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Question: Why don't you make the iPad version of HanDBase part of the iPhone version? Isn't it possible to make a universal application that runs optimized for either platform - iPhone or iPad?
Product: Article Number: 366Creation Date: 04/19/2010
Answer:
 It is indeed possible to make a universal application that is optimized for both the iPhone and the iPad.  This version would need to include both sets of code and all images and other resources for both versions.  One downside of this is that the resulting application requires more space than needed since it's holding two sets of many items.  But with the large space available on iPhones and iPads, that's not really the cause of concern.  

HanDBase for iPad took several man-months of work to complete, having to adjust for every one of several dozen screens within HanDBase, and re-factor many aspects for the split screen and modal views supported by the new iPad platform.  We spent this time working on this version in lieu of other opportunities that could generate new income for our business.  We would love to be able to deliver all this work free to iPhone HanDBase users, but the fact is that we need to survive as a company and generate income for the work we perform to pay our bills and employees.    

So rather than include HanDBase for iPad in the universal binary for the iPhone version, and rely on extra time to work on this version while spending our bread-and-butter time on other versions of HanDBase and other products, we prioritized and dedicated much time and effort to get it to users as quick as we could and with a full set of features and enhancements.  We hope that users will be delighted to support this new version with their hard-earned money because of all it offers them on their iPads.   If not, then hopefully they will still enjoy using HanDBase for iPhone on their iPads, since it is fully compatible.

One thing we wanted to do but couldn't, is to provide a discounted price for existing users of the HanDBase for iPhone version so they wouldn't have to pay full price.  Unfortunately there is no support for Coupon codes or upgrade discounts available in the App Store.  What we did do is offer the iPad version for a lower price than originally planned, knowing that the iPad version would be bought by many users who already bought HanDBase on some platform or another.  In addition, we made the HanDBase for iPhone Plus and Professional add-ons compatible with the iPad so that you would not need to purchase another conduit or desktop to use the optimized HanDBase for iPad version with your computer.

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