Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MobileChat 3.1 Update Released!
- Thread starter TheSpaz
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
This is pretty awesome. I emailed the support address about a refund, stating that I had uninstalled it a few times trying to get it working and all sorts of stuff, and I get this
You are partially correct. I wouldn't say the $16 is for the development of the BeeJive application (yes, you are correct in that there are games that might have taken longer and maybe even more complex) as much as it is for the development of the server. When they pay for the server, they don't get a server that works exactly like they want it to. They have to program the server. And programming a server, fixing bugs, seeing it crash with the added iPhone users (instead of just the Blackberry users) can be even more complex and time consuming than a game.
Keep in mind that for a game, they release it, then they go and sort through the thousands of emails complaining about bugs. They fix them, then submit the update.
Not only does BeeJive have to do that, but while they are fixing the application itself, they also have to constantly manage the server. So they have the application developers, support staff, server maintenance, and server developers. Games only have application developers and support staff. And if BeeJive is paying by hour, they have four departments they have to pay at least $6.50 for instead of games which are only two departments.
I never said it was a necessity - its far from it.. But to say its expensive and not worth it is a blanket statement that shouldn't be made. Maybe its too expensive for YOU, but for some of us, the convenience of an application that works as promised, right from the start is worth a mere $16.00.
MSN and AIM actually work at the moment. Well, sorta. Anywho, I love the interface much more than the other bright colours and wavey lines available for children in IM and Beejive.
This is a MobileChat thread. Go talk about the price of BeeJive in the BEEJIVE THREAD. It is all relative whether or not it is worth $16. If you can get the same satisfation from Palringo for FREE, then BeeJive is NOT worth $16. If you need BeeJive like you need crack cocaine, then it may be worht $16. No matter what, BeeJive is still by far the most expensive app of its kind. I hope that Trillian or another company makes a kickass app for $5 and BeeJive loses all of its customers. That would be a treat! For now, just agree to disagree as to whether or not BeeJive is worth $16. Are we all done now? Thank you!
Now how is MobileChat running?
Now how is MobileChat running?
Are you still using the iPhone even though firmware 2.0 was buggy as hell and didn't work as promised? Did you subscribe to MobileMe only to find that it didn't work initially? So did you give Apple, a company that is well established but screwed up and didn't fess up right away to their screwup?
This company was obviously going through growing pains. They had a chat app for jailbroken phones that worked well. It's obvious that many more people purchased the app than they expected. They didn't handle it well because they should have told people that they were working to improve the app and adding more servers! But it's a catch 22 because if they give everybody refunds, they won't be able to buy the servers to improve the app!! Did Apple refund your money when the iPhone was buggy and freezing all of the time? BeeJive has been in this business for a while. It is likely that it had problems as well when it started its business. And BeeJive is still the most expensive IM app in iTunes. That is a fact!
It may be true that the MobileChat devs won't be able to make a perfect product. But I know that their chat app functioned on jailbroken phones. So it is possible that the issue was that they didn't have enough servers or that the servers weren't functioning properly. All that I know is that competition is good. And if BeeJive becomes the only IM app in iTunes, that is a negative.
Now if you bought the app, of course you should use it. And those who call others fools should look at themselves to determine if they are perfect. They would probably find out that they are not.
This company was obviously going through growing pains. They had a chat app for jailbroken phones that worked well. It's obvious that many more people purchased the app than they expected. They didn't handle it well because they should have told people that they were working to improve the app and adding more servers! But it's a catch 22 because if they give everybody refunds, they won't be able to buy the servers to improve the app!! Did Apple refund your money when the iPhone was buggy and freezing all of the time? BeeJive has been in this business for a while. It is likely that it had problems as well when it started its business. And BeeJive is still the most expensive IM app in iTunes. That is a fact!
It may be true that the MobileChat devs won't be able to make a perfect product. But I know that their chat app functioned on jailbroken phones. So it is possible that the issue was that they didn't have enough servers or that the servers weren't functioning properly. All that I know is that competition is good. And if BeeJive becomes the only IM app in iTunes, that is a negative.
Now if you bought the app, of course you should use it. And those who call others fools should look at themselves to determine if they are perfect. They would probably find out that they are not.
Well to start with their Jailbroken app was simply a GUI frontend to libpurple (open source IM library to connect to the different IM services) so is a completely different beast to the always on server architecture they are attempting with MobileChat 3.
Also building up to release someone asked about scalability and they replied that they had written all their server side code with scalability in mind and they could easily handle the load. Then the rest of the saga needs no further commentary...
Try and find another app store developer that has blatantly lied to its customers like the mobilecrap guys have and literally perpetuated a fraud on its customers for this long, knowingly selling a product that they even admitted in one of their blog posts, knew it didn't work. You would be hard pressed to. Maybe fool is not the right word, perhaps ignorant is a better description of those who continue to defend mobilecrap. What the mobilecrap guys have done and most likely will do is indefensible. The fact that there are "fanboys" of mobilecrap even today despite the fact that they had a non working app for 6 weeks is unbelievable. I suppose building a cheap pos app for only $3 will buy that type of loyalty.
Exactly. In the beginning they mentioned the number of downloads they expected when the app would debut -- I don't remember their estimate exactly, just that it was SHOCKINGLY low. Like mind-numbingly-naive-and-out-of-touch-with-reality low -- and just about anyone with even an ounce of common sense would realize they were nowhere NEAR prepared. Such a bone-headed move from the get-go makes me think they'll never be fully prepared, or quite understand the magnitude of what it takes to run the kind of program they think they want to run. They are clearly amateurs in the way they run their business on just about all levels. That may be ok for one of the various flashlight apps, or other simple stuff that's out there -- but for a fully-featured all-in-one IM client that wants to achieve an unprecedented "always-on" status, you can't rely on amateurs to ever do the job well.
diesel, you really got burned - haha! I rarely use IM apps, and I purchased MobileChat because I used the jailbroken version a few times, and the jailbroken version ran well. If these guys lied, then they didn't do the right thing. I am far from a "fanboy", and I couldn't care less about this app in particular. I just like competition, and I want to see more good IM apps and fewer flashlight apps. 
)
If they don't know what they're doing, then they should hire somebody who does. It seems like it's working for some people now, so maybe they were able to rectify the problem or it may be that, since there are fewer people using their app, the servers are no longer overloaded and can work properly.
People can choose to use the app or not to do so, obviously. If the MobileChat guys screwed up, then they should fix whatever is not working and apologize. Again, I am in favor of competition; and I want to see as many FUNCTIONING IM apps as possible so that developers produce better products. I am neither a fool nor an ignoramus for the statements that I make. I am a proponent of free markets and healthy competition.
)If they don't know what they're doing, then they should hire somebody who does. It seems like it's working for some people now, so maybe they were able to rectify the problem or it may be that, since there are fewer people using their app, the servers are no longer overloaded and can work properly.
People can choose to use the app or not to do so, obviously. If the MobileChat guys screwed up, then they should fix whatever is not working and apologize. Again, I am in favor of competition; and I want to see as many FUNCTIONING IM apps as possible so that developers produce better products. I am neither a fool nor an ignoramus for the statements that I make. I am a proponent of free markets and healthy competition.
Well, I'm sure they figured that with Palringo, IM+, and AIM out before theirs and all free, that not many people would pay $2.99 for a chat application (not to mention the iTunes reviewers at the time...expecting every single application to be less than $5.
Why ?
You actually bought both?
And somehow, actually prefer MobileCrap out of the 2? Hmmm...I gave up. I've gotten MobileChat to log in once in the last 1 (2?) month. Whenever it did work it just never lasted long, the app always felt like a glitchy beta/alpha even when it logged in. Now I have been planning on buying Beejive, just not until my next paycheck. Today I changed my mind. Bought Beejive, and deleted MC!
beejive is working great isn't it??
Not one problem. Works great anywhere. Just needs an image upload feature
. The ONLY thing I miss from MobileChat. But actually having a working app is niver.
Not one problem. Works great anywhere. Just needs an image upload feature
yes, indeed.. when i first got beejive, i was like this is what the application is suppose to be..
how many people did mobilechat exactly rip off? seems like there is tons of people who downloaded MC!!
Ugh. I've been a MC supporter since day one...actually, since before day 1 - going back to the pre-appstore days.
But wow, what a colossal screwup it's been since Appstore.
I'm really trying to stay positive...I really am, but as of this past weekend I gave the MC guys a personal 2 week deadline to get it right or I'm requesting a refund and jumping ship.
I've been one of the most patient people out there so far as MC goes, but if they haven't figured it out within that time period I'm going to have to believe that it's never going to work right, or if it does, it's going to take a simply unacceptable amount of time to accomplish.
As it stands I'm finally able to connect to AIM again (really the only client that matters to me due to a legacy of Hiptop/Sidekick use previously) but it's still flaky at best - friends on AIM say I'm not online when I am, friends who are online don't show online on my end (when I'm actually supposedly online!) and other bizarre things are going on. Add to that the broken/disabled SMS new-message alert (which is one of the most important features until push is released!) which seems to have no timeline for being re-enabled, and I'm just loosing faith.
But wow, what a colossal screwup it's been since Appstore.
I'm really trying to stay positive...I really am, but as of this past weekend I gave the MC guys a personal 2 week deadline to get it right or I'm requesting a refund and jumping ship.
I've been one of the most patient people out there so far as MC goes, but if they haven't figured it out within that time period I'm going to have to believe that it's never going to work right, or if it does, it's going to take a simply unacceptable amount of time to accomplish.
As it stands I'm finally able to connect to AIM again (really the only client that matters to me due to a legacy of Hiptop/Sidekick use previously) but it's still flaky at best - friends on AIM say I'm not online when I am, friends who are online don't show online on my end (when I'm actually supposedly online!) and other bizarre things are going on. Add to that the broken/disabled SMS new-message alert (which is one of the most important features until push is released!) which seems to have no timeline for being re-enabled, and I'm just loosing faith.
MOBILECHAT DEAD??? seems like they havent updated their blog for ages, which really doesn't seems like mobilechat style!!
they usually goes, "update around the corner", "server update", "stability fixed", "fixing this part of MobileChat". "hired new staff", "got advises from professionals","REJECTED again", and back from the start..
these clowns have so many excuses when i think about it..
seems like they havent updated their blog for ages, which really doesn't seems like mobilechat style!! they usually goes, "update around the corner", "server update", "stability fixed", "fixing this part of MobileChat". "hired new staff", "got advises from professionals","REJECTED again", and back from the start..
these clowns have so many excuses when i think about it..