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BeerSmith Lite for Android Available on Google Play and Amazon Kindle Fire

BeerSmith

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Here's the announcement as well as a new video:
  http://beersmith.com/blog/2012/10/09/beersmith-lite-app-for-android-released-on-google-play/

Also just got the Amazon Kindle Fire Store here:
  http://www.amazon.com/BeerSmith-LLC-2-Lite/dp/B009IVLLAU/

iPad and iPhone are still awaiting final approval - but we'll announce that as soon as its ready.

Cheers,
Brad
 
I think it's awesome that you have a mobile app, but... I have payed for the desktop version, so why do I have to pay for a gimped mobile version of it too? To me it brings into question why you're in this business. If it's because you love beer and the community or if it is simply to milk your customers and fellow home brewers for money.

It is truly great that you have developed a mobile app, but please make it free for those of us who've already paid for your software.
 
While I understand being compensated for your development efforts, I am rather disappointed with the android version of your software. Its very clear that it was built for a iPhone. When I first saw the pictures of the software on the google play store, I actually thought they were screen shots of an iphone app.

As someone who paid for version 1, then paid to upgrade to version 2, I personally will be holding off on buying your android mobile version. I was actually really looking forward to it. Is $3.99 really that much? No. The clear iOS port over along with the fact that I also don't want to pay for your cloud storage has just turned me off. I'd rather use alternative options such as google drive (which I already pay for) to move my recipes to and from my devices.

I think it's a great start, and has major potential, but I feel like I'm being alienated for a few bucks here, a few bucks there. I fear that once the "full" version is done we can expect another upgrade charge.
 
I too am happy you finally have a mobile app.  However,  it would have been better if you allowed local storage and reading of recipes so those of us who do not want to pay for cloud storage can use their recipes.  I feel I may have wasted the 3.99 if this does not become an option.
 
enstorck said:
I too am happy you finally have a mobile app.  However,  it would have been better if you allowed local storage and reading of recipes so those of us who do not want to pay for cloud storage can use their recipes.  I feel I may have wasted the 3.99 if this does not become an option.

Not sure how much you have played with the App but local storage is available and unlimited (within reason) on your mobile device.  If you find a recipe via search, use the Copy local button to save it locally.  From cloud view, if you open a recipe and simply press copy it will be saved locally.

Many people use the free cloud storage for transferring their recipes between machines, and keep local copies (desktop or mobile) for long term storage.

Brad
 
I've taken a lot of heat over the $3.99 price for the Android version the last few days.  Apparently the tradition on Android is to offer apps for free and then pack them with ads.  I'm not a huge fan of ads.

I personally think the app market is a bit warped regarding pricing.  I have friends that refuse to pay $0.99 for an lifetime license for an app for their $300 phone that they pay $75/month to operate.  They will then turn around and think nothing of paying $8-10 for a pint at the bar.  I think we need to keep the pricing in perspective here.

Nevertheless - I'm not forcing anyone to buy the app.  Its a free market - if you don't like the "iphone like" layout or don't need the functionality then don't buy it.  If you want to wait for the full app, that's fine too.  I decided up front to keep a consistent look across platforms, and also to integrate it tightly with the cloud to make it easy to move recipes between the desktop and your mobile device.  I can paste a recipe in my cloud folder in BeerSmith, walk into the garage and run the brewday timer on it using my phone.  For me, that has value.  If I'm running low in space on my cloud folder, I can store some recipes locally on my phone - as many as I want.

Regarding the price of $3.99 - I think the app has value.  The beta testers that carried their recipes with them, had access to the BeerSmithRecipes search anywhere and brewed using the timer found it worthwhile.  Its handy to be able to pull your latest recipe while at the store or have it remind you to add that 10 minute hop addition.

I spent the last five months full time writing apps, and the software is how I make my living.  Considering the average app sells less than 1,000 copies, the stores take about 30% up front, and beer software does not sell like "Angry Birds", I don't think I'll be retiring to the Bahamas on my app earnings anytime soon.

I do offer quite a bit to the home brewing community for free.  I've written hundreds of articles for my blog for free, offer a podcast every other week for free, send a newsletter to thousands of people every week for free, authored and run BrewWiki.com (free), and authored BeerXML - the recipe exchange standard that most programs now use for beer recipes.  Even BeerSmithRecipes.com which now has 10,000 members and 3,000 shared recipes is free for the vast majority of users. 

I also sponsor many dozens of home brewing competitions - in fact I can't remember the last time I turned down a request to sponsor one.

So the software does pay the bills for all of the "free" stuff I'm able to offer.  I'm not complaining - I consider myself very lucky to be able to make a living off of Beer Software and talk and write about homebrewing.  I just wanted to take a minute to share my perspective with you.

Brad

 
Brad,

I for one will be quite happy to buy the ipod light version when available,  and likely the full version when it comes out.

I think the prices for the Mac version of Beersmith and the ipod version are more than reasonable, and with the amount of effort it no doubt takes to produce and support these products don't begrudge paying what seems like a fair price for them.
 
I haven't signed up for a paid version of the cloud -  but that is simply because I'm not sure that in my case it would do much for me to do so as I don;t save a lot of recipes.  I do use the free version to download recipes though.

I enjoy your newsletters and  also found your book very helpful.

Many thanks  from a fairly new home brewer!

Brian M





 
BeerSmith said:
I've taken a lot of heat over the $3.99 price for the Android version the last few days.  Apparently the tradition on Android is to offer apps for free and then pack them with ads.  I'm not a huge fan of ads.

Totally understandable about not wanting to use ads. I think the thing is, at $3.99 for a lite version of a mobile app in which you must have purchased your desktop software to use, it's a bit steep. Also, and correct me if I'm wrong, from your post it sounds like that the full version will also be a separate mobile app with it's own price. So those who bought the lite version will then need to buy the full version, should they choose to take advantage of the features. You've already stated that you cannot adjust prices per users on these app stores, so those users can expect no discount if they bought the lite version and are expecting a discount on the full.

Now I'm not staying free is the answer, but at $1.99 or $.99, I personally think you're getting into the right ballpark. The full app (which I'm assuming will mimic the desktop software) I can understand charging a higher price for because it's essentially the desktop software at your fingertips, not requiring you to have already bought the desktop software.
 
Ok, just going to throw out my views on this.
$3.99 for a lite app IS NOT EXPENSIVE! My phone was $199 after a 2 year commitment to pay a ridiculous $60 a month. If I can't shell out less than 4 bucks for an app, what good is my overpriced phone.
App ads annoy the crap out of me! I am extremely happy to pay a measly $3.99 for an app that will save me printing paper, frustration at the local homebrew store, to get a brew timer that actually works, and to avoid those stupid ads.
Brad does an awesome job of supporting his products, which are fairly cheap compared to most software. I've never dealt with a better software or product producer in my life. Try sending an email question to an electronics manufacturer. Will you get a reply? Maybe 6 months later. I'm still waiting for LG to reply to me and that was 18 months ago! Multiple emails go unanswered with most companies.

Now that the app is available on the Amazon market, I'll be buying it for my Fire and then I'll buy the full app for my phone when it is out.

Keep up the good work Brad!
 
I've yet to try the lite app, as I'm on an iPhone, but find it ridiculous to whine about something that doesn't cost more than a few cartons of milk. Especially when it's part of such a great solution as Beersmith.

Keep up the good work, Brad! I'm greatly impressed by the desktop version and thoroughly appreciate your work to make it more portable.

/kalle.
 
Because this Lite version does not allow us to alter recipes, it means we still have to use pen & paper or have a laptop with us on brew day - to record volume and gravity measurements.

I was really hoping the iPad or 'droid version would free us up from this. So disappointed.

The only thing this does is automatically generate a brew timer but that is a very easy task with the various free brew timers in the market. As far as having access to my recipes goes, since I have to print out the brew-steps anyway I always save them as a PDF file in my Dropbox folder. Always accessible from my iPad and phone in that case.

-david
 
Thanks David,
  I'm working hard on the full version which will allow recipe editing and data entry.

Brad
 
Try deleting the app and then downloading again.  I have had one or two people who could not log in and for some reason this cleared the problem for them.  Also make sure you have your user name and password correct (including lower/upper case characters).
 
That worked! Thank you! Can't wait till the full version is released!
 
I want to thank you Brad I lover the app. I have bought the full app for my iPad, tablet, and phone and it is wonderful it is well worth the price.  I had my friends buy it as well so we could plan our brew days better

Good Work and Thank You Brad it is money well spent

TheCrumm
 
Thanks,
  I appreciate the kind comments!

Brad
 
I can paste a recipe in my cloud folder in BeerSmith, walk into the garage and run the brewday timer on it using my phone.  For me, that has value. ;)
 
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