Amen, and can we get an hallelujah? I thought as a writer, I'd not have to deal with this horseschmidt. I guess I was naive.
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Mac and iOS Writing App 'Ulysses' Transitions to Subscription Model
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Amen, and can we get an hallelujah? I thought as a writer, I'd not have to deal with this horseschmidt. I guess I was naive.
Actually, subscriptions DON'T eliminate those problems... they magnify them.
Developers can still remove features with a subscription model and you'd still be stuck. If a developer is having problems updating their app to run an on updated version of the OS, they have to either remove the offending features or run the risk of their subscribers jumping ship due to the inability of the software to run on the OS.
They can force their customers to upgrade by causing older versions to be "locked out". That's not a problem if you want the changes... it's a problem if you don't.
Subscriptions mean... that their customers are a captive audience... particularly with proprietary file formats.
Is there somewhere you can point me toward to learn how to save the current non SaaS versions of Ulysses so that I don't lose them and can reinstall if the devices they're on somehow get munched?
Much can be said on both sides of the subscription arguement, but I think subscriptions would have the opposite effect of what you’re describing here.
The entry barrier is much lower for subscription based apps as they tend to have trial periods. Also, you can now pay a few dollars for a month or so to be sure that you really want to use the app (ie. expirement) as opposed to sinking 70 dollars into an app that you’re not sure will really become part of your normal workflow. You also have the flexibility to pay for the app when you need it.
To be honest, I’m not sure which side I stand on when it comes to Ulysses, but those are some areas that I see a potential benefit for users.
Indeed. Was always terrible at maths.
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Nopes, not talking to you. You ditched me for greener pastures.
I REALLY want to like Scrivener, and have proabably written 250,000 words in it when I used MacBook only— but the problem I have with it is how it syncs with the iOS versions. I’ve gone to mostly ipad for writing, and I’ve lost work in the Scrivener iOS version, and trying to make sure it is backed up correctly isn’t worth the hassle. I’ve gone back to Ulysses, but now this greatly complicates my options. It’s simplicity is compromised by the subscription.
That's a terrible idea. I can understand their approach - devs these days do indeed patch software more than they used to. However. The problem there is legacy.
What if the dev goes out of business? The app is rendered useless. All that money you put into it month in month out - was for naught. Silly reasoning. Surely a decent way forward would be subscribe, but once you stop doing so you no longer get updates. Or, rely on new customers to keep your business afloat?
That latter is what I do, and what we expect other developers to do.
My advice to the developer would be: people are okay with paying large one-off payments for something good and expect to be able to use the software for a while. Set up a subscription service for "friends of the company" that helps sustain the business, in return give them some nice features but also advertise it as a donation-like way of helping them out.
I dunno. I don't like mobile apps and so avoid developing for iOS. I imagine its still a crazy and young market.
What if the dev goes out of business? The app is rendered useless. All that money you put into it month in month out - was for naught. Silly reasoning. Surely a decent way forward would be subscribe, but once you stop doing so you no longer get updates. Or, rely on new customers to keep your business afloat?
That latter is what I do, and what we expect other developers to do.
My advice to the developer would be: people are okay with paying large one-off payments for something good and expect to be able to use the software for a while. Set up a subscription service for "friends of the company" that helps sustain the business, in return give them some nice features but also advertise it as a donation-like way of helping them out.
I dunno. I don't like mobile apps and so avoid developing for iOS. I imagine its still a crazy and young market.
I was excited about this product and was using it regularly to jot down notes/thoughts that came to mind (similar to Day One, but that's lone gone from my list of apps).
I'd rather pay an incremental price when they release a new version with significantly upgraded/new feature, but not a monthly subscription for "bug fixes" and "cosmetic moves of a button from one location to another". No thanks, another one out of my list
I'd rather pay an incremental price when they release a new version with significantly upgraded/new feature, but not a monthly subscription for "bug fixes" and "cosmetic moves of a button from one location to another". No thanks, another one out of my list
Well, yes right, but he should not wait till it stops working by incompatibility to iOS, else he might end unable to export his documents.
This is a great app, and if I was a regular writer or blogger then I'd pay the subscription. But I'm just a 'note taking' so the Notes app will suit me fine. I imagine current users will fall into these two categories, 'writers' and 'notetakers'; that will determine whether they are prepared to pay the subscription.
True. Subscriptions essentially divide people in a way where they have to analyse their requirements rather more finely than otherwise needed.
Same logic applies whether you’re subscription based or not. The deprecation of 32bit apps on iOS is a great example, whether the developer is now defunct or has just elected not to update to 64 bit, the result is a useless app. Subscription based apps are perhaps slightly more susceptible to this issue, but it certainly isn’t unique to them.
Nope. I'm a professional writer and heavy user of the app. They can pound salt.
YES x1000! A lot of people (including me) just can't shell out $100-200 a month for every app/website/podcast that we like.
Since I don't have unlimited money, I have to pick things that either make me money (AutoCAD) or make my life infinitely easier (1Password-though I haven't subscribed yet, Dropbox & iCloud).
(I had this long post, but I deleted it for this summary)
Then what is wrong with paying that lump sum annually (60 euros, or 30 if you're an existing customer), instead of a small sum monthly? (5 euros)
This is what I don't quite understand with people suggesting that they would gladly pay for new big versions of the app, say, just once a year, but they would not do it via a subscription method. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm actually going to pay far less for Ulysses with the subscription than I would have otherwise (30 euros for iOS + macOS instead of 75 euros a year, or perhaps 50 euros with some kind of special offer for existing customers).
I can more easily understand the argument of paying once for one version of an app and then sticking with it until it just won't work anymore. For some people that is all they can do - updating every year is just not financially feasible, especially if they would have to keep updating multiple apps. The subscription model is not an improvement for them.
I see your point but I was approaching the issue from a different point of view. Yes, it may be cheaper initially to try the app--although many have free trials--however, if you create a file with the app, non-subscription apps offer a lower cost to continue to access infrequently used but useful files.
Ulysses is a pretty mature app. Give me a break. This isn't Illustrator or Premiere Pro, with constantly-changing use cases. It's a text app.
When I pay for a piece of "single-payment" software, as you put it, I'm, you know, buying it. I've been using the current OmniFocus (at $80 for the Mac version + $20 for the iOS version) for a few years now, and it hasn't added any signficant new features in quite some time. And that's fine because it works as is. When they push out some big new update, I'll happily plunk down another $80 if need be, secure in the knowledge that if I choose to, I can make no further payments if I don't want to.
Same with Screenflow. I've been using that for three major versions now, and paying for each of them. There are basically no changes beyond the occasional bug fix within a major release, and then I get promo pricing for the next one, and I usually bite because there are a few cool new features.
And sure, one expects bug fixes within reason, a few OS compatibility updates -- but if the next MacOS beyond High Sierra broke something fundamental about OmniFocus or opened up a bunch of new features and they had to code a whole new app, again, happy to pay.
But it is different. The moment you stop paying, the software stops working because you're renting it. Basically what it is is asking payment in advance, and a blank check to just keep on modifying it regardless of how necessary the revisions even are. Why not just use Kickstarter at that point?
The kerfuffle about DayOne had me looking seriously at Ulysses. I'm glad I dragged my feet. :thumbsdown:
This is why I check every developer's site to see if I can buy directly from them. Glad to see them get that extra 30% that Apple skims, and of course happy to pay for incremental upgrades -- and major ones, if they have something I need or want. What I'm not happy to do is write a blank check just to keep my software on my computer.