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As a developer who gets paid to write code, when I find an app I really like, I also pay for it, if it seems reasonable. Like Overcast for podcasts, Nlog Synth

As a developer who gets paid to write code, when I find an app I really like, I also pay for it, if it seems reasonable. Like Overcast for podcasts, Nlog Synthesizer for use with my Korg nanokey for on-the-go music composition, filimic pro forr video and others.

maxxxxx 8y ago
Recently saw Overcast mentioned here. Tried it out and it’s exactly what’s needed. Much better than the mess Apple Podcasts has become.
- dangoor 8y ago
  Plus Smart Speed is fantastic. I can listen to podcasts more quickly without actually speeding up the speech.
  - maxxxxx 8y ago
    I am already nervous that Overcast will add more features/redesigns and add social media until it turns into a mess like most other tools. Seems today's product development paradigm redesigns a project until the initial simplicity is gone.
    - dangoor 8y ago
      Overcast's author, Marco Arment, seems pretty clear in his design approach for Overcast (I listen to Accidental Tech Podcast, on which he's a host). He's pretty resistant to things to don't help the core experience of listening to podcasts. For example, he's put a bunch of time into the basic audio features and making watch playback work well, rather than lots of flashy GUI things.
Symbiote 8y ago
We have different hobbies, but as a supporter of free software and a developer who works on open source code 99% of the time, I try and use open source apps as much as possible. I recognise though that there are whole categories of app that need real money, for staff or servers (dating, online gaming).
- y2bd 8y ago
  If a developer open sourced their application but still charged for the binary on the App Store, would you pay for it?
  - baroffoos 8y ago
    Most open source enthusiasts get apps from fdroid which does not support paid apps but it does have a donate button on the page. I only use open source and I have donated to the apps I use most.
  - striking 8y ago
    Yeah. If I don't expect to make changes to the application and only act as a consumer, then it makes more sense economically for me to pay so I can download it and get updates without having to compile it and load it on my device every time. Also, isn't it nice to help developers that make nice applications, especially when they offer their apps for a reasonable price?
    - jmknoll 8y ago
      100% yes. We need more nice applications made by indie developers and small agencies. Apps that charge a couple of dollars, or even a modest subscription fee, and don’t harvest their users data, record their screens for marketing purposes, or run the microphone to build an advertising profile. I don’t understand how, on a forum full of people who build software for a living, there can be so much opposition to this idea.
  - rhinoceraptor 8y ago
    That's a lot more work on the developer to do that. They're going to get a million unwanted pull requests, code bike shedding, and issues raised. And they're also going to get dozens of people putting their own copies of the same app on the store to try to undercut them. So why would any sane developer do that? Getting people to spend a few dollars on an app is already no easy feat. Most users think a five dollar app is outrageously expensive.
- 8y ago

maxxxxx 8y ago

Recently saw Overcast mentioned here. Tried it out and it’s exactly what’s needed. Much better than the mess Apple Podcasts has become.

dangoor 8y ago
Plus Smart Speed is fantastic. I can listen to podcasts more quickly without actually speeding up the speech.
- maxxxxx 8y ago
  I am already nervous that Overcast will add more features/redesigns and add social media until it turns into a mess like most other tools. Seems today's product development paradigm redesigns a project until the initial simplicity is gone.
  - dangoor 8y ago
    Overcast's author, Marco Arment, seems pretty clear in his design approach for Overcast (I listen to Accidental Tech Podcast, on which he's a host). He's pretty resistant to things to don't help the core experience of listening to podcasts. For example, he's put a bunch of time into the basic audio features and making watch playback work well, rather than lots of flashy GUI things.

Symbiote 8y ago

We have different hobbies, but as a supporter of free software and a developer who works on open source code 99% of the time, I try and use open source apps as much as possible. I recognise though that there are whole categories of app that need real money, for staff or servers (dating, online gaming).

y2bd 8y ago
If a developer open sourced their application but still charged for the binary on the App Store, would you pay for it?
- baroffoos 8y ago
  Most open source enthusiasts get apps from fdroid which does not support paid apps but it does have a donate button on the page. I only use open source and I have donated to the apps I use most.
- striking 8y ago
  Yeah. If I don't expect to make changes to the application and only act as a consumer, then it makes more sense economically for me to pay so I can download it and get updates without having to compile it and load it on my device every time. Also, isn't it nice to help developers that make nice applications, especially when they offer their apps for a reasonable price?
  - jmknoll 8y ago
    100% yes. We need more nice applications made by indie developers and small agencies. Apps that charge a couple of dollars, or even a modest subscription fee, and don’t harvest their users data, record their screens for marketing purposes, or run the microphone to build an advertising profile. I don’t understand how, on a forum full of people who build software for a living, there can be so much opposition to this idea.
- rhinoceraptor 8y ago
  That's a lot more work on the developer to do that. They're going to get a million unwanted pull requests, code bike shedding, and issues raised. And they're also going to get dozens of people putting their own copies of the same app on the store to try to undercut them. So why would any sane developer do that? Getting people to spend a few dollars on an app is already no easy feat. Most users think a five dollar app is outrageously expensive.
8y ago