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Why so expensive?


Ameliaonstage

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Those that are comparing the cost of the app to the cost of a GPSr or the price of donuts or whatever are missing the point.

 

In my opinion, no one is complaining about the raw price of the app or trying to make the case that the app is expensive compared to buying a GPSr. They are just saying that $10 for an app is kinda spendy compared to how much most apps cost.

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Those that are comparing the cost of the app to the cost of a GPSr or the price of donuts or whatever are missing the point.

 

In my opinion, no one is complaining about the raw price of the app or trying to make the case that the app is expensive compared to buying a GPSr. They are just saying that $10 for an app is kinda spendy compared to how much most apps cost.

 

Brilliant post. Absolutely brilliant. I think you and me are going to agree on everything from now on, now that you're back. :lol:

 

P.S. The official Windowsphone App is free. But it's essentially worthless without a premium membership. The conspiracy theorist in me suspects that was a Beta test for when they drop that one on Iphone and Droid users at a future date. :ph34r:

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I really wouldn´t mind paying the prize of the app, but when i found out, that it´s free for Iphone, i found it unacceptable, that i should pay and not my friends. I find it discriminatory and wrongful. If it was free for all members, i would even pay for premium. It´s just doesn´t float my boat. I´m venting too, but am serious about it being wrong that i should pay for Iphoe users as well as Androiders.

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How about this? Its 9.99 but it counts to 9.99 off a premium membership.

 

a million percent agree! ... this would promote their product twice.

 

Complaining about something that costs $10, one time, with lifetime updates ? Srsly ?

 

absolutely! i stood in front of some mops the other day contemplating between a $9 mop and a $7 mop for about 10 minutes ... features were ultimately the deciding factor ... had someone walked up to me and offered me one of similar quality and functionality for free, i would've taken it instead.

Edited by kantear
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The app is way cheaper than a standalone GPS, both in initial outlay and the future (no paying for maps) and a ton more convenient and easy to use. And those maps are great, including google satellite/hybrid maps as well as open street map topo and street maps. Plus great in concert with a standalone GPS if you end up getting one of those, for finding caches on the fly, looking up logs, making log entries, etc. Totally worth the asking price. However I understand that the Android version is currently behind the iOS version and is missing some key features such as offline maps. Still I would think it's got to still be a very useful tool. Certainly the iOS version is worth it at least.

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The app is way cheaper than a standalone GPS,

 

i'm going to say it because it's starting to irritate me ...

 

NO ONE IS ATTEMPTING TO COMPARE IT TO A G.P.S.. ... in fact i could go grab a cache right now and leave all my tecnology at the house ... or if i wanted to lug around my laptop ... i have a g.p.s. for that too.

 

this thread has nothing to do with a g.p.s. at all

 

it has to do with the cost of the app compared to all the other apps on the market.

 

i have a birding app in my phone ... it has stand alone capabilities ... it has hundreds of years worth of relevant information ... it costs $9 ... there are very few others that cost more and do exactly the same thing if not less.

 

this ... is a map, a gps program ... there are (figuratively) thousands of them on the market that cost ZERO DOLLARS

 

THAT is what it's being compared to.

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this ... is a map, a gps program ... there are (figuratively) thousands of them on the market that cost ZERO DOLLARS

Just because other people choose to put hundreds of hours into writing a program, then give it away for free, does not mean that Groundspeak should do the same. Groundspeak is a business. They have to pay the engineer who wrote the program, so they should be able to recoup that cost. They do that by charging for the product.

 

You have a right to buy their product or not. Your choice.

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this ... is a map, a gps program ... there are (figuratively) thousands of them on the market that cost ZERO DOLLARS

Just because other people choose to put hundreds of hours into writing a program, then give it away for free, does not mean that Groundspeak should do the same. Groundspeak is a business. They have to pay the engineer who wrote the program, so they should be able to recoup that cost. They do that by charging for the product.

 

You have a right to buy their product or not. Your choice.

 

This post would make perfect sense if it was priced in the 50th percentile os smartphone app cost to the consumer. But it's not, it's in the 99th percentile. It is one of the most expensive Smartphone apps on the market, period. That's all people are saying.

 

You don't think other smartphone apps use the built in GPS, consult online mapping, and counsult a wwebsite's database? Want me to name, I don't know, about 50 of them? None of which cost $9.99. :P

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this ... is a map, a gps program ... there are (figuratively) thousands of them on the market that cost ZERO DOLLARS

Just because other people choose to put hundreds of hours into writing a program, then give it away for free, does not mean that Groundspeak should do the same. Groundspeak is a business. They have to pay the engineer who wrote the program, so they should be able to recoup that cost. They do that by charging for the product.

 

You have a right to buy their product or not. Your choice.

 

sooo ...send me a hundred dollars ... i'll sit here and laugh just like someone else who is doing it right now for nothing.

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This post would make perfect sense if it was priced in the 50th percentile os smartphone app cost to the consumer. But it's not, it's in the 99th percentile. It is one of the most expensive Smartphone apps on the market, period. That's all people are saying.

 

You don't think other smartphone apps use the built in GPS, consult online mapping, and counsult a wwebsite's database? Want me to name, I don't know, about 50 of them? None of which cost $9.99. :P

 

that's what i meant to say.

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You have a right to buy their product or not. Your choice.
This post would make perfect sense if it was priced in the 50th percentile os smartphone app cost to the consumer. But it's not, it's in the 99th percentile. It is one of the most expensive Smartphone apps on the market, period. That's all people are saying.
I don't see how the price of the product affects the argument.

 

A Nissan Versa costs less than $12k. I have the right to buy the product or not. My choice.

 

A Bugatti Veyron costs more than $2.4M. I have the right to buy the product or not. My choice.

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I was reading elsewhere that the caches found total is not a score, but still I think it would be fun to have Game Center leader boards and achievements. :) At least for comparing with friends, that would be fun. Make that happen, Groundspeak. :)

Without looking at your profile I can tell you that you already lost. :ph34r:

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I don't see how the price of the product affects the argument.

 

A Nissan Versa costs less than $12k. I have the right to buy the product or not. My choice.

 

A Bugatti Veyron costs more than $2.4M. I have the right to buy the product or not. My choice.

 

... :unsure: ... the price WAS the argument ...

 

if that bugatti was wrapped around a tree and you had to purchase both the car and the tree ... it's fine if you wanted to deal with it's problems ... but if you just want something to drive ... i'd go with the ford ... oh wait ... that wasn't an option.

Edited by kantear
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Groundspeak's app isn't the only option. If you think it is too expensive, then try a free geocaching app (e.g., GeoBeagle) or a less expensive geocaching app (e.g., Neongeo). Or use the satellite view of Google Maps. Or buy a handheld GPSr.

 

Lil Devil's point is that you have a right to buy their product or not. It's still your choice, no matter what they're charging for their product.

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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.

 

 

Is this feature unique to iPhones/apps? I have the official app (Android) and I get text notifications of new hides but cannot click on the message. I have to start the app and search for the new listing.

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I was reading elsewhere that the caches found total is not a score, but still I think it would be fun to have Game Center leader boards and achievements. :) At least for comparing with friends, that would be fun. Make that happen, Groundspeak. :)

Without looking at your profile I can tell you that you already lost. :ph34r:

 

and maybe it can be included in the Rio Olympics??? Yeaaaaa USA Geocaching!!! blink.gif

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Groundspeak's app isn't the only option. If you think it is too expensive, then try a free geocaching app (e.g., GeoBeagle) or a less expensive geocaching app (e.g., Neongeo). Or use the satellite view of Google Maps. Or buy a handheld GPSr.

 

Lil Devil's point is that you have a right to buy their product or not. It's still your choice, no matter what they're charging for their product.

 

OK, lets put this thread into perspective here. The OP is a teenaged girl. She, or more likely her parents, scoffed at the $9.99 price tag, all while the average smartphone app runs $2.99-$3.99. No, I don't have any scientific data, that's a personal observation. But if someone does come along with some scientific data, how much you want to be I'm right? :P

 

But the thread, and the many posters that have compared it to buying a GPS have opened my eyes a little. However, first I must post a newsflash to them, you DID pay $100 for a GPS. I've been a Sprint customer since 2000, and don't have experience with any other carriers, but a smartphone, be it Iphone, Droid or WindowsPhone, is going to cost you $100 with an upgrade. And if you really, really want one, and can't wait for that upgrade, you're going to pay $300 or more.

 

So you have your $100 GPS receiver (i.e. smartphone). I do acknowledge you are going to get mapping options that are light years better than a $110 GPS, namely the Magellan Explorist 110, or the Etrex 10. Not that that has anything to do with why the Groundspeak apps are 3X the price of the average smartphone app. :)

Edited by Mr.Yuck
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The geocaching app is not Angry Birds Space and doesn't sell anywhere near as many copies even if priced at 99 cents. It would sell more at 99 cents, but I highly doubt it would make up the difference. Ditto for dropping it to $2.99, but I can only speculate. They price it at $10 and that either works for them or it doesn't. If it does they'll stick to $10, if not they'll lower the price. So far they haven't so I guess it's working as far as they are concerned. The Geocaching app is not something that everybody with an iPhone will buy, regardless of what they set the price to.

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The geocaching app is not Angry Birds Space and doesn't sell anywhere near as many copies even if priced at 99 cents. It would sell more at 99 cents, but I highly doubt it would make up the difference. Ditto for dropping it to $2.99, but I can only speculate. They price it at $10 and that either works for them or it doesn't. If it does they'll stick to $10, if not they'll lower the price. So far they haven't so I guess it's working as far as they are concerned. The Geocaching app is not something that everybody with an iPhone will buy, regardless of what they set the price to.

 

Doesn't angry birds space have ads? I think it does. My kid has it, but they don't make it for WindowsPhone, which I have. This is all a moot point, I believe Groundspeak is going to go to the "free, but highly restricted to non-premium members" model.

 

Hey BD, you ready to buy an app yet? :ph34r:

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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.

 

 

Is this feature unique to iPhones/apps? I have the official app (Android) and I get text notifications of new hides but cannot click on the message. I have to start the app and search for the new listing.

On my Droid, I don't get the entire notification in the text. If I click on the text bubble, it gives me the option to view the entire message. From there, I can click the link to the cache and it gives me the option to open it with either the browser or the Geocaching app.

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The geocaching app is not Angry Birds Space and doesn't sell anywhere near as many copies even if priced at 99 cents. It would sell more at 99 cents, but I highly doubt it would make up the difference. Ditto for dropping it to $2.99, but I can only speculate. They price it at $10 and that either works for them or it doesn't. If it does they'll stick to $10, if not they'll lower the price. So far they haven't so I guess it's working as far as they are concerned. The Geocaching app is not something that everybody with an iPhone will buy, regardless of what they set the price to.
Exactly. If an app costs $1M to develop and sells 10M copies, then the developer can charge only $0.20 a copy and still make a healthy profit. But Groundspeak's app is nowhere near that. If it costs $1M to develop and sells only 100k copies, then they need to charge $10 a copy just to break even.

 

Products for small, specialized markets are always going to be more expensive than commodity products that appeal to the mass market.

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Doesn't angry birds space have ads?

 

The paid version does not. On iOS there is only a paid version and lite version that is only a sampler. No free full ad-supported version at all. I have read that most Android owners aren't willing to pay for anything, so they make ad-supported versions of games, but I don't think that approach would work for Geocaching which wouldn't be downloaded by millions and millions of people.

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how about this for an idea ... gs dropps the price of the app to something much less offensive, includes it with a paid membership or just plain makes it free ... and overnight the app competition is cut in half.

 

feel free to rewrite that with more eloquence ... maybe they'll notice.

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The app is way cheaper than a standalone GPS,

 

i'm going to say it because it's starting to irritate me ...

 

NO ONE IS ATTEMPTING TO COMPARE IT TO A G.P.S.. ... in fact i could go grab a cache right now and leave all my tecnology at the house ... or if i wanted to lug around my laptop ... i have a g.p.s. for that too.

 

this thread has nothing to do with a g.p.s. at all

 

it has to do with the cost of the app compared to all the other apps on the market.

 

i have a birding app in my phone ... it has stand alone capabilities ... it has hundreds of years worth of relevant information ... it costs $9 ... there are very few others that cost more and do exactly the same thing if not less.

 

this ... is a map, a gps program ... there are (figuratively) thousands of them on the market that cost ZERO DOLLARS

 

THAT is what it's being compared to.

 

So you are comparing it to what?

A game app?

 

People are trying to compare apples and apples, not apples and cabbage.

 

Both the phone app and the GPS are used for geocaching. You cannot geocache with the angry birds game. It is not a good comparison.

 

Perhaps that's the problem with thinking this is an expensive tool. People are thinking of it like a game app, not as a geocaching tool. If you think of it as a game app, sure it's expensive, but that's not what it is.

 

I bought the official app, and I bought neongeo, and I've got some free apps. I use the official app when I need a phone app. Most the time I use my GPS.

 

I pay a lot more in batteries for my GPS than the official app.

I am comparing the cost of what it takes to geocache, so it is a valid comparison.

 

Cost of geocaching

with phone app:

Phone, already had.

App: 10.00

 

GPS: 150.00

Batteries for GPS: about 5.00 a month, depending on how much I geocache.

 

Cost of playing other games on my phone:

2.99-6.99 per game forever.

 

Comparing geocaching with playing a game on my phone?

Incomparable!!!!!

I play games on my phone when I am waiting for an appointment. It's not a regular hobby.

I geocache as an outdoor pursuit; a hobby I enjoy. There is no comparing it to games I play on my phone, so comparing the costs of them makes no sense.

batteries:

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The geocaching app is not Angry Birds Space and doesn't sell anywhere near as many copies even if priced at 99 cents. It would sell more at 99 cents, but I highly doubt it would make up the difference. Ditto for dropping it to $2.99, but I can only speculate. They price it at $10 and that either works for them or it doesn't. If it does they'll stick to $10, if not they'll lower the price. So far they haven't so I guess it's working as far as they are concerned. The Geocaching app is not something that everybody with an iPhone will buy, regardless of what they set the price to.
Exactly. If an app costs $1M to develop and sells 10M copies, then the developer can charge only $0.20 a copy and still make a healthy profit. But Groundspeak's app is nowhere near that. If it costs $1M to develop and sells only 100k copies, then they need to charge $10 a copy just to break even.

 

Products for small, specialized markets are always going to be more expensive than commodity products that appeal to the mass market.

 

Makes sense, but all speculation of course. None of us know what it cost to develop, or how many they sold. And the company itself isn't certainly hurting for money. I do know that it's been $9.99 from day one. But of coursr I'm sure you guys will just counter that that means they've sold about as many as they expected to. :lol:

 

Sol Seaker: Really only one person compared it to a game, and it was from a person in defense of the cost. I certainly never compared it to a game app. As a matter of fact, I threatened to name about 50 other smartphone apps that use the built in GPS, query online mapping, and query a website's database. OK, I'd better get out of here, before someone holds me to that. :ph34r:

Edited by Mr.Yuck
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