1. pixieloulou's Avatar
    Hi

    I am really getting sick of the number of apps for children and babies. It seems like every day there are at least 3 apps for kids, whether its a story book or an "educational" app to help them learn.

    I know these must be useful for people who have kids and want to distract them with Mammy or Daddy's shiny Playbook toy, but is this really all the Playbook has been designed for?

    Do these apps actually get bought, or are they just another lot of pointless apps that hog all the space in the "Newest" section of app world? It would be interesting in there was a kids section of app world so we could see just how many pointless apps there are for kids!

    You can disagree if you want, I jut haven't seen a single app that has been released in the past month that I have thought "Oh that sounds useful, I could do with downloading something like that to my playbook."

    But not to worry, as long as someone's kids are learning their A,B, Cs with cute animal noises and finger painting! Personally if I had kids, I would buy them actual books to read and let them finger paint with real paint!
    pamm1708, howarmat and j.scharton like this.
    09-29-11 02:13 PM
  2. Thachoc1's Avatar
    I've got 3 kiddos and they thoroughly use my PB when we're out and about. Games, Learning, Reading, and so on and so forth. If you had kids, you'd know putting a book in their hands isn't always the best way to grab and hold their attention. This is a new day and age, my 2 yr old knows how to use a computer to play games on NickJr. I'm sure you've found something useful for your PB. Its only a matter of time b4 more comes along. Good things come to those who wait. In the meantime at least everyone can be somewhat happy. Adults and children alike.

    P.S. I do get jealous/selfish sometimes, especially when they mess up a saved game like NFS. Little boogers sold one of my best cars!!!
    moryc likes this.
    09-29-11 03:05 PM
  3. BuzzStarField's Avatar
    If you rely on the "Newest" section to discover interesting apps, you will be disappointed because of sheer volume of uninteresting items that scroll by on a daily basis. Actually, I am surprised that you could find 3 kid's book among the flood of eBooks for kid's (and other age groups) that have plagued the "Newest" section. There has also been a rash of shoddy mapping apps lately.

    In direct answer to your question: if you want to count kid's ebooks for whatever reason, you can go to the eBooks category. If you want to count the interactive colouring books and kid's games, go to the Education category. I don't think that you really want to bother with this, but it does bring to mind a better search strategy.

    There are a few apps in the Education section geared more towards your age group - my app for example. If your're not interested in educational books at all, then select another category and you will see all the apps listed in order of popularity.

    If you can't find anything of interest in any of the categories, then you have a problem that no one here can help you with. Please consider becoming a developer and do what you can to improve App World. I can't do everything myself.

    Good luck.
    pixelbrain likes this.
    09-29-11 03:17 PM
  4. pixieloulou's Avatar
    I know that some of the kids apps (story books included) are fun and engaging for children. My small rant was about the number of them which have been released in the past month.

    I do look in the other categories apart from the Newest app section, but when I get home from work I do prefer to just scan to see what has been released that day. I'm not going to count the number of children's apps there are in App world (I haven't got the time and I just generally can't be bothered), but I didn't realise that the Playbook was designed for the target audience of a 3 year old.

    If only I could make apps, I don't know where to start! I do like the educational aspect of your app though Buzzstarfield, keep up with the educational apps...really hope good developers don't all start making children's apps!!

    P.s. if anyone wants to create a Google News app that can be used through Bridge...I would totally pay for that!
    09-29-11 03:58 PM
  5. BuzzStarField's Avatar
    I think that if PB is to succeed, it needs a lot of apps that appeal to all interests and all ages. My reasons for thinking this purely selfish. More people need a reason to buy a PB and I can only make money if there are millions on potential customers. This is because only a relatively small percentage of users will be interested in purchasing my app. If I thought that there were too many games on PB (which is a fact), I would be foolhardy to wish that they weren't available for purchase. If adult games and kid's games (which are really parent's tools) attract new users to the platform then perhaps a few of them will find my app.

    Speaking of "finding apps", I agree with you about the "Newest" section. What we need are some filters so we can exclude authors or genres that don't appeal to us: an ignore button if you will. Message to RIM: add this item to to-do list.
    Last edited by BuzzStarField; 09-29-11 at 04:56 PM.
    09-29-11 04:44 PM
  6. xweb10's Avatar
    I think that if PB is to succeed, it needs a lot of apps that appeal to all interests and all ages.
    Captain Obvious returns!
    BuzzStarField likes this.
    09-29-11 04:53 PM
  7. Altarocks's Avatar
    I'm happy when any good app is introduced, even if it doesn't appeal to me. Anything to increase interest and awareness is good for all PB owners. How 'bout instead of ranting against the number of new apps you don't like focusing complaints on the lack of new apps you do like?
    peter9477 likes this.
    09-29-11 05:47 PM
  8. Rudee66's Avatar
    Designing Children's game and apps for Tablets is a lot like when Celebrities write Children's books. You don't need a lot of skill to do it, but it makes you feel like you contributed.
    09-29-11 06:10 PM
  9. blackjack93117's Avatar
    Hi

    I am really getting sick of the number of apps for children and babies. It seems like every day there are at least 3 apps for kids, whether its a story book or an "educational" app to help them learn.

    I know these must be useful for people who have kids and want to distract them with Mammy or Daddy's shiny Playbook toy, but is this really all the Playbook has been designed for?

    Do these apps actually get bought, or are they just another lot of pointless apps that hog all the space in the "Newest" section of app world? It would be interesting in there was a kids section of app world so we could see just how many pointless apps there are for kids!

    You can disagree if you want, I jut haven't seen a single app that has been released in the past month that I have thought "Oh that sounds useful, I could do with downloading something like that to my playbook."

    But not to worry, as long as someone's kids are learning their A,B, Cs with cute animal noises and finger painting! Personally if I had kids, I would buy them actual books to read and let them finger paint with real paint!
    Not particularly fond of them either, nor the endless silly game apps, but easy enough to ignore. The "newest" section is what it is... newest apps. Just go to a category that interests you.

    Seems like a silly complaint. Why do people just like to complain so much?
    09-29-11 10:11 PM
  10. moryc's Avatar
    Unreal. If you look anywhere on CB, one of the biggest complaints re the PB is the lack of apps ... this is a new one, someone complaining about too many apps.

    Clearly OP has no kids. If anything, the complaint should be about lack of proper organization within BB App World -- OP should be asking that RIM create a "Children/Kids" category ... not that less apps be created.

    Apple iPad2 is inferior to the PB in terms of hardware, but who cares? They are outselling the PB beyond compare -- and it is because of one thing: APPS!!!

    Heck, I was faced with purchasing a device to enable my 70 year old father who never used a computer to Skype with relatives back in Europe -- if PB had a Skype App he would be the proud owner of a PB. Guess what ... I HAD to get an iPad2 as there was no Skype for PB.

    My kids can't wait until the weekend when they get to go over to grandpa's house to play with the iPad ... and its all because of the "useless kids apps" that are available for the iPad.

    BTW ... I clicked on this thread because of the title -- I actually thought it was recommending some new kids apps. I guess I am one of those users that buys useless apps as per OP...
    09-29-11 10:12 PM
  11. adamkesher's Avatar
    I thought "Amatuer hour is over" with the Playbook, finally a tablet those for those smart professionals and all. Looks like they are just throwing up anything into the App World to create an illusion of abundance...oh wait they've been doing that since launch day.
    09-29-11 10:17 PM
  12. moryc's Avatar
    I thought "Amatuer hour is over" with the Playbook, finally a tablet those for those smart professionals and all. Looks like they are just throwing up anything into the App World to create an illusion of abundance...oh wait they've been doing that since launch day.
    Have you looked at the Apple App Store or the Android Marketplace lately -- it is all about abundance. If "they've been doing that since launch day" they wouldn't be reducing prices by 50% today. Get real ... we need MORE APPS. Period.

    Just because you don't find the app useful, doesn't mean that it isn't valued by someone with other priorities.

    I guess I am not a "smart professional" when I am able to keep my kids busy with a tablet so that I can focus on something...
    09-29-11 10:22 PM
  13. pixieloulou's Avatar
    Not particularly fond of them either, nor the endless silly game apps, but easy enough to ignore. The "newest" section is what it is... newest apps. Just go to a category that interests you.

    Seems like a silly complaint. Why do people just like to complain so much?
    And yet everyone has had a rant about the silly book apps that have been released in the past few days, and the map apps that doesn't rely on GPS. So why can't I complain about kids apps?

    I am a lecturer in a college teaching students with Autism. Funnily enough one of my main subject areas is ICT and actually showed them my Playbook after a lesson on input and output devices, to explain how some devices can be both. They loved it. A few of them mentioned that they had Ipads at home, so when I asked them what they used them for, they said for games. Fine, if that's what they want to do, but my point is that I bought my playbook for emails, browsing and possibly to help with my job (researching, organising, planning etc).

    If people want to distract their kids with with apps on the playbook, then fine....that wasn't my rant. My rant was the number of children's apps that seem to be released in the past few weeks. Instead of having a go at me for an opinion that I have expressed, why not suggest ideas or solutions that RIM could do which could do in the future (even if we know they are not going to listen to us or do anything about it), such as BuzzFields's idea of there being some kind of filter so that people can see what else has been released that day without having to scroll through 13 children story apps (which is what I counted yesterday in the Newest section).

    Just remember how many complaints there have been in the past few weeks about the map apps that don't work to your expectations, or the classic book apps which are ripping people off since these books are widely available free elsewhere on the internet. Maybe these apps don't appeal to you (or me), but they meet someone's needs and people have found them useful. Just like a lot of you have found the kids apps useful. Yet we have all complained about the sheer number if them released in app world....just like I have complained about the NUMBER of kids apps being released, not the purpose of them.

    So after looking through the other categories in App world for apps that appeal to me, I can't find any that I need/want/would use at the minute so I will wait and check the Newset section to see whether these apps are being released (hurry up Citrix!).

    On a positive note, some of the puzzle games are good for my learners to teach them problem solving skills as this is something that they lack, or they think too literally. If only I can find a way to hook it up to the projector so we don't all have to crowd around one table trying to watch the game!!
    JBenn911 likes this.
    09-30-11 01:30 AM
  14. BBThemes's Avatar
    I thought "Amatuer hour is over" with the Playbook, finally a tablet those for those smart professionals and all. Looks like they are just throwing up anything into the App World to create an illusion of abundance...oh wait they've been doing that since launch day.
    amatuers built the ark, professionals built the titanic. nuff said
    atlawson likes this.
    09-30-11 07:21 AM
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