed outside of the package manager - not at least without a great deal of effort. Finally, if they did go this route, it would kill the drap and drop to /apps that has been used in many cases. Not bloodly likely to happen for a lot of reasons. Now... Google's Chroms OS? That's another matter - it will very likely have a tightly controlled manager - so much for choice!

“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share, no chance." - Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, during an interview with USA Today.

Lol Mike could not help himself. I mean we know he does not own any Apple products (that he admits to) so why should he even comment. The success of the iPhone/iTouch/App store is fraking huge and there is just no denying it.

"I'm sure the Zune HD will be available in other countries eventually." I wouldn't count on that. For the reason that you mentioned after - international licensing rights - and the fact that the Zune HD may be the last or second-last hardware product by the Zune team before the platform goes wide open as the defacto Windows media consumption service, I'd say that it would make business sense if Microsoft didn't bother, although I know I wouldn't like it if that were the way it happened. "why don't MS simply make it compatible with the iPod and see how many podheads decide to switch services?" Two reasons mostly: a) They have a good quantity of Windows Mobile products already on the market, and they'll have Windows Mobile 7 available later as well. It's like if the iPhone were designed to everybody's taste. b) Apple. Will Apple allow them to support the iPod on Zune services? What kind of costs would be associated in licensing Apple iPod communications IP? "Anyone who cares about Microsoft would hope you're wrong, Waethorn. But since you usually are, I'm sure we have nothing to worry about." And once again, you've completely taken that out of context. It's a wonder you have so much room in your mouth for your foot.... As I was saying, the Zune HARDWARE is not the future of Zune; it's the service. Windows Live is a shining example of services that work, that are complementary to Windows, and that's what Zune will be - complementary to the Windows ecosystem.

"I remember playing Space Invaders on my TI-85 during some of those particularly boring lectures. The data cables for those were just stupid expensive too." Same here. That was probably one of my most favorite games for that calculator. Mine came with a data cable, however. So I've never really looked at the cost of them. I can only imagine how expensive they must be.

"Mine came with a data cable, however. So I've never really looked at the cost of them. I can only imagine how expensive they must be." Mine only came with a "pairing" cable that allowed you to connect to another one. That's how students ended up spreading games. The data cable was like $70 for a 9-pin serial cable to connect to the funky 1/10th" phono port that they used. I don't have mine anymore though. Stuck it in a closet and the batteries leaked out so I threw it away. Dunno why a student wouldn't just use their laptop with a nice graphing calculator application now anyway. "Apple gets to pull in billions of dollars in profits! See? Make a great product people want, and you can actually make a lot of money." If you're in the computer business only to make money, your market can dry up overnight. There was another company like that - NeXT. Maybe you've heard of them?

Well Mike if you want to play dumb when it arranges you, whatever... The very smart thing from Apple was also to create an iPod touch when they saw they created the best media player out there with the iPhone. 2 devices with the same OS and the same great user experience, but one of them devoted to music/video and games that what sparked the store also...

"What? Why the hell else would you be in the computer business?" There's no such thing as stupid questions, but the people that ask them, well....you know how that goes. Maybe because it's something that you enjoy, and you appreciate the feeling of relaying to someone the benefits of your work towards their everyday life. You know, the same reason why most people like to choose their own career. " if you want to play dumb when it arranges you, whatever..." Ummm. What?

Wae, sorry i meant "when it's convenient for you..." one of these French-English traps... ;-)

"Then came the muted introduction of Apple's lackluster late 2009 iPods and bloated iTunes software. But the hardest hit, possibly, happened last week with the release of Microsoft's near-perfect Zune HD and Zune 4.0 software and services. Sure, the Zune has only 1.1 percent market share, allegedly." Yep, with 2 Billion apps downloaded, the iPods are lame and the Touch has no chance, absolutely no chance against that rocking Zune. The emphasis Paul makes here on the 77 countries is important, but the real difference is the app store. And, yes Paul, the Zune really has 1.1% marketshare. You have no problem with marketshare statistics when the topic is desktop computers, so eat your own dogfood. "The Zune HD offers nothing compelling around the iPod touch's application and gaming capabilities, so if this is a big concern for you, feel free to head on over to your local Apple Store and go nuts. But if you're into this for the music, videos, and other content, what Microsoft has accomplished here is impressive." The Zune is a nicely done mp3/video player, about 3 years to late into a market that is saturating and rapidly evolving into something totally different. What's left of the mp3/video player market is now heading downscale in price, while the Zune HD comes in with a price at the top of that category. On the other had, the iPod Touch is rapidly becoming "the iPhone without ATT", clearly distinct from all the other players in the mp3/video market, because of the app store. Microsoft needs to do something very soon to converge WinMobile and Zune into one thing. Their mobile strategy is simply a mess.

"one of these French-English traps... ;-)" Ah yes, as in the term "arrangement", similar to "agreement" or "appointment".

What is it with Apple zealots that they always seem to insist that MS absolutely has to compete in the mp3/phone arena? That isn't their primary business, computer software and operating systems is. Anything else is a sideline or is designed to complement their primary business. Apple was once supposed to be primarily a computer related company also but has since become primarily an iPod/iPhone company. The difference between the two companies is that whether the Zune is a success or not, it really won't make that much of a difference to MS whereas if the iPod/iPhone business were to go bust, Apple would soon follow. Personally I have no need or desire to own any portable device like the Zune, iPod or iPhone and never will. But for those who do, buy the one you like best and let others do the same.

@SPiotr: You can credit Microsoft for bringing computers to mass market too.

Waethorn: "Maybe because it's something that you enjoy, and you appreciate the feeling of relaying to someone the benefits of your work towards their everyday life. You know, the same reason why most people like to choose their own career." Oh yeah. I forgot about people that run their own Mom and Pop computer stores.

" Factoid: "Windows Live brought in $520 million in revenue, mostly from advertising, but lost $560 million total for the year." " Losing 40 million on online services that have the #1 IM client and #1 web mail service doesn't look too bad now does it? How much does Google make on any of their web services besides ad serving again?