When you first get your hands on an iPad April 3, there will probably be about 200 apps for sale for the touchscreen device.
The San Jose Mercury news reports that a frantic “land grab” is taking place as software developers race to be among the first apps available. These early settlers may make the most profit.
“It’s definitely going to be important to be first out there,” said Steve Demeter, a San Francisco developer whose puzzle game Trism was among the first apps in the App Store after it launched in July 2008. He says he made $250,000 in the first two months. The instant success enabled him to leave his day job and found app company Demiforce.
quit his job writing software for Wells Fargo and start his own app.
The iPad app competitive terrain is uneven, however. A few lucky developers can test their magic on iPads, others have to use an iPad simulator.
“I would like to say I have one in my hand, but I don’t,” said Jeff Whatcott, senior vice president of marketing at Brightcove, an online video platform that has created the technology to allow Web sites to run video on the iPad using Apple’s required HTML5 standard.
Some early pioneers to iPad territory — hoping to launch with the device on Saturday — may include an app from the crew who created Ocarina and Ngmoco games “We Rule,” “GodFinger” and “Charadium.”
