Recently, some of my favorite apps got “upgrades.” First, Apple updated all of its iWork applications—Keynote for presentations, Pages for word processing and Numbers for spreadsheets.
Apple added the ability to collaborate online via a web browser. As a result, to keep features consistent across all platforms, they removed features power users often relied on to make it accessible for more people on more platforms (as Seth Godin noted), ubiquity trumped power.)
Another favorite app, Tweetbot for iPhone, received a full revamp and joined the iOS 7 club, but it ditched a few features that I used frequently. I’d guess the majority of Tweetbot users are power users (read: nerds who are particular about things), because no one pays $3 for a Twitter client when they can download a functional (albeit barely, and certainly far less delightful) 1st-party app for free.
If you look at the @Tweetbot Twitter feed, you’ll see support responses to the same feature requests over and over. Users (for the most part) are gracious, but it’s very clear how heavily some relied on a myriad of different tools that aren’t currently available in this version (or they requires a different approach or an extra tap).
A few thoughts:
1. Developers aren’t dumb.
They make programs that run on computers, so they are probably sharper than the average bear. Of course Apple and Tapbots knew they were getting rid of those features. It’s easy to jump to conclusions (“They don’t care!”) but in reality they are smart developers who thought these things through for a reason.
For example, in Tweetbot there was a triple-tap command that enabled you to reply, retweet or favorite a tweet. I used this multiple times a day to favorite tweets, and now it’s gone. The reason? It slowed down another action (tap once to display more options to interact with the tweet). Now, I can tap once on a tweet and then favorite it in the same amount of time it used to take me to triple tap. A slight inconvenience in the short run, traded in for more options over the long haul. I’ll take it.
Design decisions are made for good reasons, and when a feature is removed, there has to be rationale
Lesson 1: People know what they are doing. Trust them.
Lesson 2: Tough decisions need to be made for advancement. Be prepared for the backlash.
Lesson 3: Change is hard. Help people get over it.
2. With software, version 1 is just the beginning.
The beauty of software is that it can be easily updated (and Apple has made this especially easy with background downloads–updates appear magically instead of having to touch a cumbersome update button.) Put in a feature request, make a little noise and let the developers know you’re missing this or that. They may have overlooked something, but more likely they had to make some tough decisions in the first release to actual ship whatever they were working on. That feature that’s been left out is probably on their radar.
Lesson 4: Version 1 of something without everything is better than a never-released, “perfect” version.
3. There is danger in upgrading immediately.
A few apps I rely on fairly heavily didn’t play nicely with the OS X Mavericks upgrade. I had some finagling to do to get them to work correctly, and some still have signficant lag or other issues. As David Sparks said in a recent episode of Mac Power Users,
“If you use certain apps to put shoes on your feet, you probably should wait to upgrade.”
In other words, if you run proprietary software that you absolutely must have to do your job, don’t rush to upgrade. Let someone else go before you and experience the frustration and annoyance of errors and mishaps. Wait for a fix, then pass “Go” with everyone else.
Lesson 5: There’s danger in being the trailblazer. Proceed with caution.
4. Purpose determines price.
Apple started making practically all of its most popular software free this week–from their desktop operating software to their suite of productivity applications (with the purchase of new hardware, of course). At the same time, Tapbots charged another (measly) $3 for the new version of their software (to the applause of many and the dismay of the ill-informed).
Here’s why: Apple doesn’t sell software to make money. They design software and create end-to-end user systems to sell hardware. Your handful of Candy Crush upgrades that Apple snags 30% from is nothing in comparison to the 9 million iPhones they’ve sold in the last month. Better software leads to more hardware sales. Apple knows this, and so access to the latest software for more people leads to delighted users, persuaded potential buyers and less work for developers.
Tapbots, on the other hand, only makes software. So of course they are going to charge for updates. They have to make money (we’ve danced this dance before). You don’t have to upgrade to keep using the old software. Pay the $3 or stick with the old version.
It’s also interesting to note that you can keep the old version of Tweetbot when you upgrade because it is listed as a new app (to make it a paid upgrade) and Apple leaves the old versions of their iWork applications on your computer, even after upgrading. That shows a few things.
- Again, they know what they are doing.
- They are aware the left features out.
- They don’t want you to be stranded without key features you need to do your job.
As far as free updates go, just as Hillsong doesn’t upgrade you to the new acoustic album even though you bought Zion a few months ago, you don’t get a new version of an app just because it’s digital. It takes time, effort and money to create things (yes, even digital things) so use what you have or pay. And don’t complain about it.
Lesson 6: Know what’s worth charging for and what’s worth giving away for free. Have a purpose in your decisions.
Lesson 7: It costs money to make stuff. All stuff.