[chipjoyce]

It is absurd to complain about the price of this software. Do you have any basis, at all, to justify the claim it is too expensive?

Also, to somehow think the software should be cheaper because there are already Mac and iPhone versions, indicates you clearly do not understand that these are all distinct pieces of software and have distinct investments in development.

You have to realize that Omnigroup is a small, specialized software shop that builds high quality and sophisticated software. It necessarily must be priced higher than simpler software, or software that has millions of customers.

[Dillinger-63]

Originally Posted by Ken Case

Sorry, our discounting options are limited on the App Store: it doesn't support discounts on the basis of purchase history; we can't even offer discounts to our own employees!

We did take this issue into account when pricing the app, though—we chose a price that's half the price of the desktop app, even though it offers much of the functionality of the Mac app (and some new features such as its Forecast and Review modes) on a brand-new, portable, and very usable platform.

We think it's a great value for software people use everyday and which makes them more productive. We hope you'll think so too, but we also understand that not every customer will have a need to purchase all three editions of the application.

Then why not an Introductory Price? Other App developers do.

[howiem]

Given my experience with Omni generally, I have no problem with the price at all. Regular updates and a responsive staff are worth their weight in gold.

[Fireproof]

Originally Posted by Dillinger-63

Then why not an Introductory Price? Other App developers do.

Dave_m just answered this one page back by quoting Brian:

Originally Posted by Brian

time-limited sales make one group of people - the ones that get the discount - happy. Unfortunately, there’s another group - the people that don’t - who end up unhappy that they missed out. The longer your application is around, the larger that second group gets: folks hear that there was a sale and someone else paid less than they did.

Worse, people don’t end up in either group on the basis of loyalty - folks who hear about the sale and buy get it. Folks on trips, without ‘net access, who were busy, or who just plain forgot are left out and feel bad.

We have some of the best customers anywhere and we really appreciate them - but we would prefer to earn our customers’ loyalty with great applications, fair treatment, and top-notch support. We feel those are far more valuable in the long run.

[Nicolas_Thomsen]

I just took a trip to London bringing only my iPad and I must say sitting in your bed, and just using your iPad to do your weekly review while you have the view of Big Ben outside your windows feels great.

I know some people critisise OmniGroup for the price, but it my opinion its a bargain at 40$. I would have paid 200$ for this app. It is without a doubt the best iPad app I have every tried and it literally makes me happy to open it every time I do.

I have a love/hate relationship to the App Store pricing tendencies. On one hand its nice to get great apps at a very affordable price, but on the other hand serious developers like OmniGroup who clearly put so much time and effort into their products gets critisised for setting the price of their apps just a little higher. I remember a time pre iPhone where every app for Windows Mobile would cost at least 20-30$ and they were literally crap compared to this lump of gold OmniGroup has created and names OmniFocus for iPad.

Just my 2 cents

[endoftheQ]

I think finally, for me, it all comes down to the App Store generating a constant expectation of low pricing. I've become used to apps costing a few bucks, so anything above that seems outrageously overpriced. To put it in context (!) I just had to arrange to convert a few videos in the WMV format onto an iPhone. I had to buy QuickTimePro at thirty bucks, plus Flip4Mac at another thirty bucks. A total of $60!

OmniFocus on the iPad now looks quite the bargain. :)

[jkiley]

I'm surprised that people are surprised by the price. Agree or not, Omni has priced their previous two iPad apps at half (give or take cents) the Mac app non-discount price. OmniFocus for iPad follows that pattern. The pricing strategy seems pretty clear.

Personally, i hoped for a little lower price, but i expected and paid $40. The app is well worth it, and the delay and launch features show a lot of commitment to the priorities of users.

I do think the discussion of the effects of pricing on units and thus total revenue is an interesting one. For many smaller companies, the overhead costs (e.g. user support, management) of generating more revenue eats more money than it produces in profit (from an actual loss or opportunity cost). That could be at work here.

[Chris Hogan]

What got me hooked two years ago was the desktop version of OmniFocus, which was a trial version, if I remember correctly. I was hooked within a week, and have not looked back since. To complain or whine about the price is quite silly and shows the value placed on this app.

There are many GTD Apps out there, that are either free, 99 cents, or a little bit more. OmniFocus is for serious individuals, that want things done in a certain way. We all have different ways of managing our daily lives, and completing the tasks that are set before us. What I love about this app, all 3 versions, is that no matter where I am, I can stay up to date, with all that I have to do.

I have posted comments, running up to the iPad release, of how I use OF in my business. I am the one at my place of work that is the administrator of our projects, and all of the tasks associated with each of them. The main reason is that I have the desktop/laptop version. There are 3 coworkers, who are family members, that have the iphone versions as well. It has been very easy for them to push task entry and task management to me, so they did not have to on their iPhones. There is only one Mac at the office, which is mine. I gladly have done the hard work of administering OF in the past, but now the 3 family members, and two employees can get iPads, and start doing more.

For $40, Omni Group is going to make enough money, so that they can keep developing great apps, for serious people, and mot have to cater to the whiners. Thank you Ken for giving us drag and drop, and the Move feature, which has been lacking from the iPhone version.

Please update the desktop version to add the Forecast view. I'm now going to enter due dates on all of my tasks, because I can actually see what's coming up easily. The way it's done on the desktop, I have avoided doing.

[knit2day]

Originally Posted by ksrhee

I think you missed our points. What we are saying, OF for Ipad is a superior product than Things for Mac at a higher price point.

If you want to get Things for iPad at a half price point, go ahead. You will find you can't really use the program for an extended period time w/o getting frustrated due to missing features or lack of functionality.

I did. I didn't. Very happy with Things, thanks all the same. Your mileage may vary. I appreciate this is an OF forum so - for what it's worth to anyone paying attention: the UI is important to me (I have to look at this thing regularly) as well as the functionality. OF has too little of the former and has the same problems with the latter that I have with Windows: too much opportunity to tinker with the system instead of actually getting stuff done. I have two careers (currently dealing with working on 5 technical books plus a regular tax lawyer caseload) and a home life to deal with so there's enough to get done that I don't need to add "tweaking the GTD system" to it.

I keep lurking here just to see whether OF could produce something better but - as far as I can tell from screenshots and reviews - it hasn't. And I'm not going to spend $40 to verify that, given the sunk costs of OF/Mac and iPhone already incurred and no longer used. At $20 I would probably have tried it out, to see whether an iPad version was less likely to have tinkering-distraction potential (I don't use Things on iPad, it offers no functionality over Mac+iPhone) - and whether or not the massive font really would cause client confidentiality problems if I tried to use it in public.

[ksrhee]

Originally Posted by knit2day

I did. I didn't. Very happy with Things, thanks all the same. Your mileage may vary. I appreciate this is an OF forum so - for what it's worth to anyone paying attention: the UI is important to me (I have to look at this thing regularly) as well as the functionality. OF has too little of the former and has the same problems with the latter that I have with Windows: too much opportunity to tinker with the system instead of actually getting stuff done. I have two careers (currently dealing with working on 5 technical books plus a regular tax lawyer caseload) and a home life to deal with so there's enough to get done that I don't need to add "tweaking the GTD system" to it.

I keep lurking here just to see whether OF could produce something better but - as far as I can tell from screenshots and reviews - it hasn't. And I'm not going to spend $40 to verify that, given the sunk costs of OF/Mac and iPhone already incurred and no longer used. At $20 I would probably have tried it out, to see whether an iPad version was less likely to have tinkering-distraction potential (I don't use Things on iPad, it offers no functionality over Mac+iPhone) - and whether or not the massive font really would cause client confidentiality problems if I tried to use it in public.

I'm glad that you found Things to your liking and that's great. Not everybody has to like OF or any one program for that matter.

For me, lack of nested projects, mixed project (previous version didn't support this), repeating tasks as project tasks (also lack of this feature in iPhone and iPad is incredible) are all shortcoming I couldn't live with. Also, not being able to customize the views as I like them (perspectives) didn't help either. Of course OTA sync is icing in the cake for Omni.

Again, to each his/her own.