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mygmrs


drk1970nj

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What happened to the idea of ios ? Guessing no one is making the app 

My understanding is that there is a MyGMRS app, (I have it on my phone) however it is basic as Rich is the only one working on it, not to mention he is maintaining the site, a linked server, weekly nets, as well as a full time job and his family. Rich is doing a lot and so some projects will take some time.

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I’d like to add the following comments, not about GRMS per se, but related to the OP’s suggestion about writing an iOS app when there is already a myGMRS.com Android app out there (which I have, and I use, and I like a lot).

 

I am a member of a few local car clubs, and as a computer programmer by trade (retired now), I wrote and still maintain their websites.  When the need for mobile apps arose, I researched how to do it for them.  The following points are what I discovered, and may be appropriately superimposed on top of the suggestion of writing an iOS version of the myGRMS Android mobile app:

 

1 – Market Share

In my research (at the time, circa spring 2020) I found that market share for Android vs. iOS mobile apps were somewhere around 77-87% Android, to 12-23% iOS, and <5% Windows (the number changes all the time, so it doesn’t seem add up to 100%).  Now in fairness, last I checked, iOS market share was gaining on Android, but it is slow and still had a LONG way to go to be close.

 

2 - Cost

Android Studio (AS) development software is open-source and is free to download for use on a Windows PC. I downloaded it to my existing laptop PC and it runs just fine.  I hooked my smart phone via USB for testing.  So, using AS for free, my existing PC, existing monitors and existing smart phone, I successfully developed two Android mobile apps for almost* no additional cost.

 

For me to have developed my same two apps on iOS, I would have had to research, choose and then purchase an iOS development tool (hundreds of $), purchase a new Mac (thousands of $), probably learn a new programming language (thousands of $ in lost time), and buy a new iPhone (~$700-$1200).  EVERYTHING Apple sells is grossly more expensive than their Windows and Android counterparts.  It's not even close.

 

*In fairness though, I did have to upgrade my Windows PC memory to 4GB (cost about $25) and register as an Android application developer ($25).  So there’s that.

 

3 - Political

As people continue to use Apple products, remember that Apple has always been proprietary (remember when the Feds asked Apple to help them crack terrorist’s cell phone encryption, and Apple said no because it was an intrusion on their privacy?).  (I hesitated including this point, but the political aspects of Apple are hard to ignore now given the culture they and our political leaders have imposed on us against our will, JMHO). 

 

4 – Efficacy

And finally, by writing an Android app first, one would clearly capture most of the need, as I did, and at a much lower cost and time to market.  AND, subsequently one may find that an equivalent iOS app just isn’t needed (who doesn’t… even iPhone owners… now own an Android tablet?)

 

In conclusion, after writing my Android apps, I did get a few people asking about providing an iOS version.  But unless my time constraints diminish and market share and costs change significantly, I just don’t see how to justify it.  I can't speak for anyone but myself, but regarding an iOS version of myGMRS, great, if Rich has the time, money and desire to do it.

 

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At one point Rich had the apple logo up there for download then after the National network was in place it was gone and you could only download for android so kinda figured he gave it up so I remember the message sent out about it coming if he doesn’t have time he doesn’t just thought I ask

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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