5 ms·

I think the "1 purchase, multiple devices" is fair in the sense that I'm only using one device at a time. Also, if I upgrade my phone, why should I have to buy

by hvs 9y ago

I think the "1 purchase, multiple devices" is fair in the sense that I'm only using one device at a time. Also, if I upgrade my phone, why should I have to buy your app again? That said, the lack of a paid upgrade option in the App Store is a significant negative. To pretend that a one-time purchase for $5 should guarantee you a lifetime of upgrades is both shortsighted and abusive to developers.

dismantlethesun 9y ago
It's not really that terrible. Everyone can just use the Microsoft Approach and date-name their software. Buying Office 2015 only gets you that version. If you want Office 2017, it's not an 'update' per se unless they generously offer it to you, but rather an entirely new piece of software.
- andmarios 9y ago
  If you do that in the app store (ios or android), prepare to get thousands of 1-star reviews for your old version from people who believe they are entitled to updates for their lifetime. I've seen it upfront two times in the playstore, where apps I liked released a new version. I was eager to buy the new version but the new/updated reviews for the old ones were ruthless. One app had to give the new version for free. The other had to promise to keep updating the old version too. The first team just gave up on both apps. The second team (one developer actually) continued but slowly toned down his efforts, going into essentially maintenance mode.
  - dismantlethesun 9y ago
    Can't you take down the old app? Maybe previous owners can continue to use and download it but new customers won't be able to find it in the search.
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
  - jasonkostempski 9y ago
    If the software is actually useful people will complain but ultimately purchase it. Problem is, almost all software is only really useful to a select few and just kind of nice to have for everyone else.
  - sangnoir 9y ago
    > If you do that in the app store (ios or android), prepare to get thousands of 1-star reviews for your old version from people who believe they are entitled to updates for their lifetime. As I user I've had the opposite problem: developers who radically change an app that was perfect. I have no way to revert to the older version I preferred. If the developer had created a new app, I could have stayed on the old one. It's unfortunate most other users want unlimited updates. Paid upgrades and version selection remains an unsolved problem.
    - aj_g 9y ago
      Yeah. I disable auto updating for this reason on my phone. I've had a number of apps change up their functionality on me or add obtrusive ads and I can't go back to what once worked just fine for my needs.
jballanc 9y ago
I'd argue it's not just the lack of paid upgrades, but also the inability to do trials and/or (easy) refunds. I think the absolute glut of "free with almost all functionality as in-app purchases" style apps speaks to the demand for trials. The lack of an ability to trial iOS software with no financial risk means that the risk of purchasing crappy software is priced in to the amount people are willing to pay. Think of it as a weird sort of reverse insurance. Every iOS software developer is "paying" (via lower prices) customers for insurance against crappy software and, unfortunately, there is a lot of crappy software, so the premiums are sky-high.
- Stanleyc23 9y ago
  I agree that the in app purchase system is flawed and annoying for everyone. But I'm pretty sure developers can build trials natively. or am I not understanding your point?
  - jballanc 9y ago
    They can now, but couldn't for a loooong time. The damage is done, and everyone now just expects lower prices for iOS apps without realizing that they are (subconsciously, perhaps) pricing in the "it might suck" insurance when they no longer really need to.
mark_l_watson 9y ago
I upgraded Pythonista on the App Store by paying a $5 upgrade fee last night. The publisher made the update a paid for add on bundle.
naravara 9y ago
The lack of a trial period or a demo function in the App Store is the main impediment for me spending money on Apps. A lot of this falls on developers not marketing very well, though. Apps that are recommended to me by people who I know have similar needs and tastes as me I’m generally happy to pay for. Apps that can show me a video or even a pictures/animations of the application in action I would also be likely to pay for. More often than not, though, I get treated to a powerpoint presentation or a short 3 sentence brief about what the app does that barely describes anything. And I also have no idea about the app’s stability or the likelihood of continued support. So how am I supposed to just trust that I’m getting $30 worth when I buy your software?
xixi77 9y ago
Nothing prevents you from making an XXX-2 app and selling it separately, just looking at the app store front page gives quite a few of these. How is it different from a paid upgrade?
- hvs 9y ago
  It's treated as a separate app that loses all of the reviews and promotion that your first app got.

by hvs 9y ago

dismantlethesun 9y ago

It's not really that terrible. Everyone can just use the Microsoft Approach and date-name their software. Buying Office 2015 only gets you that version. If you want Office 2017, it's not an 'update' per se unless they generously offer it to you, but rather an entirely new piece of software.

andmarios 9y ago
If you do that in the app store (ios or android), prepare to get thousands of 1-star reviews for your old version from people who believe they are entitled to updates for their lifetime. I've seen it upfront two times in the playstore, where apps I liked released a new version. I was eager to buy the new version but the new/updated reviews for the old ones were ruthless. One app had to give the new version for free. The other had to promise to keep updating the old version too. The first team just gave up on both apps. The second team (one developer actually) continued but slowly toned down his efforts, going into essentially maintenance mode.
- dismantlethesun 9y ago
  Can't you take down the old app? Maybe previous owners can continue to use and download it but new customers won't be able to find it in the search.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
- jasonkostempski 9y ago
  If the software is actually useful people will complain but ultimately purchase it. Problem is, almost all software is only really useful to a select few and just kind of nice to have for everyone else.
- sangnoir 9y ago
  > If you do that in the app store (ios or android), prepare to get thousands of 1-star reviews for your old version from people who believe they are entitled to updates for their lifetime. As I user I've had the opposite problem: developers who radically change an app that was perfect. I have no way to revert to the older version I preferred. If the developer had created a new app, I could have stayed on the old one. It's unfortunate most other users want unlimited updates. Paid upgrades and version selection remains an unsolved problem.
  - aj_g 9y ago
    Yeah. I disable auto updating for this reason on my phone. I've had a number of apps change up their functionality on me or add obtrusive ads and I can't go back to what once worked just fine for my needs.

jballanc 9y ago

I'd argue it's not just the lack of paid upgrades, but also the inability to do trials and/or (easy) refunds. I think the absolute glut of "free with almost all functionality as in-app purchases" style apps speaks to the demand for trials. The lack of an ability to trial iOS software with no financial risk means that the risk of purchasing crappy software is priced in to the amount people are willing to pay. Think of it as a weird sort of reverse insurance. Every iOS software developer is "paying" (via lower prices) customers for insurance against crappy software and, unfortunately, there is a lot of crappy software, so the premiums are sky-high.

Stanleyc23 9y ago
I agree that the in app purchase system is flawed and annoying for everyone. But I'm pretty sure developers can build trials natively. or am I not understanding your point?
- jballanc 9y ago
  They can now, but couldn't for a loooong time. The damage is done, and everyone now just expects lower prices for iOS apps without realizing that they are (subconsciously, perhaps) pricing in the "it might suck" insurance when they no longer really need to.

mark_l_watson 9y ago

I upgraded Pythonista on the App Store by paying a $5 upgrade fee last night. The publisher made the update a paid for add on bundle.

naravara 9y ago

The lack of a trial period or a demo function in the App Store is the main impediment for me spending money on Apps. A lot of this falls on developers not marketing very well, though. Apps that are recommended to me by people who I know have similar needs and tastes as me I’m generally happy to pay for. Apps that can show me a video or even a pictures/animations of the application in action I would also be likely to pay for. More often than not, though, I get treated to a powerpoint presentation or a short 3 sentence brief about what the app does that barely describes anything. And I also have no idea about the app’s stability or the likelihood of continued support. So how am I supposed to just trust that I’m getting $30 worth when I buy your software?

xixi77 9y ago

Nothing prevents you from making an XXX-2 app and selling it separately, just looking at the app store front page gives quite a few of these. How is it different from a paid upgrade?

hvs 9y ago
It's treated as a separate app that loses all of the reviews and promotion that your first app got.