Some Random Thoughts About the New Mac App Store

As many of you Mac owners probably know, Apple decided to finally release the much ballyhooed Mac App Store yesterday as a software update (10.6.6 IIRC).  Being the curious one that I am, here are a few random thoughts and musings from my quick overview of it.

1.) Angry Birds has come to the Mac...

...but it's crazy expensive for the game.  Don't get me wrong -- I love Angry Birds.  But $5 for it?  I think I'll stick to the mobile version.

2.) My condolences to the people who decided to buy the iWork bundle again thinking that it was the '11 version.  Apparently there's a bug in the software that doesn't pick up that you already have it installed, but that should be fixed soon enough (it was on mine...).

3.) Aperture is cheap.  Well, almost.  Gimp is still my preferred photo manipulation/editor tool if you don't mind X11.  $80 is $80.

4.) I've seen a bunch of these apps randomly strewn across the internet in the past.  I guess this is just Apple's way of condensing things.

5.) iLife '11 individual apps can be had for 14.99 a piece.  That's a good thing, too, because I largely find iPhoto and Garageband useless for my tastes.  iMovie, on the other hand, is what I use for youtube videos, so that got my download.

6.) Twitter is the #1 free app right now.  TheAppNook approves.

7.) When in doubt about which version of an app to get, portable is usually better.  And cheaper.

8.) Having an all-in-one update feature ala iTunes is going to be a huge boon for the lazy people out there (read, me) who never get around to updating apps.

9.) Growl isn't in the store.  Get moving, guys.

10.) Microsoft hasn't put the Office Suite on there, either.  They're either wanting exclusivity rights, or Apple is trying to sell old iWork programs.  Or Microsoft is trying to siphon every last penny out of you.

So there you have it, just a few random thoughts about the whole thing.  I may find other random tidbits here and there, but this whole thing has underwhelmed me compared to what the iOS App Store has become.

Read more »

Join the Elite (NBA Elite 11)

Usually, the sweet spot for app pricing is around .99 cents.  Once you start going above that price, app sales tend to dip a bit.  Once you get up to around five bucks, as is the price with NBA Elite 11, you hit a really dicey area that forces the person in question to really consider whether or not they want the app.  NBA Elite 11 is, in a way, the spiritual successor to the console games that never were released.  The app has all of the official licensing that goes with being an NBA game, so no half-brick players are present.  Is it really worth the money, though?

Maybe.

NBA Elite 11 is the only true basketball game in the app store that I could find.  Every mode that you'd expect in an NBA title is present, from quick exhibition matches to a full season.  A 3-PT shooting contest is added in for fun.  Games usually last around twelve minutes and can be paused at any time, which is perfect for a pick-up and play type of experience.  If you really want a mobile NBA title, NBA Elite 11 is probably the closest thing you're going to get.

While I like NBA Elite 11 for the aforementioned reasons, there are a few problems that need to be mentioned.  Firstly, the "Retina graphics" that the game promises aren't really retina quality at all, looking more like jagged bricks at points.  It's not enough to dissuade someone from buying the title, but I definitely wouldn't consider it a selling point like the developers are trying to push.  Secondly, the game is heavily reliant on dunks.  Almost no skill is needed to simply walk up to the basket and lay one down, as your CPU opponent will surely show you as you start playing games.  There is simply no way to stop an opponent from dunking on you.  Thirdly, in the time that this app has been fooled around with, there have been two or three crashes that randomly occurred while the game was loading.  For five bucks, I don't like the idea of an app crashing randomly.

Problems aside, NBA Elite 11 is probably the closest thing you're going to get to an NBA experience in the app store.  If you have to have a mobile NBA, you really only have this to fool around with.  For those of you who can wait to simply play it on a console, I'd do yourself a favor and stay far away from this app.  It's good, but not five buck good.  Ninety-nine cents would have been perfect for this app, so if you do see it on sale in the future, I can definitely recommend it for that price.  Anything higher though is a red flay to stay far away.

Read more »

Happy New Year from TheAppNook!

Happy New Year!  Regular posting activity will resume as of tomorrow.  Thanks!

Read more »

Storming the Keep (Solomon's Keep Review)

Solomon Dark is a misunderstood man.  After being picked on for most of his dreary life, this poor young boy decided to get back at everyone by immediately becoming some demonic necromancy dude once he became strong enough to do so.  He now sits on his throne, annihilating anyone who dares to storm his castle.

So now that you have a bit of background on Raptisoft's Solomon's Keep, you might be wondering what makes it different from every other dungeon hack in the App Store.  The answer is pretty simple: not much.  As an up and coming wizard, your job will be to storm the keep and take out Solomon.  Gameplay revolves around you clearing out floor after floor of monster infested rooms.  As you go along you'll collect experience points which you can use to level up and gain stronger skills in your skill tree which can then take up to three separate paths depending on your initial play choice.  Level design is muted and decently boring at best, with little to no change appearing at all throughout your journeys.  To clear things up: While the level designs will have different shapes, the actual environments will never, ever change.  Graphically, Solomon's Keep is a dark, dreary game.  The frame rate is consistent, which is a bonus, but when you're looking at anywhere from 2-5 hours of gameplay to get through a run of the keep, having a dark, dreary environment that keeps the same design can get boring.  Fast.

Solomon's Keep retails for 99 cents in the App Store.  As a bonus, there is a light version available that will let you try it before you buy it.  Because of the way that this app presents itself, it is definitely recommended that you take them up on that offer before you go and shell out a buck for the full app.  Personally, with the glut of dungeon hacks available in the App Store, you could definitely do better for your buck.  Solomon's Keep is decent, but nothing spectacular enough to really warrant the purchase.

Read more »

For All of You iPod Touch Clutzes Out There...

I'm usually pretty good with my electronics.  For those moments that I'm not, though, I usually prefer to have a case on my iDevice.  While getting something for my iPhone was easy enough because of the shear saturation that is currently pervading the market, it's been a bit tougher in terms of finding something for my iPod Touch 4th Gen.

Which brings me to the point of this post.  The following are cases that I've had the pleasure of fooling around with over the last few months.  This post will give a brief opinion on each one.  They have NOT been donated for promotional purposes (although, hey, would be nice in the future haha).  I'll add more to this list as I go along and get more cases, so bookmark this for further use.  I'll eventually get around to doing one of these for the iPhone 4, so don't worry if you're iPhone only.  Without further ado:

Incipio Edge

Sleek and decently protective.  Radioshack currently has these for 19.99 on sale, while normal MSRP is usually in the ballpark of 29.99.  I like the case at 20 bucks because it focuses primarily on keeping the sleek design of the iPod while giving a nice matte finish on the side.  It does a good job of protecting against scratches as well.  Just make sure to clean the darn thing out once in awhile this way the debris that WILL GET IN won't put scratches on your precious chrome.  $30 puts it into the Incase Slider range, but for $20, you won't really find a better slider.  Get it while it's cheap!

Griffin Immerse

Generic silicon case, but it retails for a mere $7 at your local Wally World.  Comes in a pack of 3, as well.  If you don't mind going through the Ebay/Hong Kong route, I'd just get one of those because of the reduced cost.  If you do mind doing something like that, though, these are probably the cheapest cases you will find stateside.  When I first got the case, I was pretty disappointed in the way that they managed to pick up lint.  After further inspection, though, I've found these cases to have a nice, soft touch that is easy to grip while providing decent scratch protection to boot.  The ports are lined up well.  If you really want something to hold you over until the better cases come out, and you really don't want to go through ebay, these are a good place to start.

Speck Candyshell

Same as always.  Soft inside, hardshell outside.  Bottom piece is hit or miss depending on how you use the case, while I definitely recommend that you get a lighter color (white) if you have a problem with visible scratches.  Otherwise, good quality in a tough market.  A load of color choices, but as I said, stick with the lighter colors.

Otterbox Defender

Haven't gotten it yet, but if it's anything like the iPhone 4 version (or even the previous iPod Touch version), this case will definitely give your ipod the layer of protection that you've been looking for.  Pricy to say the least -- like, dump your bank account pricy -- but you won't find better protection.

Read more »