Droid Life Calls Instapaper "Unaffordable"
Kellex, Droid Life:
Instapaper, the uber popular iOS “reader it later” app, received a major update on Android today. I’m still not sure why people wouldn’t go with the free and equally as impressive Pocket for their “read it later” app of choice. But choices are never a bad thing, even if the developer thinks Android is the slums of the mobile Earth, will never match the polish of iOS, and that you probably can’t afford his app. He would like to thank you all for your support, though, because you’ve helped make updates like this possible.
I'm embarassed to say that I was a fan of Droid Life in its early days, when I was a Droid user, and before they went with that awful pink theme.
But seriously, who can't afford a measly $2.99? I paid $4.99 for the iOS version two years ago, and it was worth every penny. Since Marco has to pay server costs every month, I think $4.99 for two years is a really good deal.
As a side note, when I was on Android, I paid $5 for a Twitter client and $8 for a podcatcher. There are fewer paying customers on Android than iOS, so quality apps tend to cost more.
It remains to be seen how Pocket will eventually bring in revenue, and believe me, their investors are going to demand it sooner or later. I like Pocket, but I trust Marco. I've used his products, listened to his podcast, and even done business with him.
Of course, many Android users want to paint him as a jerk because of his straight talk about Android economics. That doesn't makes him a jerk, it makes him honest.