Why don't we get an App store?

[cgutjahr]

Aminet STILL doesn't have screenshots

Correct. And this won't change anytime soon if everybody who dislikes something about Aminet just runs to the next forum, complains about it and announces his own competing service because Aminet STILL sucks so much.

Having ideas is not the problem, finding the time to implement them is. As it is, we're happy we can keep Aminet running (more or less), everything else is just an afterthought for now.

People with no partnership, no social life, no hobbies and lots of leet PHP skillz please apply for a job at aminet@aminet.net.

Back to topic:

About the last thing the Amiga needs is an "app store". Instead of encouraging more commercialisation - which in our case just means one more round of milking the few remaining enthusiasts - we should encourage more open source development.

If you really want to do something about the way software is distributed on the Amiga, then try to come up with a sensible, Amiga specific concept for a package management system. That is what we need, not yet another website that is asking for my money because I'm expected to "support the Amiga".

[cgutjahr]

And kill for all time any possibility of a commercial incentive to create Amiga&alike specific applications.

This incentive was killed nearly a decade ago.

I am not a raving fanboy that believes Amiga will take over the world any time soon, but believe in a strategy that should improve the applications situation immensely.

I'm really looking forward to your explanation how a bunch of commercially motivated Amiga bedroom coders are going to take on the likes of OpenOffice, Firefox, GIMP, Inkscape, Blender, Audacity or Avidemux.

Tell me, why shouldn't an Amiga developer make a buck, especially if they deserve it, in furthering the platform?

If they're "furthering the platform" they sure deserve to make a buck. I just don't see any commercial development doing that. This thread was about games: do you think "Desert Racing" was furthering the platform? BOH? Word Me Up XXL?

The Apple app-store and its proliferation of apps is often seen as the yardstick of success against other mobile platforms.

The keyword here is mobile platforms.

but if you're running a commercial Amiga&alike system, then it stands to reason that you would be supportive of commercial quality software.

I'm supportive of good software, no matter what license is attached to it. AbiWord is good software. Give me a commercial Amiga word processor that is at least as good as AbiWord and I'll buy it. Problem is that this won't happen.