Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why we’ve decided to stop producing TNW Magazine for Android

thenextweb.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 50 posts

Re: Why we’ve decided to stop producing TNW Magazine for Android

#21

Post by rbarooah »

garuda wrote: post #16
eropple wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Content producers need to do their part alongside developers to make it great Uh...why? Why should they "do their part" for a platform where they have no users and don't see a likely growth of them? I am an Android user and developer, but I am also realistic.

Because that investment will pay off over time as more and more people move to Android, and a platform that isn't controlled by a single company will make innovation easier for everyone.

Sorry, Android is controlled by a single company.

Re: Why we’ve decided to stop producing TNW Magazine for Android

#23

Post by dannyr »

Zaheer wrote: post #12

I have an application out for Android & iPhone both with same exact functionality. The Android version sells maybe 10 a day max while iPhone constantly sells 10x that. I'm becoming more and more convinced the Android market is just not that attractive.

For any kind of app or just your kind of app?

Re: Why we’ve decided to stop producing TNW Magazine for Android

#24

Post by Steko »

garuda wrote: post #19
eropple wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's some legwork to do to make the claims you're making. Maybe you should step back and establish niceties like why people who are in their target demos will flock to Android "over time" and quantify how the NPV of investing now will pay off later.

It's well known that Android has overtaken iOS in terms of the base OS. A hardware advantage that Apple had is almost gone now, so the only thing missing is content. I don't think iOS buyers are fanatics or taken in by marketing because there is more marketing of Android. I think they have been choosing a better product. So, now that hardware and the OS no-longer favor iOS, it's simply down to content providers to ma…

"It's well known that Android has overtaken iOS in terms of the base OS. "

This is not well known, although it's an opinion often voiced here.

"Why shouldn't content producers do the same?"

Because they are not utopian technologists? This article is about a content producer that invested in Android yet failed. Instead of talking about how the content producers need to do more, we should be talking about why this effort failed.

Here's a start: when you buy an iphone today the Newsstand is one of a handful of Apps you start with. It's featured and people click on it and then many of them start buying and consuming content. What is the competing experience on Android? I assume there's no equivalent to the standalone Newsstand App installed by default on the phone. I assume they hit Play, which incidentally is terribly named and many customers never click on ever because they think it only leads to pokemon. Then they have to know that Magazines on their Device are a thing now and find them on which may be easy or hard in Play but is still an order of magnitude harder than it is on iOS.

Re: Why we’ve decided to stop producing TNW Magazine for Android

#25

Post by eropple »

garuda wrote: post #19
eropple wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's some legwork to do to make the claims you're making. Maybe you should step back and establish niceties like why people who are in their target demos will flock to Android "over time" and quantify how the NPV of investing now will pay off later.

It's well known that Android has overtaken iOS in terms of the base OS. A hardware advantage that Apple had is almost gone now, so the only thing missing is content. I don't think iOS buyers are fanatics or taken in by marketing because there is more marketing of Android. I think they have been choosing a better product. So, now that hardware and the OS no-longer favor iOS, it's simply down to content providers to ma…

> It's well known that Android has overtaken iOS in terms of the base OS.

I wouldn't say it's "well known" at all and I certainly wouldn't say it in such definite terms--and I am an Android user.

> Why shouldn't content producers do the same?

Because they have not yet decided that their projected returns from devoting significant resources to Android outweighs the opportunity costs? They have no ties to Android unless they will realize benefits from targeting it. The purchase patterns of current Android customers doesn't make me as a user and a fan of the platform think they're going to make back their money on investment, so I certainly don't think that they're unreasonable to want to actually see some assurances of a decent return before investing in the platform.

Re: Why we’ve decided to stop producing TNW Magazine for Android

#26

Post by Tomdarkness »

Steko wrote: post #18
jacquesm wrote: post #2

Suggestion: stop making it for iOs as well and make the site work properly in any browser.

The selling point of the magazine is that it's not just the website, it has it's own content.

So put the content on the website and charge for it?

Re: Why we’ve decided to stop producing TNW Magazine for Android

#27

Post by Steko »

Tomdarkness wrote: post #26
Steko wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The selling point of the magazine is that it's not just the website, it has it's own content.

So put the content on the website and charge for it?

Some people do that, why should we care if they want to try selling content in a different way. I'm not here to run everyone's business for them. They invested in iOS and in Android and one failed. If you don't want to read the obvious lesson here and instead pivot to a tangent about how their whole business model is wrong feel free.

Re: Why we’ve decided to stop producing TNW Magazine for Android

#28

Post by eavc »

Zaheer wrote: post #12

I have an application out for Android & iPhone both with same exact functionality. The Android version sells maybe 10 a day max while iPhone constantly sells 10x that. I'm becoming more and more convinced the Android market is just not that attractive.

What is your application?

Re: Why we’ve decided to stop producing TNW Magazine for Android

#29

Post by rogerbinns »

Zaheer wrote: post #12

I have an application out for Android & iPhone both with same exact functionality. The Android version sells maybe 10 a day max while iPhone constantly sells 10x that. I'm becoming more and more convinced the Android market is just not that attractive.

Other than games, when I see apps available on both and that were ported from the iOS version it is very apparent they are not "proper" Android apps. Big clues are having menu and back buttons. Others are using builtin 3rd party integration (eg fb, twitter, dropbox) instead of the system.

A well structured Android application is like a mashup of different screens, processing (services), event handlers (broadcast receivers), data (content providers), user accounts etc. And it works with other components on the system, not its own little island as on iOS.

You haven't stated what your app is so this issue may not apply. A good example of a bad app is "Beat The Traffic" which is terrible on Android being an iOS port.

Re: Why we’ve decided to stop producing TNW Magazine for Android

#30

Post by Steko »

I think all the people blaming TNW or their tools or the lack of publishing platforms are all just missing the point as, despite market share, Android fails by many of the app and content dollar metrics. The point being missed is that Google might simply not have enough credit cards. Despite being one of the most valuable and trusted brands in the world, Google is not a brand people have trusted with their credit card for very long. Apple and Amazon have been doing it since 2003 and 1994 and have pretty good reputations for customer service. Google is still building that and until they do they may continue to under-perform their market share in some of these measures.
Post reply on HN