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should these iphone apps be free ??

  • 07-06-2011 8:19pm
    #1
    coolegrain
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 198 ✭✭


    irish rail...and garda apps


Comments

  • #2
    snappieT
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭snappieT


    Why would they? They weren't made by CIE or the Gardaí. They were made by private, enterprising, application developers who saw a gap in the market and invested time to fill it. Their return on that investment comes in the form of people buying the apps they find useful.


  • #3
    coolegrain
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 198 ✭✭coolegrain


    oh..ok then.

    i'll rephrase so...should there be a free irish rail and garda apps ?


  • #4
    snappieT
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭snappieT


    I would argue that mobile-friendly websites should suffice. The cost to, for example, CIE, to develop an application to release for free would probably be quite high, and would only target iPhones.

    The alternative would be for CIE to buy the rights to the app from the existing developer, and then re-release it for free. That's the path O2 took with their "My Account" app.

    Personally, despite being an iPhone user, I'd feel uncomfortable with CIE investing money into something only a tiny proportion of their customer base would reap the benefit of, but effectively charging everyone to use it via ticket prices. It makes much more sense to make the data available to independent developers. If you have the utility to need the app, you'll pay the €0.79.

    Of course, you could also argue that CIE would want to avoid independent app developers from potentially damaging their brand name. For example, I've written a free webapp, http://DublinBusLive.com. Too many people have credited/criticized Dublin Bus for this, even though it has nothing to do with them. What else am I supposed to call it? What if I were a terrible coder that made a mockery of their brand? What if I misreported bus times? Can you imagine an irate customer complaining to Dublin Bus for the bus leaving later that some unofficial app said it would?


  • #5
    shanered
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,117 ✭✭✭shanered


    Anything free is great!:)


  • #6
    StanMcConnell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 94 ✭✭StanMcConnell


    snappieT, that web app is great. I had been waiting for someone to make something like that. Cheers.


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  • #7
    Creamy Goodness
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,584 ✭✭✭✭Creamy Goodness


    shanered wrote: »
    Anything free is great!:)
    even herpes? although i don't think there's an app for that...yet.


  • #8
    BrianD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,221 ✭✭✭BrianD


    Don't know what the Garda app is but Irish Rail should be charging 3rd party i.e. private developers for the use of their data.


  • #9
    fox007
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,362 ✭✭✭fox007


    BrianD wrote: »
    Don't know what the Garda app is but Irish Rail should be charging 3rd party i.e. private developers for the use of their data.

    The garda app let's you find the locale Garda station and even call that station from the app


  • #10
    Gillo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,566 ✭✭✭Gillo


    I used to use the irish rail app (3rd party) and to be honest didn't find it great, the main route which I used was missing a load of times. In the end I found it a hell of a lot less hassle to just go to the website and select my route from the front page. I've never checked but surely it's easy enough to go to www.garda.ie and look up a station:confused:


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