Anyone develop apps (Android/iPhone) or used someone they suggest?

[dougdirt]

I have an app that I would really like to get made, but don't write the code to create the app.

So, does anyone here create apps for both platforms?

Or, has anyone had an app made for them before and have a company they could recommend for me to look into?

[bigredmechanism]

I program in Java but I have been in need of a reason to develop an app for some time. (I have the tools to make one, just never actually got around to doing it.)

I can give it a shot if you'd like.

[dougdirt]

I have two guys I am in contact with currently about it. I am more in the 'gathering information' stage of things, though for the most part I have the app drawn up in terms of what I want it to have, look like and so on. The one part that may be less than fun is that it will probably require some database work as it will compile information that users submit. I foresee that part being the more difficult part of things. Do you have any experience with that?

[bigredmechanism]

Not really, sadly. Picking up some database stuff here and there, but I doubt I would be of much help with that sort of thing atm.

[dougdirt]

Looks like I need to get into the iPhone and Android app making market.

Last week I had a consultation with a company about my idea. The guy I spoke with said that it sounded 'rather simple and easy'. I was honestly expecting a quote in the $2500-3000 range for both the iPhone and Android platform. Today I got the quote in for just the iPhone platform.

$21,250.

That is $125 an hour at 170 hours. How on Earth does anyone actually make money selling apps? For everyone one app that makes money there have to be thousands just losing money head over heals if these prices are anything close to accurate.

[pedro]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

Looks like I need to get into the iPhone and Android app making market.

Last week I had a consultation with a company about my idea. The guy I spoke with said that it sounded 'rather simple and easy'. I was honestly expecting a quote in the $2500-3000 range for both the iPhone and Android platform. Today I got the quote in for just the iPhone platform.

$21,250.

That is $125 an hour at 170 hours. How on Earth does anyone actually make money selling apps? For everyone one app that makes money there have to be thousands just losing money head over heals if these prices are anything close to accurate.

I'm a software developer. A lot of apps are developed by the people who have the idea so they aren't paying "retail" prices for development, which is what you are doing here. You could conceivably find someone to do it for a cheaper rate (or for a cut of the action if it's a really good idea) but to be quite honest it's virtually impossible to anything of any complexity for $2500-3000. Any reputable software house is going to charge almost that much just to write up decent specifications for a system that has any complexity.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by pedro

I'm a software developer. A lot of apps are developed by the people who have the idea so they aren't paying "retail" prices for development, which is what you are doing here. You could conceivably find someone to do it for a cheaper rate (or for a cut of the action if it's a really good idea) but to be quite honest it's virtually impossible to anything of any complexity for $2500-3000. Any reputable software house is going to charge almost that much just to write up decent specifications for a system that has any complexity.

Well it looks like I will just be going to the library and learning how to write this crap on my own. Those prices are freaking ridiculous.

[pedro]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

Well it looks like I will just be going to the library and learning how to write this crap on my own. Those prices are freaking ridiculous.

Then do that if you have the time and think you can. I'll be interested to see how it turns out for you.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by pedro

Then do that if you have the time and think you can. I'll be interested to see how it turns out for you.

I know I can. The time part is the issue. But, the app isn't one that won't work next year, so it isn't a time sensitive issue.

[pedro]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

I know I can. The time part is the issue. But, the app isn't one that won't work next year, so it isn't a time sensitive issue.

I have a feeling that it's going to be a little harder than you think to do this "crap". That doesn't mean that it's not possible for you to do it yourself, it is if you're willing to put in the time and have an aptitude for it, but it's definitely not as simple as you seem to think.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by pedro

I have a feeling that it's going to be a little harder than you think to do this "crap". That doesn't mean that it's not possible for you to do it yourself, it is if you're willing to put in the time and have an aptitude for it, but it's definitely not as simple as you seem to think.

I know a little bit of coding already in a few different languages, so I have some kind of background to begin with.

[westofyou]

What's the workflow for app development? Does it get designed and deployed in a desktop environment and the go through a battery of user testing before it is thrown on a hand held device? Or does he get developed on the target device and tested there?

Does testing target just the two phones or pads and other hand held devices?

Lots of questions should be asked before one line if code is written us my advice

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by westofyou

What's the workflow for app development? Does it get designed and deployed in a desktop environment and the go through a battery of user testing before it is thrown on a hand held device? Or does he get developed on the target device and tested there?

Does testing target just the two phones or pads and other hand held devices?

Lots of questions should be asked before one line if code is written us my advice

Are you asking how I am going to go about it or how the company I talked with was?

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

Are you asking how I am going to go about it or how the company I talked with was?

More about how it would be done really, and what the workflow is... I spend my work week asking product managers questions like this

Many times they haven't thought about it beyond WHAT they want to happen in the application

I can see several ways to approach it, agile or waterfall

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by westofyou

More about how it would be done really, and what the workflow is... I spend my work week asking product managers questions like this

Many times they haven't thought about it beyond WHAT they want to happen in the application

I can see several ways to approach it, agile or waterfall

Well, here was part of the presentation I got back with the information from them:

Design | iPhone
• UI/UX Wireframes
• Design Concepts (3 rounds)
• Screen Designs (3 rounds)
• Icon Design
Hours - 40
iOS Development
• Application Development
• Tag Comments
• Share; FB Twitter
• API integration
• QA and Testing
• Deployment Setup
Hours - 80
Back-end Web Development (Community Sharing)
• Server stack configuration
• Database and object model design
• API development
• PHP, MySQL
Hours -50

If that helps some. I am sure it covers some of it, but probably not all of it.