Re: Tweetie 2: ‘New App’ – Will Spit On Existing ‘Old App’ Users

Patrick Jordan is upset that Tweetie 2 for iPhone will cost the same $3 for upgraders as existing users. Patrick:

I just can’t find a way to think of this as anything less than spitting in the face of existing Tweetie users.…

The whole ‘it’s a completely new app’ argument seems like utter bullshit to me. It is still a Twitter app for **** sake. A slew of new features and functionality does not, to me, make it a different app.…

I understand that Apple likely does not make any of this easy for developers. Even so – very, very bad call. If an ex-jailbreak developer like Snapture Labs can work out manual(and labor intensive) ways to offer a FULL, FREE upgrade from a jailbreak app to an App Store one, then a developer who cares about their users can try to work something out for upgrade pricing. If not, then find a way to cram all the new functionality and features into the existing Tweetie app. Do something to show you care even a tiny bit about your customers.

My response:

A few things.

First: Tweetie _has_ been updated for free for current users. We’re on 1.3.2 now, and there’s been a ton of stuff added. It’s not like you were saddled with some bug-ridden, low-featured 1.0 and left to dry.

Second: The App Store does not offer upgrade pricing. Sure, the Snapture dev(s?) figured something out, and you know, yay for them, but I’d rather my $3 went toward paying Atebits to develop Tweetie, not to develop a complicated, labor-intensive way to offer upgrade pricing.

Third: scale your expectations appropriately to the price, dude. Price _does_ affect the principle of this sort of thing. I demand upgrade pricing in $2000 Adobe suites. I expect upgrade pricing from $50 apps. I’m mildly surprised when I don’t see it in $20 apps. For a $3 iPhone app? Meh.

This world is not yet perfected. In the meantime, give Apple a little time and space and I’m sure we’ll get upgrade pricing in the App Store, give Atebits $3 and I’m sure we’ll get a nice Twitter app, and breathe deeply, sip some nice tea, and I’m sure you’ll feel better. And I’ll bet you $3 that by the time Tweetie 3 rolls around, your wounded heart will have recovered from this offense.

The funny thing is, he’s freaking out over a principle I pretty much agree with. But when it’s $3 and the developer doesn’t have the ability to do it without a bunch of manual labor, I think a chill pill is in order.

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Permalink | September 29th, 2009

Posted by Dan Hallock | Filed under Computer Stuff