Amazon AppStore features ‘test drive’ demo mode

Amazon opened their App Store yesterday, a rival store for the official ‘Android Market'.

The new App Store offers both free and paid for applications based on the open source operating system. While the Android market will let users download free and paid for applications, the Amazon App Store will let users test applications they are interested in on a simulated Android Phone. Customers can access the application simulation through their computer, using a mouse. The company are calling this feature Test Drive.

Test Drive, is a cool way to check out software, ensuring that the customer is happy with the program before purchasing. Google's Android Market does not offer anything like this, and it is already receiving favourable comments from the user base.

“Test Drive lets customers truly experience an app before they commit to buying. It is a unique, new way to shop for apps,” Paul Ryder, said vice president of electronics for Amazon.com.

Amazon also offered another perk to bring users into the new AppStore. They partnered with Rovio Mobile to launch Angry Birds Rio for Android, exclusively in their App Store, allowing customers to even download it for free, for a short time. Also, the company will be launching ad free versions of Angry Birds and Angry Birds Seasons.

Amazon's App Store is also offering a free ‘paid' application every day. Developers may be able to suggest a price for paid applications, but Amazon could sell the programs for less, to undercut the Android Market and to snag customers. Amazon are paying developers the greater of either the standard 70 percent of the sale price, or 20 percent of the price the developer suggests that the application sells for.

Programs can be purchased either via the web or through an Amazon App Store application they can download to their Android phones or tablets.

Apple however are taking offense with Amazon's use of the ‘App Store' name, claiming they own rights to it under trademark infringement.

“We've asked Amazon not to copy the App Store name because it will confuse and mislead customers,” Apple told The New York Times. Amazon have yet to comment, but are apparently not listening to Apple as they are still using it.

KitGuru says: Have you tried the new Amazon App Store?

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