Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Former Apple Engineer's Mimestream Gmail Client for Mac Gets Official Launch, Free Beta Access to End Tomorrow

I wonder if the hardware store will also try the subscription business model.
"Only $39.99 for a hammer per year. (Second year is $49.99)"

They're out of touch with their market and what is happening in the economy.

I get it. Subscribers offer them predictable, stable income, but most apps are just tools to consumers. We want to upgrade or replace those tools on our schedule and in our budget. Subscriptions shift that control away from consumers and to the businesses, which just isn't a good deal ever.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: snek, Camerondonal and Will Tisdale 🎗
It's cool and all but I'm not paying a subscription for Gmail when I can just access it on the web.
 
I wish the Mimestream creator good luck, but I doubt there will be enough demand to sustain his by-now 5 employee company.

I beta tested the app during the first of its 2 year beta period. I was looking for something speedier than the Mail app for my main email account - gmail. And Mimestream delivered on that - it was noticeably faster retrieving emails. But soon the downside of not supporting other mail
protocols became too annoying. I like my work and personal email in the same app - and employers tend to use Microsoft Exchange. When Mimestream was a bit slow supporting dark mode quit the bets and switched back to Apple Mail.

I agree with others that a subscription fee for this product is not worth it. Without support for other protocols a one-time “impulse buy” might give them a better chance at success.
 
  • Like
Reactions: snek, Camerondonal and xmach
redgreenski said:
Developers really need to come up with new business model. Subscription is something I would never consider for an email app. I would possibly consider one time fee but this model is unsustainable for the developer from what I heard.
Click to expand...
Well, let’s assume 1/3 of those 167000 beta testers end up paying, that’s still a ton of money for this. I think that’s usually a motivation for developers. They piss off a lot of users, but they still a lot who pay enough to motivate them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xmach
Wildkraut said:
Yet another mail client!

Such kind of Software is usually developed with "Selling the Company" in mind.
Click to expand...

This. Another email client claiming something better or first - blah blah blah. Now I will charge you $50 a year sub! Pay me!

No thanks.
 
Xand&Roby said:
What's the point?
Click to expand...
To be bought by a larger company for a billion dollar of course. I mean what's the point of Twitter again! Who in his right mind will pay $8/month for a blue checkmark? But maybe the app can be used to interfere with an election, agitate a fascist uprising or manipulate the stock price of a car maker I happen to own. The possibilities are endless. Have I told you about Bitcoin? I'm also running for president now.
 
MacRumors said:
Now that beta development has ended, it's becoming a paid-for client. Mimestream 1.0 is $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, but the annual plan is being offered at a discounted launch price of $29.99 for the first year until June 9. A free 14-day trial is also available, with no credit card required.
Click to expand...
Mimestream 1.0 is huh?

*ahem* um. I think they need to seriously reconsider what a fair price for an email client is, because.. this isn't it. Even a onetime payment of their monthly price would be a bit much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Will Tisdale 🎗 and corywright
Should have gone with ads and maaaybe 0.99/month for ad removal. People have much less issue paying change for things. Dumb decision, this product will fail now and be a waste of time for the developer
 
  • Like
Reactions: xmach and Will Tisdale 🎗
MacRumors said:


Mimestream, the Gmail client for macOS founded by former Apple Mail engineer Neil Jhaveri, this week ended more than two years of beta development with the official release of Mimestream 1.0.

mimestream-1-0.jpg

As a native app written in Swift and designed with AppKit and SwiftUI for a clean, stock appearance, Mimestream's UI will be familiar to many Apple Mail users, but the app is exclusively for accessing Gmail (support for other services is being considered).

Mimestream uses the Gmail API rather than a standard IMAP connection to support features like categorized inboxes, aliases and signatures, server-side filters, templates, labels, vacation responses, mentions, undo send, archive, and more.

Support for multiple Gmail accounts is included with a unified inbox, and the app integrates fully with macOS to offer system-level notifications, system-level Dark Mode support, keyboard shortcuts, swipe gestures, and linking email profiles to Focus Filters.

Among several new features for its 1.0 release, Mimestream also supports Profiles, so separate Gmail accounts can be divided into "Work" and "Personal," for example, and different icons and colors can be assigned to them. There's also a Mimestream menu bar item for quickly checking for unread messages without opening the app.


During its lengthy free beta phase, more than 220 updates and over 100 features were added to the app, and the startup has expanded from its original solo developer to a five-person team.

Now that beta development has ended, it's becoming a paid-for client. Mimestream 1.0 is $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, but the annual plan is being offered at a discounted launch price of $29.99 for the first year until June 9. A free 14-day trial is also available, with no credit card required.

Of the more than 167,000 people who have been using the app in beta in macOS 12 or later, access to the app will expire on May 26, 2023, but users will be able to move onto the 14-day trial in Mimestream 1.0 to try the new features. For users on macOS 11 or 10.15, the existing beta versions will continue to work on those OS versions. Interested users can check the company's roadmap to learn about what else is planned for the app.

Article Link: Former Apple Engineer's Mimestream Gmail Client for Mac Gets Official Launch, Free Beta Access to End Tomorrow
Click to expand...
On the one hand, it looks quite cool. There's always room for some fresh thinking on computer basics like email. But on the other, I'm just not seeing enough here to justify yet another monthly subscription: I already have too many. Of course the developer wants to get paid - we all do - but how many users are going to be willing to sign up for a sub when there are plenty of good enough free options already, from Apple Mail to Spark? A one-off payment - perhaps per major version number - is something I might have been interested in
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: corywright
Does anyone know if this will read all of your emails and store them on their servers like Spark does? Privacy and security are the reasons I don't use Spark.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nt5672
AFPoster said:
Does anyone know if this will read all of your emails and store them on their servers like Spark does? Privacy and security are the reasons I don't use Spark.
Click to expand...
It's a mail client that uses the Google APIs. I mean you never know, but it should be no different than any other true mail client in that regard
 
RickDEGH said:
Well, let’s assume 1/3 of those 167000 beta testers end up paying, that’s still a ton of money for this. I think that’s usually a motivation for developers. They piss off a lot of users, but they still a lot who pay enough to motivate them.
Click to expand...
What's the basis for choosing 1/3 as the conversion rate? Seems super high to me - especially when you consider that in this case, the developer didn't divulge that the app would eventually become a subscription-based 'rental'. I was a beta tester for this since near the beginning (but bailed after 1 year because I couldn't live without MS Exchange support for work emails) and I was under the impression that this would eventually become a one-time purchase. Aside from the high conversion rate, those 167000 beta testers include everyone who ever downloaded and tried it for awhile. It's not the # of users that were using it at the end - which are those who are really the only beta candidates for conversion.
 
RickDEGH said:
Well, let’s assume 1/3 of those 167000 beta testers end up paying, that’s still a ton of money for this. I think that’s usually a motivation for developers. They piss off a lot of users, but they still a lot who pay enough to motivate them.
Click to expand...
1/3 is likely ambitions given the price, but even under 10%, at $50 a year, they’re probably doing pretty well. I don’t think there’s a lot of infrastructure required to back this app (as its client to Google's server) and believe the Google APIs are free, so costs are probably largely income. If they get 10k subscribers from the 167k on the beta and anyone else that comes along, that’s quite possibly enough to sustain them.

I could see it being offered as a corporate MDM managed app too in places where staff have a preference away from web apps for whatever reason, especially where Google Workspace is already adopted alongside some other mail client that uses EAS or IMAP with the workspace account for access. A few businesses or teams of 20-50 seats would go pretty far.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: RickDEGH
NEPOBABY said:
Subscription app for a free service.

Imagine what bad examples are being set for the future.

Subscription to breath clean air.

Subscription for free speech.

Subscription walking on the pavement.

Subscription to touch grass.
Click to expand...

They took all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see ’em

~Joni Mitchell
 
Will Tisdale 🎗 said:
but the subscription price is, quite frankly, grossly excessive and paying an expensive subscription for an email client is not something I’m prepared to do
Click to expand...

AlixSPQR said:
If I like it, I could decide to buy it. I'd never subscribe, it's just weird for me, since there are alternatives free of charge. I'll admit I don't like subscriptions, though
Click to expand...

REBELinBLUE said:
I love the app but the price is ridiculous, if you want me to pay each year give me a reason to upgrade, I am so sick of software subscriptions, speaking as a software engineer
Click to expand...

🤦‍♀️ ​

You guys just don’t get it…… do you……​

​

Running a server to run an app like this is expensive, in addition to getting access to gmail server. One time payment won’t be enough. Subscription make sense for this app.

Also, Apple really is discouraging developers from uploading new version of app as separate and charge users. They are actively encouraging developers to continue updating existing app and switch to subscription model.

Note that rumor is Final Cut Pro for Mac might soon switch to this model also.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Will Tisdale 🎗
Xand&Roby said:
What's the point?
Click to expand...
I wondered the same. I can see it being "more of a point" if it were not subscription based. I mean, even if it were a per-license basis, I wouldn't buy it, but I can imagine someone who uses Gmail extensively and needs the features may be inclined.

But subscription? Hmm....
 
alchemistmuffin said:
Running a server to run an app like this is expensive, in addition to getting access to gmail server. One time payment won’t be enough. Subscription make sense for this app.
Click to expand...

I suppose I haven't read enough about this app, but didn't realize there's server service besides Gmail servers.

WHY?

Also it's no longer a rumor that Final Cut Pro and Logic on iPad are subscription based. It is subscription based.
 
  • Like
Reactions: snek
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back