Seybold's Take: Why aren't phone simulators used to demo apps?

A number of years ago I wrote about my idea to make it easier to purchase applications for our wireless devices. What I wanted then, and still want, is to be able to try each new application I am interested in on my desktop on a phone simulator so I can get a feel for the application, what it does and, more importantly, what it does not do.

The reality is that these simulators are available for developers for each of the various operating systems. One would think that it would be easy for those who develop these simulators to simply build another version designed for application consumers rather than developers though some companies might have a tougher time of this than others. Apple, for example, could easily build one and make it available as part of its apps store. RIM could make its simulators available as part of its apps store as well. The Android folks might have a harder time of it since there are so many different flavors of Android on the market with even more on the way. (Although I believe the Google purchase of Motorola Mobility will have a negative impact on Android going forward.)

I, for one, am tired of reading the description of an application on a website, viewing a couple of screen shots and then having to load it onto my device to test drive it. I really want to be able to test drive an application on my desktop when I have time to experiment with it to find out what features it offers, if it will meet my requirements, solve a problem I am having, or if it is a game, how challenging it is. If there are upgrades to the application that cost money, then let me use the simulator on my desktop to find out what the limitations are on the basic app and also try out the enhancements of the upgrade so I can determine which one I want to purchase.

I have talked to a number of developers over the past few weeks. One, in particular, has a great product for the RIM BlackBerry that makes accessing my calendar and other functions easier and with fewer keystrokes. But again, I want to try it on my desktop. I don't want to load it on my device and experiment with it while I am mobile and really don't have the time to learn how to use it. I would rather figure this out on my desktop, so when I load the app onto my device I will already know the basics and be more inclined to use it.

As it stands today, I become frustrated trying to decide which application I want to use. This is especially true when there are several or many different apps available that all claim to do the same thing. Some of them are written well and do what I think the application should do, but some are written from a developer's perspective and not from an end-user's perspective. I then end up frustrated with the application, delete it and begin searching for a replacement, which is time consuming. The end result is that I don't use nearly as many applications on my wireless device as I would if I had the ability to test drive these apps sitting at my desk or in my hotel room using a desktop or notebook computer.

The developers I talk to are all in favor of making a simulator available for these types of test drives, and most of them tell me they would really like to add this capability but the O/S vendors have not made it possible for them to provide a simulator that can be used by the buying public as opposed to using a simulator to develop and test their applications. I don't believe it would take much time or effort to make these types of simulators available, and I think the use of simulators would increase the number of applications sold on a given site.

Perhaps in this era of an overabundance of device types and of applications, this type of "try before you buy" concept would be welcomed by the buying public. The result would be a win for the buyer, a win for the developer and a win for the device O/S company as well. I would be interested in hearing from developers about this topic and if they believe it would be beneficial for their businesses and the quantity of applications they could sell.

Andrew M. Seybold is an authority on technology and trends shaping the world of wireless mobility. A respected analyst, consultant, commentator, author and active participant in industry trade organizations, his views have influenced strategies and shaped initiatives for telecom, mobile computing and wireless industry leaders worldwide. www.andrewseybold.com.