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i0Nic

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 17, 2006
1,456
68
Sydney, Australia
I have found the holy grail drawing experience on the iPad.

The just released Paper app by fiftythree is a wonderfully minimal drawing app. It completely removes on-screen UI in favour of intuitive and simple controls.

The app looks especially good on my new retina-screen iPad.

Combined with the Cosmonaut stylus I recently purchased from Studio Neat (makers of the glif iPhone stand) this is a wonderful experience.

I encourage you all to check out this app, and the cosmonaut stylus. I just wrote a blog post with links and screenshots if you're interested – http://www.peterpetrovski.com/post/20138890302/made-with-paper-a-beautiful-new-drawing-app-on

Keen to hear your thoughts on both these products.

Paper – http://fiftythree.com/
Cosmonaut – http://www.studioneat.com/products/cosmonaut
 

MadGoat

macrumors 65816
Jul 30, 2007
1,178
128
Canada
I don't like in app purchases. Also, how do you select custom colors?

So a free app with in app purchases(With a limited try before you buy), or a fully paid app that you cannot even try beforehand and might totally hate... I think the former sounds like a much better option.

I dislike IAP for junk like jewels, coins or anything that diminishes as you use it.


I've been using the app since it came out... it's honestly the best $8 I've spent.
 

thelead

macrumors 6502a
Apr 30, 2010
571
229
So a free app with in app purchases(With a limited try before you buy), or a fully paid app that you cannot even try beforehand and might totally hate... I think the former sounds like a much better option.

I dislike IAP for junk like jewels, coins or anything that diminishes as you use it.


I've been using the app since it came out... it's honestly the best $8 I've spent.

I would rather them have a "lite" version. Anyways, how do you choose custom colors?
 

MadGoat

macrumors 65816
Jul 30, 2007
1,178
128
Canada
I would rather them have a "lite" version. Anyways, how do you choose custom colors?

This is like a 'lite' version(without the ads) and if you want a full version, pay for it.

Custom colours... Blend them, get creative. It's simplicity at its best.
 

emptyCup

macrumors 65816
Jan 5, 2005
1,482
1
I have found the holy grail drawing experience on the iPad.

It looks nice but its functionality is so obscure it's like playing a game. I had to watch their video twice to gather clues. I still don't know how to bring up in-app purchases.
 

MadGoat

macrumors 65816
Jul 30, 2007
1,178
128
Canada
It looks nice but its functionality is so obscure it's like playing a game. I had to watch their video twice to gather clues. I still don't know how to bring up in-app purchases.

Click a pen, you'll see the in-app pop up. Buy the pen you want or swipe to the left until you get to the end and grab the kit.

It's honestly one of the best, most natural drawing apps I have ever user. It feels like I'm using a pen on paper.

They just need to find a way to add a palm rest and change their undo method.
 

deathbyart

macrumors regular
Feb 4, 2008
135
0
I have been messing around the app and a Jot Pro. I personally love the app and think the purchasing modell makes sense. If you don't want the brush, don't buy it. Simple enough.
 

Zimmy68

macrumors 68000
Jul 23, 2008
1,990
1,608
I also don't prefer this system.
This way, they can add a new set of brushes next month for another charge.
Let me pay a single amount for the app and any additions are included.
This nickel and dime-ing is so customer unfriendly to me.

It would be like running Excel and seeing a menu board in front of you.

Oh, you want to divide numbers? That will be $5 please.
 

stevelam

macrumors 65816
Nov 4, 2010
1,215
3
I also don't prefer this system.
This way, they can add a new set of brushes next month for another charge.
Let me pay a single amount for the app and any additions are included.
This nickel and dime-ing is so customer unfriendly to me.

It would be like running Excel and seeing a menu board in front of you.

Oh, you want to divide numbers? That will be $5 please.

thats ridiculous. you buy what you need instead of paying for fluff you don't use. makes total sense to me. a fundamental function like dividing in an excel app isn't even close to a proper analogy. seriously it just sounds downright silly. the paper app as it is, is fully functional. additional brushes just add *more* functionality.

put it this way, if the app were 9.99 right out of the gate, i probably would have been extremely curious about it but not enough to outright pay for it. since its free, i actually get to try it out (plus all the brushes are actually testable right in the app as well) and have since purchased the ones i wanted, without paying for the others.
 

thelead

macrumors 6502a
Apr 30, 2010
571
229
This is like a 'lite' version(without the ads) and if you want a full version, pay for it.

Custom colours... Blend them, get creative. It's simplicity at its best.

$8 and you have to "get creative" to make colors in a drawing app? No thanks. Watch them add different color packs for even more money. $2 for a pastel pack, $2 more for a neon pack, $2 more for a skin tone pack................
 

jbimler

macrumors regular
Mar 4, 2012
161
0
I like the app. I don't have a problem with the IAP because I wouldn't use all the option regardless. The drawing is very tight even with my finger. Makes me wish draw something was optimized like this.
 

BJMRamage

macrumors 68030
Oct 2, 2007
2,710
1,233
interesting.

Watched their site video. saw FREE. was interested but thought how could they? wait, i bet there are In-App Purchases sure enough there are.

so, rather than be too excited i am holding back. I KNOW many drawing apps do IAP and that seems the norm but from what I read you only get one brush now? I'd like a "standard" set. even if only 3-4 brushes. then options to buy more. plus this can sure make the price of the app "go up".

I have Sketchbook Pro on sale and have yet to add anything else...that is nice because this FREE model the app will never go on sale and the brushes most likely won't either.

So, all that said, even though Free, i will no investigate further.

Oh, and you can test a brush before you Buy It??
that's nice if so.
 

Zimmy68

macrumors 68000
Jul 23, 2008
1,990
1,608
thats ridiculous. you buy what you need instead of paying for fluff you don't use. makes total sense to me. a fundamental function like dividing in an excel app isn't even close to a proper analogy. seriously it just sounds downright silly. the paper app as it is, is fully functional. additional brushes just add *more* functionality.

put it this way, if the app were 9.99 right out of the gate, i probably would have been extremely curious about it but not enough to outright pay for it. since its free, i actually get to try it out (plus all the brushes are actually testable right in the app as well) and have since purchased the ones i wanted, without paying for the others.

Ok, let's try another example.
Let's say Adobe gives Photoshop for free.
But every time you want to use a tool, different brush size, transform, extract the image...

A nice little box comes up and says, that will be $5, $10, $15, or whatever, each time.

It's my opinion.
If you use IAP to sell your app instead of the App Store proper, then I have no interest in your product.
It's a horrible business model and hope it dies a quick death.
If your app is good, people will pay for it.
By all means, offer a lite version or a timed version for people to get the feel but don't keep all the tools locked up behind the counter.

What's next? A subscription to use the app, $5 a month?
Nothing wrong with that, right? ;)

----------

Oh, and you can test a brush before you Buy It??
that's nice if so.

Nope.

Do you see in the video how they can blend colors?

Like to try that out to see how it works?

Too bad, pay up and pray it works as expected.

Great system.
 

j3yq

macrumors 6502
Dec 16, 2007
483
4
Iowa
You have to pay monthly for Hulu and netflixs, obviously not what you meant but still same principle.
 

MadGoat

macrumors 65816
Jul 30, 2007
1,178
128
Canada
man you people are cheap. You spend hundreds of dollars on a phone(plus access fees), buy your flavoured ice-water frapacino that you'll just piss out in a few hours, but don't want to spend a few bucks on an app that you can use for hours/days/weeks/months ?

I have no problems paying for this app and rewarding the devs who spent a freaking long time working on this app... Wait, do you think these devs just fart out these apps for free? I'd love to see your face if your place of employment told you that you would be working for free.
 

cLin

macrumors member
Sep 10, 2006
89
0
Draw Something seems to be doing fine with their IAP. Want more colors? Pay for it.

Want more brushes in this? Pay for it. Like the above poster said, it's amazing the amount of bitching people do for IAP when you shell out so much money for the device. Think of this as the lite version, you even get to try out the IAP before buying which is better then most IAPs.

Also, the point of this app is the minimalistic approach, if you really want a full featured draw/sketching app, this is probably not the app for you.
 

Zimmy68

macrumors 68000
Jul 23, 2008
1,990
1,608
Typical straw man argument shining through.

No one is complaining about the price or is asking for the app for free.

I don't care about the price, I just don't want a la carte pricing.
I want to pay one price and have use of the app, is that so wrong?
Or does that make me cheap???
 

MadGoat

macrumors 65816
Jul 30, 2007
1,178
128
Canada
Typical straw man argument shining through.

No one is complaining about the price or is asking for the app for free.

I don't care about the price, I just don't want a la carte pricing.
I want to pay one price and have use of the app, is that so wrong?
Or does that make me cheap???

Buy the kit. It's one price and boom, you have full use of everything.
 

geiger167

macrumors newbie
Jan 26, 2006
26
0
Downloaded app, buy loads of art apps, like sketchbook pro and brushes, art rage etc. Binned it after a few minutes as the whole thing was just surface flash with no content underneath. Honestly, no colour palettes, zoom, brush types, brush size etc.
I did like the ink line flow, felt very natural, curves were nice and smooth, pencil also felt good, good cross hatch etc. Wasn't keen on the brush due to colour choice and the lack of control with the wetness of the watercolour effect, which felt like a flashy trick rather than tool for an artist.
Honestly, I feel the app has come to market a little early in its development and should have been refined a touch more :(
 

Zimmy68

macrumors 68000
Jul 23, 2008
1,990
1,608
Buy the kit. It's one price and boom, you have full use of everything.

Don't see any kit.

I see "essentials" but no description on what that is.

And I'm sure they have wording that with this "kit", any new paid content will be part of the deal, right?

No thanks.

I'm staying as far away from this business model as I can.
Enjoy the app, it's just not for me.
 

richpjr

macrumors 68040
May 9, 2006
3,498
2,196
Don't see any kit.

I see "essentials" but no description on what that is.

And I'm sure they have wording that with this "kit", any new paid content will be part of the deal, right?

No thanks.

I'm staying as far away from this business model as I can.
Enjoy the app, it's just not for me.

Essentials is the kit. I am still scratching my head over how it's different to pay $7.99 up front or $7.99 in app. As has been mentioned, you can try it out for free and move on if it's not for you - I prefer that myself. No wasted money up front. No obligation to buy anything later.
 

MadGoat

macrumors 65816
Jul 30, 2007
1,178
128
Canada
I am still scratching my head over how it's different to pay $7.99 up front or $7.99 in app.

You and me both... I assume that people immediately associate IAP with evil business model. In this case, it's not. In the cases of what companies like Zynga and EA do with charging real money for "jewels" or coins as the only means of advancing you in a never ending game(especially multi-player), that is evil.

I personally would pay another $5 for a pallet and such... But that's just me thanking the small time devs for continuing updates to their software.
 
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