iPad versions of apps

[Benutzername]

If I buy apps for mobile devices I'm buying a product for iPhone OS or Android or whatever, not for a specific device.

You really don't understand the app store do you ? I mean, they specifically categorise the apps into iPhone and iPad areas, along with the conecpt of a 'universal' app marked especially.

You are, of course, entitled to choose what you buy based upon how they market to multiple devices - it doesn't mean that's the way it actually works.

I have the choice and I choose not to buy products that are marketed this way. Of course this means: no Apple products for me but I can easily live with that.

But I watch how companies behave inside the Apple universe and transfer my conclusions to the PC/Android world. If someone treats the customers in way I don't like then it is the problem of the company because I'd be a lost customer in all digital worlds.

In this particular case it looks greedy for me if a company charges twice for the same product just because the resolution of the output device has changed. If the company offers an interesting product for my preferred platform I'll remember how they treated the iDevice customers and adjust my buying decisions accordingly.

[topaz]

Your in the minority, go and look at the reviews and see for yourself.

Your also in the minority of my muted users, so post away because I can't see you.

NO.

What's apparent is that you bought a product, and it works exactly as sold. You're now expecting additions for free. You think that by not getting these things for free you are entitled to complain that the company is at fault.

If there's any greed here, it's you wanting something you don't have (or need) without paying.

[koalaboy]

Your in the minority, go and look at the reviews and see for yourself.

I am in awe of your damningly conclusive proof.

Your also in the minority of my muted users, so post away because I can't see you.

You never could see me. I'm not entirely sure you could hear me either.

If you feel the only way to deal with people who disagree with you, is to ignore them, perhaps you can understand the point of view that you project onto IK Multimedia.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

I'm still wondering why, from the first post on, we're the target when there are actually a majority of the iOS music app developers (as well as most other categories) charging for separate iPad apps too? With direct competition mentioned further on in the thread and still no answer to the facts brought to light about the majority of OTHER developers doing the same, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to think there's some bias against us in particular by topaz and you will continue to ignore the facts and hard numbers brought to your attention. Edit - no need to bother asking more, just want to know the answers to the above.

[topaz]

do you truly believe I am the only one that has a problem with being charged twice ?

if thats the case then we may as well give up right now, everything has been said on the matter.

I will stick with company's that make either dedicated iPad apps or universal.

I'm still wondering why, from the first post on, we're the target when there are actually a majority of the iOS music app developers (as well as most other categories) charging for separate iPad apps too? With direct competition mentioned further on in the thread and still no answer to the facts brought to light about the majority of OTHER developers doing the same, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to think there's some bias against us in particular by topaz and you will continue to ignore the facts and hard numbers brought to your attention. Do you get any benefit from targeting us only? I believe this is a fair question since I'm here with full disclosure of my affiliation.

[Benutzername]

I'm still wondering why, from the first post on, we're the target when there are actually a majority of the iOS music app developers (as well as most other categories) charging for separate iPad apps too? With direct competition mentioned further on in the thread and still no answer to the facts brought to light about the majority of OTHER developers doing the same, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to think there's some bias against us in particular by topaz and you will continue to ignore the facts and hard numbers brought to your attention. Edit - no need to bother asking more, just want to know the answers to the above.

"Because everybody does it" is of course a good reason.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

And yet you still won't answer why we're the only ones you targeted. I never said you were the only one that has a problem with it (a problem for which I've given cost-free solutions) but I did ask why WE were the only ones you'll target (while plugging a competitor) while there are many more out there that you could be striking up a vendetta against for the very same reason. Thank you for wanting the app so much that it causes all this, though, that is much appreciated.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

I'm still wondering why, from the first post on, we're the target when there are actually a majority of the iOS music app developers (as well as most other categories) charging for separate iPad apps too? With direct competition mentioned further on in the thread and still no answer to the facts brought to light about the majority of OTHER developers doing the same, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to think there's some bias against us in particular by topaz and you will continue to ignore the facts and hard numbers brought to your attention. Edit - no need to bother asking more, just want to know the answers to the above.

"Because everybody does it" is of course a good reason.

No, but other prominent businesses doing something that is not out of bounds for most people is probably an indication that it is a business decision that is not really out of bounds.

[topaz]

because I don't own "the other apps" I purchased amplitube full for my touch and an iRig adapter
The minute it came out.

I then got an iPad and like %100 of the reviewers at the AppStore was angry to find out I
Had to buy it again.

Nothing more, nothing less.

If you think I work for a competitor you are very wrong.

And yet you still won't answer why we're the only ones you targeted. I never said you were the only one that has a problem with it (a problem for which I've given cost-free solutions) but I did ask why WE were the only ones you'll target (while plugging a competitor) while there are many more out there that you could be striking up a vendetta against for the very same reason. Thank you for wanting the app so much that it causes all this, though, that is much appreciated.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Never said that but thanks for clarifying. I understand you don't want to purchase the separate app, maybe they'll have some improvements for the 2x versions of apps and how they look blown up in the future?

[topaz]

I doubt it, they need to run landscape too, the iPhone version only runs portrait.

Never said that but thanks for clarifying. I understand you don't want to purchase the separate app, maybe they'll have some improvements for the 2x versions of apps and how they look blown up in the future?

[stephenbaishya]

This is a debate that is never going to get resolved in a way that makes everyone happy

As a consumer, I want something for nothing. But as a former software developer, I understand why some developers will charge for a separate iPad app.

Anyway, to answer the OP with a bit more detail (disclaimer: I'm not an iOS developer - what I'm stating here is based on knowledge of software development for PCs and servers, but I believe the principles to hold true, though I'm open to being corrected).

If we take just the iPhone app, since the iPad was launched, developers must make sure that iPhone apps don't crash, don't have bugs, do what they advertise, and also run on the iPad at iPhone resolution and 2x iPhone resolution.

The bit in bold is important, as Apple have just increased the testing effort for developers.

So, straight away, a developer's return on investment is reduced. Now, some less responsible developers may "hope for the best" and not test on iPad, so no financial impact for them, just a problem for the consumer if something doesn't work.

When we get to iPad specific apps, then here's what you would need to do as a developer:

• Design new UI layout and behaviour - in most cases just scaling up an iPhone app UI to a higher resolution would be lazy due to the extra screen real estate of the iPad, plus there's extra work to support portrait and landscape views (for me, the comparison to running on different resolution PCs doesn't hold up - regardless of resolution, on a PC or Mac an app uses fundamentally the same UI and graphics; this is not usually the case between iPad and iPhone)
  
  Produce graphics for new UI
  
  Build the app - it's a different app, so it's built separately, and this is important - each different build that you maintain adds an overhead when you come to implement new features and bug fixes
  
  Test - this is the key one, because it's a different app with a different UI, so it has to be tested completely

So as a developer, I'm now testing 3 times on the iPad:

• iPhone app at iPhone resolution
  
  iPhone app at 2 x
  
  iPad app

None of this comes for free - you can automate build and test to a degree, but ultimately people have to sit down and try to break the apps before they go out of the door.

Like I said, I want something for nothing as much as the next man, but I won't begrudge a developer charging for a separate iPad version.

As a side note, I think that people's perception of "value for money" when it comes to apps is really interesting, especially compared to similar software on a PC or Mac. Because of the sheer number of 99c apps, paying over $20 for an app grates on people, even though what they are getting may have cost a lot to develop, and be cheap compared to PC or Mac equivalents. $40 for Amplitube on both iPhone and iPad seems like a pretty good deal to me for what you get.

[Benutzername]

Like I said, I want something for nothing as much as the next man, but I won't begrudge a developer charging for a separate iPad version.

I get what you are saying but developers seems to forget that every new device brings also a bunch of completely new customers who will buy all these applications for the first time. Not all iPad users are crossgraded iPhone users. Of course these customers are expecting shiny GUIs and will never spend money for an ugly upscaled iPhone app. So they gladly pay for the efforts made by the developers.

Correct me if I'm wrong but it is a common principle on all platforms that new customers pay the full price for full versions and existing customers get newer versions for a small upgrade fee (or sometimes even for free).

So I still don't see a valid reason (besides "38 of 50 developers do it") why existing customers have to buy an application twice just because the screen resolution of the output device has been increased. All those first time buyers with an iPad will gladly pay for the development time that has been spent to create an upscaled version of the UI.

[koalaboy]

...just because the screen resolution of the output device has been increased...

As has been pointed out, it's not quite that simple.

If you want to have a go at anyone, try Apple for a start and ask why the iPad can't take advantage of 'retina display' apps in higher res than the pixellated 2x version.

I'm also not sure that Apple have any method to offer 'upgrades' between app 'types'. An app can become universal in a free update, but then you have the iphone owners complain that they have extra download size for the ipad resources, which they don't actually need.

It would be ideal to have a situation that would suit all purchasers (new, or existing) and developers, but I'm not sure Apple want that type of market because they make more money on each new sale.

[Benutzername]

...just because the screen resolution of the output device has been increased...

As has been pointed out, it's not quite that simple.

Actually it is this simple. Of course Apple announced the iPad as the amazing brand new incredible amazing brand new best of all times amazing device and tries to separate it from its sisters. But in fact it is nothing more then just another ARM-driven handheld device with iOS and touchscreen. The only remarkable difference to the phone and mp3 player variants is a higher display resolution. The rest is marketing and greed.