Matt Kapko
mocoNews.net
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 12:00 AM

The App Store that launched along with the iPhone 3G and the software update for earlier iPhones is eliciting more yawns?and complaints. There are the standout, graphics-heavy games that were demonstrated at previous Apple ( NSDQ: AAPL) events this year, but nothing new that screams the arrival of mobile 2.0. I downloaded about 50 applications onto my iPhone 3G throughout the weekend and still want so much more. The results: the device crashed after trying to open some of the applications; some worked without a hitch, and those that crashed the system in earlier attempts worked fine at other times. I'm not alone?many users are reporting significant problems with the stability of Apple's revamped mobile operating system after installing applications on their iPhones.

A post at The Unofficial Apple Weblog suggests the blame should fall directly on Apple's shoulders and not the developers offering new programs at the App Store. Like so many others, I quickly deleted applications that forced me to restart the device, but that may have been premature. Once users began experiencing problems with Apple's Remote program for iTunes, the attention shifted on Apple almost exclusively. After all, Apple made itself responsible for the stability of its operating system and whatever applications it offers for purchase and download at the App Store. Either Apple is letting unstable applications onto its new mobile content storefront or there are glitches in the device software that is catching hundreds of developers and millions of users in the cross hairs. Is Apple flooding the App Store with buggy applications at launch to pad the initial size of its catalog?

Of the applications I've downloaded thus far, here are my top 10 (none of these caused my iPhone to crash): 1. Pandora Radio (free) ? a music app that works with your existing Pandora account. 2. Super Monkey Ball ($10) ? a simple, addicting game based on the console hit. 3. Cro-Mag Rally ($10) ? another simple game that brings me back to the Mario Kart days. 4. Shozu (free) ? an extremely useful app that dials into my Facebook, Ovi, Picasa, Twitter and Wordpress accounts for easy uploads and updates. 5. PangeaVR (free) ? a beautiful app that renders 360-degree panoramic pictures on the iPhone. 6. Urbanspoon (free) ? like a slot-machine for eating out, this app lets you shake the device to pull up a random restaurant recommendation. 7. NYTimes (free) ? a slick news app that pulls from all of the publication's sections. 8. Mobile News Network (free) ? not as fun as NYT's app, but still a great tool for access to news from AP. 9. Yelp (free) ? a mobile extension of the popular reviews site. 10. Ms. PAC-MAN ($10) ? nothing new (except for the use of the iPhone's accelerometer), but still a classic in its own right.

Table of Apple's top apps (via medialets), with Matt's picks:

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