iPad Version

[Johan Söderberg]

might I suggest a Lite version without the OSC for $9.99 and a pro version with of $39.99.

I like the idea but I think I wasnt very clear.
I think the difference can, and ought to be bigger between the two in that case.

So I suggest Lite version max 5 $ and Pro version anything from 50 $ and upwards.
But there's some level when the price gets too high of course and the product sells less in total just because of that. I think for a PRO version that´s somewhere around 70 $.

I have a lot of paid apps (too many!) and I think the most expensive one Ive stretched to is Navigons navigator. I think it was like 99.99 USD which felt expensive, but at that time I didnt have any better choice..

When you reach that level where it feels pricy you also get very demanding customers who expect nothing but perfection throughout the lifecycle of their phones or iPads. No matter how many system changes apple might feel like doing during that time.

[admin]

This is exactly the issue that needs to be solved before the iPad app can be released.

One fact is that the app is not a simple little utility like most $5 apps. It is quite complex and pushes the limits of both the memory available on the iPad and the processor.

Memory is limited by Apple to keep the cost of the device down. The processor speed is limited by battery life.

Apple takes 30% of all Apps sold. So an app priced at $50 only nets $35. 100 copies of the app net $3500 which is about enough to buy a Mac to write the software and an iPad to test it on--leaving out paying for any development time, fees paid to Apple for the Developer program, etc. Not much incentive to deal with potential dissatisfaction.

If you pay $50 for an App, given the disposable nature of most of them, your expectations are higher. Back to the above, plots will be slow to open due to processor speed and large plots may even crash the app due to lack of memory. The experience will not be as good as the desktop application. But, an iPad is much more portable than a laptop and updating a plot or reading a report on a mobile device is an advantage.

So, that is quandary of how (and if) to release the app.

[Johan Söderberg]

Sounds to me that iPadapps can become bulky quite fast.
(Sorry I just had to use that word "bulky" I learned it last year from a certain developer, talking not so friendly about autocad)

So maybe its an overambitious app?

Most iPad apps have just one very simple to understand function.
And that's also the first advice apple gives any developer - keep it ridiculously simple and clear.

I guess its the limited processorspeed and RAM that Ive managed to crash when Ive edited big plots in multiple layers with several beams visual on the iPadscreen. Moving beams around manually always crashes my iPad.

That kind of total crashes can not be accepted, no matter how low the price is.
Dont know how popular the beams function is, to me its just a fun toy, but rarely useful except when programming moving heads, which Ill never be doing using an iPad.

Can a simple version be reduced to reading and editing info and perhaps moving objects around. Not adding symbols, not showing beams, no OSC communication.

And a Pro version with OSC added, but still no adding of new symbols and no moveable beams.
But I guess static beams or something similar will be necessary as a way to show onscreen what is lit up and what isnt.

Would that be a big loss ?

I dont think so.

And I think thats still sellable for, lets say: 20 and 70 USD.

( I keep forgetting the currency value of the USD, it's lower and cheaper than I think. Not too long ago we used to simplify and equal one USD to 10 Swedish kronas. But today 70 US Dollar equals only 453.40 Swedish Krona!)

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The latest version could perhaps remain a very exclusive item for the rare few (not least Mr admin himself) willing to accept betatesting something not downloadable from apple, as it is today.

You could charge something small for updates every third month.
For instance for private persons: 20 USD/update which makes maximum 4*20 per year

For theatre institutions, schools and companies the price could be higher.

Write sponsorcontracts for one or two years. so that you get some support without going through the appstore and its greedy owner...

Sign me up for the next two years!

I'd pay that gladly just to be able to say that Im a proud sponsor of the project!

Im sure there will come a day when processorspeed and memory can handle this easily. When that day comes us sponsors could get a discount for the first release.

Til then maybe a simplification is not so fun, but necessary?
I dont know


Greetings from Johan S.