The Apple Curtain
Posted by universalis on 22 May 2009
Since the launch of the iPhone, the world of Universalis downloads has been divided in two by an “Apple curtain”. For everything except the iPhone and the iPod Touch, you could buy one registration code that would work on any computer you had: Mac, Windows, Palm, and many handhelds. But the iPhone version was sold directly by Apple through the iPhone App Store. It wasn’t sold by us and we weren’t allowed to extend our registration code system to cover the iPhone.
This was unfair because it meant that if you had a PC and an iPhone, you ended up having to pay twice. Now we’ve worked out a way of cutting a hole in the Apple Curtain.
From now on, if you own the iPhone version, you will not need to buy a registration code for other systems – PC / Mac / Palm etc.
For this to work, you need the latest version of Universalis for the iPhone version. Version 1.29 is now available from the iPhone App Store and everyone should have been offered the upgrade automatically and free of charge.
You also need the latest version of Universalis for whatever other system you’re using. To find this, go to the download page and follow the link for your system.
You’ll find full instructions there, but basically the “Enter Registration Code” page has been changed so that it asks for either a registration code or proof that you have an iPhone or iPod Touch in your hand with Universalis running on it.
From registration code to iPhone?
This doesn’t work the other way round. If you have already bought a registration code for the rest of the world, there’s still no way to get Universalis on the iPhone without paying for it. This is because of Apple’s terms and conditions. However, these may be open to interpretation. I hope to hear back from Apple in a week or two, but there may be longer discussions: I’ll keep you posted.
Update: Apple have replied to say that they refuse to discuss the matter.
