Hidden Gems: Peer To Peer Apps To Download While Mourning The Death Of The Early Adopter

As the weeks go by with iPhone OS 3.0, an unsettling realization has set in. Am I out of touch with the mainstream? I still find it immensely surprising that apps with Push Notifications are almost entirely absent from the most downloaded lists. I posed the following question on twitter. "Question for all: Why do you think few (any?) Push Notification apps have made the top 25 in the App Store?" Here are some of the responses: Simon Ings (@ingzee)

I don't think the average iPhone/touch user really understands the push concept, it doesn't excite them like it does a geek.

Nate Orloff (@nato64)

New technology is hard to (implement) flawlessly to the point where the masses want/need it. Once facebook does it well...

T.J. Butler (@TJButler)

b/c the apps that push that are available are "too" niche

Ian Bernardo (@frizull)

Push apps are scarce because people outside the geek circle have no idea/don't care what push is/how to "make it work."

Fernando Jacome (@fernandojacome)

Perhaps it wasn't such a must have feature

Chris Ross (@darkrock)

People want great applications, most applications don't need to even look at push to be great.

There's a theme here between many of those replies that's hard to ignore. Yes, some apps don't need Push Notifications and, yes, many of the apps with Push could be considered "niche" and thus lack universal appeal. It's impossible, though, to deny that push chat applications like BeejiveIM (paid) and eBuddy (free) have universal appeal with Push Notifications included. At the very least AIM, right? Nope, those apps don't appear in the top 25 lists. In fact, I think most people couldn't tell the difference betwen the App Store top 10 list pre and post 3.0. Sally's Spa and Flight Control still dominate the lists. I think the reason for this is a certain type of user is now the predominant iPhone and iPod Touch owner. The iPhone is no longer the domain of an early adopter. It's now mainstream. This is an important distinction because early adopters are tech-saavy people willing to pay a little bit more while also weathering whatever glitches come with something when it initially launches. He or she does so because of the promise of what a device or a piece of software is capable of. They do it because it is cool and fun for them. A mainstream user looks at the early adopter with disdain. Of course, that is until the device actually proves that it is actually worth the money, either through advertising or dumbed down "see, this is how it works" hands-on experience. Sadly, the mainstream user is now the predominant iPhone user. It is only "sad" because I am one of those early adopters. I think this is why we don't see Push Notification apps being downloaded in massive numbers. Instead we see The Moron Test and Mirror Free as the most downloaded apps. Push Notifications on iPhone is the new feature for early adopters. If you've checked our Push Notification applist, you're probably one of these people. I could go on and on about the significance of the switch from early adopters to mainstream users. After all, I am a blogger and a geek - it's what I'm good at. But for the moment I'd just like to take a moment of silence to mourn the death of the iPhone early adopter. ----------------- Now, onto the peer to peer apps worth downloading. If you think Push Notification apps have trickled out slowly there are even fewer peer to peer apps. But here's the short list of an already short list of peer-to-peer apps that I feel are worthy of your attention. If you happen to not know what peer-to-peer is, it's another feature that debuted in iPhone OS 3.0. It makes early adopters feel bad about themselves because it lets iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPod Touch (2nd Generation) owners share information directly from one phone to another no matter where you are - no satellite connection, wifi station or accessories required. It just doesn't work on the original iPhone or iPod Touch.

Blackjack Live ($0.99)

One person is the dealer and up to three others can play against him or her. It works and it's blackjack. Unfortunately, the app is not as fully featured as as a hardcore blackjack player would expect. For example, the game doesn't allow doubling down, splitting or remember how much money you have when the game ends. Check out this demo:

Flight Control ($0.99)

The addition of peer to peer cooperative play to one of the most downloaded games on the iPhone is pretty cool. Only certain types of planes can land on your screen while the rest can land on the other iPhone. When one of the planes that can't land on your iPhone arrives, send it off the edge of your screen for your partner to land. They'll do the same for you. Make sure to communicate or you'll be dead before you land 20 aircraft.

Leaf Trombone: World Stage($0.99)

Install the app on two iPhones and perform a duet by tapping out the notes on your phone and blowing into the microphone like it's a trombone. It uses every one of the iPhone's features except for the accelerometer and is probably the coolest example of developers thinking differently.

Touch Hockey: FS5 (Free) and Touch Hockey: FS5 ($1.99)

Ok, this app isn't actually Peer to Peer yet, but it works beautifully over wifi and I fully expect to see it updated to include bluetooth in the near future. Why? Because the other other games from FlipSide5 have peer-to-peer connectivity - Tic-Tac-Toe and Touch4. I also snuck it in here because wifi connectivity works for original iPhone users. Just looking out for my early adopters.