Verizon app store

[PaulLMurray]

Verizon is going to start its own smartphone app store and make it the only app store preloaded on a device.
http://gigaom.com/2009/07/13/verizon-to-mobile-developers-can-you-hear-me-now/

I'm not sure if this means much as users will still be able to download a manufacturers app store to their device (I think) but at the very least I can't believe Blackberry will let them get away with this as they are pretty much Verizon's source for smartphones and have leaverage.

Palm doesn't have leaverage but I could see this making even a desperate company rethink putting the Pre on Verizon if they aren't already completely committed.

Having a Verizon app store where customers can charge apps to their account, good. Trying to limit customers options, bad. Seriously unless they plan on being capable of creating their own quality smartphones after manufacturers avoid them over stuff like this why would Verizon even do this?

More importantly why doesn't anybody but Verizon and AllTel have coverage in my area?

Sorry for the long rant but even if it doesn't amoun to much in the end studpidity like this gets my goat.

[chckhbrt]

Hey......

Doesn't mean a thing. Sprint users have been able to buy apps and pay for them on their Sprint bill for quite awhile now........

If Verizon wants to lock handset users, it's customers, out of other sources for applications, then it:'s customers won't be getting high end handsets from Verizon........

Chuck

[PaulLMurray]

Supposedly you'll still be able to download the manufacturer's app store but we'll have to wait and see I guess. Like I said though, largest network or not, I don't see Blackberry taking this too kindly.

And chuck is does mean something to those of us unfortunate enough to only have Verizon as an option. We're the ones that suffer.