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Tweetie 2 should be a free upgrade
Here's an idea. Making Tweetie 2 a new app instead of an update is a really bad idea, so add a free upgrade option to the people who are already using Tweetie. I just paid $2.99 for it in July. Now you're expecting me to pay another $2.99 just a few months later to get the new version? One reason I picked Tweetie over Twitterfon Pro (now Echofon) was that it was cheaper at $2.99 compared to $4.99. Had I known this? I would have stuck with Echofon (I was previously using the free version) because if I end up getting Tweetie 2 I will have paid $5.98 for it.
You're saying that Tweetie 2 has more features so it is worth more, but you are so nice to keep the price the same. Well, guess what? Every single person who is using Tweetie right now will in effect have paid $5.98, so I guess you figured you'd be making plenty of money from double dipping the people who already use Tweetie not to have to raise the price. Which, by the way, I would have preferred, because like this? Essentially you are saying people who already bought Tweetie were stupid because they are now paying double and you are rewarding people who didn't use it so far because they only have to pay once for it. Way to make your current customers happy.
Right now, I am considering just switching to another app altogether. With Tweetie being outdated as soon as Tweetie 2 is released in the app store, I can hardly expect you to work on the old app anymore (and to add new features such as push notifications). I want to use an app that will keep being improved without my having to pay for it again, and with yours, well, who's to say you won't be creating Tweetie 3 in a few months and charge everyone again who wants the new version?
Of course this is an excellent business approach if all you can think of is the money you will rake in from all the people who will pay for Tweetie 2 after having already paid for Tweetie. But if you also care about customer satisfaction, know that you pissed off and possibly lost quite a few customers today (judging from @tweetie replies on twitter I am not the only one who feels screwed over).
You're saying that Tweetie 2 has more features so it is worth more, but you are so nice to keep the price the same. Well, guess what? Every single person who is using Tweetie right now will in effect have paid $5.98, so I guess you figured you'd be making plenty of money from double dipping the people who already use Tweetie not to have to raise the price. Which, by the way, I would have preferred, because like this? Essentially you are saying people who already bought Tweetie were stupid because they are now paying double and you are rewarding people who didn't use it so far because they only have to pay once for it. Way to make your current customers happy.
Right now, I am considering just switching to another app altogether. With Tweetie being outdated as soon as Tweetie 2 is released in the app store, I can hardly expect you to work on the old app anymore (and to add new features such as push notifications). I want to use an app that will keep being improved without my having to pay for it again, and with yours, well, who's to say you won't be creating Tweetie 3 in a few months and charge everyone again who wants the new version?
Of course this is an excellent business approach if all you can think of is the money you will rake in from all the people who will pay for Tweetie 2 after having already paid for Tweetie. But if you also care about customer satisfaction, know that you pissed off and possibly lost quite a few customers today (judging from @tweetie replies on twitter I am not the only one who feels screwed over).
I’m sad
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Inappropriate?Clearly you are not a developer. This thing is put out by ONE GUY. Not a big corporation. Dude's gotta eat. If you don't want to pay for the upgrade, then don't upgrade.
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Inappropriate?It is ridiculous to ask for Tweetie 2.0 to be free. I am sorry but that is just not the way software works. When software is updated developers need to charge for it to continue making a living.
When you buy a pair of shoes at the shoe store do you expect to get your next pair for free because you already paid for the first pair?
Why do you expect to get something for free?
You paid 2.99 for the current version of Tweetie. In the meantime, Loren has worked hard and spent time to make an all new version.
If you are happy with the current version then you don't have to buy tweetie 2.0. If you want the new features you will pay the extra 3 bucks and get it.
I can't believe how ridiculous people are about paying for great software.
I am planning on going back to the resturaunt that I had lunch at and asking for my dinner for free... After all I already paid for lunch! Right?
I’m happy
1 person thinks
this is one of the best points
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Inappropriate?This is ONE GUY's entire living. Everything.
You are essentially paying $2.98 (do you realise just how little money that is?) for the most brilliant app on the app store. He just added a gazillion new features to it, and you want lifetime free upgrades?
You're just cheap. -
Inappropriate?Right, it is only an extra $2.99. How frequently will he charge that for updates? In fact, will all other app developers start doing the same, so will we end up paying more of a subscription price than a one-off price if we want updates to our apps? The most recent update to the Facebook app was a huge one, yet that app remains free. Other Twitter apps also provide free updates with added features (such as push notifications). Why would I stick with Tweetie and who's to say that Tweetie 2 will be the last Tweetie I have to pay for if I do not want to stick with an app that is not updated anymore?
Virtually all apps in the app store offer free updates, so why would I stick with the one app that doesn't.
1 person thinks
this is one of the best points
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Inappropriate?You'll stick with Tweetie, because it's easily the best Twitter app.
Facebook don't rely on Facebook.app for their entire livelyhood, as opposed to Loren. -
Inappropriate?The idea that developers won't charge for updates in the App Store is completely flawed...
And your Facebook example... The Facebook application was free to begin with! -
Inappropriate?Facebook don't rely on that app for their entire income.
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Inappropriate?Yes it was and is free. However, clearly lots of work was put into that update as well. So by the logic lots of work = higher price, the developer of the FB app and any other app that has added new features should charge more for it than they did previously (or make the update a separate app so every user of it has to buy it again).
You know, if there was a way to get a discount on the upgrade, I would probably consider getting it, just anything showing that the developer has any interest in the customers he has already established. Like this, I am just feeling like I was stupid for buying Tweetie in the first place because it was so close to being replaced by a new and better app for the same price. In fact, anyone who buys Tweetie today will still pay $2.99 and if they want the new version in a few days or next week (or whenever it is approved by Apple) they will have to pay another $2.99 after just a few days/week. -
Inappropriate?Your issues are with the App Store and note atebits... The App Store does not provide a mechanism for developers to provide upgrade pricing for their applications.
Be mad at Apple not atebits. If it was possible to provide upgrade pricing I am sure that Loren would.... -
Inappropriate?Yes, because $6 will bankrupt you.
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Inappropriate?Matthew L., you are missing the point. See ceejayoz's reply to your post on 'Purchasing obselecence'.
1 person thinks
this is one of the best points
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Inappropriate?See my reply.
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Inappropriate?2.0 is a new version and he has a right to charge for it as such.
apple doesn't provide an update path. not his fault.
He's been working on this and seeding beta's for 8 months! while being totally uncommunicative to his customers concerns about the lack of updates to tweetie. 8 months working hard creating this new version. My gripe is..how long ago did he decide he would charge for the update?
I purchased this app 5 days ago. If Loren is bucking trends and charging for an update it would have been nice to know a tiny bit sooner. not months ago, but weeks might have been nice.
Looking into twitterfic now. the guys at iconfactory and panic are a tad more communicative.
I’m annoyed
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This is one of the best points
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You should email me.
You can drop me an email any time you'd like. support@atebits.com -
Inappropriate?ROFL so because he was not communicative towards you, you're going to settle for the second best Twitter client?
1 person thinks
this is one of the best points
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This is one of the best points
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which is nowhere near as good.
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Inappropriate?you have a narrow way or reading things Matthew. He was uncommunicative towards his customer base. Who was rightfully concerned about his intentions towards tweetie. On the flip side he kept the his beta users. Stephen Fry, Tech Crunch, etc all very well appraised. So today he announces his update while everyone who's beta tested the app focus in on its great features (which look fantastic) but ignore the fact that as a dev. he has crap customer support.
1 Comment Add a comment
This is one of the best points
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actually he doesn't, he just made one large mistake.
He's got BRILLIANT customer support. One mistake does not change it.
I understand that you're annoyed at it, but is it really worth it when you could be using the best twitter client?
$6 won't bankrupt anyone, it's nothing. -
Inappropriate?My point is that when it comes to the very competitive app store market. who i pay my $6 bucks to is largely subjective. customer support is a huge part of it.
I've been using instapaper free for ages and love it. If i have to choose between giving another $3 bucks to Loren for a total of $6 or spendinig $5 on instapaper and paying Marco for the full version of an app he's supported well I'd rather spend those $5 on Instapaper. $5 or $6 bucks won't bankrupt anyone but if i've only budgeted $20 bucks for misc. iphone related app purchases this month. I'm going to be very judicious in where i spend my money. Even if it's just $6.2 Comments Add a comment
This is one of the best points
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You should definitely get Instapaper. Marco is awesome and deserve your money!
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I may, just as soon as i find out what his plans are for the next full release of instapaper ;-)
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Inappropriate?Which app is the best twitter client is a subjective decision. Plenty of people prefer a different client.
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Inappropriate?free upgrades? really! are you people serious? why would they make it free?
Its not a bug fix, its a new version of an app with new features.
I am pretty sure when Super Mario Bros 3 came out Nintendo made me pay for it! Perhaps they should of posted me a cartridge free because I bought Super Mario Bros 1. -
Inappropriate?Yeah because every single other app in the store makes a whole new app when they come out with something other than bug fixes. Oh wait, no, they don't, they make it an update to the current app.
And James Talk, don't think you are doing the developer a favor by going around insulting his customers on his customer support forum. Apparently your post was edited, but guess what, I still got the 'Viviane, you're an idiot' in the email notification. So, James? Right back at ya.
But don't bother, I have decided to switch to another app anyway. And don't give me the 'Tweetie is the best app'. So what if it is and I don't even know if I find it better than other apps, because it was missing some very simple features that another one had from the getgo (of course I found that out after I bought it). I had thought that seeing as they were so simple they would probably be added in the next update. (And by simple I mean getting some kind of notification in the tabs when someone posts a new tweet, DM or mention, and being able to choose RT for retweeting rather than via.) Except now, no new features will be added at all, ever. But you know what, it's just a Twitter app for my iPhone after all so if the second best app keeps getting new features without me having to buy a new app every single time they do that I'll stick with that one.
As for customer support? This was handled poorly by the developer, yet he has not even bothered to comment on the issue. Instead I get some of his fanboys insulting me on his customer support website. Like with any other business (and this is a business even if it is run by one person), it is not the customer who should feel lucky to get to use the product, but the business that should feel lucky to have me (and everyone else) as a customer and putting bread on his table, instead I get a proverbial 'fu' from the developer and his fanboys on the customer support forum. So surprise! This isn't a business I want to give any more of my money to. -
Inappropriate?You weren't going to give any more money to his business anyway, so where is his loss?
Also I am not a fan boy, but I do understand the logic of charging for a re-designed application, even if you don't. So hang on lets go back to my analogy earlier....Nintendo release Super Mario Bros 1, then they release Super Mario Bros 2 and charge for it, its the same characters, same premise for the game, and you would think they should give it away free because you bought the first version. Now apply the same logic to every Game/Application ever released, then rethink what you said.
NEWS FLASH!! I just heard Microsoft are giving away free copies of Office 2009 because some people bought Office 2008. WOW. They must be following your business model to loose money.
I deleted the bit about you being an idiot, I didn't think it appropriate to mock you on a public forum, but now come to think of it, you are an idiot.
1 person thinks
this is one of the best points
1 Comment Add a comment
This is one of the best points
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It's shame that what could remain a civilized debate about the appstore economy. And Atebits handling of things can so quicly degenerate into name calling. Frankly James. though i agree with many of your points, and have agreed with many eloquent posts on several sites defending a developers right to charge for what he considers a significant upgrade, i think there is a lack of detachment that's leading to some very narrow and childish arguments and counterpoints...I'm tired of reading people describe customers who were acoustomed to the appstore status quo of free upgrades, be called whiny, childish, idiots, etc. I've had the chance to email with Loren as he was very responsive once i got in touch with him via twitter. He seemed genuinley aware that he dropped the ball in terms of communicating his intentions with enough time so that his customers didn't feel cheated.
I was one of those customers who bought the app recently, assuming the next update would be included. That is not an unreasonable assumption based on what has been the norm.
Do i think it's right? or that i am entitled to free upgrades on a 3 dollar app? No.
Did i expect that based on past experience? yes.
Did i make my purchase based on said assumption? Yes. Would i have made the purchase if i knew the sorely due update to tweetie was coming out a seperate app? No, i obviously wouldn't have.
So whether or not Vivian feels she was entitled to that update or not. Loren should have been more aware of his current customers and not so simpleminded focused on coding the next version.
ultimately this just boils down to a major major flaw in the appstore model.
there is no upgrade path. And its just not pratical for a dev to get paid once.
If its a significant update then a dev has the right to charge for the work.
I hope Loren commits himself to keeping the current tweetie 1.0 app working with its current feature set if twitter implements any changes that would break its functionality. I think that would go a way towards alleviating old standing customers concerns.
good day to all. -
Inappropriate?"Every single person who is using Tweetie right now will in effect have paid $5.98"
I think you must mean: people who *choose* to buy Tweetie 2 will in effect have paid $5.98. Because I don't think it's a required upgrade. I believe Tweetie 1 will keep working as is.
I'm actually pleased to pay again. That sounds weird, but I like the idea that I'm supporting a small business that's finding a way to pay the rent from small software like this. I know in theory it's not the specific amount, (which is approximately 0.3% of using my iPhone for a year) but the "principle" of having not been told future versions would or wouldn't be free. In general, there are few applications I have where I can say for certain what the future roadmap will be or the costs of later releases.
Maybe he should have just named it something totally different and pitched it as "Atebits' advanced twitter app" alongside keeping Tweetie as "Atebits' basic twitter app."
Instapaper is indeed awesome. I paid $10 for it just a couple weeks before it dropped to its new price of $4.99. If I had that $5.01 back, I'd probably blow it on some fancy coffee or a happy hour drink, so I don't know that I really care too much. -
Inappropriate?Viviane, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. You're clearly not a developer. You clearly have absolutely no education in business or economics. You're just a whiney little brat.
Let me make this very simple, for your very simple mind. You read the description of an app on the app store. You paid $3 for the app that was described. The app you paid for was delivered to you. That app will be the exact same app when Tweetie 2 is released. So by definition, you got what you paid for. You are now asking for MORE than what you paid for.
There are thousands of analogies that could be made here, but honestly I don't think you would understand any of them. So just give it a rest. No one cares about your $3 life crisis.
1 person thinks
this is one of the best points
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Inappropriate?No I totally agree with you Louis, and did not want to get into a name calling game with Vivian, hence why I deleted part of my original post, but she felt the need to bring it up, even though I have my right to edit/retract my own points.
The fact remains, people want everything yesterday and for free, and to think 2 years ago the App Store didn't exist and people now think its their god given right to have applications for free is beyond me, this is a new technology and a new revenue stream for developers and if anyone is so eager to jump on board in the infant stages then they should be expected to be scolded.
The real point is, once everyones bought a copy of Tweetie who's going to keep paying Loren's wages to enhance/update it for every new version of the iPhone OS, without charging for new versions.
Loren relies on another company for his application to work, and is a fairly unique and unfortunate position that if Twitter decides tomorrow they are turning the site off then Tweetie and all the other Twitter apps will be defunked. -
Inappropriate?Develop a fantastic product... give them money for it.... they continue to develop fantastic products. Simple. Don't be stupid and cheap.
1 person thinks
this is one of the best points
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Inappropriate?I couldn't understand why people want everything for free? Will you go and ask Apple or AT&T to give you iPhone 3GS for free because you bought iPhone 3G?
I’m indifferent
