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    Handango Releases Mobile Software Sales StatsPosted By: Ryan on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 11:02:27 AM
Handango, the leading publisher of mobile software, released the second Handango Yardstick, a quarterly report on the state of the mobile software economy. Aggregating data from more than 100 sales sources, Handango has compiled the industry's definitive source for statistics and information for the mobile software market. In the third quarter, the market for mobile software remained strong with the average buyer adding 1.84 applications to his/her handset, up slightly from Q2. The average application price fell slightly to $19.16 USD, due to increasing sales of lower priced applications for phones. The number of companies developing mobile software and the number of new applications continued to grow at a tremendous pace with more than 800 firms entering the market with 3,800 applications.
For this quarter, the Handango Yardstick highlights personal productivity. This category of applications was tops in sales in Q2 and tied with the games category in Q3 with 22 percent of sales. The development tools and entertainment categories followed closely behind at 14 percent and 13 percent of sales respectively. The Handango Yardstick also reports data from surveys sent to more than 11,000 repeat software buyers. Most notably, the responses reveal that 81.9 percent of repeat software buyers have added more than six applications to their current handsets. In addition, out of more than 20 criteria, the number of applications purchased was the most influential factor among survey respondents in determining brand loyalty for a particular handset. Some of the more interesting figures from the Yardstick (PDF) are: Market Metrics:
Top 3 Palm OS Software:
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14 total comments The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PIC is not responsible for them in any way. login or register for free in order to post comments. 
 IPaq
The reason more software is sold for the IPaq is because it comes with such a poor selection of software. Users would probably replace the OS if they only could.  RE: IPaq
As a matter of fact you can replace the operating system of the iPAQ with a version of Linux. Unfortunately you void warranty and can have troubles restoring WinCE (Pocket PC) onto the machine again. As an aside: I am sure most software sells to PalmOS, but Pocket PC-Software brings in the highest numbers because it is more expensive (high development costs anyone?). On the other hand on could criticize that PalmOS-Devices need a comercial software package for taks beyond PIM (Browser, a useful picture viewer, movie players, for some PalmOS-devices Office-software, E-Mail-Clients that can handle attachements etc.) RE: IPaq
>The reason more software is sold for the IPaq is because it comes with such a poor selection of software. Users would probably replace the OS if they only could. Wait - I thought that was why the PalmOS had over 10,000 apps written for it was because of the poor selection on the Palm. Or it could be that the iPAQ is a great platform for hundreds of things beyond pH testers, solitaire and calculators. RE: IPaqFoo Fighter @ 11/5/2002 1:15:44 PM #
I've always felt that this break down in sales has more to do with income brackets than anything else. People who buy iPaqs are typically upper-middle class or better, since they can afford such expensive gadgets. Folks who buy Zires, M100s, Clies (except for high-end models) tend to be lower-middle class or lower, since they can't afford anything better. More income = more spending money. Simple economics.
To be honest...
I think you should add the sales of PilotGear to the one of Handango and THEN split them per OS. I am not sure IPAQ would then come out a so clear winner. Just think at the value of the sale of CESINC (Quick Office) when it got sold two months ago.
RE: IPaqFoo Fighter @ 11/5/2002 4:34:44 PM #
> "I think you should add the sales of PilotGear to the one of Handango and THEN split them per OS. I am not sure IPAQ would then come out a so clear winner." If you are referring to PalmGear, then no you can't add them to this comparison. PalmGear doesn't sell Pocket PC software yet (that's coming in the future though). That's the whole point of Handango's sales figures. They reflect sales of BOTH platforms, not just PalmOS. RE: IPaq
Yes, but if it wasn't for Pilotgear, I would buy a lot more software at Handango (because I wouldn't have any other choice) and then increasing the Palm OS share. Get my point ?? Solo RE: IPaq
Isn't there an equivalent (or at least there used to be) to Palm Gear on the PPC side? It's Pocket Gear or something like that? RE: IPaqFoo Fighter @ 11/6/2002 12:26:49 AM #
Galapagos said: "...but Pocket PC-Software brings in the highest numbers because it is more expensive (high development costs anyone?). Uh, how can Pocket PC have higher development costs than PalmOS? The development tools for PPC are free. Complexity = Higher Costs
I'd say this is due to the complexity of Pocket PC-Software. There are Playstation-style games and relatively high level grafics manipulation programs for Pocket PC. While most PalmOS-Software (EXCEPT for Docs-to-Go, QuickOffice, SnapperMail, Deity/Masterthief etc.) are comparatively less complex. The more complex a piece of software is, the longer it takes to develope and test, so it is more expensive to produce. RE: IPaqFly-By-Night @ 11/6/2002 4:57:41 AM #
Add to that all the time needed for debugging and wondering why your app crashes when you change the time, or font in another application, or.... FBN RE: IPaqJonathanChoo @ 11/6/2002 5:45:31 AM #
Yes, I own a PPC and I can confirm that that is what I did. Although I did not buy any softwares, many PPC users have to buy their softwares since not many are freewares. Also they have to get a task manager the first thing the get their PDA to close those 'multi-tasking' programs. The Pocket Word and Pocket Excel programs has less (I repeat LESS) functions than even Documents to Go for eh hem...PalmOS. Replacements launchers, some rilly cool games (I admit PPC still have the coolest games - Soccer Addict and Tennis Addict not to mention Tomb Raider, Quake, Quake II and Argentum), but I think it all comes down to Palm users usually get their softwares from somewhere else. Mostly bundled (I know ipaq comes with loads of programs), PalmGear, PalmBlvd and Freeware Palm. PPC has a dedicated freeware website but its load of crap.
Having said that I think PalmSource should watch out for a .Net PPC. If it's optimised for X-Scale, it could be fast. The real battel is OS6 Vs .Net PPC Past PDAs: Palm V, Palm m505, Palm m515, Sony Clie N770C/U, Sony Clie T625C, Sony Clie NR70V
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"The mobile software market continues to grow and evolve through the expanding base of device choices and device users," said Kevin Burden, IDC program manager, smart handheld devices. "With new color handsets and the growing variety of converged smart handheld devices continuing to enter the market, it is clear that there will be more users taking advantage of the stock of available mobile applications in 2003."
These surveys always seem to emphasize the sales of the iPAQ, as if that is the most important measure of the state of the OS wars. What's the stat on sales by OS -- Palm, Linux, WinCE?