Free Ambiance Classic available to pacify upset users

Ambiance creator Matt Coneybeare is temporarily offering a free copy of version 1.0 as a gesture of goodwill to the negative backlash to the 2.0 upgrade of the iPhone audio app.

When released last summer, Ambiance (link opens iTunes) -- along with aSleep -- introduced "environmental enhancers" to the iPhone. These apps would produce sounds ranging from rain and storms to pieces of technology to white noise. The intended effect is to drown out background noise, such as the annoying leaf blower currently being used outside my window, and let you concentrate on your work or get some sleep.

Ambiance 1.0, now renamed to Ambiance Classic, was well-received. In a review done back in August, Brett noted that some of the sounds were surprisingly good and that the application was easy to use. As with aSleep, Ambiance Classic included all of the sounds with the application. Over time, Ambiance gained features and additional sounds, swelling up to a download that was more than 50MB (Ambiance Classic clocks in at 51.1MB).In an effort to slim down the app, Ambiance 2.0 not only featured a radical redesign, but also a new way of getting content. Instead of having the sounds pre-loaded, users are directed to register for a free account where the sounds can be downloaded. The price of Ambiance also increased from 99 cents to $4.99USD (currently on sale for $2.99USD).

There are both pros and cons to this decision. Ambiance now has more than 250 sounds, and the app would just keep growing as more are included. However, it comes as a cost -- mainly for iPod touch users. The sounds must be downloaded via a wireless connection onto the device, and if you're not near a WiFi connection, you won't be able to get new sounds.

It would also be a slow process for those still on first-generation iPhones without access to WiFi to access the new Ambiance accounts. It also makes little sense to quadruple the price of the app without including some free sounds, though there is the free Ambiance Lite for people who want to give the software a try. But that also still requires site registration, access to WiFi, and limits the download capabilities just to three songs.

The move has been pretty negatively received among a good number of Ambiance users, prompting the brief availability of Ambiance Classic -- some worry that it might be the next step toward having to pay per sound downloaded onto the app. I can understand their concerns. While apps such as Ambiance have the potential to become extremely large with the inclusion of all available sounds (my copy of aSleep is just a tad over 165MB), they shouldn't be completely stripped of all content either. With the price increase of Ambiance, it needs to come with some pre-loaded content. Give users the option to download additional tracks, but don't force them to pay then register for an external site just to have the absolute basics.

Thanks for the tip, David!

Edit: Matt Coneybeare contacted TUAW to let us know that he plans an update to Ambiance 2.0 that will include several of the more popular sounds, but keep the overall app as purchased from the App Store less than 10MB. The update should be pushed to Apple next week, so it should be available within the next couple weeks. Thanks for the e-mail, Matt!

View Tags

Source: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist…

Categories

Software iPhone iPod touch

Ambiance creator Matt Coneybeare is temporarily offering a free copy of version 1.0 as a gesture of goodwill to the negative backlash to...

Add a Comment

Sign in »

26 Comments

Filter by:

Sean C.

Excelent

March 05 2009 at 1:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

glad

I wondered what all the fuss was about but I had the old version on my phone downloaded the new version and then I knew what the fuss was about. The new version sucks so I deleted it. What was the developer thinking, the one good point is that the layout and interface is superb but not right for this app. I de

March 05 2009 at 11:19 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

LifeSux

hey that's big of you bok, impose your opinions on us and then tell us you won't listen to opposing viewpoints. What are you, 12?

Why do we care what you think again?

p.s. I promise I won't read whatever inane response you come up with

March 05 2009 at 6:57 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Itai Ferber

I don't see why people are complaining at all...
I absolutely love the new interface, and everything about version 2.0!
Being able to select only the sounds I want is fantastic, and all the new sounds are just phenomenal.

Being a developer myself, I can really tell that a ton of time went into making version 2.0, and I think that way too many people are bitching about nothing.
Besides, you most likely have wifi somewhere if you bought this app (unless your only connection to the Internet is through a landline, in which case a lot of the apps on the appstore are useless to you anyway, or you could just buy a router), and you can download the sounds you want _before_ leaving your house or wherever you can get wifi. It's very simple, and nothing to really get mad over.

March 04 2009 at 8:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Wayne

The problem I had with the update was twofold. First, since I had paid for this app, it offended me that I was now required to "register" with my email address just to get back to what I had. It smacked of the same kind of bait and switch tactics that other (usually free) apps seem to do quite frequently. If I bought something I don't want to have to "register" to use it. Plus, as near as I can recall, this "registration" requirment was not disclosed when I first purchased the app. So, it seems very questionable to me to try and impose it later.

Second, I happened to have done an "update all" with a group of apps when got the new version (and also happened to be in a hotspot when I did this), so it was very annoying when only later discovered (when I checked into my hotel with no WiFi access) that the app was devoind of the sounds. The developer can make all kinds of excuses for this based on his good intentions but, frankly, I think this was a boneheaded plan from the start.

That said, it's a good move to make the original app available again.

March 04 2009 at 6:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

umijin

Wow! I got the upgrade for free - didn't notice. I saw that the icon had changed, but other than that. I just checked the app out on my iPod Touch and found that I like this system very much. Less wasted space! It's better not to have all the sounds, but a suite of those you like. Download those you want, and they are on your iPod/iPhone whenever you need them.

Good upgrade. And kudos to the developer for taking the time and money to set up a download site for the sounds - no simple feat.

March 04 2009 at 5:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Andre

Cool... some new ringtones and alarms for my iPhone...

March 04 2009 at 5:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Carlos Alberto Pinto Peixoto Bastos Santos

Strangely when I try to download Ambiance Classic from the iPhone's iTunes Store it says that "the item you've requested is not available".
Is anybody else having this problem too?

March 04 2009 at 4:48 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

David B Turetsky

Matt,
I actually like the new app over the old, but find that it crashes very often. The crash occurs usually after I have downloaded a new sound. Any advise?

March 04 2009 at 4:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to David B Turetsky's comment

Matt

I am the developer of Ambiance. Thanks for the writeup. I just wanted to say that while I did re-release this version of the app for the people who might be upset, that percentage is pretty low. I was shocked to see some of the negative reviews at first on the iTunes board, but realized that most of them are people who had not setup accounts and given the app a chance to show its true potential. After crunching all the upgrade numbers and server stats, a VAST majority of people have created accounts and are downloading sounds like crazy! The average Ambiance user download 24 sounds! While I cannot please everyone, I do hope that Ambiance Classic will satisfy anybody who does not want to create an Ambiance Account. As a final note, I hate spam too! I will NOT share your email with anybody, not even partners, as specified in the User Agreement.

Thanks,
Matt

March 05 2009 at 8:57 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Matt

Stupid 1password! Filled in my previous post haha. I would just be patient... I have identified many of the bugs and next week a new version will be out. The specific issue you are seeing is one I am working with an Apple Engineer on solving as it has to do with internal object allocations that are not released properly.

March 05 2009 at 8:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

rosenkrieger

Ambiance (Classic) was one of my favorite and most used apps on my iPhone. Then the 2.0 Update came and BOY - I was in love - again. Eventhough you had the option to delete sounds in the old version I always felt - boy I wish there was another sound.

With the 2.0 you get a huge collection of free sounds and I can select, preview and finally download only the sounds *I* want on my iPhone.

At first I was a bit sceptic about the register to download - but I can understand it. If anyone could just download sounds I bet alot of downloads would NOT come from iPhones but some people that just do it with their browser.

I am hoping for some speed updates (for the App itself) and then I am an even happier camper than I already am

March 04 2009 at 4:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply