Some changes for Marvin

[kguil]

Marvin is celebrating its first birthday! During this year, Marvin has been updated almost once every two weeks and has clocked in over 360 new features and enhancements. Many of these features were your brilliant ideas and suggestions - thank you!

Based on overwhelming feedback, I’ve decided to simplify the product line and adjust pricing to make Marvin accessible to more readers.

In short:

• Marvin for iPhone is becoming a Universal app (same version will work on iPads too).
• The new Universal version requires iOS 6 or better.
• Marvin for iPad-only is getting one last update before becoming unavailable to new users on the app store.
• Marvin for iPad users should migrate to the Universal version.
• To help you with this transition, Marvin will be free for a very limited time.
• Existing Marvin for iPad-only users who do not migrate to the new Universal version can still download it in the future from the “Purchased” section of the App Store.
• I have prepared a tutorial on a very simple process to migrate your library and settings to the new version.

Important details:
Detailed explanation of this change.
Migration guide.

[Philantrop]

Congratulations, Kris, it was a spectacular first year and thanks for a brilliant reader!

[kguil]

And thank *you* for all your support!

[chilady1]

Kris - it might be me but I am not seeing the Universal Marvin version in the app store. My iPad only version just updated, however, when I do a search I don't see the other version. Am I missing something?

BTW, CONGRATS on Marvin's 1 Year Anniversary. This is hands down my favorite app! It has made reading such a joy!

[fireland]

Same here in the Argentina store.

And a hearty congratulations and thanks for the very best ereader available!

[institute]

OK. Had Marvin for iPad and bought the 5.99 theme pack to support development. About a week ago I bought the iPhone version for 5.99 and again bought the theme pack for it, at 5.99. So I paid the full load.

Now I have updated to the new Universal version of Marvin but it wants me to pay for the theme pack again? Is there a way to restore one of the two the packs I have already purchased? Thanks.

[chilady1]

UPDATE

So if you go into the App Store and do a search - I only got back Marvin (i-Pad only) version. When I went to Marvin's blog and followed the App store link from there it provided Marvin (free edition) which I believe is the new Universal edition of Marvin.

Hope this makes sense.

P.S. Back up and migration to new version worked flawlessly!

P.S.S. One of the themes I purchased with my old version of Marvin is not downloading to the new version, any thoughts? It says tap here to restore your previous purchase, I did. Entered my Apple ID I used to purchase the theme. I get a message back that says, "Your previous purchases have been restored. Thank You!"

When I go a tap the purchased theme (navy blue) it shows a lock on it still.

[Faterson]

Originally Posted by institute

OK. Had Marvin for iPad and bought the 5.99 theme pack to support development. About a week ago I bought the iPhone version for 5.99 and again bought the theme pack for it, at 5.99. So I paid the full load.

Now I have updated to the new Universal version of Marvin but it wants me to pay for the theme pack again? Is there a way to restore one of the two the packs I have already purchased? Thanks.

Do not worry; you will not be charged again. (Kris might let you know details, but you can restore your purchase 100%.)

Originally Posted by taguntumi

What I would love to see is a move away from the library is on the device to a model where Marvin is a viewer of the library in a cloud storage location

Great idea. Absolutely: the cloud is the future. I regard keeping all books locally on a device (never mind if iPad or iPhone) as obsolete. Instead, I keep all my books in Calibre, and Calibre's Library is mirrored in the cloud in my SugarSync account. I only load a few books into my Marvins (and their libraries) on demand.

Originally Posted by chilady1

When I went to Marvin's blog and followed the App store link from there it provided Marvin (free edition) which I believe is the new Universal edition of Marvin.

Nope, the free version should be a different one. App Store can be pretty chaotic for a few days whenever changes like these occur, so we might need to give it some time until everything settles down.

Congrats to Kris on the baby Marvin's 1st birthday! There's still a long way ahead in improving the app, but even in its current state, it is, hands down, the finest e-reader software I've ever encountered on any platform.

[JBaby]

Congrats!!! I'm so happy Marvin is a universal app! The backup and restore via Dropbox was flawless!!! The update was perfectly timed because I got a Retina mini yesterday! I haven't been able to restore my beloved Hollywood Pink theme yet though. However, I was able to get the Cool Blue theme.

[kguil]

@chilady1 - Could be that the update hasn't propagated thru the app store - here in Malta "Marvin" is not turning up either. Give it another couple of hours (it will still remain free by then).

You can get the direct links from marvinapp.com

@institute - If you bought the theme pack on iPhone you just have to tap "restore purchases". i.e. purchases in the iPhone version are valid in the Universal version.

JBaby - Unfortunately, Apple do not allow sharing in-app purchases between apps. I really wish I could do something about it but I really can’t. The Universal version is the same “product” as the iPhone version so if you have themes there, they will work.

[Faterson]

Ah! So those of us who purchased the theme pack only on the iPad, have lost the themes, right? They can still be used in the original Marvin for iPad version, but not in upcoming universal Marvin releases.

Well, that's regrettable, but if that's how Apple set the App Store rules, we can only accept it.

By the way, folks, I'm keeping both of the Marvins on my iPad! It's kind of cool, to be able to have 2 Marvins running on a single iPad; it means you can have 2 books open in Marvin at the same time, or the same book in 2 different locations! That's the next best thing following split-screen, which is not yet available in Marvin or generally in iOS.

[ngrant]

Could not find it by searching - only the current version is found. But click on the Related tab and there it is!

[JBaby]

Originally Posted by kguil

JBaby - Unfortunately, Apple do not allow sharing in-app purchases between apps. I really wish I could do something about it but I really can’t. The Universal version is the same “product” as the iPhone version so if you have themes there, they will work.

I have the universal app in both my mini and my 5s. My pink theme won't restore on my mini. It should though because it's the same app and the same Apple ID. And even if that weren't the case it should still allow me to buy it as though it were a theme I had never purchased.

[Faterson]

Originally Posted by JBaby

I have the universal app in both my mini and my 5s. My pink theme won't restore on my mini. It should though because it's the same app and the same Apple ID. And even if that weren't the case it should still allow me to buy it as though it were a theme I had never purchased.

Exactly. It could be a temporary App Store glitch. I've seen this happen in other apps. For example, I had purchased a graphs add-on for my financial software on iPad 1, but after I got iPad 3, the add-on refused to restore for me. (The paid app itself was restored fine.) It took the developer's intervention until I (and other users experiencing the same issue) got my add-on back for free.

[chilady1]

Originally Posted by Faterson

By the way, folks, I'm keeping both of the Marvins on my iPad!

Great idea but way to confusing for me to keep them both straight!