Would You Buy an App With No Trial Version? 40
by CTL Advance Tue, 01 Sep 2009 9:22 am EDT
Yesterday evening I came across a PreCentral forum post on trialware in the app catalog. Member Arcticus asks precentral.net forum members one question "Would You Buy an App With No Trial Version?"
This topic has been discussed in great detail especially over the iPhone AppStore fiasco where many people end up with crapware software that only got used a few times. Since we are now in September, the countdown to paid apps in the Palm App Catalog has begun, so we figured we'd ask you folks on the blog: are you the shoot first and ask questions later type or do you need a sample of the local cuisine before you commit to it?
40 Comments
Good point!
I think that you are leaving off your survey a more complicated but most common scenario for paid apps; which would be that the app is highly reviewed by other users and has a great reputation. I know that wouldn't have fit cleanly into the survey; but I'd buy a paid app with no trial if enough of my fellow Pre lovers gave it their approval and blessing.
Just depends on the nature of the app. Something like a little .99 program is fine based on reviews but something more complicated like MediaRemote I would need a trial. I still haven't gotten that thing working with my network and I would have been annoyed if I shelled out for it. When I had Windows Mobile phones I used the free trial of WMWifiRouter and had a few issues at first but then they updated the app and it worked like a charm. I gladly paid full price for the app after that because it worked well and it was a valuable feature to me. In my perfect world, that's how it would always work.
I'd still like to have a trial for myself, regardless of the reviews. Sure, they may persuade my interest a little, but for the most part, I'd want to try it out to see if it fits my uses, not necessarily someone else's. If I had gone strictly by the reviews, for example, I never would have bought Classic, which is by far one of my most used programs on the Pre.
I totally agree with that - a good review can make up for a leek of trail ware, but that includes a video for me - to see how easy it is to handle the software, how fluent it runs. So please PreCentral, think about that.
Unfortunately, I have to agree. But if it's an EXPENSIVE app (over $5), then I'd appreciate a trial.
I prefer to have a trial. To make sure the app works how I want it to. But if you're the only game in town for a certain function, I might suck it up and jump in.
App Catalog reviews are useful, but sometimes people don't really know what they're talking about in their comments. Recently a WebOS developer by the name of Blubble is working on his own Music Player(NaN Player) in the forum, and has started posting videos of his app reviewing its features in a detailed multipart series. Text reviews are ok, but video reviews can really sell product. Developers should be able to link to demo videos in their description if they don't plan on having a trial version.
An example with difference of opinion between reviewers, look at the Pre twitter users. You have a Tweed camp, Spaz camp, and a Twee camp. I am a part of the Tweed camp, I am extremely happy with Pivotal Labs' work on the product and will gladly pay if I need to. When it comes to Spaz and Twee, they either lack features I want, or the UI is a bit undesirable for me. Different strokes for different folks.
One of the problems with using the user ratings to judge whether or not to buy an app is that people often treat the ratings not only as a judgment of utility and/or quality, but as a judgment of value as well. In other words, the app might be great but get a low rating because a particular rater thinks the price point is too high.
If you are interested there is a related discussion about developer profitability and pricing here on precentral at http://forums.precentral.net/web-os-development/199057-developer-profita...
Kyusaku expresses it nicely for me. I really like the way the old Palm OS culture worked around trial periods in software. I was sorta shocked to see the iphone apps had no trial. That pretty much told me that quality apps were not the target of their system. Stories about all the worth less than 99 cents apps in their system is a hell trip to be avoided.
Case in point frim DIVCE: http://dvice.com/archives/2009/08/top-10-iphone-a.php
Toughie.
I'd like to think that I'd consider buying an untried app if it were cheap enough, familiar, well-reviewed, etc. Then I think of how I won't buy a 99
Did you post this from your spell-check missing Pre? I'm pretty sure that the word comapny is not in any dictionary.
That being said, there are a few things that I could see outright paying for, but most I'd need some other user evaluations first.
Yes. Although I prefer a trial, it's not absolutely required. If the app:
1) looks like it's what I need, and
2) is well reviewed, and
3) is cheap enough
In other words, if the risk of being wrong is relatively low, then it's a risk I'll probably take. But if we're talking about something expensive (>$30), I'm going to expect a demo version.
Apple has already demonstrated convincingly that people will buy apps without trials.
I've purchased enough lousy games from XBLA and PSN that I won't consider anything without a trial, including apps that come highly recommended by others (which account for a large portion of the bad XBLA games I own).
Sure the apps may only be a few bucks, but it adds up quickly for us power users.
I need a trial. I thought I was gonna love Where? but every time I put a name in the search box...I gets nothing. I'm so glad it was free.
If you have to pay for an application, it should have a trial period.
You cannot always depend on reviews. What works well for some people, will be horrible for others. Otherwise, PalmOS would not have both DateBk(1/2/3/4/5)6, and Agendus (formerly ActionNames).
Shopping List has lots of potential, but I still use Handy Shopper under Classic (which could use a few bug fixes, but I doubt MotionApps will be doing any soon, if at all). Several people have suggested features found in HS to the developer, and if they're incorporated properly, I'd be glad to pay for the app (and willing to pay more than 99 cents!).
If I pay 99 cents for an app, and don't like it/can't use it, who benefits? Only the app store, and the developer. Considering credit card (and possibly other) processing fees, would it even be economically feasible to give a refund on a 99 cent app? Then it becomes a losing proposition for all..
Give us a trial period, end of story!
Just my $00.002,
-JerryG
The question is would you buy an app without a trial. Not what you'd prefer to do or have happen.
Toughie.
I'd like to think that I'd consider buying an untried app if it were cheap enough, familiar, well-reviewed, etc. Then I think of how I won't buy a 99
I would only purchase Apps if I could kick the tires first or perhaps if I had already had a good experience with the software developer. For example, I would probably purchase Docs2Go without first trialware because of prior experience with this vendor but most other software is full of unknowns. I really like using the Homebrew Apps for this very reason and will certainly purchase software from some of these vendors when it shows up in the App Catalog.
I think it is reasonable to put a lock on trialware that expires after a couple of weeks or month of testing. After that time is could lock up and the user must purchase to use it longer.
I could be coaxed to buy really cheap .99 cents software if there were good reviews. But I already have my memory full of junk that is no good but free, so I am being more particular about what I install. I know, I need to do some clean-up work!
Toughie.
I'd like to think that I'd consider buying an untried app if it were cheap enough, familiar, well-reviewed, etc. Then I think of how I won't buy a 99
Toughie.
I'd like to think that I'd consider buying an untried app if it were cheap enough, familiar, well-reviewed, etc. Then I think of how I won't buy a 99
I _hate_ troalware. I will buy apps if I have to have them, and if there is no good freeware option.
To be honest, I agree with many of the people here that it depends greatly on several aspects. I think often the complexity and/or purpose of the app is directly proportional to the price asked, which makes sense if you think about it, and that my desire to try before I purchase is also tied to the same. For instance, if something looks good and gets decent reviews I might buy it first for $2 or maybe $3 at the most but any more than that and I would be really hesitant. Anything over $5 would really have to offer value to me personally and I would be very reluctant to buy without both good reviews and possibly a trial. But as for $10 and up I couldn't see spending that much on a app for my phone in the first place so I would definitely need to try it before.