There are two differences between this app and the Seeing Eye app. First, this app has more substantial ongoing costs per image. The developer needs to pay someone every time an image is identified. If they are using the source I learned of a couple years ago, their cost is somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5 cents per image. However, no matter what the source, they are paying, have paid this entire time, and donated their services as a charity to the blind users. They expected certain usage, and were caught out by the very high demand for which their budget did not count on.
The Seeing Eye app's development, on the other hand, was funded by the Seeing Eye. The company pays an annual subscription to access the internet map database which they use. Most of their POI sources are free. Therefore, they are earning a high premium for their service, which does not provide much more than the standard GPS navigation app. Their audio description algorithm is a one-time, fairly high developmental cost, but is most likely not as significant of an ongoing cost. Second, and illustrated by the above, TapTapSee generated good will amongst the community by providing their service for free, at obvious ongoing cost to them, without making this fact well-known. I only learned how much it was costing them at the beginning of last year because I found their KickStarter campaign where they published the fact, to the funding development community, as part of the reason they were seeking funding support for development costs for what was going to be a free app. The developer of The Seeing Eye App, on the other hand, used to charge $1500 for its specialised GPS navigation apps and programs, with annual update fees that cost a couple hundred dollars. When they put out their LookAround app, they charged three times what other apps of its type do, and provided significantly less information in many areas, but they capitalised on the fact that they develop specialised GPS apps to help the blind. As I recall, this was in their App Store description. After much fan-fair touting the fact that The Seeing Eye was significantly funding their development costs, they put The Seeing Eye app out for a higher cost than any of the apps which place maps locally on the iPhone, for an app that requires using internet-based maps. Considering that these maps are provided free or very low cost by other companies, The Seeing Eye developer is banking on their name in the specialised field to charge as much as they can get away with (perception of gouging the market). I personally do not believe the Seeing Eye is gouging the market that much, though I do believe their prices are significantly more than necessary for them to remain viable. However, I do not perceive their add-on algorithms as significant enough of a difference above the standard accessible GPS navigation app. I know this is partially do to the sour taste left in my mouth from the LookAround experience. David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA Email: [email protected] Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 Sent from my iPhone > On 11 Nov 2013, at 2:35, "Peter Logan" <[email protected]> wrote: > > It saddens me that the developers have decided to move to what I consider to > be price gouging, just my opinion. It also amazes me that this community > doesn’t seem to mind this time. However, wen the Seeing Eye GPS came out > with their model many on this list were outraged. > > Am I in no way asking for something to be free, however if you are a heavy > user of the product and go with the monthly subscription, you will be paying > $120/year, as far as I know that would be the highest price of any blindness > specific app. I would have rather they just go with a $4.99 or even $6.99 > price for the app and call it good. My most used app, MLB At Bat only cost > $19.99/year and I use that multiple times every day. I would have rather > seen a yearly subscription in that range. > > Hopefully they will reconsider the pricing model in the future. It is an > awesome product, however I believe it could be priced better. > > Thanks for listening. > > > Peter > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google > Group. > > Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. > > Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. > > Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing > [email protected]. > > Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing > [email protected]. > > More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting > http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VIPhone" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing [email protected]. Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
