Finding the Right App
the right App

It’s been just under 4 years since the release of the first generation of iPhone and already there are over 400,000 applications available for download to date. Android applications, although behind in number, are quickly catching up at 150,000 applications to date. With these staggering numbers and more apps coming out each month, users like you and me can have a difficult time finding the right ones that suit us best.


From my own endeavours, I’ve concluded that there are five common paths to searching for apps online:

  1. By using a platform specific app search engine like the Apple App Store or the Android Market.
  2. By using a generic search engine like Google or Bing.
  3. By searching on sites and blogs that review apps like MacWorld App Guide or Gizmodo.
  4. By using a third party app search engine like Chomp or Uquery.

Personally, I’ve gone down the first three paths and, with some persistence and sometimes a little luck, I’ll find information about the exact app I need at that point in time. The fourth option is one I haven’t tried yet but, after some sniffing around, looks promising for my next hunt.


If you’re like me and are thinking of giving the fourth option a try, here are some of the engines I found to be more user-friendly than others. (For each site, I searched for the term “fashion” from the home page and then browsed through the search results and selected an app to view in detail.)


uquery


This site allows you to search through 300,000 iOS apps by keyword much more quickly and efficiently than using iTunes. It also allows filtering of search results by device, price range, rating, release date, and category. It doesn’t provide much in the way of reviews and recommendations, but the search results are plentiful and relevant.

 

 

 

Chomp

 

Chomp is a search engine available both on the Web and as an app. The search results are simplified and colourful but there are only filter options for device, cost (free or paid), and category. Descriptions for each app are also simplified in comparison to Apple’s App Store’s description.

The nice thing about Chomp is that you can easily find apps which have been put on sale as well as track apps which are likely to change in price. App reviews and ratings are based on those written by members of Chomp rather than the Apple App Store reviews and ratings.

 

 

 

 

Appolicious

 

 

Appolicious is something like Delicious for iPhone apps, provide reviews and recommendations from friends based on the apps you have already downloaded. It aggregates news about apps, and also provides video reviews and previews.

You can search for apps by category or keyword, and filter by device and cost (free or paid). One other useful feature is the App Library Builder, which scans the app folder on your computer and give you the chance to rate and review the apps you already use. The site becomes more useful as you use it, but you may not be able to grasp its full potential without first investing some time into signing up and building your app library.

 

 

 

 

There are still several search engines, blogs, and review sites which I haven’t mentioned but may suit your needs better than what I’ve listed. If you have a favourite to recommend, feel free to let us know by leaving a comment.

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Blog summary: 
<p> Android applications, although behind in number, are quickly catching up at 150,000 applications to date. With these staggering numbers and more apps coming out each month, users like you and me can have a difficult time finding the right ones that suit us best.</p>

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