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Notability Users Frustrated By Switch to Subscription Model Claim Violation of App Store Guidelines
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I’ll take “Wildly Disproportionate Analogies” for $500 (or $14.99/yr).
I’m a longtime Notability user, think taking away previously paid-for features is inexcusable, hate(d) the changes as much as anyone, and am not a fan of how extensively subscriptions have proliferated…but drawing parallels to the Mafia and the situation in Afghanistan?!?!
It’s software.
Best check if the Notability CEO bought a load of GoodNotes stock recently because this move has propelled them top of the App Store charts.
Like a few here, I received an email from Notability/Ginger Labs. They backed down (or stuck to plan), so no functionality will be removed and you’ve got the current feature set for life. I backed up all of my Notability files nonetheless and deleted the app.
When tv is done for tonight, I’m going to buy Goodnotes Mac/IOS.
I’ve got a lot of work ahead to do all the conversions but I just don’t feel comfortable stying with Notability any more. Although I don’t need audio recording capability, there is Collanote if need be.
Tom
When tv is done for tonight, I’m going to buy Goodnotes Mac/IOS.
I’ve got a lot of work ahead to do all the conversions but I just don’t feel comfortable stying with Notability any more. Although I don’t need audio recording capability, there is Collanote if need be.
Tom
they realized they broke the rules lol, there is no business that cares more about money, happy customers make you money, angry customers that take notice you broke the rules will report on you
this is what I did i quit adobe photoshop lightroom for affinity photo and left premier and finally bought final cut pro , got sick of subscriptions
There is no way they were unaware of the App Store rules.
My thoughts exactly! He'd also be complaining if they'd just stopped supporting the app years ago and it had stopped working because of the constantly moving goalposts of Apple's iOS updates.
So, he expects his $9 to entitle him to free work from these people until the end of time.
Huh... so it would seem that they purposefully attempted to break the rules.
Did they think Apple wouldn't catch them?
That's brave. Or brazen.
No, he is mad that they are breaking the App he paid for.
If Apple releases Final Cut XI with new features I cannot live without, I will pay for them.
I have been quite happy with the improvements they have made over the years.
If Apple switches to a subscription model for Final Cut XI with new features, I will debate their worth to me versus say DaVinci Resolve or continuing to use Final Cut X.
If Apple switches to a subscription model for Final Cut, and disables the ability to save videos, use luts, or make color corrections unless I take the subscription, then they have made me instantly into a DaVinci Resolve user, and quite possibly sent me back to Windows in the process.
As others have noted, you do not take features away that users have paid for. You could end of life your existing app and release a new one. You can even charge for new versions (I've paid for Filmic upgrades). You could even add features that cost a subscription. What you should not do is break your app, then charge users to fix it back like it was.
I guess you just don't update that app and keep using it as was?
Not sure what they were thinking then, but now it's probably regret.
He expects the app he purchased to work as intended. The App Developer thought that it was okay to take away the basic functionality of the app (what we initially paid for) and make existing customers buy a subscription for those features back. It's called fraud and it's a violation of Apple's App Store Guidelines.
Also, the developers learned their lesson from this:
I am very happy to pay developers for major upgrades... 1.x, 2.x, 3.x, 4.x.. if I choose not to, then I stay on the old version - but to force switch everyone to a subscription model after people paying them for the app and instore purchases is not on. Those ppurchases must be grandfathered and not wiped out.
Scummy practices from a developer who clearly doesn't care about it's goodwill.
Scummy practices from a developer who clearly doesn't care about it's goodwill.
I will say, I wonder how they hadn’t already learned this lesson by observing other companies that went with this approach? They certainly are not the first and had examples of how to make the conversion easier.
Good to see they’re changing the 1 year thing.
I would subscribe if the added features were worth it. As it stands, the devs still haven’t added any form of a quick undo (surely a two finger tap undo like everything else would work…?) so I doubt there’d be value for me in anything they add.
I subscribe to Fantastical. It’s an excellent calendar, but they do push their luck a bit sometimes. I suggested some solid enhancements (being able to multi-select calendars instead of using sets, for one) and over a couple of years nothing but bug fixes and enhancements to how it integrates with business tools. There have been no major updates to the core functionality for a long time.
I would subscribe if the added features were worth it. As it stands, the devs still haven’t added any form of a quick undo (surely a two finger tap undo like everything else would work…?) so I doubt there’d be value for me in anything they add.
I subscribe to Fantastical. It’s an excellent calendar, but they do push their luck a bit sometimes. I suggested some solid enhancements (being able to multi-select calendars instead of using sets, for one) and over a couple of years nothing but bug fixes and enhancements to how it integrates with business tools. There have been no major updates to the core functionality for a long time.
You joined MR today so you could send a message speculating wildly against all evidence about what one particular user would do in a purely hypothetical scenario? ?
And it’s hard to win back. The fact they even tried this stunt means I won’t ever trust a Ginger Labs app. “We heard you” doesn’t make it right.
At this point, all I care is what’s next?
With apple silicon, app developers could grandfather their own Mac apps so it wont be apple silicon compatible, then put apple silicon compatible app behind a subscription model.
Subscription model, when not done properly (most of them) is an absolutely hostile stance towards every single customer, current or new. Dev needs steady income, that’s fine, but how many are willing to figure out how to earn money in a more acceptable way?
With apple silicon, app developers could grandfather their own Mac apps so it wont be apple silicon compatible, then put apple silicon compatible app behind a subscription model.
Subscription model, when not done properly (most of them) is an absolutely hostile stance towards every single customer, current or new. Dev needs steady income, that’s fine, but how many are willing to figure out how to earn money in a more acceptable way?