RIM’s long-awaited rival to Apple’s iTunes App Store has finally arrived – but only in the UK, US and Canada. All other BlackBerry users around the globe will have to make do with the existing service, for now.
RIM has also pointed out on the App World homepage that the App World store may not be compatible with all networks in the available regions.
According to one user on the official BlackBerry Support Community Forum: “Using a new BB Bold on Orange in the UK (with stock OS). The downloadable app tells me my device does not meet the system requirements to use the service.”
Another disgruntled Blackberry user said: “What, did you guys forget that the rest of the world was out there? How come Australia is not supported?
“Maybe you should rename it BlackBerry App Half-World?”
The App World programme is downloadable for free through a BlackBerry device or onto your desktop (only through Microsoft Internet Explorer). Using this program, users can purchase applications using their Paypal account.
RIM has previously said that the pricing of apps will be set from US$2.99 and upwards, with a dollar difference in apps costing up to US$19.99, and that this pricing was to exclude the possibility of low-quality applications.
After this price point, applications could cost anywhere between US$19.99 and US$99.99 – not for the casual or budget-conscious user.
Featured apps on the App World store today include AOL Instant Messenger, Facebook, The New York Times web shortcut and Salesforce – not exactly the same varied selection as the iTunes App Store, but a beginning nonetheless.
By Marie Boran
