If you are still waiting on that iPhone 4 jailbreak to come out because you want to utilize Cydia then there is some good news that might hold you off for a bit longer.A web based alternative to the iPhone app store called OpenAppMkt opened today…..
Apple’s iPhone just got a second app store—one you do not need to jailbreak your phone to use. How exactly was this feat managed? Remember all of those web-based apps from 2007 before the iTunes app store was launched? Well, ingenious entrepreneurs Teck Chia, Flora Sun and Tim Wuu have created OpenAppMkt—an online store for web-based apps designed to run within Safari Mobile. The best part? Apple has no control over what they offer.
OpenAppMkt is a new Web-based third-party app store for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, like Cydia and Rock. OpenAppMkt consists of Web based apps, completely written in HTML format, which means there’s no need to jailbreak your iDevice in order to install it.
Of course, paying money for web-based apps might not be your cup of tea. They require either a Wi-Fi or cellular signal and can eat into your now precious monthly bandwidth limits. However, OpenAppMkt does make the process easy, and even offers credit card payment options and adds your mobile apps to your home screen for you.
While the store is still in the process of launching, a number of free apps and a handful of paid ones are available. With a viable marketplace for developers to distribute their applications through, we just might see the reemergence of web-based apps for the iPhone platform. Of course, Apple might try to muscle its way into the market if this proves a success.
Installing OpenAppMkt
OpenAppMkt runs in browser and installation of apps simply require a simple tap on: “add to home” button. To install OpenAppMkt:
- Simply point your mobile browser to http://www.OpenAppmkt.com/
- Tap the “+” button and select “Add to Home Screen”
- Then input your desired name.
Another question also has to be answered. Will developers embrace the web again like they did when there were no other options? Teck Chia—one of the founders of the new store—notes that many iOS apps on the iTunes App Store are actually built with HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS and then compiled into an app before being sent to the iTunes store for sale or download. Long story short? Many apps already available on the iTunes store can be easily made into web apps with little to no modification.
Think that web apps will take off? Can anyone really compete with iTunes at this point? Weigh in with your opinion and check out openappmkt.com if you are interested.
That’s it. Now you can open OpenAppMkt from the bookmark you added to your home screen and browse through the apps available and install them. To be clear, OpenAppMkt or any app installed via it, you aren’t actually installing anything but a Safari bookmark on your homescreen.
Resources :wirelessground.com,iphoneheat.com
