Thoughts on the App Store experience

I’m an Apple fan – no use denying it. As such, I’m used to great experiences when using their products. So it sort of rubs me the wrong way when Apple actually seems to take steps to make my life unpleasant – and those of others like me. Like, say, in the case of using the new App Store to manage applications on the iPhone. Here’s an example of three things that are wrong with the experience of buying and managing apps on the device:

1) If I download an application to try it out, delete it, and then want to install it again – because that just might be the way I am with decisions -, why do I need a message telling me that I’ve already downloaded that application once, and asking if I want to download it again. Yes Apple, I do want to download it again, I just clicked the damn “INSTALL” button.

2) I have no idea why, but if I download an application on my iPhone, iTunes keeps complaining it can’t sync it with my Macbook Pro because it is not “authorized” to “play the item” (seriously.) on my computer. It’s not a song, so I won’t be playing anything, Apple. And do I really need to “Authorize Computer” for free apps? Come on.

3) Why is there no way for me to use iTunes to download a bunch of applications and then just drag Applications in and out of a device, just like I do with tracks and playlists? I know we’ve been there before, but this sync-everything experience is really boring and convoluted. Installing and uninstalling applications on OSX is usually a drag and drop experience, why smack us in the face with this absurdity?

I hate posts that only complain, so I’ll make amends right now. It’s not all bad about the App Store and the iPhones’ application management experience. I for one am quite happy about what Apple is doing with the iPhone and its promotion as a platform. But if you guys over at Cupertino could fix these things, now that would be great.

Note: using the iPhone App Store? How’s your experience been thus far? And if you’re inclined to share, what applications have you been using, free or otherwise?