Realmac Software has decided to reverse course, and reinstate its original âClearâ todo list app to sell alongside its all-new universal app it released for iOS 7 . It originally planned to discontinue the iPhone-only app.
But that plan has obviously changed over the last week or so, following user backlash. Original Clear purchasers were upset theyâd have to pay again for the app, despite the fact that they didnât need an iPad versionâ¦
From Realmac Softwareâs blog [1] (via MacRumors [2] ):
âAfter having chatted amongst the team at great length, and given the (shall we say) emotional response from the folks who use Clear for iPhone, weâre changing plan slightly.Â
Weâre bringing back the stand-alone iPhone version of Clear, and weâll be updating it for existing users with new iPhone features.Â
To that end, weâve submitted an update that includes the iPhone enhancements for iOS 7 (including the new list themes) and will be releasing it as soon as Apple approves it.Â
To make it easy to differentiate, weâre now calling Clear for iOS 7 âClear+â to signify that itâs for all your iOS devices.â
Initial responses to the move from user and developer communities have been, as you would imagine, starkly different. While users think itâs a great move in customer satisfaction, developers, however, are saying itâs a âshame.â
Itâs hard to really say whoâs right and whoâs wrong here. While I am one of the original Clear users who was disappointed to have to repay for the iOS 7 update, I realized Iâve only paid them a few bucks over the course of a year.
I think Stephen Hackett from 512Pixels [3] explains it best:
âThe bottom line is this: developers should be able to work on their product in a sustainable way. Realmac are some of the good guys, and to have to backtrack on a business decision is a damn shame, especially in a world where people pour money into IAP-based games day and night.â
I think this whole iOS 7 app update controversy is just the beginning of a bigger conversation, and itâll be interesting to see where it goes. Eventually, Apple will need to intervene if it wants to keep devs happy and in business.
At any rate, you can find the iPhone-only version of Clear here [4] and the iPhone/iPad version here [5] .
Any thoughts on Realmacâs actions?
Links
- ^ Realmac Softwareâs blog (realmacsoftware.com)
- ^ MacRumors (www.macrumors.com)
- ^ Stephen Hackett from 512Pixels (512pixels.net)
- ^ here (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ here (itunes.apple.com)
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