Red Dwarf Soundboard app for the iPhone

[Jonathan Capps]

So, anyone tried this yet? Jo downloaded it for her iPod Touch and apparently an app that consists of buttons and sound clips requires the latest ‘generation’. How convenient for Apple that simple apps require people to buy their newest hardware.

Topic

[John Hoare]

It requires a 2nd Gen iPod Touch with the latest OS update, doesn’t it? That’s not the latest – the iPod Touch is in its 3rd generation now.

And the 1st Gen iPod Touch doesn’t have a built-in speaker. So there wouldn’t be much point in a soundboard app on that…

[Andrew]

> How convenient for Apple that simple apps require people to buy their newest hardware.

…what with them coding the app and everything.

Oh no, wait. It’s just that the app designers chose to create it that way. Kinda like a PC game choosing to go with a more recent graphics card. Something you can apparently blame on Dell.

I’m all for useful crit and out-calling, but come on…

[Jo]

Not sure if I have a 1st or 2nd gen model, but I do have the latest OS update and it doesn’t work on my iPod Touch.

Edit: just double checked and mine is a 2nd Gen.

[John Hoare]

Edit: just double checked and mine is a 2nd Gen.

Hmmm. It should work, then, according to iTunes:

“Compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch (2nd generation)”

Something weird going on!

[Jo]

I’ve tried syncing it up a few times it just keeps telling me that Soundboard is not compatible with my iPod. Bah :o(

I suppose it’s only a little over a pound and it’s supporting GNP, but still – I’d like to be able to use it!

[Jonathan Capps]

> ?what with them coding the app and everything.

I know they don’t, but they do have very tight control over every line of code, don’t they?

I know it’s very unlikely this is a deliberate, especially since it seems it SHOULD work on any iPod that has speakers (although that doesn’t mean someone wouldn’t want to listen to the soundboard on earphones or, more likely, over speakers. Maybe) but Jo’s definitely up to date, so I assumed it not working was by design.

[Jonathan Capps]

> Oh no, wait. It?s just that the app designers chose to create it that way. Kinda like a PC game choosing to go with a more recent graphics card. Something you can apparently blame on Dell.

Did certain games developers choose to make their game only run on Vista when it came out, or do you think Microsoft had some sort of hand in that? Also, new games actually do exciting and forward moving things, and a soundboard is essentially buttons and noises.

I don’t think it’s an entirely preposterous accusation.

[Andrew]

See John’s post re. something weird going on. Common sense now, conspiracy later.

[Jonathan Capps]

I think suspicion of a company pushing its latest hardware is more a theory than a conspiracy, but fair enough.

[Andrew]

But since the Apple has had so many public issues with app designers, don’t you think “We’ve been ordered to make our app less backwards compatible despite the harm this will do to our sales and it working fine on all generations of hardware” would have spilled out? Most other other issues have.

Just saying that going anti-Apple out of habit isn’t really necessary. There’s plenty to beat them with that’s known and acknowledged without jumping to conclusions about stuff that’s only ‘most likely’ if you believe that there’s been some sort of a hush-up campaign.

[John Hoare]

For what it’s worth, the iPhone OS SDK is deliberately designed to not force the use of the latest hardware – and you can automatically enable and disable features of the application depending on what hardware the app detects it’s running on.

[John Hoare]

In fact, if I can digress for one moment – Apple *does* have quite an aggressive policy when it comes to upgrades. This hasn’t shown through with the iPhone OS yet, but Snow Leopard, the latest version of Mac OS X, only supports Intel-based Macs, not Power PC-based systems. And Intel Macs only appeared in January 2006, with the whole line (XServe aside) having changed over by August 2006.

Now, of course, this does encourage hardware sales – and seeing as Apple makes most of its profits through hardware, it’s not exactly going to be unappealing to them. But it’s more than that – making Snow Leopard Intel-only means cutting HUGE swathes of Power PC-only code. Which makes the OS smaller, easier-to-maintain, and consequently less buggy and bloated. It also means they can push the backend technologies further, and faster, than if they were maintaining huge chunks of old code for older systems. And say what you like about Windows v. OS X, but it’s true that a lot of the problems Microsoft have been having with Windows have been down to ensuring backwards compatibility, and a bloated codebase.

OS X’s approach to backwards-compatibility is probably *too* aggressive for some people, mind. I like it. In the end, though, it’s all down to compromise – how much you value your backwards compatibility against all the other benefits being ruthless has to offer. And there’s no one right answer.

Anyway, sorry, nothing to do with the topic in question!

[redhead85]

Topic in hand: indeed I downloaded it for my iPhone. Nice little intro, glad you can skip it though! The range of quotes is pretty good, it has my favourites in there. However, I’ve found it to be rather tempermental. Sometimes it will flash up with the still image but not play the quote!

[Ian Symes]

I was shocked and appalled yesterday when Jo told me she had to *pay* for an OS update on her iPod Touch. Cunts.

[TheLeen]

Got the app. It looks great but doesn’to do much for me.

Somehow I’d hoped for sounds, not quotes. From doors and weapons and monsters and swirly things. Like the soundboard in Jill of the Jungle. :D And maybe some of the music cues from the DVDs.

[Andrew]

> I was shocked and appalled yesterday when Jo told me she had to *pay* for an OS update on her iPod Touch.

That’s part of a legal requirement to do with the accounting. The upshot of which is that iPhone users get the update for free, because they’re contracted, but they can’t offer it to Touch users that way.

[The PerformingMonkey]

It’s sad that all some people can do is whinge whinge whinge. Is all.

[Ben Paddon]

Of course, we reach this wonderful state of Zen cynicism when people end up having a whinge about people having a whinge.

[John Hoare]

That?s part of a legal requirement to do with the accounting. The upshot of which is that iPhone users get the update for free, because they?re contracted, but they can?t offer it to Touch users that way.

Yep – more here:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/09/accounting-rules-change-could-end-ipod-touch-update-fee.ars

[Joey TORDFC]

I’ve got the app.

Few glitches (got a test screen if I go ‘back’ from page two), think they could have taken some inspo from the Alan app. Otherwise good sound quality.

[Jonsmad]

What is point. App?

[Author]

Replies