PDK Hot Apps Launches 49
The PDK Hot Apps Program is launching slightly later than originally planned and slightly earlier than may be ideal for the developers who will benefit from the one million dollars in cash and prizes, but nevertheless it's here and if you're looking to do good by developers while buying some games, now's your chance.
The idea behind the PDK Hot Apps program is to encourage independent developers to create compelling 3D games for webOS for a chance at the top prize of $100,000 or runner up prizes of $50k, 10k, or $1k. We say it's launching a bit earlier than is ideal because until webOS 1.4.5 hits US carriers, US customers won't be able to install said apps and push those developers up the leaderboards. However, international customers have 1.4.5 and presumably version of the OS - complete with its unfortunate save-bug - will come to the US in the near future.
PDK Hot Apps runs through September 30th.
Source: Palm Developer Center
49 Comments
hope to see a flood of apps now as PDK makes them easy to port to webOS.
let the games begin. And some useful stuff too.....
not just 3D games, but productivity and hybrid apps right?
I'd rather those developers spend the time and resources to properly port their apps to the SDK, instead of building some weird quasi-webOS UI over their code to make them act as PDK apps. Maybe once hybrid apps are allowed we'll see some (good) non-game PDK apps, but until then, I think this Hot Apps competition is going to be games only.
Honestly, I don't usually get frustrated at Palm but the fact that US carriers still don't have 1.4.5 is absolutely pathetic and maddening. The fact that they've wasted all these weeks deciding on whether or not to fix their bug only to then decide to release what they had weeks ago is absurd. And launching this program before the bulk of their phones can even do anything with it is like launching a Nascar race with empty gas tanks. Get it together Palm, your really letting me down. At this rate, we'll see webOS 2.0 by Christmas of 2011.
The lengthy delay is likely a result of the carriers, not Palm.This update is probably getting a more thorough testing by the carriers since there are fairly serious concerns about making sure that PDK developers can't get at restricted information on your phone.
I don't understand why palm is focusing so much on lame games. I don't see myself purchasing another game. I can't play them for long. What I would like is soe nice apps but I don't se that happening.
For those wondering about games, my guess would be the focus is on games because some of the API's for apps many people think WebOS should have, have not yet been released (I believe they should be in 1.5 rumored for fall). This includes Mic access, and I can't remember what else off the top.
I don't understand why palm is focusing so much on lame games. I don't see myself purchasing another game. I can't play them for long. What I would like is soe nice apps but I don't se that happening.
Because gaming is a huge market in app development.
not really. Itls a niche market. Most games on the pre hardly did well. In order for the OS to be successful it needs apps first. That what android did and look at it now. Most of the major developers are developing for it.
According to comScore, gaming on smartphones has increased 60% over last year. This suggests gaming is a big deal in the smartphone space.
A 'niche market'?? Not sure if you've heard of apps like Angry Birds and Doodle Jump, but these pick up and play games make huge amounts of money and are a big part of the itunes ecosystem when it comes to apps.
In fact, if you look at the itunes top 10 grossing apps (I'm in the UK) right now, 6 are games and the other 4 are SatNav (3 TomTom charging
And they are on iphone where there are at least maybe 20 million or more users plus there is the ipod touch. I doubt the Pre has 3 million users if that maqny so games on it will be niche. Another thing is the Pre screen is so small to be gaming on and the battery hardly lasts. If anyone wants to game they will either get the ipod touch or a nintendo portable device.
By your logic, everything on the Pre will be niche. Still, within that niche, gaming is significant according to the numbers. I don't game much, but I don't represent the market. Mobile gaming (on smartphones) is growing fast.
So you prefer Palm focus on all these games while the phone doesn't even have a document editor? When I got the Pre one year ago it clearly said document editing will be available soon. One year later and it still says the same thing. The application catalog is also pathetic. All it has is homebrew web applications and games while android and other mobile devices are getting things like Rhapsody and other highly functional apps. I really like Webos but feel it hasn't done much in the past year so more than likely if I will be switching to another device like I think many people are currently doing.
I don't think you truly understand the market place. Games are a big part of a device's ecosystem, and help drive customers to the phones. I think the problem is that you may be thinking that all games are like the 3D ones such as the driving games. They are not. Games like solitaire, mahjong, cloud hopper, bubble games, etc...are the biggest ones, as people love to just pick up a quick game such as these to run. I play solitaire on my phone everyday. Asphalt 5...I only run once and a while, though it's quite fun.
The PDK allows games to be ported very easy and very quickly. Other apps, especially ones that require higher functions, will take a little more time to get out. I imagine we will see some document editing hitting the app store within the next month or so. The apps will come. Games are plentiful and can be used to drive up the mind-share grabbing "number of apps".
+1. it is great to hear someone be positive.
So you prefer Palm focus on all these games while the phone doesn't even have a document editor?
Not at all. As I've said, I'm not much of a gamer. I'm only disagreeing with your comment that gaming is a niche market. The numbers show that it anything but niche.
I believe Palm understood this as well. This is why the PDK came about in the first place. Remember everything Palm said before was that JavaScript/HTML/CSS was all that was needed to develop for webOS and that there are so many developers out their that use these standards that the App Catalog would be flooded with app. Well, that did not happen. At some point, that stance was changed. And since games are so popular, I believe this is why Palm figured they'd focus on them first with the PDK. They even hired people specifically for this purpose.
People don't seem to care much about the other stuff that Palm was hoping would draw them to webOS. Gestures are nice, but not enough people care. Multi-tasking via cards is brilliant, but not enough people care. Apps are easy to develop with web tech but not enough developers seem to care (and judging from the comments on this site, people aren't happy with the apps that have been developed). The market says that people care about games, so Palm is trying to get their share of that pie. I wonder how long this will last however, given that HP wants to focus webOS on the enterprise. Gaming is probably not the way to do that.
I personally prefer productivity/utility/fitness apps over games. But, like I've stated, I do not represent the status quo of the current market.
Part of the problem is that the "hybrid" part of the PDK is not ready yet. Thus, for the moment, Palm is only allowing either pure SDK or pure PDK apps. Since a pure PDK app is going to have to render its entire UI and all the necessary elements therein, it just makes sense to do just games with it.
I suspect that the next round of the Hot Apps competition is going to be for hybrid apps, since hopefully by September 30th Palm will have released webOS 1.5/2.0, which among other things will hopefully include support for hybrid apps. That's when you're gonna see the cool stuff, like Shazam, Docs To Go, and other more advanced stuff like that.
The Pre's screen is larger than the screen on the DS.
and the DS has controls.
And doesn't surf the internet or make phone calls or text...
On screen controls (on a larger screen) are a small price to pay for an integrated gaming ecperience and not having to carry around another device.
Umm.... The Pre has controls as well, smartass.
They're called accelerometers, touchscreens, & physical buttons.
Even GPS is an instrument used in geocaching.
The DS is possibly the worst handheld ever invented. Seriously, it has the worst title selection of any handheld. EVAR!!
Try playing H.A.W.X. on the Pre and then tell me what game compares on the DS.
I don't understand why palm is focusing so much on lame games. I don't see myself purchasing another game. I can't play them for long. What I would like is soe nice apps but I don't se that happening.
Maybe you should focus on how to post once and not 3 times, even while reporting a response to your own post.
That happens sometimes when I post from the Pre and there is no delete function. Really weird since it never happens on the PC.
It happens when you refresh the page. After posting just click on the article link once to fully reload the page before refreshing.
I won't more games but also want more pim and media apps as well as other nice feature rich apps.
I really hope people use this port other awesome apps too and not just games.
Is there a list of the PDK apps? Because I would like to see all of them.
If 1.4.5 has been in US carrier hands for 4 weeks now, and Palm decided days ago they don't need to release a 1.4.5.1 fix because that would introduce a huge delay (carriers would insist on retesting), then WHY is it still being held up?
Is is Palm waiting for all US carriers to approve before giving all the go ahead to push it out? In this scenario just one hesitant carrier would delay all of us.
Is is because Palm has lost so much momentum in the market that they are getting lowered down in the Carriers' priority queue?
Are they awaiting final testing / tweaking of Adobe Flash which might require something in the PDK so they can launch 1.4.5 in the US with a bang? If so, and I know this is going to sound like a conspiracy theory, would a carrier put up roadblocks for Palm because they want other Android based phones to be the first to have Flash running on a large scale and don't want Palm to be able to steal some of their thunder?
Is it some other sceanario?
Other theories anyone?
Hey guys, the article states "...until webOS 1.4.5 hits US carriers, US customers won't be able to install said apps and push those developers up the leaderboards."
Is this true? I thought Pre users could install PDK apps regardless of 1.4.5, and only Pixi users wouldn't be able to install PDK apps prior to 1.4.5 being released?
The Pre was able to install SOME PDK apps, but ONLY those from TRUSTED developers.
Palm basically let the apps have access to the WHOLE system. A malicious developer could have created an app to pull your data off your device. Still can if Palm were to release it to non 1.4.5+ devices.
See why 1.4.5 is necessary.
Uh...did Palm ever make an official announcement about which developers won the non-PDK Hot Apps competition?
for those who have 1.4.5 is there any new pdk apps yet that we can look forward to? Are they all games?
IDK if it counts but the homebrew turn by turn navigation software Navit
http://forums.precentral.net/webos-internals/254622-navit-3d-car-navigat...
now requires 1.4.5.
You know, with the recent stories of iPads overheating and catching fire, that's a really unfortunate graphic for the competition....
;-)
Here is i think an idea that may just save WebOS on a phone. Make a decent phone and sell it! The apps on this platform are nothing short of pretty much useless apart from a few.
I still have my Pre but favour the HTC Desire over it. It is a better phone and isn't a cheap plastic thing that always has something wrong with it.
Android has better apps by far and Windows 7 is going to be here soon.
HP have a problem. They flunked it with the business user, they all went for Blackberry and with some of the cracking things HTC and Samsung are coming out with Android will be the biggest rival to iOS. HP have never made a decent phone in their life. The palm brand is damaged and they can't even give phones away at the mo. If WebOS does stay around on phones it will have a small market share in the US only as i say above, Android and Apple are running away with it at the moment and i am sure that the new RIM OS will still do better than Palm so why mess about with these silly comps to try and get people to write apps when devs will make so much more money on other platforms.
bla bla bla!! nobody cares! pre sux, give me a new device with refreshed webos.. then ill start paying attention again
no new over-clock patch out yet for 1.4.5, back to the slugish 600 mhz
more like 500mhz it may be a 600mhz cpu but its under clocked to 500mhz i will not update in till there is a new super kernel. games run so much better at 800mhz
govnah works up to 600 mhz on 1.4.5
palm has the best games for a smartphone out side of the iphone android is starting to get some good games but is no were close to the the Palm Pre at this point. i have a evo and a pre the pre smokes the evo for gaming, and i for one bought my pre for the games so im real happy about this the more games the better
You cant sell a phone in the smartphone ring based on games and if that is the onlty thing on offer it will fail.
Actually Apple is the one that brought us to the point where you can't sell a smartphone WITHOUT games. Until WebOS had 3D games, everyone was complaining about not having them..... etc, you know the story I don't need to tell it to you.
so lame no updste no voice recording but a contest for a phone with a small screen and not good touchscreen.....
no document editor...lol....
the games can never be as good as on a touch iphone or a psp or a nintendo never...
buying into a market instead of giving the pre what it needs apps for business men and creatives... Come on palm reconize who your customers always was...people making money
I was wondering when the token cries for new hardware would show up. Guess that train's never late.
It has been months since the last update. Holding up the update over this bug was a waste. Still waiting on Adobe Flash too. Palm really has dropped the ball in not getting it out immediately. HP really needs to get it into high gear or next year when I'm due for an upgrade I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to switch over to a Droid.