[Sprawl]

Please be cautious BB10 users, that the App "Remote Desktop App" by "Toydd Grayson" in the App World does not currently link with the "Remote Desktop App" purchase on the playbook and vice versa.

It appears that the developer has decided to try and keep the App independent of eachother and expects users to buy both Applications independantly if they wish for you to use Remote Desktop App from the two different devices.

While this seems minor at first, it's important to note, that when the Playbook receives it's predicted BB10 upgrade, you will effectively lose the 4.99 purchase of the Remote Desktop App on the PlayBook.

I would hold off purchasing this App for now if you have already purchased it on the PlayBook, as I am still waiting for response from the Developer why he believes the App should be treated differently on the two different devices.

Has anyone else noticed this practice being done by other App developers? I'm trying to avoid purchasing any App that isn't being carried forward from the playbook.

Also: do we have any recourse with RIM or perhaps our Credit Card companies to recoup the cost of the original purchase of the App? it seems to me that a few developers are using the planned changeover to BB10 to force obsolescence and require double purchases.

[416to604]

xlabz (stock pulse, dictionary+, currency converter etc.), is another such developer that makes you pay for the same app on the z10 even if you previously purchased it for the playbook.

i would think that once you have purchased an app for the z10 it would be available without having to pay again once the playbook gets bb10, since they are the same OS. i could be wrong though...

[Sprawl]

finally got a response from the developer

The two applications are very different from a programming side even though they do the same thing. We found that the PlayBook version didn’t come across to the BB10 devices well, so we decided to build a BB10 application from the ground up that works on the phones instead of just moving the existing application over that was designed for a tablet. This does mean that you will need to pay for the BB10 application if you have the PlayBook app, but once the PlayBook gets updated to the BB10 OS it will be a free upgrade to get a BB10 version that is designed specifically for a tablet.

I can understand your dismay, but this was not meant to rip people off, but rather to recoup the costs of programming a totally new application designed specifically for the BB10 phones using all of the tools and api benefits available for that platform. This work will need to again go into building a BB10 version for the PlayBook that is designed specifically for a tablet, but we are providing that upgrade free to those who have purchased Remote Desktop for BlackBerry PlayBook.

If you are still looking for a refund, you will need to contact BlackBerry App World as developers are not provided the tools to issue refunds. In fact we do not get anything to even look up individual purchases.

TLR Version: Tough, Deal with it

I will be going ahead and trying to get a refund on the Playbook app in the meantime from BBRY

[Produktyf]

This was explained this in this thread:
http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...2/#post7940371

Btw - we decided to release our apps under same product ID, hence effectively allowing you to purchase once and use on all devices (as long as you are signed in to your BlackBerry with the same BBID)

Andy B.

[Sprawl]

Thanks Produktyf for standing behind the belief that we the clients shouldn't be charged twice for the same product just because it's on the different platform. I'll keep an eye out for your products in app world!

[Morten]

Please be cautious BB10 users, that the App "Remote Desktop App" by "Toydd Grayson" in the App World does not currently link with the "Remote Desktop App" purchase on the playbook and vice versa.

It appears that the developer has decided to try and keep the App independent of eachother and expects users to buy both Applications independantly if they wish for you to use Remote Desktop App from the two different devices.

Your message here is rubbish

BB10 and PB are two different devices - shouldn't a developer be able to get paid for versions?
The payment plan is entirely up to the developer - and if you don't like it - go for other products.. or other systems that you can afford.


For me it sounds like you are way out of your league here - you should not be in a BlackBerry world when $5 set you back so much that you have to write nonsense...

Has anyone else noticed this practice being done by other App developers? I'm trying to avoid purchasing any App that isn't being carried forward from the playbook.

You must be out of your mind.... I think it's time for you to get a job and grow up - and stay away from purchases

[Produktyf]

There are pros and cons of both approaches (and solid reasons behind each approach). It's really up to developer's specific situation / strategy. If developer wants to release separate for each device type - fine with that. If user does not want to purchase duplicate, fine with that too. It's an open market. From user perspective its driven by the perceived value. If I like an app very much and I find it worth paying for I will purchase for each device if this is what it takes for developer to continue supporting the app. If I find comparable application from developer who does not charge extra then I will purchase from that developer. No point of bashing developers for the decision especially if there may be solid reasons why it was taken (example provided above where developer explained they intend to maintains two separate code bases = double effort).

Andy B.

[Morten]

There are pros and cons of both approaches (and solid reasons behind each approach).
.

I agree Andy, and It does not make it right to go out as the OP to slash developers from making whatever choice they did, and in this particular post - naming people like that - does not make sense... But then again - what can we expect from teenagers these days.

Some users just don't know when to stop it,... and some should never ever have a "smartphone" either.
They should instead try to sit down and create apps themselves - it is not rocket science - but require lot of work - then they can decide if They want to give away their work for free or not.

[Innovatology]

Making any non-trivial PlayBook app work well on a phone is a lot of work. Not only because of the differences between the two operating systems, but also because of the different feature sets, the different form factors, the different use cases. In our case, months of work have gone into re-designing and re-engineering our app. And - as with all new software & hardware - it will take even more work to get the new version up to quality standards that our users have come to expect from our PlayBook version. Offering user support for multiple platforms is also a much more complicated endeavor. Sometimes a charge is needed to make a new platform economically viable.

Also, when purchasing an app you are purchasing that version. This has always been the case, and vendors have always had the option of charging for updates, even on the same platform. You do not automatically get free updates. Nor can you automatically switch from one platform to another, as the App World license agreement explicitly states compatible handheld devices. Vendors wishing/needing to charge for an update are entitled to do so. Nothing wrong with that.

If you bought Office for your PC in 2007 and got a new Mac in 2013, would you expect Microsoft to ship you a new, free Mac version? I think not.

I'd encourage users to support their favorite apps. It's hard to make a living as an app developer. As BlackBerry is in need of quality apps, it might be a good idea to throw developers who support your favorite platform a bone now and then.

[djenkins6]

I expect not to have to pay for the same version when the os changes. Eg windows 7 to windows 8, office 2010 did not charge, but if I want to go to office 2013 to get new functionality then I pay.

If an app gets minor revisions Eg 1.0 to 1.1 I would not expect to pay, however if there's a major update 1.1 to 2.0 I would expect to pay for the new features. However if I choose to stay on 1.1 I would expect to be able to stay on that version. In that case I would not even mind if the developer said that old versions aren't supported so at least I know it is at my own risk that I don't upgrade.

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

[Innovatology]

What about going from Windows 7 to Windows Phone 8?

I would consider support for BB10 and redesign for phone form factor very major new features.