Intimidated by App Store? No Problem!

Dr. Jasper McSnasper of Falmouth, Massachusetts writes to me and says, “Hey Steve, sometimes reading your blogs is like trying to understand some Star Trek geek speaking Klingon. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Ok, I have an iPhone, but I only use it as a phone and calendar. I haven’t even downloaded an app and would have no idea how to do it. What’s a luddite like me supposed to do?”

Well, have no fear, that’s why I’m here. I know a lot of people who have iPhones and have never downloaded or used an app. So today I’ll provide you with some resources that show you how to do it. And remember, you don’t have to have an iPhone to download and use apps. You can also do it with an iPod Touch. An iPod Touch is basically an iPhone without the phone (did you know you can surf the web, do email, and lots more on an iPod Touch? Yep, you sure can). It’s a great device if you already have a mobile phone and don’t want to buy another one, or if you don’t have access to AT&T or whatever carrier Apple is tied to in your country. Heck, your kids probably have an iPod Touch, so go sneak it away and play with it for a while.

Now, on to the good stuff:

Here’s Apple CEO Steve Jobs talking about the App Store. Give the video a minute. He’s talking to developers, but in his talk he soon walks through how the App Store works.
 

And here's another that shows how you download apps. The example they use is to download a game, but any app works the same way. And you can search the App Store for medical apps if that's what you're looking for.

And here’s the Help Section on the Apple Web site that walks through the process of downloading apps to the iPhone.

And here's the same thing, only for the iPod Touch. And here's a good overview of the App Store in general. Remember, you can download iTunes to any computer (it's free) and use it to buy music, videos, games, apps, etc. There's also a ton of free content evailable as well, and you can subscribe to podcasts and do all sorts of great things. Here's some info about how to get started.

Something else to remember is that if you don't want to or can't download an app to your phone from the App Store, you can access the App Store on your computer, download an app there, and then when you synch your iPhone or iPod Touch with your computer it will load onto your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Hope this is helpful. This one's for you Jasper! 

About the Author

Stephen Welch

Senior Vice President, Communications
Executive Editor, CHEST

This blog, "It Ain't Rocket Surgery" is intended to help busy health-care professionals find useful online and mobile resources that will enhance their self-education and professional research efforts, or point out important topics of discussion related to online information and content. The blog's title is a Yogi Berra style mash-up of two common phrases, "it ain't brain surgery" and "it ain't rocket science". I hope it will be casual, fun, insightful, and -- most of all -- educational.

You can follow me on Twitter. 

I currently serve ACCP as the Senior Vice President of Communications, as well as the Executive Editor of CHEST, the ACCP’s flagship journal. During my 15 years here, ACCP has focused on growing and developing the editorial, technological, and business aspects of the College. We are constantly striving to make the journal and other ACCP educational content as accessible and useful to clinicians as possible.

When not at work, I like to spend time scuba diving with sharks, collecting original comic book artwork, exploring the digital world, and searching for good BBQ.

Your feedback about the blog is always appreciated. So are tips on good BBQ joints.