News Bit-tech launches Android app

and worse - you don't even have joined up customer management - you can't link my login here with the fact that I do pay for the magazine - or how often I hit the site which you generate ad revenue from - and because you have no total customer view you can't even offer your most valuable customers the app for free - because you don't know who we are...

 

So when does the beta version stop working?

 

I forgot about that - i agree!!
I forgot i've cancelled your magazine last month because you publish it on the website.
This is the way of the world now.
Very disappointed.

 

I've just added a small ammendment to the second paragraph that hopefully will help to explain better why the app costs what it does; specifically the built in Tapatalk forum support.

 

Not wanting to cause offence/flaming but TBH Bit Tech this is the standard Response to bringing out an Android App which costs anything more than free!

Any news on an iOS version?

 

Thanks for the clarification, I for one will be happy to buy the app to show my support for the site and the mag!

 

Well I thought that for £1.79, I'd try it out.

No marketplace support? WTF?

Tapatalk supports access to the MP...guess I'll continue using that instead.

 

I don't mean to say that your complaint isn't justified - But there are plenty of long-time bit-tech readers from before the CPC days who feel similarly bitter over the strong impression that content is being witheld from the site in favour of the printed magazine.

I think we're really starting to see the bitter fruits of what some of us expected/predicted when the merger was announced - That neither the existing CPC subscribers nor the bit-tech faithful really benefit from the merger at all in the long-run.
Who are the winners here? Felix Dennis and the other financial decision-makers/beneficiaries, of course.

 

To be honest, even though I often browse the site on my Desire, the small screen size and ads have never bothered me.

In fact, even though I downloaded the beta, I barely used it after the first few days.

I appreciate if there are no ads you'll need to charge for it, but remember Android is a Google platform, it's all about being free and ad supported.

 

Does the integrated Tap talk work on other sites? It might help to sweeten the deal so to speak if Tap talk was effectively thrown in....

 

Being one of the last few people on the planet earth using win mobile 6.1 this doesn't change anything for me. But I don't understand how it isn't ad supported and free at the same time. Would make more sense to have a large base of users bring in revinue over time then a small amount of users one time buying the app.

Its like this, I will give you a penny a day for life. or 10.00$ right now in a one shot deal. which would you rather?


I will get an android phone at some point, or a win7. But either way I'll just browse from the browser.

 

Oh no i do agree with you.
I to am a long term subscriber/Buyer of Custom PC.
But i'm an also out of work at the moment & my subscription had to go due to costs and the repeating of material.
By looking at the App page for this it's the same:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.dennis.bittech
I have an App on my Desire for XDA Dev which uses Tapatalk - it's free or .62p for a non Ad version. (i use the free one)

If it's money the publishers wanted to make then then why not go with the flow/OS people who pay through the nose for their Apps/phone.

Shame really.

 

Agree with above....
However... well done Bit-Tech - this is the first Andriod App I've ever bought since owning the phone over a year now

 

at least you haven't tried to hack my mobile voicemail...

My Desire doesn't like the website - get increasing page widths because of the background images...

 

+1. although id prefer to teabag you, if possible.

yeah tapatalk works on quite a few sites (Access to 10,000+ forums) so charging pretty much the same for a "one-site-wonder" doesnt really make sence. upto 60p and i might have considered, but i can use my phone browser for free so i'll just stick with that.

 

Bought it.

Played with it.

Refund

£1.79 for that?

 

Oh and also why no full screen option? I really enjoy wasting the top bit of my screen with the status bar when in an app.....

 

Hmm I can view the site very well on my Galaxy S so think I'll give it a miss. If your site is free and your app is replicating articles on the free site why are you charging for the app?

 

Thanks for the comments. Alex here, ex of this parish and now in charge of the apps.

Some interesting points; the one I really agree with is having a unified account system that would allow us to identify subscribers and then give them access/benefits across print/mobile/web. Problem with that is the cost and complexity of building it and then integrating it with all the existing systems - subscriber database, bit-tech accounts, forum DB, Android market etc - it's a huge amount of work which takes a lot of time and cost. That means a lot of internal debate and delays; ultimately, we chose to get the app out there, make it as good as possible and then we'll iterate and improve.

 

Here's a genius idea: Why don't you just make a few tweaks to your web design so it's mobile friendly or just make a mobile mirror site? Why go through all the effort to make an app when a few hours with Dreamweaver will do the trick?