Jump to content

Why so expensive?


Ameliaonstage

Recommended Posts

 

9.99! For a virtual tool! A little outrageous in my opinion!

 

Really? Outrageous?

This app allows me to geocache any time I want

Because of this app I don't have to go out and buy an expensive gps thus allowing some people (such as you) to enter the game who previously couldn't

This app hasn't increased in price in the 2.5 years I've had it, and receives constant support and upgrades.

 

This app costs about 2 Starbucks.

 

Think it's outrageous? Then don't buy it.

Link to comment

Really? Outrageous?

 

How does that compare with other apps? I pay for for two premium memberships, sometimes three. I pay for GSAK every time the upgrades require it. Garmin maps. and a few other donations that I won't bother you with.

 

Is 9.99 for this apps normal within the service it offers?

 

Keep in mind you have to sell me on it, not tell me that I should be happy to have it at 9.99 or do without.

Link to comment

Really? Outrageous?

 

How does that compare with other apps? I pay for for two premium memberships, sometimes three. I pay for GSAK every time the upgrades require it. Garmin maps. and a few other donations that I won't bother you with.

 

Is 9.99 for this apps normal within the service it offers?

 

Keep in mind you have to sell me on it, not tell me that I should be happy to have it at 9.99 or do without.

 

You have to pay for GSAK with each upgrade?

 

The GS app is a one time fee. The PM fee (which I happen to think is a gonga deal) is yearly.

 

Yeah, the app gets buggy at times, and we get all bent out of shape it with GS. But truth be told, TPTB seem to react somewhat quickly to bugs and problems. How does it compare to the other apps? They are similiar in cost, this one is supported by GS, and I just didn't like the user interface of some of the others. Plus, this is what I started caching with, so I know it pretty well. I understand it's quirks.

 

I think the issue is this: we've become spoiled ith free or $0.99 apps. This app does a lot more than bejeweled or angry birds. For the first 2 yrs it was my only GPS. I was in the woods with it. Finding any cache I wanted, researching which city I was going to next, using the maps for parking or geographical features, uploading picture logs, contacting COs, etc.

 

Without the app, I never would have got into geocaching. Never.

 

I have a garmin now, which I got for one reason only, and that's NW trails. If Moun10bike can figure out a way to make NW Trails into an iPhone app then I will be in heaven!! And I'll promptly sell my 60Csx back to eBay.

(mmm...I'm secretly starting to like my garmin. So I think I'd still keep it)

 

Anyhow, the learning curve for GSAK, garmin, NW trails....is rough. The app let me skip all that nonsense as a newbie. I would have been WAY to frustrated..

 

I can't even find a suitable glass of wine for under $10 a glass. I spend more per day a Starbucks. I just spent more than that on salt. I just cant understand why people get so bent out of shape over the price. The app last longer than all of those things.

 

Or, people can not buy it, stick with the free app or other app of their choice. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy the official app.

Edited by JesandTodd
Link to comment

Really? Outrageous?

 

How does that compare with other apps? I pay for for two premium memberships, sometimes three. I pay for GSAK every time the upgrades require it. Garmin maps. and a few other donations that I won't bother you with.

 

Is 9.99 for this apps normal within the service it offers?

 

Keep in mind you have to sell me on it, not tell me that I should be happy to have it at 9.99 or do without.

 

Relative to other Android apps, it's expensive.

 

IMHO, if you did not need a premium membership to get full benefit from it, then it would actually be cheap for what you get. I would rather pay the $9.99 for a fully supported app than use a free one that tends to break whenever site updates are performed.

 

However, since it does require premium membership in order to get full benefit of the app, then I think it really should be included as a benefit of your premium membership. ie, free to PM's

 

In all honesty, it's the only reason I still have a premium membership is so that I can look up as many caches as I want without hitting a limit on the type of data I can retrieve. (basic accounts get a handful of caches with full details a day while premium accounts are virtually unlimited via the API)

Link to comment

Listen. I'm sorry i made many of you mad, but i was venting. I used to use c:geo, but had to uninstall it recently due to finding out it was hacking geocaching.com. I am not a law breaker.

 

Sorry. I am saving up money to buy the app.

 

Nobody's mad. You're mistaking my forum bluntness for being mad.

You can always use the free app. It works too.

 

I used the app for a few months before becoming a PM. It worked fine then too.

Link to comment

I don't mean to sound rude but I don't understand while people will go spend $40+ on computer software but balk at $10 for a mobile app. It still takes time and skill to code a good android or iphone app, and developers/publishers should be paid for their work.

 

The Geocaching app is worth every penny and then some, to me.

Link to comment

Trust me here, I have never bought an app.

 

So you either have on-line access or cache detail downloaded, I assume both?

And online access to log caches and bugs.

 

I have (presumably) same-day downloaded cache detail on my gps.

 

What else?

 

 

edit: removed extra letter and word

Edited by BlueDeuce
Link to comment

Really? Outrageous?

 

 

How does that compare with other apps? I pay for for two premium memberships, sometimes three. I pay for GSAK every time the upgrades require it. Garmin maps. and a few other donations that I won't bother you with.

 

Is 9.99 for this apps normal within the service it offers?

 

Keep in mind you have to sell me on it, not tell me that I should be happy to have it at 9.99 or do without.

 

You have to pay for GSAK with each upgrade?

 

The GS app is a one time fee. The PM fee (which I happen to think is a gonga deal) is yearly.

 

Yeah, the app gets buggy at times, and we get all bent out of shape it with GS. But truth be told, TPTB seem to react somewhat quickly to bugs and problems. How does it compare to the other apps? They are similiar in cost, this one is supported by GS, and I just didn't like the user interface of some of the others. Plus, this is what I started caching with, so I know it pretty well. I understand it's quirks.

 

I think the issue is this: we've become spoiled ith free or $0.99 apps. This app does a lot more than bejeweled or angry birds. For the first 2 yrs it was my only GPS. I was in the woods with it. Finding any cache I wanted, researching which city I was going to next, using the maps for parking or geographical features, uploading picture logs, contacting COs, etc.

 

Without the app, I never would have got into geocaching. Never.

 

I have a garmin now, which I got for one reason only, and that's NW trails. If Moun10bike can figure out a way to make NW Trails into an iPhone app then I will be in heaven!! And I'll promptly sell my 60Csx back to eBay.

(mmm...I'm secretly starting to like my garmin. So I think I'd still keep it)

 

Anyhow, the learning curve for GSAK, garmin, NW trails....is rough. The app let me skip all that nonsense as a newbie. I would have been WAY to frustrated..

 

I can't even find a suitable glass of wine for under $10 a glass. I spend more per day a Starbucks. I just spent more than that on salt. I just cant understand why people get so bent out of shape over the price. The app last longer than all of those things.

 

Or, people can not buy it, stick with the free app or other app of their choice. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy the official app.

 

What are you referring to with NW TRAILS?

 

I too would not have done gc without the iPhone app

Edited by Team Pixos
Link to comment

Okay, I am very happy with my app, which gave me the opportunity to use the iTunes giftcard I thought I'd have to re-gift. (I'm an amazon mp3 kind of girl.) So here's my top 5 list for Why the iPhone app was worth the $10 to me:

 

1. Map search feature

 

PRO: Insanely better map than the free demo app. I can stand in one place and see the 25 closest caches to me all in one screen. Compare to free app: three max. (I think. It's been a while.) I can use that same map screen to go after all of those based on location without necessarily having to load each one individually.

 

CON: Too easy to use means you spend your lunch breaks finding caches instead of eating, which means you wolf down M&M's at your desk an hour later. Also, you sometimes cache at happy hour, which leads to the unstealthiest caching ever.

 

2. Text message integration

 

PRO: New cache posts. I get a text. I click on link. App shows me where and how far away I am.

 

CON: You post so many FTF's that local cachers make voodoo dolls with your name on them, which could explain that weird tingling you get in your left foot sometimes.

 

3. Advanced search options

 

PRO: Some days you feel unknown. Other days you're more traditional. And sometimes I want to find caches that have the word Beatles in their title, because I love those (yeah yeah yeah). I can filter the map search to show me only what I want to.

 

CON: With great power comes great responsibility. :ph34r:

 

4. PQ's

 

PRO: Pocket queries for the discriminating geocacher. You can download and save PQ's to your phone, which are useful if there's a specific batch or trail of caches you want to get but can't be sure if you'll have great coverage out there. I use this when I travel. All the puzzle caches in Hawaii? I saved them right here. Is that a query in your pocket or...

 

CON: Leads to unfortunate pocket query joke. <_<

 

5. Loggability

 

PRO: If you don't want to wait til you get to a computer to post your log, you can app it. Or you can post a field note that saves a draft on the site until you get home to do it. Useful when you do twenty caches in a day but can't remember which one you left the geocoin or gold bar in.

 

CON: Autocorrect always turns my "muggles" into "muffles" and "trackables" into "trackballs." Which leads to regrettable post where you proclaim your love for grabbing trackballs. :unsure:

 

I can probably think of more when I get a chance, but it's happy hour and I've got to go grab a drink to help numb this weird pinching pain I have in my back...

 

-tvchick :)

Link to comment

 

CON: Autocorrect always turns my "muggles" into "muffles" and "trackables" into "trackballs." Which leads to regrettable post where you proclaim your love for grabbing trackballs. :unsure:

 

I can probably think of more when I get a chance, but it's happy hour and I've got to go grab a drink to help numb this weird pinching pain I have in my back...

 

-tvchick :)

 

Yes it does!! :) haha.

Enjoy your drink! (an no caching after!)

 

Blue, it's tough to explain all the things the app can do, especially to one who's not into apps and such. I'd do better showing someone rather than articulating it online via a mobile app.

Link to comment

 

What are you referring to with NW TRAILS?

 

I too would not have done gc without the iPhone app

 

http://www.switchbacks.com/nwtrails/

 

If a trail exists in the NW, it's on NW trails. It's saved my $@& soooooooo many times. Its the one and only reason I got the garmin. and I <3 it so much!!

 

The day Mount10bike gets it into an iPhone app will be life changing, lol.

 

Looks like Alberta is covered ;)

Link to comment

Okay, I am very happy with my app, which gave me the opportunity to use the iTunes giftcard I thought I'd have to re-gift. (I'm an amazon mp3 kind of girl.) So here's my top 5 list for Why the iPhone app was worth the $10 to me:

 

1. Map search feature

 

PRO: Insanely better map than the free demo app. I can stand in one place and see the 25 closest caches to me all in one screen. Compare to free app: three max. (I think. It's been a while.) I can use that same map screen to go after all of those based on location without necessarily having to load each one individually.

 

CON: Too easy to use means you spend your lunch breaks finding caches instead of eating, which means you wolf down M&M's at your desk an hour later. Also, you sometimes cache at happy hour, which leads to the unstealthiest caching ever.

 

2. Text message integration

 

PRO: New cache posts. I get a text. I click on link. App shows me where and how far away I am.

 

CON: You post so many FTF's that local cachers make voodoo dolls with your name on them, which could explain that weird tingling you get in your left foot sometimes.

 

3. Advanced search options

 

PRO: Some days you feel unknown. Other days you're more traditional. And sometimes I want to find caches that have the word Beatles in their title, because I love those (yeah yeah yeah). I can filter the map search to show me only what I want to.

 

CON: With great power comes great responsibility. :ph34r:

 

4. PQ's

 

PRO: Pocket queries for the discriminating geocacher. You can download and save PQ's to your phone, which are useful if there's a specific batch or trail of caches you want to get but can't be sure if you'll have great coverage out there. I use this when I travel. All the puzzle caches in Hawaii? I saved them right here. Is that a query in your pocket or...

 

CON: Leads to unfortunate pocket query joke. <_<

 

5. Loggability

 

PRO: If you don't want to wait til you get to a computer to post your log, you can app it. Or you can post a field note that saves a draft on the site until you get home to do it. Useful when you do twenty caches in a day but can't remember which one you left the geocoin or gold bar in.

 

CON: Autocorrect always turns my "muggles" into "muffles" and "trackables" into "trackballs." Which leads to regrettable post where you proclaim your love for grabbing trackballs. :unsure:

 

I can probably think of more when I get a chance, but it's happy hour and I've got to go grab a drink to help numb this weird pinching pain I have in my back...

 

-tvchick :)

 

Wow! Thanks! This really made me appreciate how much the app has to offer..... Maybe I shall start saving up?

Link to comment

I think the geocaching gc app is at it's best when you are away from home. "I'm here in a strange places, let's find some caches" The live map is really good. They use a google map and you can switch to the google satellite too (which you can tell from other threads are greatly missed on the gc.com website). I like how it gives you the last five logs, and if you want to see more, just hit the "more" button and they load up. My garmin gps only gives me the last five. This is also far easier than trying to use the gc.com website on my phone and scrolling down to look at old logs.

 

I usually find caches to find by using the map and scrolling around it. Hit the pin, see a small pop-up about the cache, and hit that to get all the info. You can also use advanced search as a mini pq-like function. Search for cache type, size, terrain, difficulty. And then, with recent upgrades, you can pull your PQs right to the app as well. while most of my PQs are location based, for loading gpx files to my garmin for travelling or backwoods hiking, PQs on this app can be useful for looking at my PQs such as 'caches with trackables', "10th anniversary caches" those that will be soon celebrating 10 years in the field, "recommended at night", "winter caches". My garmin can only hold so many cache/gpx files so doing this on the fly on my phone is an advantage.

 

I used to use WAP on my old phone, so this app is a world of difference. Before I got my droid, I used an app or two on my wife's gps enabled balckberry. I forget the name of those apps but they were a little cumbersome looking back from where we are now with the ease of use of this gc app. I also have c:geo on my phone. I used to use it about as often as the gc app but have since used it less due to them loosing their live map search functions and with additional gc app upgrades that have improved it. As far as I know, only the gc app will let you scroll the map 10 miles down the road and let you search what geocaches are in that location.

 

I also used to have problems logging in from the field with cgeo. Once they got the gc app on the droid, I've been able to log in easily with no errors that I recall. It is just a matter of cell network strength.

 

I still look at c:geo since it has osm maps that can be set as a default. Where a cache pin on a google map might be in the middle of a park, on OSM it might show up on a trail in that park. With all the map moves that gc has made lately, I hope they add OSM/OSMCycle to the gc app BUT please don't take away the goggle satellite option. Make OSM the default and maybe that will reduce google map usage to only when one needs it (a plea to TPTB).

 

Fortunatley, for me, and this might not be true for everybody, $10 is not a lot for me and seems forth it for what I am getting. I figure I already rationalize the fact that I am paying the extra $30 a month for my unlimited data plan on my verizon droid cell phone. A one time $10 is a drop in the bucket.

Link to comment

I saw this thread a few days ago when I too was wandering just why the 'official' Geocaching app is so expensive. I agree its not that expensive in general terms, but taken in context with the rest of the market its extremely expensive. Having failed to receive a good number pros/cons I figured I'd buy it and find out. So why is it over three times more expensive than the average app?

 

Having used the app for a few days I can say that its most useful feature is the offline lists for checking cache details and live map functionality. The GPS utilisation is a tad buggy and the app has a tendency to get frozen when searching nearby caches (Devs: This really should be interruptable). The log writing functionality is also a little clumsy from a UI workflow perspective and could use some refinement. Finally GPS coordinate fixes are often hard to come by with a fix radious of 20 to 50 meters on average and the app does seem pretty hungry when it comes to the battery life. Now the bulk of my complaints are likely the result of app / handset interaction (However other GPS enabled apps do fair much better with GPS access and often get better fix range) but this is the nature of phone apps and that's why they are rarely more than a few quid.

 

Will I be moving from my phone to my GPS? Not a chance My GPS unit is an old eTrex HC and while it also eats batteries I generally get 10 hours of use for a set of AA's and as you'd expect its fix capability is far superiour to my phone. I'll use the app when I'm out and about for some on-the-fly caching where getting accurate cache coordinates is less important, and I'll probably use it in conjunction with my GPS unit for its offline list capability, but the app has done little to improve me existing caching experience.

 

To those thinking of buying the app: If you want to do casual caching then there are much cheaper apps on the market with nearly the same functionality that'll work just as well, or you could just use your phone's browser. If you're an avid Geocacher then it might give you some additional accessability on the road but beyond that its of little use.

 

To Ground Speak I'd say: Drop the price of your app to no more than £3. While at that price it's still more than most apps, the majority of customers will feel happy to have gained a few handy tools. Its also close enough to the other Geocaching apps for you to take a bigger slice of the app market and grow your mobile customer base with the potential to increase the take-up of premium membership. At £3 people might even consider buying it just to give you a little extra income. Often you'll earn more money lowering the cost of an app as you'll get a much higher adoption rate. Currently I believe you're running the risk of growing a disenchanted customer base who expected a lot more functionality for the price of the app.

Link to comment

 

To those thinking of buying the app: If you want to do casual caching then there are much cheaper apps on the market with nearly the same functionality that'll work just as well, or you could just use your phone's browser. If you're an avid Geocacher then it might give you some additional accessability on the road but beyond that its of little use. .

 

With all due respect, you've found 10 caches with the app. I'd give it a bit more time before giving up on it.

 

What I've found with the app, is that a lot of its functionality/issues/problems depend on the end user. It's all about knowing your device, knowing how to operate it, interpret it, understand it. And so on...

 

Keep at it. I've found quite a few caches with it (like, all of them), and it believe its worth the $10, if not more. I'd say it's also a *bit* more than "being of little use". I couldn't, nor wouldn't cache without it.

Link to comment
you could just use your phone's browser.

Without a live connection, my Garmin is a whole lot more useful. So I'll sometimes visit a wifi Hotspot, but only once have I done that using the GC App to find a cache. With only a wifi connected Droid, have to leave it powered on, showing the cache page, but can switch to compass/radar and back.

 

If I were to sign up for a data plan, I'd use the browser most (since folks keep mentioning how less-than-ten-dollars other Apps are, I'm supposing a lifetime of data usage is also less than ten dollars, otherwise an App price is nothing compared to other costs :anicute:).

Edited by kunarion
Link to comment

Best $10 app I ever bought

 

oh wait only $10 app I ever bought :)

 

I tried 3 free apps for my droid phone to try geocaching with the kid after good friends raved about the "sport"

 

Three weeks later and maybe a dozen failed attempts to find 5 different caches ... Not to mention the levels of mama drama

 

I called that "good friend" who raved about the "sport" ...

 

They picked us up yesterday and took us to a park we had already unsuccessfully wondered aimlessly for days handed the me with this app and five minutes later we had our first find.

 

Downloaded the app in carpool line today .... Found 3 caches in 2 hours in 3 separate parks ...

 

Bottom line they say there are good free apps out there but for me

 

Cost of app was well worth the improved functionality and reduced frustration of free apps

 

Hope that helps

Link to comment

Okay, so I'm going to admit here and now I didn't read the whole thread, and I'm basically just giving my review of the app.

 

That being said:

 

I would give this app 6 out of 5 stars. I know I was kinda like "wow, $10? I've never paid that much for an app!", so I downloaded the freebie trial one (I think it'll let you nav to like 5 caches or something like that). My iPhone was the only GPS unit I had at all back then, so I used the free/trial app to nav to my first cache and completely fell in love. A lot of times now when I have like an hour to kill because I don't want to go all the way back home before having to meet someone or go to an appointment, I just fire up the app and tell it to find me nearby caches. As far as I understand there are no GPS units that allow you to seek on the fly like that. I also like that you can see everything about the cache, description, attributes, size, difficulty, terrain, hints, photos, inventory, recent logs, EVERYTHING. Oh, and you can log your field notes (Found It!s or DNFs, along with all the other kind of note types) right from the phone. Another nice feature is that when you're doing a long run (like my pal and I went after 6 on a stretch of trail the one day), you can fill out your logs and have the app 'save' them until you're ready to just post them all at the end. Oh, and my GPS read seems to be like spot on most of the time.

 

As far as needing a premium membership for the full functionality, I'm going to have to beg to differ. I'll admit I don't have too many finds yet, and I did take almost a year off, but I bought this app after my first find. I only very recently upgraded to premium (only because during the above mentioned stretch of trail with a friend, he had a premium membership, so we found one that I could only log if I upgraded), but used the app before with no problems. You can't see premium member only caches on the the app (just like you can't on the site), but the regular caches have full functionality. You can still use all the other features.

 

Now, I do have an unlimited data plan on my iPhone. So, I will say that I'm not sure how much it data it uses or anything because I don't have to pay attention to that. That may be a factor one has to consider before deciding to use a smart phone as their primary GPS.

 

In short, I believe this is well worth the price you pay. This is especially worth it if you have no GPS unit to start as $10 is significantly cheaper than any GPS unit I've seen (and this is tons more convenient anyway). It might be less worth it if you're stuck on a low level data plan though, that's something I know nothing about.

 

I hope this helps at least someone, lol.

Link to comment

Okay, so I'm going to admit here and now I didn't read the whole thread, and I'm basically just giving my review of the app.

 

You can't see premium member only caches on the the app (just like you can't on the site), but the regular caches have full functionality.

 

Advanced Search my friend. You can, indeed, search for only PMO caches on the iPhone.

 

(it's the second tab down on the home screen, just under 'search nearby caches...)

Link to comment

 

9.99! For a virtual tool! A little outrageous in my opinion!

 

Really? Outrageous?

This app allows me to geocache any time I want

Because of this app I don't have to go out and buy an expensive gps thus allowing some people (such as you) to enter the game who previously couldn't

This app hasn't increased in price in the 2.5 years I've had it, and receives constant support and upgrades.

 

This app costs about 2 Starbucks.

 

Think it's outrageous? Then don't buy it.

 

Agree, it's not perfect but c'mon people, it's way less than a GPS!!

Link to comment

$10 for the app is a bargain, given the entertainment value. Likewise, an annual $30 fee for a PM is also a bargain. One reason it is a good idea to have the app be on the expensive side relative to other apps, is it decreases the likelihood of huge numbers of people buying it on a whim and having instant access to cache locations without having an appreciation for the most basic of groundrules (such as, you don't keep caches when you find them). Just think of what a mess we would have on our hands if suddenly scores of people with no understanding of geocaching whatsoever could download a 99 cent app and start scooping up caches. It would make us long for the days when we would locate a cache and our biggest complaint was a full log and the absence of TBs. Dozens of quality caches would go missing if people could download the app for the price of a song. The $10 price tag deters the curious casual buyer and is yet a bargain to someone serious about geocaching.

Link to comment

Being a long time user of this app I don't find $9.99 expensive for what it does. I do in fact use this more than my Garmin 62s because it is so useful and easier to use. The Garmin is only more precise when I need it and also doesn't require a connection to the phone company to work. You can, however, download pocket queries for use offline, but you have to be forward thinking about where your caching destination will be. Spend the money, you won't be disappointed. My Garmin cost me $500, so $10 is nothing.

Link to comment
One reason it is a good idea to have the app be on the expensive side relative to other apps, is it decreases the likelihood of huge numbers of people buying it on a whim and having instant access to cache locations without having an appreciation for the most basic of groundrules (such as, you don't keep caches when you find them). Just think of what a mess we would have on our hands if suddenly scores of people with no understanding of geocaching whatsoever could download a 99 cent app and start scooping up caches. It would make us long for the days when we would locate a cache and our biggest complaint was a full log and the absence of TBs. Dozens of quality caches would go missing if people could download the app for the price of a song. The $10 price tag deters the curious casual buyer and is yet a bargain to someone serious about geocaching.

I disagree. Anyone can spend money. It doesn't mean they'll follow the rules or be better geocachers than anyone else.

Link to comment
One reason it is a good idea to have the app be on the expensive side relative to other apps, is it decreases the likelihood of huge numbers of people buying it on a whim and having instant access to cache locations without having an appreciation for the most basic of groundrules (such as, you don't keep caches when you find them). Just think of what a mess we would have on our hands if suddenly scores of people with no understanding of geocaching whatsoever could download a 99 cent app and start scooping up caches. It would make us long for the days when we would locate a cache and our biggest complaint was a full log and the absence of TBs. Dozens of quality caches would go missing if people could download the app for the price of a song. The $10 price tag deters the curious casual buyer and is yet a bargain to someone serious about geocaching.

I disagree. Anyone can spend money. It doesn't mean they'll follow the rules or be better geocachers than anyone else.

 

I agree with both statements. The pricetag will deter many folks who would join for a month, toss out a film can or two, get bored, and forget about it. Not all of them, but certainly a lot. Doesn't mean that only "good" geocachers will download it, but if somebody is paying 10 bucks for an app, I feel that they're more likely to stick around for a while. That's what I got out of it at least...

Link to comment
One reason it is a good idea to have the app be on the expensive side relative to other apps, is it decreases the likelihood of huge numbers of people buying it on a whim and having instant access to cache locations without having an appreciation for the most basic of groundrules (such as, you don't keep caches when you find them). Just think of what a mess we would have on our hands if suddenly scores of people with no understanding of geocaching whatsoever could download a 99 cent app and start scooping up caches. It would make us long for the days when we would locate a cache and our biggest complaint was a full log and the absence of TBs. Dozens of quality caches would go missing if people could download the app for the price of a song. The $10 price tag deters the curious casual buyer and is yet a bargain to someone serious about geocaching.

I disagree. Anyone can spend money. It doesn't mean they'll follow the rules or be better geocachers than anyone else.

 

I agree with both statements. The pricetag will deter many folks who would join for a month, toss out a film can or two, get bored, and forget about it. Not all of them, but certainly a lot. Doesn't mean that only "good" geocachers will download it, but if somebody is paying 10 bucks for an app, I feel that they're more likely to stick around for a while. That's what I got out of it at least...

 

I am one of the persons described above. I bought the app, did log about 16 caches and suddenly stopped after that. I don't know why but it happend. Now I'am back though, yeaaah.

But for real, without this app I wouldn't be here.

Link to comment

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE my Android app and even after buying a handheld GPSr, I still use my phone the most! LOVE it! It does SO much more than my GPSr -- I love it just because I can go ANYwhere, ANYtime and pull up a couple hundred caches in that area at that minute! ANYwhere! No pocket queries required! Just go and cache! How much EASIER can it get??? It is NICE to have a GPSr with PQ's downloaded... in case my phone battery goes dead!

Edited by ohmelli
Link to comment

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE my Android app and even after buying a handheld GPSr, I still use my phone the most! LOVE it! It does SO much more than my GPSr -- I love it just because I can go ANYwhere, ANYtime and pull up a couple hundred caches in that area at that minute! ANYwhere! No pocket queries required! Just go and cache! How much EASIER can it get??? It is NICE to have a GPSr with PQ's downloaded... in case my phone battery goes dead!

 

Anywhere? Have you tried caching with it in another country? With the $20 per megabyte data roaming charges that are fairly typical for most countries outside the U.S., using a phone to go caching in another country get get really expensive in a hurry if you leave data roaming on. You can do it if you've preloaded PQs and using the compass screen but a dedicated handheld GPS with basemaps loaded on the device is a big advantage if you travel. I just bought a iPhone 4s a few days ago but won't be using it for caching when I travel to Switzerland and Tanzania in a few weeks. I might try leaving my Garmin at home when I go to Boulder in a couple of weeks and see how the 4s works without the Garmin as a backup.

Link to comment

Anywhere? Have you tried caching with it in another country? With the $20 per megabyte data roaming charges that are fairly typical for most countries outside the U.S., using a phone to go caching in another country get get really expensive in a hurry if you leave data roaming on. You can do it if you've preloaded PQs and using the compass screen but a dedicated handheld GPS with basemaps loaded on the device is a big advantage if you travel. I just bought a iPhone 4s a few days ago but won't be using it for caching when I travel to Switzerland and Tanzania in a few weeks. I might try leaving my Garmin at home when I go to Boulder in a couple of weeks and see how the 4s works without the Garmin as a backup.

 

A good cacher always has a backup! My Evo 4g is how I started Caching, and the GPS on it is pretty awesome. What's not awesome is battery life, the GPS under the slightest bit of tree cover, and the compass. That's why I sprung for a Magellan 310. Is it harder to use? Sure. But on a long hike, or a forested area, I'll leave the phone in the gosh dang car, and take the GPS. On a city cache, or a park and grab? Just need the phone. All about the right tools for the right job.

Link to comment

Wondering how much I am missing with having the app w/out having the premium membership. When i do the search for nearby caches I see a lot... hadnt really noticed a limit... Can anyone speak a bit more to the benefits of having the premium membership with the app?

 

I love the app and think the price is ok for what you get. I like being able to find caches and full info where ever I am, as well as being able to post logs from the field. I have purchased a $99 app for work so $10 doesn't seem as bad. I do think you should be it free w/ a premium membership though...

Link to comment

Anywhere? Have you tried caching with it in another country? With the $20 per megabyte data roaming charges that are fairly typical for most countries outside the U.S., using a phone to go caching in another country get get really expensive in a hurry if you leave data roaming on. You can do it if you've preloaded PQs and using the compass screen but a dedicated handheld GPS with basemaps loaded on the device is a big advantage if you travel. I just bought a iPhone 4s a few days ago but won't be using it for caching when I travel to Switzerland and Tanzania in a few weeks. I might try leaving my Garmin at home when I go to Boulder in a couple of weeks and see how the 4s works without the Garmin as a backup.

 

A good cacher always has a backup! My Evo 4g is how I started Caching, and the GPS on it is pretty awesome. What's not awesome is battery life, the GPS under the slightest bit of tree cover, and the compass. That's why I sprung for a Magellan 310. Is it harder to use? Sure. But on a long hike, or a forested area, I'll leave the phone in the gosh dang car, and take the GPS. On a city cache, or a park and grab? Just need the phone. All about the right tools for the right job.

 

Choosing whether or not to bring along a dedicated GPS as a backup when going caching has nothing to do with ones skills as a geocacher. I was perfectly willing to accept the possibility that I might not find some of the caches I looked for. As it turned out, I only had the opportunity to search for two of them in Boulder, and found both.

Link to comment

Wondering how much I am missing with having the app w/out having the premium membership. When i do the search for nearby caches I see a lot... hadnt really noticed a limit... Can anyone speak a bit more to the benefits of having the premium membership with the app?

 

 

The primary benefit of using the official app with a premium membership is that you can create pocket queries (from a computer) and save the results in the app. This gives you the ability to select which caches you might actually want to find rather than working off a list of all caches based on your current location. The app does have some filtering capabilities for the "Find nearby caches" search but not as good as a pocket query. Having the results of a pocket query also allows you to search for caches even with data turned off (for example, if you're in a foreign country and don't want to incur astronomical data roaming charges).

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...