6 ms·
This is likely true: there are a number of Instapaper similes that are available now, many gratis (if your time/screen space are free, though that is a differen
by huggyface 14y ago
This is likely true: there are a number of Instapaper similes that are available now, many gratis (if your time/screen space are free, though that is a different conversation).
I hope that we don't see a "this confirms all my suspicions about Android" type of post in the coming months. The market is nothing like it was when Instapaper first hit it big on iOS (during a period where some of the biggest yielding apps were "Where's my car" and flashlight type products).
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- myko 14y agoTo be fair to Pocket it would be better to say Instapaper is a simile of it, as Read-It-Later (Pocket's original name) was first. edit: Read-It-Later was a web service initially. The idea behind it is the same as Instapaper. Instapaper released a mobile app before Read-It-Later (though Read-It-Later was around as early as 2007).
- jcampbell1 14y agoPlease don't try to rewrite history. Instapaper was first and basically invented the space. The oldest comment in the iTunes reviews for Instapaper are from Aug 28, 2008 which is before the Android Market even existed. Read it Later originally launched in 2009. Edit: Read-It-Later appears to have launched Apr 8, 2009. http://blog.ideashower.com/post/15139665330/read-it-later-iphone-app-released http://blog.ideashower.com/post/15139665330/read-it-later-ip...
- myko 14y agoRead-It-Later came out in 2007, the mobile application came later. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_(application) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_(application)
- jcampbell1 14y agoRead-It-Later started as an article bookmarking system, and then pivoted to be like Instapaper (article parsing and delivery to a mobile app). Calling Read-It-Later older than Instapaper is like calling Bing older than Google. Bing is an evolution of msn search and Microsoft is older than Google. Calling Instapaper a simile of Read-It-Later stikes me as misleading.
- lmm 14y agoTo call Bing older than Google seems entirely true to me (if nothing else, Bing is the heir to Yahoo search). Google was by no means the first search engine, and didn't transform the market or create one where there was previously none - they simply did it better than everyone else.
- kbutler 14y ago"Read It Later, whose Firefox extension (but not web or iPhone app) actually predated Instapaper," http://www.marco.org/2010/05/19/on-read-it-later http://www.marco.org/2010/05/19/on-read-it-later
- Tyrannosaurs 14y agoOut of interest, what's Pocket's business model?
- mtgx 14y agoThis was Marco and other iOS developers' mistake. If they wait too long to come to Android, there will be established competitors on the platform, and instead of being considered a market leader, they might even have to play catch-up with those already established on Android. This is the same reason why even Microsoft has decided to make Office for iOS and Android. They can't just ignore 700 million users (and soon to be much bigger) just because they'd want people to use Windows instead. Windows is a big cash cow for Microsoft, but so is Office (about as big in revenue), and they can't risk losing the Office market to others, and not getting to decide the future format for docs, and other benefits they now get from being the absolute Office leader.
- fluidcruft 14y agoI assume Microsoft's Office for iOS/Android is just a slightly adapted webview of the online version.
- zyb09 14y agoI doubt Microsoft will make a native iOS version of Office. Simply for the reason that they'll have to distribute through the AppStore, meaning Apple will take a 30% cut. I don't think Microsoft would be ok with Apple talking a cut on a product like Office.
- fpgeek 14y agoI'm leaning towards the theory that Microsoft will release a "free for existing customers" mobile version of Office. I'd thought the primary motivation would be to deal with their cannibalization concerns, but it would also avoid issues like Apple's slice.
- pflats 14y ago>This was Marco and other iOS developers' mistake. How so? Instapaper is literally one developer; isn't it better to be a market leader on one platform than to spread yourself across two platforms and dilute both applications? It sounds like once the right team approached him (one that he trusted the quality and business ethics of, and he knew their work) he cut a deal for an Android version. To me, that seems like an optimal use of limited resources.