Tweetie 2 – ushering in a new era of iPhone App abandonware?
Posted on 29 September 2009, at 6:04 am, by Wayne Schulz
There’s a new version of the popular Twitter iPhone client Tweetie coming soon. Instead of updating the old Tweetie program, the developer atebits has opted to create a newly named Tweetie 2 which will be sold as a separate program complete with a separate $2.99 fee. That’s totally within the developer’s rights to price their current and future releases in any manner that they like. I don’t dispute that. However does this pricing usher in a new era of abandonware for the iPhone. Where original apps aren’t updated but instead are left for dead while the new 2.0 (or 3.x, 4,x, etc) are sold for full price to existing users. This is one of the first times that we’ve seen the issue of a major iPhone App upgrade not being free. Patrick over at Justanotheriphoneblog has capture my thoughts perfectly – especially the part about “utter BS”. Yes on the surface it’s only $3 – until you think about it. I have well over 50 apps on my iPhone. Am I soon going to be hit up for $3 a piece to upgrade? If so, how many times per year will I be forced to upgrade? Patrick’s post raises some interesting questions. I suggest you read more at the link below.
Justanotheriphoneblog: Tweetie 2- ‘New App’ – will spit on existing ‘old app’ users
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September 29th, 2009 at 9:19 am
I wrote about this when In App purchases were first announced. Then when Simplify Media didn’t update but just released a new app to buy I saw what was coming… and I don’t like it at all!
We are starting to see a trend toward some very consumer unfriendly practices.
September 29th, 2009 at 9:29 am
I’m not buying this argument at all. Since when does purchasing an application force the developer into some type of indentured servitude to the buyer?
Office is being updated next year – and MSFT is going to charge you to get a copy. Does that make Office 2007 abandonware?
Will Office 2007 be any less usable to you then (after the upgrade) as it is right now? You paid for 2007 – and for the features and functionality that you are using today. What that does not include is a guaranteed upgrade price – or some right to a discount. You bought the application – period.
I can’t believe you didn’t see this coming either. ESPECIALLY with the advent of in-app purchasing. Maybe the biggest mistake this developer made was there isn’t some mechanism in the 1.0 application to purchase 2.0 – in the application at a cheaper price.
That would stop the griping but it would not make your complaints valid. The developer re-wrote the application. Has included new functionality. The app you paid for still works and still provides for the functionality that was promised. Period.
September 29th, 2009 at 9:49 am
I’m not sure Apple is going to allow their App store to be cluttered with Original APP, Original App 2, Original App 3. Maybe they will but I’d be surprised if they allowed that type of confusion to happen.
September 29th, 2009 at 9:57 am
“…how many times per year will I be forced to upgrade?”
I’d say “0″. You aren’t being “forced” now. The developer has released a newer version that has more features. You would seem to be free to continue using the previous version.
I do not see anything wrong with charging for a 1.0 to 2.0 upgrade, particularly if there are new features. I do believe they should offer some sort of upgrade discount to existing users. Although at $3 I can’t imagine what the discount would be.
September 29th, 2009 at 10:26 am
I have to agree with MicroZealous. Perception-wise, making a separate app for an upgrade rubs me the wrong way, but I can see reasons for it. I don’t think that a developer should be expected to give away updates forever. Apple is the one who doesn’t provide any kind of a paid upgrade path to developers, and it’s a shame, because I think a lot of the outcry comes down to the psychological difference between a “new” app and an upgrade. Yes, some cheaper pricing for upgrades would be nice, but there are no good ways for developers to do that, and at $3, I’m not going to quibble about it much. If a developer did it all the time or for minor releases, yes, I would have an issue with that.
It will be interesting to see how often this takes place with other apps, and whether Apple does decide to step in. Maybe it will make them reevaluate the App store.
I love my iPhone. It’s a great device. But there are definitely issues with the App store that really rankle. Maybe Loren could have given a little more attention to the issue when wording his announcement, but I don’t have an issue with paying $3 again for Tweetie.