As an iOS user I am grateful that RadioMail is on that platform. I have decided to draw the line on additional devices and operating systems at iOS and Windows even though I see the opportunities with Android and RPi. Just wondering why Georges chose to work iOS? I much appreciate it.
Harley
KK7HMS
I’m sure he’ll chime in but my understanding is he uses iOS and Mac and wanted the Apple crowd to have a viable way of using our devices and still use WinLink. It’s a bit harder to build for Apple so I’m sure glad he knows how to code.
John Madden
N4EJM
DMR ID 3165878
Hamshack Hotline 6102039
Why iOS? Because it’s what I use and love. RadioMail was born out of a selfish need for a portable Winlink operation.
Why not other platforms? Supporting multiple platforms either multiplies the development effort if you go native, or requires using cross-platform frameworks—which introduce complexity and tradeoffs. The complexity comes from the expanding matrix of devices that must be supported and tested, along with the need for frameworks to abstract away lower-level access. The tradeoffs come from how most cross-platform frameworks generalize UI elements into a common layer. While that can make development easier, it often results in interfaces that don’t feel native. In fact, the app may end up looking better on non-Apple platforms and worse on Apple’s.
I use Apple products and willingly pay a premium because I value their design. That appreciation extends to software. I want the apps I use to look and feel like they belong—that means following Apple’s design paradigms. Most cross-platform software forces users to relearn and rediscover how to interact with the UI, adding an unnecessary learning curve.
Hope that helps shed some light on this choice.
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I can fully agree !
It’s is very convenient now with RadioMail to send and receive emails over shortwave using my LiNK500 BLE TNC
73,
Oliver
DL4KA
DiY599.net
I've recently gotten an Android phone for app testing after years of iPhone
usage. I am a dyed in the wool software tester with a focus on usability,
and my observation is that there's no design standard for Android apps. An
iPhone user is facing an uphill battle to adapt to the different
expectations in the UI implementations. Cross-platform apps are a little
easier to work with due to Apple's design requirements that will be
translated to Android as a matter of course (or be denied App Store access).
Duv - KM6DOV
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Georges,
Thank you and will be a supporter for all your iOS work.
Harley
KK7HMS
I use and love the Android Open Source Project.
Where do I find the source code for these projects? Do they have a permissive license?
- RadioMail
- Packet Commander
- Transceive
I would be interested in porting these to Android.
Thank you!
I love RadioMail and use it regularly with my BTECH UV-Pro and my iOS phone. It works and it works easily. Recently, I purchased an Android phone. Now I’m forced to use WoAD. Now, I REALLY appreciate using Radio mail, because while WoAD works, it is painful because the control changes to the UV-Pro that are handled by RadioMail elegantly and automatically, now need to be changed by me manually. Call me lazy, but RadioMail has spoiled me. I hope that one day, Georges, you will create an Android version of you wonderful App.
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Thanks for the kind words. It means a lot. I’ve spent a great deal of time obsessing over usability details to make the experience feel seamless. That level of integration isn’t always possible, and I was fortunate to collaborate closely with the radio firmware developer to bring it to life.
I’m not sure everyone realizes the size of the “ask.” Building and maintaining an Android version would require rewriting RadioMail from scratch in a different language, with a different UI framework, using different tools, and on devices I don’t own or use regularly. It’s essentially a second product, with the full support burden that comes with it.
In the meantime, the best way to improve the Android experience is to support the developer already investing in that ecosystem. Purchasing WoAD on the Google Play Store signals demand and helps the author continue development, and sharing specific feedback gives them clear direction on what to improve.
Thanks again for using RadioMail and spending the time sharing your experience.
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First, thank you so much for your software and sharing it with the world. You’re doing a great service to the world!
Second, I am a programmer and I am sympathetic to the size of the ask to port it yourself, however I am not asking you to port it yourself, rather you could release the source code with a permissive license to the community and let everyone else do the heavy lifting to port it.
Personally, I would never use the Google Play Store since Google is very anti consumer and also very anti developer. In the interest of using only software that respects the rights and freedoms of the user, I would prefer to only use open source software with a permissive license that can be acquired through freedom respecting app stores like F-Droid. 
@edisondotme clearly you’ve got some very strong convictions. The Winlink B2F protocol is open and documented, nothing stopping you. Go ahead and build the software you’re dreaming of.
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