I'll keep using the last version of 7.x until I just have to change launchers due to incompatibility/bugs with new Android versions, or Nova miraculously extricates themselves from Branch. I was reasonably calm at first, although I did tell Kevin and company that I would be keeping Nova from updating for the next year and see what things are like at that time.
As these couple of weeks have passed, I feel angrier and angrier that Kevin sold it, and it really doesn't have much bearing that Kevin and company are still primary developers on it. That's very common with any sale such as this, and doesn't mean anything. In this day and age, they should've known better - that no matter how innocent they were convinced the transaction was, that it is likely a Nova-killer.
As these couple of weeks have passed, I feel angrier and angrier that Kevin sold it, and it really doesn't have much bearing that Kevin and company are still primary developers on it. That's very common with any sale such as this, and doesn't mean anything. In this day and age, they should've known better - that no matter how innocent they were convinced the transaction was, that it is likely a Nova-killer.
I'm not going to do anything rash like changing my Play Store's 5-star review to 1-star - yet. Nova was the premier Launcher for so long, I still feel Kevin and company deserve some benefit of the doubt. I don't believe there was any bad intention. I'm sure they spent a long time judging if this was the right move, but I think they convinced themselves that it was the right move when we as users largely know how bad it looks and how many times we users have been burned in the past from similar actions.
The reason I am so angry is that I love Nova so much. I was passionate about it and I recommended it to everyone. Now I'm sad that I cannot in good conscience do so anymore. Although it is too early to tell, and I won't be using v8 myself so I'll be going by other folks' reports, unless something changes in the next year or two, I feel that I'll have no choice but to migrate to another launcher, and I am not one to hop between launchers.
In general, I agree w/your sentiments.
However, I don't begrudge them on what they've done (basically, selling the app to Branch Analytics).
I'm sure the devs didn't make a rash decision & yes, in the end, I'm sure $$$ was a major consideration. In that regard alone, good for them.
Guessing you went Pro w/this app a long time ago (I did) & guessing a lot of other people did as well, whether they paid full price or, got it on the seemingly annual sale price ($1.00 or so).
Either way, I've more than got my money's worth & it's been a good ride.
No bitterness towards the devs at all, but, I'd be lying to say I am looking forward to finding another launcher.
It'll probably be years before 8.0.1 & lower are unusable, so, until then, gonna keep on keeping on.
I've tried countless launchers dating back to Android 2.1 (Eclair).
IIRC, my 1st go-to was Launcher Pro (the Nova of its time, IMHO)
After that, Apex & Holo Launchers (also a seemingly lifetime ago).
Been on Nova ever since, gonna be a strange day, to say the least, when another launcher becomes my DD.
