Grab Those Apps
One of the biggest reasons Apple is the most dominant technology-based company in the world is their ability to look into their crystal ball and direct consumers into the future. On July 10, 2008, Apple announced that they would be starting a digital application distribution platform to coincide with the release of the iPhone 3 the
following day. At the time, no one knew just how big the App Store would become. Soon,though, they learned that customers loved having free or nearly free apps fill their phones.In nearly four years, the App Store has become a gold mine for Apple as well as for developers. The App Store started off with just 500 apps but now has more than half a
million. By the end of 2011, these had been downloaded more than 18 billion times to iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches. The word app was even voted the Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society in 2010. What's even more surprising is the popularity of certain apps. The Angry Birds franchise started off as a simple game people could play for 10-minute spurts anywhere. Now, it has grown into a full-fledged cultural phenomenon,with TV shows, clothing lines, and live-action movies in development.What if you had an idea for an iPhone app that could possibly make you millions of dollars? While his friends were out playing in the park, a 14-year-old boy spent a month learning how to write code for iPhone apps. He released a game called Bubble Ball, which resulted in more than two million downloads. It's stories like these that have developers salivating at what the App Store can do for them.
小小程式， 大大流行
應用程式商店是造就蘋果公司成功的眾多原因之一。
蘋果公司之所以能成為全世界最具領導優勢的科技公司，其中 1 個最大的原因就是，他們有能力透視趨勢來指引消費者前往未來的路。2008 年 7 月 10 日，蘋果公司宣布將在隔天 iPhone 3 推出的同時，開啟數位應用程式發行平台。當時根本沒有人知道，應用程式商店的發展規模會有多大。然而，蘋果公司不久後就了解到，消費者喜歡自己的手機裡滿是免費或近乎免費的應用程式。
4 年不到的時間，應用程式商店已經成為蘋果公司以及程式開發者的金雞母。應用程式商店一開始只有 500 個應用程式，但現在已超過 50 萬個。到 2011 年底，這些應用程式被下載到 iPhone、iPad 和 iPod Touch 超過180 億人次。app 這個字甚至被美國方言協會選為 2010年度風雲字彙。而更令人吃驚的是某些應用程式受歡迎的程度。『憤怒鳥』遊戲一開始推出時，只是 1 個人們可以在任何地方花個 10 分鐘玩的簡單遊戲。如今，它已經演變成 1 種成熟的文化現象，相關的電視節目、衣服和真人演出的電影都陸續在開發當中。
要是你有個可能會幫你賺進好幾百萬的 iPhone 應用程式的點子，那又會怎麼樣呢？當朋友們都跑出去公園玩耍的時候，有位 14 歲的男孩花了 1 個月的時間，學習怎麼寫 iPhone 的應用程式。他發表了 1 款叫做『泡泡球』的遊戲，引發超過 2 百萬人次的下載量。像這樣的故事讓開發應用程式的人對應用程式商店的潛在能力虎視眈眈。
following day. At the time, no one knew just how big the App Store would become. Soon,though, they learned that customers loved having free or nearly free apps fill their phones.In nearly four years, the App Store has become a gold mine for Apple as well as for developers. The App Store started off with just 500 apps but now has more than half a
million. By the end of 2011, these had been downloaded more than 18 billion times to iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches. The word app was even voted the Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society in 2010. What's even more surprising is the popularity of certain apps. The Angry Birds franchise started off as a simple game people could play for 10-minute spurts anywhere. Now, it has grown into a full-fledged cultural phenomenon,with TV shows, clothing lines, and live-action movies in development.What if you had an idea for an iPhone app that could possibly make you millions of dollars? While his friends were out playing in the park, a 14-year-old boy spent a month learning how to write code for iPhone apps. He released a game called Bubble Ball, which resulted in more than two million downloads. It's stories like these that have developers salivating at what the App Store can do for them.
小小程式， 大大流行
應用程式商店是造就蘋果公司成功的眾多原因之一。
蘋果公司之所以能成為全世界最具領導優勢的科技公司，其中 1 個最大的原因就是，他們有能力透視趨勢來指引消費者前往未來的路。2008 年 7 月 10 日，蘋果公司宣布將在隔天 iPhone 3 推出的同時，開啟數位應用程式發行平台。當時根本沒有人知道，應用程式商店的發展規模會有多大。然而，蘋果公司不久後就了解到，消費者喜歡自己的手機裡滿是免費或近乎免費的應用程式。
4 年不到的時間，應用程式商店已經成為蘋果公司以及程式開發者的金雞母。應用程式商店一開始只有 500 個應用程式，但現在已超過 50 萬個。到 2011 年底，這些應用程式被下載到 iPhone、iPad 和 iPod Touch 超過180 億人次。app 這個字甚至被美國方言協會選為 2010年度風雲字彙。而更令人吃驚的是某些應用程式受歡迎的程度。『憤怒鳥』遊戲一開始推出時，只是 1 個人們可以在任何地方花個 10 分鐘玩的簡單遊戲。如今，它已經演變成 1 種成熟的文化現象，相關的電視節目、衣服和真人演出的電影都陸續在開發當中。
要是你有個可能會幫你賺進好幾百萬的 iPhone 應用程式的點子，那又會怎麼樣呢？當朋友們都跑出去公園玩耍的時候，有位 14 歲的男孩花了 1 個月的時間，學習怎麼寫 iPhone 的應用程式。他發表了 1 款叫做『泡泡球』的遊戲，引發超過 2 百萬人次的下載量。像這樣的故事讓開發應用程式的人對應用程式商店的潛在能力虎視眈眈。
