One (really) last update for Marvin iOS 5 + iPad users

[At_Libitum]

Well, at least if it updated on an iPad with iOS 7.x, how weird it may be, at least it offers the possibility to also update your iPad 1 on iOS 5. I assume.

Just transfer from iPad X to iTunes and then push to the iPad 1...?

[kguil]

Yes. That sounds like it would work.

[crashnburn]

Originally Posted by Faterson

Same situation for me now here as well. Successful update on iPad 3 running iOS 7, but only the "Item no longer available" popup notice on iPad 1 running iOS 5, despite the same version being offered for download (2.5.4).

See. This is what I was talking about. Now, I was not doing anything wrong, was I? (Sorry I was unable to post these screenshots).

Originally Posted by At_Libitum

Well, at least if it updated on an iPad with iOS 7.x, how weird it may be, at least it offers the possibility to also update your iPad 1 on iOS 5. I assume.

Just transfer from iPad X to iTunes and then push to the iPad 1...?

I do not have one. How do I go about this?

[crashnburn]

So, I was not dreaming. There is an issue when the updates were not going to iOS 5 devices when the app was taken off the store.

Originally Posted by Faterson

It's a total mess:

• On iPad 3 running iOS 7, the most recent version shown in that "Purchased" section is still 2.4, so nothing to do there.
• On iPad 1 running iOS 5, the first 2 Marvin versions offered in the "Purchased" section are the two that are not eligible, Marvin Universal and Marvin Free. On the sixth page of apps, there is Marvin for iPad, version 2.5.4, but tapping the "install" icon brings up the pop-up error "The item you are trying to buy is no longer available".

Kris, what about making the Marvin for iPad installation file available for us to download separately outside the App Store? I think I'd be able to install it using iFunBox, which offers an "Install App" feature even for non-jailbroken iDevices. It may be that I'll have to enter my App Store access data when trying to run a Marvin installed that way for the first time, but entering my own App Store access data as a one-time measure would be no problem, of course.

iOS is really an insult to human intelligence, besides looking fug-ugly since iOS 7, too. The only thing holding me back from switching to Android immediately (especially on the phone), is that apps like (especially) Marvin and Mailbox are not available on Android. If they were, I'm switching away from iPhone right this minute.

Originally Posted by kguil

If I make any app available outside of the App Store, Apple will get very angry at me. For them it's one of the biggest no-no's.

To try and fix the problem I even (re)made the iPad-only version temporarily available to everyone in all regions for free (so the update propagates to all App Stores) but still it's a hit and miss. I'll write them for advice, though I'm not hopeful I'll get a satisfactory answer (they're off on holiday shut down soon).

Originally Posted by Faterson

You're looking at the wrong version, mariospad. There will be 3 Marvins shown to you on your iPad 1, although 2 of them cannot be installed. You need to find the "Marvin for iPad" version. I found it hidden on the sixth page of apps in the "Purchased" section, but it refuses to load, anyway ("no longer available" popup).

Originally Posted by mariosipad

I hate to admit it, but you are 100% right! Perhaps I should have cleaned my glasses before I attempted to update?

I also get the error: "no longer available" on the iPad 1 with iOS 5.

On my iPad 3 with iOS 7 I had no problems updating (the iPad only version) a few days ago.

[At_Libitum]

Okay guys, granted that this stupid 'no longer available' msg is what keeps you all from updating. (@crashnburn, sorry, if you haven't got another device on which it does update then that method won't work of course.) I face the same msg but somehow the installed version still got updated.

Kris? I was thinking, I still have an iPhone 3G, and if I try downloading an app that will not run on 4.2, I get asked sometimes if I want to download an older version that is still compatible with iOS4.2.

Would this perhaps be a method available to you so that folks would just need to try download the latest official version (i.e. the universal one), then get told that it is not compatible with their iPad1 iOS5.x and get offered to download the last iPad only version instead? (or is this one of those hairbrained Apple schemes that is only available for old iPhones?)

[robin58]

Originally Posted by At_Libitum

...then get told that it is not compatible with their iPad1 iOS5.x and get offered to download the last iPad only version instead? (or is this one of those hairbrained Apple schemes that is only available for old iPhones?)

No that usually is available for iPad1 owners too provided they have at some point installed the app but just hadn't updated it. If you've never installed the app you don't get necessarily get prompted on an iPad1 for the last functioning version (I found this out the expensive way with the NYTimes app).

It seems the issue here is that iTunes/Apple sees the 2.5.4 version as the new app (no longer free) version instead of an update to the 2.4 version and iPad1 owners have never had the opportunity to install it seeing as when it went to a paid app, it was 6.0 and later.

[Faterson]

No improvement here, either; on iPad 1, I'm still getting the "Item no longer availble" error pop-up. Of course, I could easily resolve this by copying the required install file from iPad 3 and installing it on iPad 1 using iFunBox, but for now, I'm leaving it "as is", for testing purposes.

Seeing as it's definitely Apple who screwed up here, I don't see how Apple could possibly fault Kris for simply making the installation file available for download from his website.

The real point, though, is that iPad 1 is an ancient piece of machinery by now, 4 years old soon. It still works fine for me (and that's amazing!), but one should not expect too much from it these days. As to anyone not willing to pay the symbolic $2.99 for the superb software that Marvin is, they should go jump in a lake. For testing purposes, Marvin Free is more than sufficient.

[At_Libitum]

Originally Posted by Faterson

The real point, though, is that iPad 1 is an ancient piece of machinery by now, 4 years old soon. It still works fine for me (and that's amazing!), but one should not expect too much from it these days. As to anyone not willing to pay the symbolic $2.99 for the superb software that Marvin is, they should go jump in a lake. For testing purposes, Marvin Free is more than sufficient.

I think in this case it isn't so much a 'not willing to pay' situation as more an 'I don't have a device on which the pay version works' situation for those folks wanting to get there last working version updated too. And then it suddenly becomes a question of willingness to shell out a couple of hundred bucks for a newer model iPad. Changes the picture slightly doesn't it? Better throw some life support in the lake after them

Originally Posted by Faterson

Seeing as it's definitely Apple who screwed up here, I don't see how Apple could possibly fault Kris for simply making the installation file available for download from his website.

Big chance it wouldn't work even if he did. When you install an ipa from a location that has not gone through the regular iTunes/device download, it isn't signed with your account details (or whatever Apple uses to tie it to your account), so it won't get accepted on a jailed device. I still have an old copy of Stanza lying around which I also downloaded someplace else, it too will only install on my 3G if I jailbreak it, even when using something like iFunBox.

[crashnburn]

Hmm.. Any fix? Maybe I should PM KGuil or Faterson for the .ipa :P and be done with it - atleast for the ipad 1 - However long it survives / until I can spend for a new device.
So KG.. I guess there is no "easy" way out here?

PS: Is there some way I could do this.. by buying and returning a new iPad device that is more capable? Or borrowing someone's un-initiated/ activated / firmware refreshed iPad and then do this? What steps would I have to follow for that?

[Faterson]

Well, believe it or not, but Marvin 2.5.4 -- the iPad-only "old" edition we've been waiting for -- just popped up in the regular Updates section of the App Store on my iPad 1. The download and installation went smoothly, at long last. So, it took many weeks, but finally it's there. You might take a look there, crashnburn.

I'd be happy to send you my IPA file, but like At_Libitum mentioned, it would only work for you if you entered my Apple ID data on your device. It's a silly system devised by Apple, but then, iOS is a silly operating system (ugly, too, since iOS 7), so we just need to live with it. (Or switch to Android, which I'm likely to do pronto, as soon as apps like Marvin and Mailbox are available there.)

(I was able to install Stanza everywhere as long as it was my own IPA file that I authenticated by inputting my Apple ID data. I think the IPA file would work on any other device, too, as long as my Apple ID data were input there when the app is run for the first time. In this way, I think it's possible to share apps with family members or close friends who can give you temporary physical access to their device, so that you can type in your Apple ID data. I haven't tried doing that, but apparently that's the silly way it works -- triply silly for free-of-charge apps!)

[kguil]

I've made the iPad-only/iOS 5 version available on the app store for 24 hrs (see my other post) so people who had trouble finding it in the "purchased" section can get the latest and last version. I'll be removing it later today.

[Jessica Lares]

The IPAs have your username embedded and can be authorized to be used on up to 5 devices.



You can dump your apps into another device not registered to the same account, but it's going to want you to enter the password every time you try and install an update. iOS devices can only use a different username every 60 days as far as I understand it. You can get by this limitation by doing it on your computer instead.

My brother and I used to do the sharing thing until iCloud came about. I would advise people against doing that these days because people have so much trouble deactivating it without multiple hard resets.

There is a way to do this stuff with a jailbreak, but that is not a suitable discussion for MobileRead.

[adrian1944]

Kris

Thank you

I will contact the person concerned

This is not a case of being unable to find the app but of having restored an iPad 1 to factory to pass on, therefore there is no previous purchase

adrian

[Faterson]

It happened to work out fine for me, but 24 hours may be too short a time-frame... I usually only check out the "Updates" section once a week or so. It was pure lucky chance I happened to notice Marvin there on iPad 1 yesterday. A time-frame like 14 days should cover everyone.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Faterson

It happened to work out fine for me, but 24 hours may be too short a time-frame... I usually only check out the "Updates" section once a week or so. It was pure lucky chance I happened to notice Marvin there on iPad 1 yesterday. A time-frame like 14 days should cover everyone.

I do not believe Kris intended for anyone to find it on the Apple store by accident. His intent was, I believe, to identify it in this forum only as a reward for those who support him in this forum.

See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=230758

Dale