Did Tweetie Throw A Curveball At Loyal App Store Customers?
Sep 29 2009 
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Yesterday, a scoop on an a new version of Tweetie for both the iPhone and Mac got Twitter nuts very excited. For those that don’t own an iPhone, Tweetie is one of the most popular twitter clients on the iPhone due to its fantastic design, productive features, and great overall experience with customer service and the application itself. Tweetie developer Loren Britcher, @Atebits, maintains a pretty active customer support line via Twitter.
Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect 200
While iPhone users are surely looking forward to the new release, which you can preview here, I noticed a curve ball in the mix:
Tweetie 2.0 is a whole new app, and it will require the iPhone 3.0 OS and will cost $2.99 in the App Store, the same price as the original Tweetie.
What Will YOU Do? 
What this means is if you’ve already purchased Tweetie before, to get the new upcoming version, you’ll have to pay another $2.99. Some think Tweetie is easily worth the price to upgrade. I’d like to know if you feel the same.
- If you currently own Tweetie, will you purchase the upgrade?
- If you own a different device and an app developer announced the same scenario, would you purchase the upgrade?
- Do you feel that its fair for Britcher to make those who’ve previously purchased the app purchase it again?
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If I were still using Tweetie, I'd gladly pay again. There's no reason that the app store price needs to mean “free upgrades/new versions for life.” But I'm using TweetDeck now on the iphone which I find much better. Unless Tweetie raises the bar and beats TweetDeck, I can't see paying for another version of Tweetie which I wouldn't use.
Releasing and charging for new versions is the way software developers make their money. The trick is in managing to convince everybody that they need the new version and the choices for this are to sell licenses for 12 months usage at a time, add lots of nice features, cheap upgrade price, good marketing or some combination thereof. They wouldn't get away with a yearly license to use the software, so they rely on cheap price and new features.
I have no problem paying $2.99 for an upgrade. I use Tweetie more than any other application, and considering all the $.99 here and $1.99 there that I've spent on other apps I've grown tired of after a week, it seems well worth a couple bucks to fund future development.
Now if it were full price for an upgrade of the desktop app I'd be a little less inclined to buy it.
I think the use of the Curveball methaphor, even dressed up as a question is disingenuous. As I just posted on Twitter http://twitter.com/franksting/statuses/4486221710 “you are getting A LOT of new Tweetie for a measly US$2.99″
You should update your post to click through to the Atebits Blog http://tinyurl.com/y93ld4d where he describes some of the extensive changes being made.
In the end it all comes down to value you ascribe to the Product. If you use it, even just a bit, it may be the best $2.99 you spend all year. If you aren't sure, then don't. Simple as that
Good point, well made
Well, I', a symbian user (S60) and paid for my mobile client
6,62€ ($9.95) and for a good tool that I use every day, I think thats more than worthy. As for a price tag of $2.99, I think the dev has the right to a major version upgrade for the full price. From what I read (remember, S60 User, so I don't know the app by myself) the new features seems to be worthy that $2.99
I originally bought Tweetie and loved it! Then I tried out Twitterrific for iPhone and TweetDeck for iPhone.
I love that TweetDeck syncs columns, accounts, and other info from the desktop app (which I use exclusively, on my Mac), but I seem to be using Twitterrific exclusively at the moment.
That said, I had a look at all the new features in Tweetie 2.0, and I'll definitely upgrade and see if it fits in to my workflow well.
I think semantics are getting in the way rational thought-making here. If it were actually an upgrade it would probably require the first edition of Tweetie to work, and it clearly doesn't work like that. It's a new app. That you don't _have_ to buy.
How about this analogy: musicians need to make a living by selling music. Buying a musician's first CD doesn't entitle you to all future music just because you're an early fan, and it certainly isn't an insult when they ask you to buy the second and third CD.
A developer needs to make a living by selling products, not just to new fans, but to people who enjoy their old stuff as well.
What is a “loyal” Tweetie customer, anyway? There's only one product so far.
Considering that the developer probably has hundreds of hours (or more) invested in the new version, and the upgrade cost is what I'd pay for the coffee I need to get through one of those hours of development, I've got no problem at all with the upgrade cost.
Consider that Apple doesn't sell 'Upgrades' to anything prior to the Snow Leopard 'Upgrade', and even that is the full product, it doesn't require a previous version to install. Every other piece of Apple software in recent history has been sold as-is for the then-current version, and the next version is sold as new software, there's never been a 'full price' and a cheaper 'upgrade'.
As is always the case when something new comes out, if you don't think it's worth the price, don't buy it, but don't jump all over the guy that's trying to make a living creating these products just because he wants to make a living.
Tweetie is an excellent iPhone Twitter app, I alternate between Tweetie and TweetDeck but prefer Tweetie because of the settings and user interface. I do rate that TweetDeck syncs columns, accounts with the desktop client but prefer the simplicity of Tweetie. I'm sure if I were involved with more followers/followings that view may change but for now I have no problem with the upgrade charge!!
Who the hell is Alyssa Milano?
Alyssa Milano is one of the ladies from the Hit TV show charmed and she can afford it, but what does that have to do with anything.
Good comment.
There's 1 tweetie, but hundreds of mobile twitter clients that are free.
Agreed! Nice point.
I will absolutely pay for it. Apple does not offer upgrade pricing and it is too significant an upgrade to give away for free. If you wanna be mad at anyone be mad at Apple.
Some people are landing on this post b/c Alyssa Milano linked to it in a tweet. (http://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/4486040505)
Oh damn. I was wondering what the spike was all about. Thanks Jack!
Yes, it depends and no.
You don't have to buy it and it's the cost of a cup of coffee or two.
I have no intentions of buying Tweetie 2, though I have played with the app. I wanted to see how others were feeling about the situation. I personally don't have a problem with the pricing since I'm not purchasing it.
I have no intentions of buying Tweetie 2, though I have played with the app. I wanted to see how others were feeling about the situation. I personally don't have a problem with the pricing since I'm not purchasing it.