App Store on iTunes Gets a Refreshing New Look

Saturday, December 12, 2009

The new look. Doesn't it look much better?

Have you ever wondered why the App Store within iTunes have that dull, gray look? It doesn’t look very appealing to potential app buyers when a page that is supposed to convince shoppers to buy stuff lacks color and energy. Well, Apple must have realized this as the App Store has been revamped with fewer words and more screen shots with the blue-gray background replaced by the less disturbing, white background.

The new App Store is richer in graphics than before. Before, only one screen shot is shown at a time. Now multiple screen shots can be seen on the same page, creating a more colorful environment. This works especially well on games and make them more attractive to game shoppers. Just take a look at the new Pocket God page.

This is the old Facebook app page. Bland and boring.

Of course, removing the blue-gray background also makes the the new app pages on iTunes look more attractive. Hurray for the new white background!

The app icons are also bigger. And so is the purchase icon. Customer reviews also appear closer to the top of the page, rather than the bottom. Apple still wants you to believe in user ratings, even after one developer got banned for all their 1011 apps for manipulating user ratings.

There are less words on the page. The full app description text is hidden from view. Only the first few sentences of the app description is shown. There is a “more” button for those users wish to read the complete description. Update information will also appear on the page if there are new updates available for this app.

The new App Store on iTunes also displays more information on the app developer, including their website, support information, and even their other apps.

Overall, the new App Store on iTunes really makes app browsing a more enjoyable experience. We are wondering why it took them so long to realize it is important to make pages that are pleasing to the eyes. What’s next? may be we can fix the App Store on the iPhone too. That blue-gray background on the iPhone is really annoying to look at.

This is a post by The Apps Machine