What is this place? The solution to what?

As many iPhone and iPod touch owners have discovered, Apple’s iTunes App Store has many flaws which render it useless to the common user. Apple has chosen to allow a multitude of ridiculous, worthless, poorly-represented applications through its “strict” screening process, nearly all written by mediocre programmers with a dream of getting rich quick. Many of these programmers game the reviews system, misrepresent their application in the description, and generally try to swindle the honest buyer. Applications generally do not cost much, but small fees add up. The iPhone/iPod community has wasted so much money on these programs, an epidemic has taken hold where people have simply stopped buying apps they aren’t certain of so they don’t find themselves purchasing yet another waste of a program.

How does PirateApps help that?

Apple could quite easily solve this problem by implementing a sort of trial period for each application, but they do not. The user is forced to buy blindly without ever getting to try the application first. PirateApps is a collection of links to allow iPhone and iPod touch users the ability to try out full, unlimited versions of device software before making the decision to buy it.

Doesn’t this hurt developers?

Many people have stopped buying applications by independent developers solely out of fear of wasting their money yet again. Even programs that are great are being undersold and pointedly hindered by Apple’s allowance of programs like “I Am Rich” and the seventh Sudoku game submitted by a 14-year-old writing his first program. Developers are being hurt by the company they provide their content to.

Unlimited trials are easy to abuse, and there is no denying this fact. However, there is an impressive number of people in the community who do honestly pay developers for software they enjoy after trying it. Having the opportunity to review the sales statistics of a well-reviewed, independently-developed game, the developer experienced a great number of installations by people using the unlimited trial — but over 99% of these installs were by people who statistically would not have purchased it regardless. A single digit of sales were lost to others who may have purchased the game, and with the trial resulting in purchases that would have otherwise not been made, the end result is strikingly positive.

Is this illegal?

PirateApps is not illegal. This website is merely a collection of user-submitted links, and PirateApps takes no responsibility for what users submit to this site or use this site for. PirateApps does not host any illegal files, does not submit any of the content, and does not police its database. Responsibility of users’ actions regarding PirateApps or the links submitted to it falls solely with the users. PirateApps encourages users to consider the laws in their region and follow them accordingly.

Is someone making money off of this site?

No. Absolutely no money is generated by this web application. If you feel the need to spend money, use it to purchase your favorite iPhone applications, showing developers your appreciation and encouraging them to produce more excellent work. Absolutely no donations will ever be asked for in this web application, and no ads will ever be placed on the application’s pages. PirateApps does not believe in generating an income from links others have submitted, to content PirateApps does not own. Furthermore, PirateApps does not approve or otherwise condone any website or individual who does solicit donations or ad revenue on link-sharing sites. The programmer of PirateApps gave his time freely to the creation of this web application and will not accept any form of payment for the service.

Is PirateApps encouraging me to use the links others have submitted?

The opinions contained above and on any other page in this site are those of the individual author who wrote them and not of PirateApps itself. PirateApps is merely a place where users can submit links to content hosted elsewhere, and once again, PirateApps is not responsible for its users actions, does not encourage any certain use of the site, and insists that users consider the laws of their country and region before taking any action that could possibly be restricted or forbidden. PirateApps runs on 100% original code and free, open-source libraries.