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Totally Frustrated...


stevieboy11
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Hi,

 

I would have bought the amplifie, but as android user I will buy another product. I can't understand it...

 

You loose so much money and  I#m sure it wouldn't be a big problem to create an android app.

 

Obviously there is an apple deal. I have lots of line 6 products...now I feel really not at home here any more...

 

Stevie

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This is the issue with a product such as a guitar amp, which should have a life of 10-15yrs+ being committed to some random piece of technology.. Its a case of designing something that is trendy and cool vs something for long term practicality.

 

Over the last 2 years Android has become the predominant mobile OS and the gap is going to increase.. but in 5 years who knows?.. something completely different could emerge.

 

I am not suggesting that IOS should not have been supported, but if, as a manufacturer you are walking this technology path you need to be ahead of the curve in adopting technologies...

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Sounds like YOU made a mistake, not Line 6.

 

Really? A £250 Amplifier that can only be used properly if you get a £250 3rd Party device to act as the editing screen. A seriously overpriced £250 (or a lot more)  device from a company that charges as much as it can get away with (http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/apple/3490362/apples-scandalous-ipad-storage-rip-off/) in order to trap people into their infrastructure so they can keep paying and paying..

 

I would understand it if software on the Apple device actually did something with an audio stream because achitecturally the iPad has low latency audio support that Google haven't been bothered with, but in this case we are only talking about exchanging the equivalent of MIDI controller data.

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This is the issue with a product such as a guitar amp, which should have a life of 10-15yrs+ being committed to some random piece of technology.. Its a case of designing something that is trendy and cool vs something for long term practicality.

 

 

Well that's just it...imho, Amplifi is being marketed to a completely different customer base. Companies are in business to make money, and if they don't embrace the wants and needs (however odd they may seem) of the people who have the money, they won't be in business for long. In this case, I believe they're going after lifetime members of the Latest and Greatest Gadget Club, most of whom aren't going to keep any one piece of technology for even 2 years, never mind 10 or 15. I don't think longevity was ever part of the equation. This thing was built for the gamer generation that wants something new every five minutes, and who will quickly get bored with it, and move on to the Next Big Thing...whatever that may be...which should be hitting the shelves today, just after lunch.

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Really? A £250 Amplifier that can only be used properly if you get a £250 3rd Party device to act as the editing screen. A seriously overpriced £250 (or a lot more)  device from a company that charges as much as it can get away with (http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/apple/3490362/apples-scandalous-ipad-storage-rip-off/) in order to trap people into their infrastructure so they can keep paying and paying..

 

I would understand it if software on the Apple device actually did something with an audio stream because achitecturally the iPad has low latency audio support that Google haven't been bothered with, but in this case we are only talking about exchanging the equivalent of MIDI controller data.

Whatever your thoughts on this are, they are just your thoughts.  If its not the gear for you so be it!  Apparently it is the right gear for a lot of people because it is getting good reviews and seems to be selling well.  We have discussed the Apple vs Android issue on multiple threads and it isn't going to be resolved any time soon IMHO.  There are tons of good music production and guitar processing apps on iOS but not a single one on Android.  Why do you think that is?  Nobody wants to make money?  There has to be something fundamentally wrong with the Android platform in this regard or someone would have cracked that nut and be making a ton of dough.  It may come down to the Open Source basis of Android versus the tightly controlled iOS.  Nobody wants their code hung out for all to see.

 

Either way, if you don't like it, don't buy it!  Why bash something that is not built for you?  Line 6 builds one product for a different market segment and all of a sudden you feel rejected?  How about enjoying what you have...

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I know there are audio processing apps on iOS; as I said that is simply because of latency. But the Amplifi App is not an audio processing system it is an editor, all it has to do is send and receive controller data which any android device is more than capable of doing.

I am not bashing Amplifi at all - I would buy one tomorrow for my daughter but not if it is tied to Apple products which outside of North America are a significant but minority section of the tablet market.

What is wrong with telling Line 6 why I their new product makes no economic sense?

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What is wrong with telling Line 6 why I their new product makes no economic sense?

 

My mistake earlier, I crossed your post with the OP...  I just don't see how we are in any position to say what makes economic sense for them...  I am certain if there was a profit to be made without some big downside that we aren't seeing they would be all over it...

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Perahps there is some exclusivity deal with Apple no one knows about...they (Apple) seem to absolutely adore having a captive audience and proprietary everything. If they could figure out how to patent air, we'd all get sued for breathing.

 

I have no idea if this is actually the case, but maybe there's no Android app because both parties agreed that there would never be one...wouldn't surprise me.

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I do mobile software development, however, I will only develop for iOS. Why? Because it is a royal pain in the neck to develop for Android--just waaaay too many hardware devices that you have to test on and too many different app stores you have to upload to. Developing for Android is just not worth it -- minimal ROI.

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I do mobile software development, however, I will only develop for iOS. Why? Because it is a royal pain in the neck to develop for Android--just waaaay too many hardware devices that you have to test on and too many different app stores you have to upload to. Developing for Android is just not worth it -- minimal ROI.

 

thanks for a rational explanation...  everyone wants to make money, if it was possible, it would be done already...

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Android--just waaaay too many hardware devices that you have to test on and too many different app stores you have to upload to.

 

100%, that was what I was thinking. Apple makes Apple hardware, and they are the only company making Apple hardware.. There are several companies making hardware for Android, and they are all a bit different, even within the same company - like Samsung, LG, etc.

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I do mobile software development, however, I will only develop for iOS. Why? Because it is a royal pain in the neck to develop for Android--just waaaay too many hardware devices that you have to test on and too many different app stores you have to upload to. Developing for Android is just not worth it -- minimal ROI.

I hate to say this, but my next mobile phone/tablet/computer may well be iOS devices for this very reason.  I LOVE Android for many reasons, but the fractured user base and device base and OS level base out there makes being a CONSUMER hard enough, let alone developing for it.  I am a developer myself, albeit windows and mostly SQL Server but still -- I know a PITA when I see one.

 

The thing I have a hard time with about iOS devices is their owners more often than not anyway.  Not big on elitists

 

*Disclaimer: This is MY opinion and YOU can't have it.

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I don't have a lot of disposable income so when it came time for me to buy an amp I could gig with I went with a Spider IV 30 with a handful of on-board effects which meant I didn't have to spend a lot on pedals. I got a lot of flak from purists about playing through digital models/effects but for $99 on eBay I think I got a good deal.

 

After a while I started to feel limited by this set up so when Amplifi came along (I already had an iPad) it was actually a huge step up. If I hadn't already owned an iPad I probably would've just passed this one by, but I did so I didn't. I'm a happy "early adopter" but not because I just go out and buy every new thing. This amp has everything I need (and then some) so use it and I like it!

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I believe:

 

Apple has learned from Nike's many experiences and similar irrational human behavior that great majority of people in the world are very gullible and can be easily manipulated and they are easy to advantage of, so they based their business strategy on this human behavior (sneaky but that's part of their marketing strategy and so far it worked). Most people in this forum have iPhone and iPad and take advantage of features they have that are not available in Android devices like high end audio and video capabilities but how about those moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas and teenagers who just make phone calls, send text etc...? Any android device costing much less would do what those people are using these expensive devices for.

 

I believe Apple makes financial or design or both contribution to companies like Line6 and many others that make iDevices and prohibits them from providing support for other OSs for a certain amount of time. Want proof? The non functional USB port on Amplifi is the proof. And also the fact that all the docking iPlayers in the market are now obsolete because all new ones work with Bluetooth wirelessly not with a foolish dock and we all know Bluetooth has been around for quite a while. I bet all people who jumped and bought those iPlayers feel betrayed and wish they never purchased those foolish players; I say that because we repair so many of them a week for dock failure and not audio failure. But I don't think Line6 will or can afford to abandon Amplifi buyers with new design therefore they will release an app for Android. Writing an app for Android to do something simple as remote control is not a rocket science and no different from writing one for IOS and more than likely there is one on the works already.

 

Some members on this forum are talking about Line6 being in business for money that's why they decided to cater to iDevices! Since when alienating more than 1/2 of potential buyers is good business decision.

 

Line6 will release Android apps for this amp when time comes because they are in business to make money. They may even do it sooner that they planned because these amps are already collecting dust in the warehouses; either the price has to come down or they have to come up with an Android support and I believe smart business dictates the latter.  Used Amplifi 150s go for as low as $320 already  :)   (what does that tell you?) this would not have happened if Android app was available.

 

 

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(apologies in advanced for insomnia induced semi-rant ;) )

. Most people in this forum have iPhone and iPad

 

Interesting (fact?)

 

 

 Writing an app for Android to do something simple as remote control is not a rocket science and no different from writing one for IOS and more than likely there is one on the works already.

 

Because Java and Objective-C are nearly identical?

 

Granted, writing a remote app is not as complex as an audio processing app, but there's still the Android fragmentation nightmare.

 

 

 

 Want proof? The non functional USB port on Amplifi is the proof.

 

That's some pretty airtight proof, for a conspiracy theorist.

Here's more proof:

http://opensignal.com/reports/fragmentation-2013/

 

 

(end of semi-rant)

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I believe Apple makes financial or design or both contribution to companies like Line6 and many others that make iDevices and prohibits them from providing support for other OSs for a certain amount of time. Want proof? The non functional USB port on Amplifi is the proof.

 

Some members on this forum are talking about Line6 being in business for money that's why they decided to cater to iDevices! Since when alienating more than 1/2 of potential buyers is good business decision?

 

 

 

On the surface it would seem that it's not...but as you also pointed out, if there's some sort of exclusivity deal with Apple going on behind the scenes, then whether or not alienating Android users is a "good business decision", is a moot point. If your supposition is correct, then they have no choice.

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I don't see the USB  port as proof of anything other than they put in some hardware that they eventually plan to write code to support.  If that's proof then I am missing something.  My Take on this and it's not based on facts is that Line6 had to make some choices of what platforms to support when they introduced this new product.  If it were me I would pick Apple too based on how well they handle apps.  I do hope they continue to expand the range of support to include PC and Android.  I will wait to buy until they support PC since I never intend to have any Android products.

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  My Take on this and it's not based on facts is that Line6 had to make some choices of what platforms to support when they introduced this new product.

 

That would be my take, pretty sure they wanted something for NAMM 2014.

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I'm pretty much the opposite of a conspiracy theorist, so I don't tend to read into things just because I am angry.  As far as my phone goes I recently switched to an Android device (Note 3).  I just wanted something a little more customizable in the device I carry everywhere and I actually like it. It's something a little different, there are things I miss but the big screen makes up for it. 

 

That said,  I still have an ipad and mackbook pro and will never leave the apple platform for the things I use those devices for.  Why? because they work and they last.  People go on about the cost of Apple devices, but do they really cost more?  When I was using PC computers I had to get a new one every two years, and during that time I would have to reformat and reinstall the OS a couple of times because it just gets so bogged down, what a PITA.  I bought an imac (my first foray into the apple world) in 2007 and my MacBook pro in 2011 both still working as well today as the day I bought them.  So in the end did I over spend?  I buy one MacBook Pro as opposed to 2 or 3 other crappy notebooks.  And in the meantime I have a much better user experience.

 

Ultimately I don't think it's a back door deal with Apple that is going on and I don't think it's got anything to do with Line 6 going out of their way to alienate potential or existing customers.  I think it's simply that they want this stuff to work as advertised and they feel confident that it will with a company where the hardware and software is made by the same company.  It's really that simple.

 

I don't consider myself an elitist and considering the above points I don't think Apple devices are overpriced.  And I don't think Apple is trying to sucker people in or use mind control or any of those things.  They just make stuff that works and some people like that and are willing to pay for it.  Computer based devices are fickle and prone to problems so Apple makes closed platform devices because that gives them the best chance at rolling out consistent problem free products.  You seldom see people going from Apple back to PC.  I took the chance with the Note 3 because at the end of the day I tend to change my phone every 2 - 3 years anyway, so what's the risk?

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Line 6 is doing it right. Android is not the OS to bank on.

 

1. Android OS need to support to many devices. It never gets polished as OS go's.

2. This is the big one Apple will keep there OSX. Samsung is going to dich the Android OS for there own Tizen OS. This is not the first time Samsung has diched an OS platform. So if Samsung pulls out of the Android market, Well there go's better that 50% of the Android market.

 

I would bet that we will see an Android app as well as a PC, Mac app in some time. 

 

BTW I Do own both OSX and Android devices. And have from the beginning. Right now its a 5s, iPad Air and Note 8.

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