Tweetie 2.0 [$2.99 - iTunes link] is the second generation release of one of the iPhone’s most popular Twitter clients. According to developer Atebits, it’s also a ground-up re-write — it even has a snazzy new gray, single, cut-out bubble icon to prove it — the only thing 2.0 having in common with 1.0 being the name. I’d argue that point — they’re also both darn good Twitter clients, and they both share a price of $2.99.
That’s right. Since Apple doesn’t (yet?) provide a mechanism for upgrades (which to many developers means incentive and to many users means discount), and since in-app purchase can only add content, not replace an entire app, Atebits is packaging Tweetie 2.0 as a whole new app. And they’re charging the same price. In other words, whether you bought the first Tweetie or not, you’ll have to buy Tweetie 2.0.
We were going to post some long preachy editorial about Tweetie 2.0 being a paid upgrade but it looks like everyblog and their siblingsite has already done that. So here’s our quick take:
We’re buying it, and happily. We asked developer Atebits why they went the route of a new app vs. an in-app purchase, and the response is worth quoting:
If all I were adding were features, then the in-app purchase route would have been an option (but then again, if all I were offering were features, I’d probably release it as a free update). Tweetie 2 is a fresh start, 100% rewritten, shares no code with the original . The only thing they have in common is the name.
So bottom line, Apple doesn’t (yet?) provide a mechanism for paid upgrades, and in-app purchase allows for more content, not for replacing an old app with a whole new one. So, yeah. This is the option Atebits took, and it works for us. New great app, same great price. And it is a great app, one which took considerable time and effort to make, and we want to support that because we want the developer to be successful enough to make Tweetie 3.0 just as big an update next time.
Sure, scale factors into that — $3 is a no brainer, so if you ask us what we’ll do if a GPS app wants $100 again next year, well… We’ll light those torches when and if we come to them.
Tweetie 2.0 is one hotly anticipated Twitter client update, and developer Atebits has finally let the lid off just what features users can expect:
iPhone 3.x only
Full persistence
Full offline mode
Drafts manager
Send drafts to Birdhouse
Link Twitter contacts to Address Book
Threaded conversations
Nearby integrated with imbedded maps
Geotagging support
Saved searches to sync with Twitter.com and Tweetie Mac
@people picker
Recent hashtags
Multiple attachments manager
Peek gesture for replies
Landscape support
Profile editing
Improved gesture shortcuts
imbedded email
New-style re-tweet support
Refresh all on launch
TextExpander support
Read it Longer and Instapaper integration
Go-to-User, searches autocomplete
In reply TwitLonger
Reply chain list view
Short URL preview
Tweet translation
Block/follow from multiple accounts
And — wait for it — Atebits claims it’s kept Tweetie’s trademark iPhone-like UI concept:
Every single one of these features fits naturally into the user interface, none adds unnecessary complexity. It’s arguably even simpler than Tweetie 1, all while being vastly more powerful.
While Tweetie 2 for Mac will be a free upgrade, Tweetie 2 for iPhone will be offered as a new app for $2.99. It’s in its final beta now, with plans to submit it to Apple this week. After that, all that’s left is the approval process.
. The only thing they have in common is the name.
