
IOS productivity app market on the cusp of change? - ananddass
http://blog.inkmobility.com/post/57166187459/ios-productivity-app-market-on-the-cusp-of-a-major
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napoleoncomplex
The displayed workflow is horrendous. And that's just one aspect of the sub-
par experience of doing "real work" on pure touch screen devices.

The poll sums it all up nicely. What users want is real multitasking, a
keyboard, and features that are on a desktop. Seems pretty clear that the
users don't want an iOS/Android device, they want a laptop/desktop with a real
OS. No app can solve that, no matter how much funding it gets.

~~~
drewying
Isn't this the dream of the Microsoft Surface and similar tablets? Give them
multitasking, a keyboard case, and boom instant productivity.

I personally just think it comes down to screen real estate. Small screens are
hard to do anything productive. I still remember trying to type up a paper in
college on an Acer netbook. Even with a full "laptop experience", it was a
horrible and scarring experience.

~~~
phaus
One of Microsoft's biggest failures is that the keyboard is useless unless
you're sitting at a table. I wanted a surface pro, until the keyboard covers
were revealed.

I suspect that most people who really wanted a hardware keyboard (lots of
people don't even want them) for a mobile device will agree with me when I say
that if your keyboard case requires a table in order to be used, then you may
as well not even have bothered to try.

I purchased a Clamcase Pro for my Ipad, and it's absolutely amazing. I have
fairly large hands, but I can still type on the device in a manner that's
completely natural and comfortable, at about 90wpm. I've used several
different netbooks, and they all felt cramped in comparison. So far, I've
completed dozens of essays and reports on the device. I even use it for some
light web development. The best part, however, is that the case can actually
be used like a normal laptop.

If IOS had better productivity apps, a decent multitasking system, a file
system, and sublime text, it would be the best computer I've ever owned.

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aroman
I agree with the statements presented by the article (i.e doing real work on
iOS sucks), but I don't really see what the title of the article has to do
with its content.

What led them to draw the conclusion that the productivity app market is on
the "cusp of change"? I see only an explanation that the market has a systemic
and fundamental problem -- not that there is any definable change in sight.

~~~
ananddass
Sorry, I should have added more references in that connected the dots better.
A lot of capital and talent is flowing into solving the problem. Thus, we are
likely to see some big shifts. \--$4 billion invested into "business/office"
software on iOS since 2010 [http://readwrite.com/2013/06/25/a-new-golden-age-
of-producti...](http://readwrite.com/2013/06/25/a-new-golden-age-of-
productivity-software-is-dawning#awesm=~odhsmjHc92SgR7) \--Mailbox's exit to
Dropbox \--Quip openly calling for a change to the word processor
[https://quip.com/blog/introducing-quip](https://quip.com/blog/introducing-
quip)

~~~
aroman
Ah, thanks for the followup. So basically the point is that people are
recognizing the problem isn't just a growing pain of early mobile adoption,
but rather is a serious and fundamental problem that needs lots of money and
effort to tackle (but which offers correspondingly massive rewards, they
expect).

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unknownian
I'm unsympathetic. The only thing that held back non-Apple mobile platforms
was the app ecosystem. The Play Store has definitely caught up with the App
Store. Even if you don't think it does, the versatility of Android really does
beat that of iOS.

iOS isn't going anywhere for the general populace, but I see little benefit
for its use in the tech community.

I'm not one of those "iOS is a toy for idiots" detractors, but not even iOS7
delivered on some really requested features. If we have to pine every year for
Apple to build something bloggers keep asking for, is this the kind of model
for a software platform that we want?

~~~
rimantas
What did Ford say about people wanting the faster horse?

~~~
unknownian
People are more knowledgeable now; Apple isn't always right.

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orky56
To get someone to pay, you need to prey on their impulses. Games accomplish
this with instant gratification and addiction. For productivity apps, people
can justify a purchase because their productivity is worth at the least that
price. These are typically pay per downloads and then involve a user to switch
to a completely new system. I wouldn't be surprised if engagement & retention
are very low despite these high revenues.

Disclaimer: I'm working on a productivity app.

~~~
orky56
Based on some early customer development, I have found that people who want to
be productive go on a spree of gathering too many productivity tools around
them. As I mentioned earlier, some people feel productive just by getting a
productivity tool. So even if a user has downloaded the app, they now have to
migrate their existing items and start to fully incorporate this new tool into
their life. It's much easier to purchase and download a tool than to actually
dedicate their lives to it.

So from that perspective, I would say retention and engagement are low since
not many are willing to put the time and effort to do that tool justice.

~~~
ananddass
aaah Ok. Its easy to buy something but hard the switching effort and learning
effort is higher so retention is lower. Interesting.

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robterrell
I use a bluetooth iPad keyboard (the logitech one, with the smart cover
magnets) and it made me much more productive on the iPad for emails and note-
taking, but the next immediate problem is a near-total lack of inter-
application communication. URL Schemes are a blunt, primitive, under-supported
tool.

The final problem was round-tripping. i.e. if I work on a slide deck in
Keynote for iPad, which is pretty fabulous as a stand-alone, and then take it
to the desktop (via many steps as described in the linked article) to edit it,
there's a ton of minor differences in the slides that are infuriating to deal
with.

Even worse: iPad 3 + logitech smart cover keyboard = thicker & heavier than an
11" MacBook Air.

I expected Apple to fix the IAC issue with remote view controllers, and hoped
they'd offer a smart cover keyboard to counter the Surface, but WWDC rolled
past without any news.

Apple did expend a lot of effort to solve problems no one actually had but
would help guarantee platform lock-in (i.e. SpriteKit). Sigh.

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tenpoundhammer
Better app switching and text selection would solve a lot of the complaints.
Users can already get a physical keyboard for their iDevice, but standard text
selection and editing is incredibly annoying. Also alt-tab to switch
applications plus a group of apps that are "running" would make life good.

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drcode
iOS gives priority to ease of learning over efficient workflow for power
users. I agree this gave them a HUGE advantage early on, but as users become
more sophisticated in using mobile devices this "priority to beginners"
philosophy is going to let Android slowly eat their lunch.

~~~
uams
iOS7 is already doing that. It's switching from skeuomorphic buttons to just
typography.

This doesn't address your larger point, given that the switch to lines doesn't
mean that they're bringing advanced functionality yet, but it's a sign that
they are willing to trade away easy of learning.

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slaven
I'm finding myself using my iPad for certain type of work a lot more with a
keyboard attached. Apps like HaikuDeck are simply better at what they do than
any app I have on my Mac, and with OS X app Type2Cell I can use my Mac
keyboard to control the iPad. (both highly recommended)

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krmmalik
A really good assessment of the situation. I really enjoyed the qltv and qtv
analysis - but this being HN part of me was hoping there was an actual
solution.

For me personally, the keyboard is the most frustrating, second to lack of
cross-app integration.

~~~
ananddass
Yes. The keyboard problem is a big one. It was so painful that I had to buy a
bluetooth keyboard just to work with my iPad. That's a hard one to solve until
apple comes up with something better user input device. (e.g. thalmic labs,
leap motion etc).

After I bought my keyboard, the next problem I hit was the inter-app
communication issue you raised. That's a software problem and solvable.

~~~
krmmalik
Is there a particular bluetooth keyboard you recommend?

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coldcode
There is no such thing as a tablet or phone that is exactly the same as a
desktop or laptop computer. Surface claimed to be that solution but no one
wants them. Small screens don't work for productivity apps like spreadsheets
and word processors no matter the platform. If Apple came out with a 15" iPad
it wouldn't be an iPad anymore it would be an Air. One device can never fit
all needs no matter how much you want it too. You can whine about not being
able to put freight in a tiny sports car but that's what a pickup is for.

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Ethan_Mick
I feel that the article highlights an interesting problem, with some good
insights. For me, building a productivity app that charges perhaps, $5-$10,
may be worth it. But it would have to solve the _entire_ problem, not just one
step of their flow diagram. I can't make an app that is good at just editing
the document, I should also include the other essential steps the user needs
to do once done editing (or before). But this adds to the complexity...

Also, I figured small screen size would be a bigger issue, but that doesn't
seem to be the case.

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awolf
Typing is such a widely voiced complaint because _it 's new and difficult at
first and requires practice_. Instead of putting in the effort, almost
everyone assumes the virtual keyboard paradigm is broken and simply throws
their hands up in the air in frustration. It baffles me.

Typing on the iPad virtual keyboard is fine. Just like when you were learning
to type on a physical keyboard, it takes practice up front. I can easily type
50 WPM on the virtual keyboard, and I'm not alone. See also: my app TapTyping.

~~~
taude
After two years, I disagree with this. I have to consistently concentrate on
the physical act of typing and not what I'm trying to write.

~~~
awolf
Then you're doing it wrong.

Either you don't use proper typing style on a physical keyboard (all 10
fingers, each responsible for a specific set of keys), or you haven't put the
effort into adapting that typing style for virtual keyboards.

Typing is about training your muscle memory for each finger for each keystroke
it could possible be responsible for. Once your muscle memory is trained, it
becomes a subconscious skill that you should not need to concentrate on.

The fact that this muscle memory is being used on a virtual keyboard vs. a
physical keyboard does not matter whatsoever. The same concept applies.

Edit: email me adam@flairify.com and I'll give you a free download for my paid
typing trainer app. It works.

~~~
turtle4
Your response accounts only for one piece of the experience, which is the
muscle memory. Perhaps you move like a robot, and muscle memory is enough for
you to precisely strike the small tap targets of a keyboard, but you are off
target to tell someone they are wrong based solely on that.

Tactile feedback is a big advantage to physical typing which allows you to
know your fingers are in the right place prior to making a keystroke. Without
it, you don't know until after the touch has registered. Ignoring that and
saying it amounts to nothing is short sighted at best. Even beyond that, there
are plenty of people who aren't that coordinated and/or stable, period, which
amplifies this deficiency.

Additionally, this doesn't account for the fact that in most scenarios, the
person using a mobile device is, in fact, mobile, and may not have a flat,
stable area to place the device, but rather they are balancing it on their lap
or holding it with one hand and typing with the other. Nor does it capture the
fact that when you have the device in your lap, the screen isn't going to be
at an ideal angle to view at the same time.

So sure, the same concept applies, but to pretend that the experience isn't
inferior is just turning a blind eye to reality, imho.

~~~
awolf
I agree that tactile feedback is an advantage to physical typing. I'm not
ignoring that aspect when I say that virtual keyboard typing _is fine_.
Virtual keyboard typing is not as fast as physical keyboard typing. I type 80
WPM on a physical keyboard and 50 WPM on my iPad. It's slower... but fine.

My response to taude still stands. If you constantly need to concentrate on
the act of typing then you need to train your muscle memory.

~~~
rogerchucker
Or buy a Macbook Air.

~~~
taude
Big fan of the MBA.

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visarga
After trying iOS7, and being an iPhone user since its inception, I finally had
enough. I switched to Android and now I am in love with my new phone like I
was with iPhone 1 back in the day. Shit like "no file system" and no ability
to change the default apps for various actions are why I left. It's too
stupid.

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Ologn
> A number of productivity software startups are creating great new apps that
> are mobile-first, solving specific problems like...spreadsheets (Grid).

I'm not sure why they call Grid a spreadsheet. It has very little of the
functionality that a typical spreadsheet has.

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erso
I found this article completely unreadable due to Helvetica Neue Light body
font. The Helvetica Neue Ultra Light header is also ridiculously unreadable.

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msie
inkmobility.com is selling developer products that may solve some of the pain
points that they talk about.

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goronbjorn
The font in this post isn't legible at all.

~~~
ananddass
Yikes. Fixed the fonts to make it more readable.

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AsymetricCom
Productivity will only become better once users regain control of their
hardware. Apple will only let its customers be a fraction as productive as
they are internally.

