3 ms·

I got a very rough quote from a Toronto firm to do a location based app for web, iPhone and Android for approximately $370,000. I just talked to a Vancouver dev

I got a very rough quote from a Toronto firm to do a location based app for web, iPhone and Android for approximately $370,000. I just talked to a Vancouver developer who charges $120/hr. As others have mentioned there are numerous variables, but most developers will usually be happy to do an initial free consultation to learn more about your project so that they can at least ballpark a figure to you.

gte910h 17y ago
What? I can't imagine spending that much money on a non-game development effort for a mobile device. What the heck does it do?
- nl 17y ago
  "location based app for web, iPhone and Android for approximately $370,000" Note the "AND"'s. I suspect this isn't some simple thing - it's probably a 300K web app + 2 35K mobile apps.
  - gte910h 17y ago
    Yeah, didn't see the "AND". Android is more expensive too usually for various reasons.
    - nl 17y ago
      Is it? Why? (Just less programmer doing it?)
      - coderholic 17y ago
        Because there is a variety of different hardware, screen resolutions, non-touch devices etc that all must be handled by the software, making it more complicated.
      - gte910h 17y ago
        Android is harder because: Multiple resolutions Poor Tools (Eclipse is clunkier than Xcode, but there is no visual layout tool at all like Interface Builder for iPhone) Hand Coded Layouts in XML Multiple OS Platforms (Android 1.5, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.1 are all live in the wild and are not user upgradeable past the version they have). Varied Screen Sizes (And no, you don't have to specifically account for this in the iPad, your iPhone app will run just fine). In addition to those fundamental issues, currently the apis: In-App purchase on android is a bit clunky for some programs (you are buying a separate app on the android market) Sound is horrible, just horrible Video is poorly documented, not very standardized, and not easy to use. People who write major frameworks have trouble getting documentation on good ways to make good videos (I know, I mailed them the FFMPEG parameters required to do streaming video). And lastly, it looks like the G1, the flagship phone, has been mis-specced, and will likely never get the 2.x line of android OS releases (that's what droid runs now).

gte910h 17y ago

What? I can't imagine spending that much money on a non-game development effort for a mobile device. What the heck does it do?

nl 17y ago
"location based app for web, iPhone and Android for approximately $370,000" Note the "AND"'s. I suspect this isn't some simple thing - it's probably a 300K web app + 2 35K mobile apps.
- gte910h 17y ago
  Yeah, didn't see the "AND". Android is more expensive too usually for various reasons.
  - nl 17y ago
    Is it? Why? (Just less programmer doing it?)
    - coderholic 17y ago
      Because there is a variety of different hardware, screen resolutions, non-touch devices etc that all must be handled by the software, making it more complicated.
    - gte910h 17y ago
      Android is harder because: Multiple resolutions Poor Tools (Eclipse is clunkier than Xcode, but there is no visual layout tool at all like Interface Builder for iPhone) Hand Coded Layouts in XML Multiple OS Platforms (Android 1.5, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.1 are all live in the wild and are not user upgradeable past the version they have). Varied Screen Sizes (And no, you don't have to specifically account for this in the iPad, your iPhone app will run just fine). In addition to those fundamental issues, currently the apis: In-App purchase on android is a bit clunky for some programs (you are buying a separate app on the android market) Sound is horrible, just horrible Video is poorly documented, not very standardized, and not easy to use. People who write major frameworks have trouble getting documentation on good ways to make good videos (I know, I mailed them the FFMPEG parameters required to do streaming video). And lastly, it looks like the G1, the flagship phone, has been mis-specced, and will likely never get the 2.x line of android OS releases (that's what droid runs now).