The 'new' GetJar

It took me some times, but now, here it is : my opinion of the new GetJar website.
It's a very hard one but I think there are some majors problems existing that GetJar must work on!
In October'09, GetJar switched from a very simple website to an App Store, following the move.

This change was good...and bad for developpers

The good :
- Flash Lite category is no longer existing, we are now mixed within the other categories. (for me, it's a good change!)
- Android support. Unlike the Apple's AppStore, Google isn't the only one allowed to distribute APK file
- It's easier to navigate (with some major limits, see below) and isn't 'for geek only'. (the previous layout missed some Wahoo! effect)

The bad :
- If you don't use the menu on the top, you can't access more content (only the top10 of each category and the sponsored apps)
- The description layout used is so hard to use (since the CSS doesn't work the same way on IE/FFox/Safari...) that you finally use raw text or a single picture....and so you're not indexed by Google or others search engine. It's very surprising from GetJar since they made a webinar to explain how to attract more download making a richest description.
- The search isn't working : try to search for Poulpy...Poulpytris won't load!
- The category filter isn't working : if you're on "Puzzle & Strategy" for example, you can't filter for the newest on THIS category, only on "Games".
- The category filter is very limited : only 'Popular' (wich doesn't mean downloads number! but something similar to the "Best games"), 'Newest' (but unuseful for the previous reason) and 'Supported'....not way to filter by 'Rate'. I would love to see an advanced search to find the game from the latest month with a 4+ rate!
- If you're not on the "Best games" (the new "recommanded by getjar" filter I assume), you download rate will drop fast! Two reasons : you had to pass 3 pages to access to the "Browse for more games" button and for the 2 previous reasons. The side efffect is that if you are on the "Best games" your download rate is awesome! I was lucky enought to be on the 2nd page and I earn in 1 week what I earnt in one month!

The mobile part also changed...and there is nothing good !
- Search doesn't work better
- Mobile auto detects doesn't work : I sometimes opens the PC version while using Opera Mini or it doesn't recognize my Nokia 5310. In that case, you could only choose your brand model (and for Nokia, you only had access to J2ME file!)
- You didn't figure the menu is on the top (since it's white on black)
- same filters (but working!) when you successfully find how to acces the categories!
- to make it short, if you don't know what (the app name) you are looking for, it will take you ages to find it

So the new GetJar AppSite is surely a good news but I see it like an 'unfinished' product...you could even find some 'beta.www.getjar.com' links ;)
Until GetJar is only looking for a way to make money with the top10 and Sponsored apps, I hope they'll improve it soon because GetJar is still THE site to upload your apps/games!

note : I'm talking about the public area, not the developper area which improved also ...but I didn't use it enought to write a post yet