don't be absolutist http://blog.pinboard.in/2011/12/don_t_be_a_free_user/ (the general point "do-have-a-business-model-please" is still true, but when I read it I felt something like "you can always trust your friendly for pay app")
Sparrow acquired by Google
351–360 of 393 posts
Re: Sparrow acquired by Google
#352Earlier quoted context omitted.
More than that - apps like Sparrow move the goalposts actually. It was such a superior to experience to even the best native clients of the day that it widened the gap between web and native once again.
What was so much better about it? I tried it and was unimpressed. Search was slower and worse than web, for one. That surprised me.
sometimes I'm surprised by this sort of thing, but then I remember that Google is INSANELY GOOD AT SEARCH and I stop being surprised when that plays out.
Re: Sparrow acquired by Google
#353This is getting extremely frustrating. Sparrow is a fabulous email client both for iOS and Mac. I love and use both daily and this is fairly devastating. I was really looking forward to the products development, growth, and future releases. To read this announcement and hear that they won't be working on their apps but on Google projects is sad. To bigger companies: chill out with the "acquihires." If anything, do wh…
> This is getting extremely frustrating. Sparrow is a fabulous email client both for iOS and Mac. I love and use both daily and this is fairly devastating. I was really looking forward to the products development, growth, and future releases. To read this announcement and hear that they won't be working on their apps but on Google projects is sad. I think it's a matter of perspective. As someone who doesn't use and h…
Sparrow is no rocket science and its UI was invented before. The app simply defined a modern workflow which is more comparable to instant messaging. What I mean is: you need not to destroy Sparrow to get similar features on other systems. Google's latest acquisitions is - without any reason - destructive.
Re: Sparrow acquired by Google
#354This is getting extremely frustrating. Sparrow is a fabulous email client both for iOS and Mac. I love and use both daily and this is fairly devastating. I was really looking forward to the products development, growth, and future releases. To read this announcement and hear that they won't be working on their apps but on Google projects is sad. To bigger companies: chill out with the "acquihires." If anything, do wh…
> This is getting extremely frustrating. Sparrow is a fabulous email client both for iOS and Mac. I love and use both daily and this is fairly devastating. I was really looking forward to the products development, growth, and future releases. To read this announcement and hear that they won't be working on their apps but on Google projects is sad. I think it's a matter of perspective. As someone who doesn't use and h…
You did not miss much. I use Sparrow as my main prefiltered-private-email client on MacOS X. I don't think the UI is revolutionary. Maybe it is on iOS.
Re: Sparrow acquired by Google
#355Earlier quoted context omitted.
Here is a clue for you. When a startup offers you its products for $9.99 or $2.99, they are open to be bought by big companies. There. Now you don't have to ask them to disclose things anymore.
That is ridiculous. Plenty of apps have existed for decades on those prices. Small, dedicated devs are the lifeblood of OS X and iOS contrary to what those who don't use the platforms believe. I have had no reason to expect this to be the norm in the past and I have no reason to expect it now. You don't just get to abandon your users without repercussions, as easy as that would make things for you. You can comfort yo…
Abandon?
You bought the app in its current state for $10. Any further development + new features is nice but not something you are entitled to.
As long as they don't delete your copy of the app everything is fine.
Re: Sparrow acquired by Google
#356This is getting extremely frustrating. Sparrow is a fabulous email client both for iOS and Mac. I love and use both daily and this is fairly devastating. I was really looking forward to the products development, growth, and future releases. To read this announcement and hear that they won't be working on their apps but on Google projects is sad. To bigger companies: chill out with the "acquihires." If anything, do wh…
Yeah we got screwed. They just dropped the app. They are promising "big fixes" but that's about it. Lovely. This is the bad side of "trusting" startups and their apps. Pisses me off. I mean (to all you startup guys out there), if you have no intention of continuing your work, AT LEAST OPEN SOURCE THE CODE so some of us can jump in and maintain it!
Because $10 buys you life long entitlement ...
Re: Sparrow acquired by Google
#357Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Yeah we got screwed. If the current version basically does the job that it's supposed to, then how did you get screwed? It's not like you spent hundreds of dollars on the app. The Mac version is only $10 for crying out loud.
No more updates, it could stop working anytime (like next week) when there is a new OS release.
Don't update to a new OS then if that's your concern?
Re: Sparrow acquired by Google
#358Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think Google was the best destination for Sparrow simply because sparrow was created for Gmail. If Apple acquired it then it's focus would be iCloud email which is garbage.
If I read the grandparent correctly(and I do agree), the best destination is not Apple, Google or anyone for that matter but rather to stay in the game as an independent. Where are the small companies that are building for sustainment? All of these product disappearances do have a long-term effect of causing users to hesitate before signing up to use your offering.
> Where are the small companies that are building for sustainment?
Can't build much sustainment if you have to sell your flag ship product fur $9.99.
Re: Sparrow acquired by Google
#359When I pay premium prices for apps it is under the assumption that I am helping the developers maintain and improve the application. If you are hoping to sell, you should price your app at $.99 and hope to get as many users as possible. That also helps me know what your plan is.
Premium prices? $9.99? Are you kidding?
Re: Sparrow acquired by Google
#360Earlier quoted context omitted.
> All of their customers (myself included) invested in the product because it was good, because it worked extremely well, and because it solved problems. I didn't invest in their work at Google Even worse, I invested in Sparrow because I vastly prefer desktop apps like Sparrow to web apps like GMail. That's sad.
That's exactly why they had to kill it. If you don't use the web app you don't see GMail ads.
Do you really need to see gmail ads, or does it suffice if they can associate your client IP address with your email content and show you suitable ads the next time you visit a site with AdSense / doubleclick?