Noted... I've pre-registered an interest in the app but I'm still skeptical. You were posting upbeat comments like this on the MyDreamApp and ResExcellence websites too but never delivered. People just don't forget that kind of thing overnight.
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Classics App Brings Stylish eBook Reading to iPhone
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Noted... I've pre-registered an interest in the app but I'm still skeptical. You were posting upbeat comments like this on the MyDreamApp and ResExcellence websites too but never delivered. People just don't forget that kind of thing overnight.
Yeah, I understand. We're focusing on delivering here though – Unlike some previous gigs, my job here is not purely to market something that I have little control over, so in this case, we are focusing our entire efforts basically into just making this app really nice. (The marketing is the afterthought this time around.) But yeah, hang tight, and I hope this product can swing you over eventually.
Glad you're taking some renewed interest in the app.Yeah, I understand. We're focusing on delivering here though Unlike some previous gigs, my job here is not purely to market something that I have little control over, so in this case, we are focusing our entire efforts basically into just making this app really nice. (The marketing is the afterthought this time around.) But yeah, hang tight, and I hope this product can swing you over eventually.
Well I certainly can't fault the marketing..! I wish you were working on my projects...
Yeah, I understand. We're focusing on delivering here though – Unlike some previous gigs, my job here is not purely to market something that I have little control over, so in this case, we are focusing our entire efforts basically into just making this app really nice. (The marketing is the afterthought this time around.) But yeah, hang tight, and I hope this product can swing you over eventually.
I'll believe it when I see it. And, of course, if this time by some weird miracle you deliver, the app will do very well because it looks stunning. But...
I love Stanza and I use it all the time. I don't seem to have any of these "magical" problems that others are talking about here. This application does seem to simply be offering the same public domain books, but this one costs 3 bucks. My initial reaction was "why pay 3 bucks for something that is free?". But I will say this interface looks awesome. The page turning is a very cool aesthetic feature. I also think the book case display, to pick a book, is pretty awesome. I wonder what happens when you get hundreds of books? Bigger book case or multiple cases.
I will be interested to watch and see where this app goes. They really need to add the option to purchase current books.
I will be interested to watch and see where this app goes. They really need to add the option to purchase current books.
Yet what people DO tend to forget is that when he worked on those two sites he was 17. They also forget how many projects they themselves abandoned when they were that age.
Well, I was excited by this until I saw Phil Ryu's name at the bottom of the page on the Classics website and a feeling of dread stole over me...
You may remember Phil from such abandoned projects as MyDreamApp so I'm inclined to suspect that after a flash bang first release, Classics will also end up abandoned and forgotten by the developer.
There has been a LOT of products abandoned by these developers...
I'd say 2 updates tops, if that. It's a shame they just take buyers money without updating their products.
It's hard to believe that these promised updates will continue based on previously unfulfilled obligations...
For example:
My Dream App, WidgetMachine, Disco, MacHeist, AppZapper, Menuet (I'm sure it's more)
now,
Classics: are these only going to be out of copyright books?
You say that you were only on the marketing side for these products, but it's annoying to see something with potential then be abandoned one or two updates later with no correspondence from the developer.
Well, I guess what I have to say is that you are right in shades, and wrong in others. I admit I have failed to deliver on my promises with My Dream App, which I hosted and created, though I still hope to fix that one up. WidgetMachine was closed after running for several years, and our most popular widget, NotePad, continues to be supported by Karl here.
I've worked on six MacHeist promotions over the past three years now, and we're working on MacHeist 3.
AppZapper and Disco are projects of a friend of mine, Austin Sarner. I was not involved, though I love AppZapper.
Menuet is now supported as donationware.
I understand that I've made some mistakes in the past, and they tend to be about over-promising and under-delivering. I've been extremely careful to avoid making this same mistake again with Classics. We'll be submitting the app this weekend to Apple for release.
Phil you'll always encounter nay-sayers. I wouldn't sweat it too much. $2.99 for a product like this is priced right - even if it's never updated. It looks like a slick product right out of the gate, regardless.
WOWZERS!
...pity it is just a few old books instead of a bookcase that can provide modern pulpy type books.
...pity it is just a few old books instead of a bookcase that can provide modern pulpy type books.
Priced right? Perhaps... and I'll readily admit it is a much better value than the plethora of single-title book "apps" that are 99¢ a pop. At $2.99 you are paying 24.916¢ per title for each of the initial dozen. That's fairly inexpensive, considering that someone has surely invested time in formatting each work, and programming the concept.
My concern is that the content appears to be packaged as part of the application, meaning that one either gets the complete bookshelf with however many titles may be included at any given point, or none at all.
Now, I appreciate the visually appealing approach to organizing the bookshelf (and as a lover of physical books, this particular "eye candy" aspect of the program holds a special allure), but is there any way to select which titles are included on your personal shelf, and leave out titles you might not want?
More importantly - and admittedly for me, this one is almost a deal-breaker at any price! - would be the ability for users to format and add their own content, complete with bookshelf covers, via a Wi-Fi connection. (Meaning it is not fair to require an online account where things have to be uploaded; this needs to be a user-side operation.)
Lest you think I just came in here to criticize, I offer my sincere thanks for the effort that has already gone into this interesting looking app, and ask that you please accept these comments as sincerely intended constructive criticism.
- M.
My concern is that the content appears to be packaged as part of the application, meaning that one either gets the complete bookshelf with however many titles may be included at any given point, or none at all.
Now, I appreciate the visually appealing approach to organizing the bookshelf (and as a lover of physical books, this particular "eye candy" aspect of the program holds a special allure), but is there any way to select which titles are included on your personal shelf, and leave out titles you might not want?
More importantly - and admittedly for me, this one is almost a deal-breaker at any price! - would be the ability for users to format and add their own content, complete with bookshelf covers, via a Wi-Fi connection. (Meaning it is not fair to require an online account where things have to be uploaded; this needs to be a user-side operation.)
Lest you think I just came in here to criticize, I offer my sincere thanks for the effort that has already gone into this interesting looking app, and ask that you please accept these comments as sincerely intended constructive criticism.
- M.
Nice alternative to actually having a phone conversation!!
I'm happy that I'll actually have something to do while my iPhone 3G from AT&T keeps dropping my phone calls. I can't believe how terrible AT&T's coverage is... if I didn't love the interface and computing power of this little bugger, I'd definitely switch back to Sprint. Instead, I'll just keep apologizing to all my clients for having to always call them back.
I'm happy that I'll actually have something to do while my iPhone 3G from AT&T keeps dropping my phone calls. I can't believe how terrible AT&T's coverage is... if I didn't love the interface and computing power of this little bugger, I'd definitely switch back to Sprint. Instead, I'll just keep apologizing to all my clients for having to always call them back.
We're definitely receptive to this request (to be able to add more books). We've tossed around this, and we're still figuring out if there's a really nice way to do it while avoiding some messy situations. (Requiring for a web service to upload books would definitely be a barrier for users, as would having to download a separate desktop app, and for us to develop and support one for Mac and Windows.)
That said, it's going to be the most popular request. We just have to figure out something nice!
And yes, for Classics, once the book collection feels too large for a single shelf, we've got some plan's for helping users manage this.
Good news!
Might I suggest a limited sort of "Air Sharing" approach? (Allow the user to connect via Wi-Fi and send content to a specifically-designated folder on the device.) This could even be browser-based, if the SDK allows you to specify web content when accessed by an internet browser... so you could provide a web dialog to upload/remove pre-formatted content.
If you were to spend additional time on any sort of desktop program, users would probably be more appreciative of a simple tool to properly format books for the app (specify font size, formatting, styles and page breaks, etcetera).
- M.
Good news!
Might I suggest a limited sort of "Air Sharing" approach? (Allow the user to connect via Wi-Fi and send content to a specifically-designated folder on the device.) This could even be browser-based, if the SDK allows you to specify web content when accessed by an internet browser... so you could provide a web dialog to upload/remove pre-formatted content.
If you were to spend additional time on any sort of desktop program, users would probably be more appreciative of a simple tool to properly format books for the app (specify font size, formatting, styles and page breaks, etcetera).
- M.
This sounds like a pretty solid possibility, to offer kind of limited support for the more adventurous users to add books by themselves. Definitely something to think on. I'll pass this along to the others, thanks!
Why not connect to Project Gutenberg or something like it and let me access a larger variety of books? With some simple string manipulation, you could take their source files and put them into your format on the fly.
I'd be interested in your app if I weren't restricted in books. You're not providing the reading material anyway, so requiring yourself to be middle man is inefficient and will just cost you overhead anyway.
I'd be interested in your app if I weren't restricted in books. You're not providing the reading material anyway, so requiring yourself to be middle man is inefficient and will just cost you overhead anyway.
Hmm. You are saying we can't add content? That is a deal breaker for me.
While I understand the desire to have a book format that includes extra formatting with pictures and the like, excluding the ability to use the content that is readily available limits it to the point of not being useful IMO.
Right now I have Stanza, Bookshelf, BookZ and eReader installed on my Touch, and despite some issues, have gravitated to Stanza.
In the end, access to content is what has made Stanza my go-to book reader.
Easy ability to download content from Project Gutenberg, and ability to get your own content on there (although somewhat painful).
What I would suggest:
1) Support for existing standard formats (at least start with text) in addition to your own format.
2) Publish your format specs.
3) Ability to download content from the web (enables Project Gutenberg in addition to personal content for the more determined).
4) Host the books you have re-formatted on your web site.
This allows it to be on par in terms of functionality with other book readers, but builds in an incentive to use the content you provide.
5) Release tool to help people create content in your format.
This would help take the burden off of you to create content (esp. Copyright free content).
Personally, I'm fine with paying for a reader. Heck, I'm fine with paying for Copyrighted content (eReader). But I'm not fine with one that I can't add content or determine the content.
YMMV.
Good luck.
-john
How is Macheist abandoned? It seems to have continually been happening once a year (with some random stuff in between).
Hmm... good point.
Bought the app, and I quite like it. A few things:
- Bookshelf should show (sibilance rocks) bookmarks for titles you've started reading
- Many classics require notes to fully understand. Notes should be included, and easily accessible without flicking backwards and forwards.
- More books!
Some titles I'd recommend:
- The Divine Comedy (duh)
- Macbeth
- The Importance of being Earnest
- Great Expectations
- Oliver Twist
- De re publica (Cicero)
- The Republic (Plato)
- The Bible
- The Aeneid
- The Iliad
- The Odyssey
Those are all public domain. I like the idea of the developer going through books to ensure proper formatting. Some of the formatting you get on apps like Stanza just ruins the experience, and makes you not want to read the book.
- Bookshelf should show (sibilance rocks) bookmarks for titles you've started reading
- Many classics require notes to fully understand. Notes should be included, and easily accessible without flicking backwards and forwards.
- More books!
Some titles I'd recommend:
- The Divine Comedy (duh)
- Macbeth
- The Importance of being Earnest
- Great Expectations
- Oliver Twist
- De re publica (Cicero)
- The Republic (Plato)
- The Bible
- The Aeneid
- The Iliad
- The Odyssey
Those are all public domain. I like the idea of the developer going through books to ensure proper formatting. Some of the formatting you get on apps like Stanza just ruins the experience, and makes you not want to read the book.
Yes, if only somebody could come up with a cross-platform development environment for the desktop side application.
Ugh - aren't there enough Bible apps out there? Seriously, if this ended up on this app, it would definitely be a no-sale for me, unless I could delete it (and even then...).
I'm still debating on about this app. I'd like to hear what the definite plan is for future books -- how frequent, how many, etc.
Hopefully there is an update before the end of the year, but still at the current status it's great. And the price might go up sometime....
Where can you find nice formatting for free?
That's what you're paying for, not the text of the books, which are in the public domain, IIRC.
Ya, pretty much. You are paying for the application and the formatting work, NOT the books.
It looks good but for me to buy it can they promise more books and more choice perhaps a thrillers pack, bios etc etc?
Yes Alice in Wonderland is good to have but I would get i and never read any of those initial 12 titles. Iv'e had 30 odd years to read them and they don't particularly interest me to be honest.
Yes Alice in Wonderland is good to have but I would get i and never read any of those initial 12 titles. Iv'e had 30 odd years to read them and they don't particularly interest me to be honest.