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-   OmniOutliner for iPad (http://forums.omnigroup.com/forumdisplay.php?f=66)
-   -   V2 is a new product/purchase? [A: Yes - see thread.] (http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=30786)

badmanj 2013-09-20 01:36 PM

V2 is a new product/purchase? [A: Yes - see thread.]
 
I just noticed that OO v2 is on the store requiring another full purchase from existing purchasers of the previous version and that the previous version has been withdrawn from the store, presumably to be no longer updated or supported for future IOS releases.

Given that this app is regarded on the AppStore as a relatively premium purchase, I have to feel quite upset about this apparent disregard for customer loyalty. It is also clear to me that if I were to purchase V2 I should do so, expecting to have to pay all over again, for a third time, for V3.

This in short, stinks.

Why not at least continue with a single version with an in-app purchase option to upgrade to some new features - perhaps for half the cost of the the app again. But to expect users to rebuy entirely really isn't a customer friendly strategy. I also see very little declaration or explanation of this strategy on the site or forums anywhere... Not a little ashamed are you, guys?

rogbar 2013-09-20 03:43 PM

Actually, Ken Case posted a very cogent explanation of this on September 4th:

[url]http://www.omnigroup.com/blog/update-no-upgrade-pricing-for-mac-app-store-purchases[/url]

pvonk 2013-09-20 05:38 PM

The OP is referring to the iTunes App Store, not the Mac App Store as Ken discusses.

Brian 2013-09-23 11:11 AM

Apologies for the upset we've caused, Badmanj. We removed v1 from the app store to avoid creating a confusing situation when devices with iOS 7 installed searched the app store. They'd see two apps with very similar names from the same company. Some folks would inevitably get the wrong app and have a variety of poor experiences.

However, customers who previously bought the app can still install it from the Purchases tab of the App Store on their device. We are, of course, also happy to continue offering support to customers who run version 1 on their iOS 7 devices.

We're in no way opposed to additional bug fix releases; as Ken mentioned in another thread, we're taking a look at bugs like that now. To be clear, we do not yet know how the App Store review process will react to a bug fix release for an app that's no longer for sale. Regardless of whether we are ultimately able to issue more v1 releases, though, myself and the rest of the support staff will do everything we can for folks running the v1 apps, regardless of whether they have iOS 6 or 7 installed.

When selling new, isolated functionality, an In-App Purchase works great. But when a major feature of the new app is a completely redesigned interface, or much faster performance, In-App Purchase makes for a very awkward user experience. We want new customers who purchase our app to see our latest and best interface and to get the best performance, not to buy the app and be presented with an interface that's out of step with their OS until they pay more.

(Side note: it's true that many developers use introductory pricing/sales as a band-aid for the App Store's lack of built-in upgrade pricing, but we don't feel that it's a good solution. More detail on that is [URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showpost.php?p=127265&postcount=43"]posted here[/URL].)

In the end, we remain committed to providing value to our existing customers, regardless of which version of app they're using. We also understand the appeal of lifetime updates after a single purchase to customers. However, for a productivity tool designed for professionals, that's not a sustainable business plan. It falls apart for the same reasons a Ponzi scheme does.

It's not our intent to make anyone purchase something they don't want. We do hope you'll be interested enough in our latest work to consider doing so at a time of your choosing. If not, you'll continue to get support for the tool you already own.

badmanj 2013-09-24 01:52 PM

Thanks - so even if I haven't downloaded my purchases to iTunes on my Mac (I haven't - I just always download apps direct from the store if I want them again on my iPad), I'll be able to install OmniOutliner V1 back onto my iPad?

Or does the fact that I didn't store the purchase on my MacBook mean that should I remove it from my iPad now, mean I'll lose it forever?

I do realise that you guys invest a lot of time and effort into your products so appreciate you need to charge for this... but I kind of feel a full re-purchase sucks for previous owners.

Jamie.

pjb 2013-09-24 02:34 PM

Why not a one-time dissmissable in-app notification that there is a new version out there? I've seen this in other apps. How would folks otherwise know?

thorsten 2013-09-29 12:51 AM

[QUOTE=Brian;127402]
However, customers who previously bought the app can still install it from the Purchases tab of the App Store on their device. We are, of course, also happy to continue offering support to customers who run version 1 on their iOS 7 devices.
[/QUOTE]

Hi Brian,

I have started a thread about that moments ago. I canīt find the V1 of OO in my purchased apps within the store.

Thatīs bad. Please help me out of this.

[B][COLOR="Red"]EDIT: Found it in the iPadīs store sight….. Was my fault![/COLOR][/B]

Best
Thorsten

dahu 2013-11-22 06:44 AM

I could not agree less with the reply.

[QUOTE=Brian;127402]...We're in no way opposed to additional bug fix releases; as Ken mentioned in another thread, we're taking a look at bugs like that now. To be clear, we do not yet know how the App Store review process will react to a bug fix release for an app that's no longer for sale.[/QUOTE]

Thus, you do not know whether you are actually going to support V1. And there ARE incompatibilities with iOS7 (got systematic crashes with sound). Not knowing how etc, you should not have taken the option to drop earlier customers, just for the reason of "not confusing" users.

[QUOTE=Brian;127402]...When selling new, isolated functionality, an In-App Purchase works great. But when a major feature of the new app is a completely redesigned interface, or much faster performance, In-App Purchase makes for a very awkward user experience. We want new customers who purchase our app to see our latest and best interface and to get the best performance, not to buy the app and be presented with an interface that's out of step with their OS until they pay more.[/QUOTE]

I also disagree strongly on "major feature". Folders? redesigned interface? that is certainly not worth paying THAT amount of money. Of course, you could have made some of these *features* available through in-app purchase. And the up-to-date iOS7 interface revamping is part of the normal upgrade all other editors provide for free.

I would have been happy to pay again for major new features such as attribute-based filtering, but probably not the full price. But I am certainly not going to buy the new app knowing that it is possible that the older versions are no longer supported in case of iOS upgrade.

Your policy is quite understandable, and it is acceptable for much cheaper apps. Given the price of your apps, you should consider that the maintenance cost for users can only be a fraction of the initial cost.

dahu 2013-11-22 06:53 AM

Ooops! Just saw your reply to my bug reports, was able to update and the bug is corrected indeed.
1) I apologize for some of the things said in the previous post.
2) The overall frustration remains, though at a lower degree, because I still think a full price is not acceptable for the new features: the maintenance cost for users can only be a fraction of the initial cost.
3) I am refraining from buying other Omni apps, because I see they have all been upgraded and follow the same policy.


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