Realmac Software Reverses Course, Reinstates Original 'Clear' App

Same case for Agenda calendar.

Well that was very unclear...

Clarity is not what they mean by Clear. I defended them last week with their iOS 7 overhaul, but this is disappointing. Hopefully they'll get their ideas back; turning quality comes before turning profit, but turning profit is often a consequence of returning quality.

I had no problem paying again, and I gladly did. But now I just paid for nothing, pretty much, as I don't use an iPad. So I could've kept the old version.

I think a developer can release whatever new version they like and charge whatever amount for it, but as in the case of Agenda Calendar, they actually pulled the original app and any support and update for it, is gone. And guess what? When I restored from iCloud, the app is GONE. I will never buy any app from their developer again due to this betrayal of users.

haruhiko said:

I think a developer can release whatever new version they like and charge whatever amount for it, but as in the case of Agenda Calendar, they actually pulled the original app and any support and update for it, is gone. And guess what? When I restored from iCloud, the app is GONE. I will never buy any app from their developer again due to this betrayal of users.

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Is it in your Purchased Items still? In theory, even an app no longer offered should be re-downloadable from Apple (just not searchable in the App Store). I've heard of glitches/delays in iCloud restores, so maybe the missing Agenda Calendar is actually just a restore glitch, but can be solved? Or will return later? (It's been a bad week for Apple's servers I think.)

I had the original clear and purchased the new clear+. There is no difference. Or is this all about charging a different price for global/iPad version vs iphone?

Shame the right choice wasnt made in the first place. How can you more for an app with hardly an differences to the old ?!

PS- still surpised you have to pay seperate prices to have the app on different devices !!

At first, they disappointed customers who already owned the original Clear and some bought the new version.

Now they are disappointing customers who where disappointed but not disappointed enough to buy a new version.

They should've released a specific iPad app and maintain the original Clear updated.

I really appreciate Tap Tap Tap for how they handled things with Camera+, they could've done the same thing as other big developers and charge for a new version. I just hope Tweetbot follows this same route.

But, I also bought Reeder 2. I needed it on my iPad Mini so there really was no choice.

My advise, ask for a refund if you only use it on the iPhone.

And I was about to grudgingly buy the new universal app later today... I'm glad Realmac saw the light on this one.

I bet tweetbot will be the next to have a seperate ios7 version and it prob won't even be universal.

Omni should do the same for OmniFocus. I'm still bitter they've discontinued support for a $20 app.

incoherent1 said:

Omni should do the same for OmniFocus. I'm still bitter they've discontinued support for a $20 app.

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Isn't the old OmniFocus 5 years old now? How long should they continue to support something that old?

Lovely how Apple keeps coming away from these exchanges unharmed in the customer's eyes. Upgrade pricing and a mechanism to deliver bug fixes to old versions would sort most of this out. People would still whine but they wouldn't have much to support them.

rwilliams said:

Isn't the old OmniFocus 5 years old now?

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Yes. Yes, it is.

it's clearly this company has problems.

Why is it that the (former) well supporting Mac software companies have the biggest problem with Mobile Apps and the App Store process? The Mobile Apps on iPad pulled BACK into the Apple fold traditionally terrible companies like Adobe and Autodesk that have done pretty well to earn back new mobile customers... While at the same time the companies that kept Macs USEFUL for ten years just don't seem to "get it" at their highest levels.

I somehow managed to avoid the Clear craze way back when, but does Clear do anything useful that the built-in Reminders app doesn't?

This solves nothing - I have the original clear on my iPhone, but if I want it on my iPad I need Clear+, which will also work on my iPhone. Made a dumb move even worse. For your next "reversal", might I suggest getting rid of Clear+ and applying its changes to the original Clear like you should have done in the first place!

i have bought clear and thought it was a dumb move from the dev to not support ios7, I even tweeted endlessly as I couldn't find any strong difference between the old and the new + app (except iPad support)

They should have had one universal app. perhaps this way, they wouldn't have the great iCloud sync problems they're having

Surreal said:

Lovely how Apple keeps coming away from these exchanges unharmed in the customer's eyes. Upgrade pricing and a mechanism to deliver bug fixes to old versions would sort most of this out. People would still whine but they wouldn't have much to support them.



Yes. Yes, it is.

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Most of these Companies were used to supporting Two OS upgrades, then calling for paying more. So most apps had 3-5 years of support. Well now that an OS "lifetime" is only ONE YEAR instead of 1.5-3 years, they need to adjust pricing accordingly.

Because everything is automated through the App Store there is effectively no more (off support) usage because they actively check hte OS version or remove the old app from the store. So lets say an older app was $15 with 5 years effective use... Now that app is only USEFUL for 2/5 the time, so its only WORTH $6. Whatever they think their "IP" is worth or customers should "buy in" doesn't count in the App Store with a One Year OS cycle... Your app is only good for two years (for now that's al it's ever going to be) so adjust your price accordingly. There is no "upgrade" price because "upgrade" doesn't exist anymore.. Your app on sale NOW is only good for two years, price it accordingly for RIGHT NOW. Then in two years you will upgrade and price it again.

Upgrade pricing worked when customers could CHOOSE when they upgraded or not. But effectively that's not the case now as Apple pushes ahead and expects everybody to follow. All "full price" has become now is an excuse to toll newcomers extra for no real reason than being new. There's no point in that anymore, in an App Store setting software devs add no extra value beyond what your app is worth for 24 months RIGHT NOW. Then you are competing with everybody else's attention ($$$$) at upgrade time to keep or drop your app with 50 others this turn.

Just looked at Clear and Clear+ for iPhone in the app store.

Is there a difference other than $4

As They Should

I wrote a scathing response to them, then went back and forth in email with a guy from the company who ultimately didn't write back.

musika said:

I had no problem paying again, and I gladly did. But now I just paid for nothing, pretty much, as I don't use an iPad. So I could've kept the old version.

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Right, the problem with Clear for iOS is that it adds essentially nothing new for iPhone users. And until Clear adds sharing feature (ability share list or task with someone else), it is essentially useless for me.