An alternative to Handango

We continually get requests from customers and potential customers to consider an alternative to Handango. Believe me, we were always on the lookout for a good fit for us. Pocketgear is unsuitable for a few reasons, but the biggest barrier in my mind is that while Pocketgear has contacted us twice about selling products there, they never answer our replies for more information. That can't bode well.

There have been other potential shareware site, but either they didn't have suitable payment methods for international developers, or they wanted too much control over graphics - which would be handy if you make software and you don't want to bother making pretty thumbnails, but making things pretty is what Juni does. :) Likewise there have been shareware sites making promises of customer support in multiple languages that we would not be able to deliver. In other words, if a non-English, Swedish, or Finnish-speaking person contacts us for support, judging from our instructions and our site, they know we probably don't speak their language. That's ok, we (the customer and ourselves) try our best to meet halfway, and so as the customer you know that going in. Now imagine if what you purchased was represented to be in your native tongue, and come to find out when you need help, it's not. Yikes.

So knowing all that, as some of you may be aware, things are slowly starting to come to a head as to aggro against Handango. Have a look at the case of Omnisoft if you haven't seen it already, if you'd like to know why. We also experienced some hostility from Handango the other night. My plan had been to post the entire email exchange, but since the Omnisoft case has come to light, Handango has instituted a "this email is confidential" warning into all of their communications. Now one could make the case that those aren't worth the time it took to create it. However, in Handango's own terms, they don't need much of an excuse to cancel your account.

Suffice it to say we got a nastygram that was over-the-top, and out of left field. I have a theory that a lot of little guy developers received the same nastygram. No one is saying anything because your account may be canceled.

So, encouraged by the policy of fear, we're in the process of adding Mobihand as an alternative. Mobihand's not perfect - they aren't too well known yet, and they lack html support in product descriptions (A must for skin suites!). But what they lack in features they make up for in service. Behind the site is one main guy, Dave, and Dave has been completely hawesome thus far. We're not the only ones to notice either. Pocketpcthoughts and Aximsite have both switched to Mobihand as their storefront.

We've made the choice to not close down the Handango store, but if you want an alternative, you've got two. :-)

So far, Black & White and Sci-Fi are up. The others should be appearing throughout the weekend.

Comments

[Jolt]

Excellent! I'll go set up an account right now. By the way how is the new skin going?

[Plainsong]

Right now the skin suite has sort of stopped. It's not for good. It's only until he completes another freelance project for a software company. But between the new project and re-doing all the graphics so that they can fit into a space only meant for 6 screenshots, he simply doesn't have time unless he's at the computer for 24 hours a day. :(

Once he completes the project, work will resume on the new skin suite. :)

We still have the download hosting, the Mobihand store is just another purchasing option for those who need instant downloads. :)

[Marisa Whitfield]

Just a thought, but you might want to try and see if Mobihand add a new section called skins in the themes section.

This would help differentiate between a theme and a skin, which might be confusing to some new users. Seems like a good site though, and have registered there, ready!

[Pocketdoc]

I hope Mobihand works out and you are able to drop Handago. They have become the Mafia of download sites. For you and for us. I still can't believe that we have to pay an extra $6 each time we purchase software JUST for the priviledge of redownloading it in the future. I will NOT use them again.

[Plainsong]

Marisa, they only have one other skinner there besides Juni, so there's probably not a huge need to have a skins section yet. However, if customers expect something of a site, you should absolutely let them know. It would hold more weight I think, since we're sellers in this case, not buyers. :)

As for the "protection" - our account can now be canceled just for talking about it, but umm, yeah, just proves the point. Hopefully people will be happy with Mobihand. :)

[alex w]

I've also recently found http://www.syncpedia.com
Very new but the developer system looks very promising. Maybe prudent to support more then one so no single site gets too powerful :).