iPhone Mini Apps Major Update: 4 Weeks, 400 Mini Apps
When we last looked in a few weeks ago, it was about at about 200 mini apps after two weeks but it’s not slowing down – the count is going to click over faster and faster as more sites now are beginning to create iPhone compatible versions of their websites.
I would’ve just updated the post except now that we are roaring ahead with a hundred a week, it’s time to re-evaluate how to to access these mini apps on your iPhone. Clearly the “iPhone Icon Portal” sites are the way to go.
Sure, most of the sites you can bookmark as you always have but unlike a computer based browser access where having 10 bookmarks or a couple hundred is no problem to access – having even 20 sites you want to bookmark and then visit with an iPhone starts to become a visual burden since they are just text links that require finger scrolling.
Plus, it’s much cooler way as they have carried the iPhone home icons to its next logical step.
Basically, when you arrive at these sites, they have visually replicated the home page of the iPhone but instead of PHOTOS, CAMERA, YOUTUBE, etc … they offer a set number of sites visually accessible by tapping on an icon (like one for the NY Times) and you can add or delete other sites – also represented as a beveled icon.
Brilliant.
The main contenders all essentially operate the same (screensnap from Leaflets). You can create your own personalized icon parade. There are about 25 main sites most people would want to add (chat app, list managers, movie showtimes, etc …) plus now, close to 375 other sites of varying interest – 20 sudoku games anyone?)
Here are the top 3 contenders:
It is easiest to add on and edit your choices because you can sign in on the website via your desktop computer, makes changes and its reflected in your MockDock next time you check in via your iPhone. What’s also cool is you can create mini icons for dialing fav numbers. While, yes, you can select some favs to be listed in the your PHONE contact area right now, they let you assign an icon to HOME, WORK, PIZZA, etc … though the downside is you have to log onto their site FIRST before dialing out …
The only real downside is it be nice to able to re-arrange in order you prefer and there are some major choices not listed here.
They are offering 128 mini apps. It appears you can also log-in and edit via your desktop browser (I had a little trouble signing in). They are also offering some new & different ones – especially several for road warriors that are nice & useful. The info window with each app is nice so you get a preview and info about the mini-app. Another nice feature is you can create folders for favs or other subcategories.
I was excited to see SKYPE listed but it’s nothing – all it does is point you to the main website and an offer to download the Skype app – clearly not all that useful. While there are some ones listed here nowhere else, it be nice to have one site with ALL the sites …
Might just have them both beat. It is the largest selection but also keep in mind that a lot of them are repeats from other categories but I’m pretty tempted to say that all the major iPhone mini-apps are collected here. The navigation at Appleopolis.com is nice in one way in that every mini-app gets its own page, screenshot and description – though when you have over 300 sites here, that can get a little tedious especially since the navigation choices are a little unwieldy but mostly due to the staggering number of choices. Fortunately there is access through the browser on your desktop.
Without the desktop browser option, this site might be a much to navigate unless you are on a tarmac with an hour to kill 🙁 – fortunately the desktop version is there and seems to work great. The icons are a tad lower res and could use a little more work. While it is the largest site so far, I’m still convinced it’s not everything EVERYTHING … the greedy bastard that I am 🙂 so it’s probably my number #1 choice so far but I’m not 100% convinced yet. I know they probably put 1,000 hours into this already, I just want another 1,000 hours (yea, I am a @#$$#$&&**!!*).
And already the first week “leaders” have fallen back a bit.
A fine choice and maybe the best looking icons – they have fallen back a bit with its more limiting selections and icons only presented in alpha order but if you don’t want to clutter up the screen with too many apps, Gridgets offers most of the major ones so there’s no reason not to use 2-3 of the other sites and continue to use Gridgets.
Might’ve been the first and still gorgeous looking but it is even more limited in that they have selected the mini apps they think you might like best so no customization except on a second tier where if you tap more apps, you can access a few dozen more but it’s a little inconvenient. Still great – just not as many options.
Is another choice. Limited selection. Does offer desktop browser editing but with only 20 site choices, not really necessary. Icons also need a little work – nice but falling behind the others.
Looks nice but got “Rails App Failed to Start.”
OTHERS/TEXT BASED
One of the first sites but not as an icon based portal. Massive but it’s all text based. Click on a category, get presented with a few to dozens of choices, tap to read and then tap to launch so a few extra steps. Some people might prefer this as the way to go – after you launch the apps, you can bookmark the url as you would any website so if you prefer to jump directly to a site versus an icon based portal, you can spend an hour at iPhoneAppr.com to pick and choose the mini apps you know you’ll be going back to and bookmark them (or perhaps use Netvouz or Del.ic.io.us to bookmark and then access via your own personal bookmark page).
I would quibble that it’s not really widgets that we are accessing but it is a nice looking site with great information and links.
Search – claims to list 374 iPhone mini apps so if you do a category search …
Blog format. Basic reviews and compilation of links to all iPhone mini apps. Many apps not listed with others so still a solid place to visit.
Also has a directory.
Blog format. They might be getting weary of it already – last post on the 8th.
So, website owners, hop on ye old iPhone bandwagon – here are Apple’s guidelines for making it iPhone friendly.
400+ mini apps for a “closed” platform in 4 weeks … what are the Treo & RIM boys thinking?
LifeClever has a list of “bookmarklets” that are also useful mini-mini apps (How small can we go? How small can we go?) The FIND ON THIS PAGE is handy but some others I couldn’t get to work but you can check them out yourself.
And in case you missed it, here’s the Google Search as formatted for your iPhone.
A note about TELEMOOSE (a mini app you will run across) which allows you Amazon access. Note, if you log onto www.amazon.com, it’s smart enough to figure out you are visiting from an iPhone and will present you MOBILE AMAZON – no need to go through TELEMOOSE which earns them credit if you decide to buy something … use the Two a Day link to buy something 🙂
Enjoy!
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26 July 2007
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