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Landscape Email Apps - Is Apple Easing Up on Rejection Policy?

Wednesday October 8, 2008 8:17 am PDT by Arnold Kim

This morning saw the release of four applications that offer you the ability to compose emails in landscape mode.

- Wide Email - $0.99
- Sideways - $1.99
- Touchtype (Landscape Email) - $0.99
- Compose - $0.99

Not speaking to the value of these apps, but on the surface it seems surprising that Apple would approve these apps after rejecting some others due to duplicating functionality "without providing sufficient differentiation". Is Apple easing up on its rejection policy?

Interesting to note that Wide Email's submission date is August 25th, indicating that it had been sitting in the approval queue for six weeks. Mailwrangler had a similar delay before being ultimately rejected.
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mainstreetmark
Posted: 47 months ago
I don't know what to make of this! I doubt any of these apps offer anywhere near the sophistication of Mail itself. It appears all they do is compose mail FOR Mail, which is kind of strange.

I think these Apps will increase Apple's incentive to sidewaysify Mail. Them being allowed into the store indicated that Apple is NOT working on this ability for release anytime soon.

But, at least it shows it's possible! Now, if someone would write a clickwheel type music player so my iPod can act like an iPod again, I'd be very pleased.
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Waiting4MacBook
Posted: 47 months ago
I don't want it THAT bad.
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Samarium
Posted: 47 months ago
I bet that Apple will make Mail to be in landscape mode in future updates.
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hayduke
Posted: 47 months ago

I bet that Apple will make Mail to be in landscape mode in future updates.


I agree, it is oddly annoying that this isn't already possible.
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That-Is-Bull
Posted: 47 months ago

Now, if someone would write a clickwheel type music player so my iPod can act like an iPod again, I'd be very pleased.


So instead of vertically scrolling through your music, you'd rather have half your screen taken up by a clickwheel just so you can move your finger in a circle?

wat?
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Hooka
Posted: 47 months ago
Strike while the iron is hot, get that fart app (pull my finger) up ASAP!!!
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mortfe
Posted: 47 months ago
Great start, but only says 'email'. What about sending SMS. I think texting is done more than emailing.
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Kwill
Posted: 47 months ago
Some of these apps have been around since April. I doubt if that means Apple is "easing up on rejection policy." Apparently these and others like vCard Mailer do not threaten core Apple business, nor are they alternative email applications per se, just interfaces for sending data via the existing iPhone Mail application.

BTW: Based on advertised features, Sideways appears to be the best of the bunch. (App Store links to TouchType Web Site and Support are broken.)
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meagain
Posted: 47 months ago
Darn. I only see "composing" email. Not reading. It's a nightmare to read "group" type emails in vertical mode.

I want to "read" emails in landscape. At least something's going in the right direction.
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Vandam500
Posted: 47 months ago
This is the question:

Why didn't Apple implement this into all the standard apps (SMS,Email,etc) and why haven't they added it yet?
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