TUAW is where I first saw this. I checked it out myself, and confirmed that if an App Store customer hasn’t bought or downloaded the App they are attempting to review, this dialog box pops up:
This goes a long way to preventing reviews on an app based solely on the price, instead of the reviewers just posting a review that says “$4.99?!??!11? Their insane if they thing I’m going to pay that!!11″
On the other hand, it leads to reviews that could be falsely positively skewed, because a person downloading an app is more prone to wanting it and liking it, rather than taking a dispassionate view of it in their review. But better that than the other way though. The ratings will get a much more fair because of this move. I’m hoping it will be retroactive, and the reviews so far will be examined and pulled if the reviewer doesn’t own the app.
Now, if only Apple could clean up it’s OWN review policy and let apps into the store that “duplicated” their own services, Podcaster being the most famous example, we’d be in good shape.
As it is, many people have lost faith in the App store ever fufulling it’s potential.
no comment until now