I don't apps, but I am a programmer by trade. And there is point where you are not going to subscribe to every app you use. Even three or four apps and your now talking several hundreds of dollars are year.
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Journaling Platform 'Day One' Transitions to a Subscription Service
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I don't apps, but I am a programmer by trade. And there is point where you are not going to subscribe to every app you use. Even three or four apps and your now talking several hundreds of dollars are year.
I've used Day One off and on, mostly off, over the years and it has never gelled as a journaling system I could get behind and commit to long term. I think this latest move will sadly seal their fate.
I've also used Evernote. A lot, over the years. But with the frequent and tarted-up UI changes, I eventually stopped due to not wanting to figure out and get comfortable with the latest UI "improvement." Those improvements I usually found to be cumbersome.
And the above brings me to Apple Notes. It's minimal, which I prefer. But still has subtly evolved, and I suspect that will continue. I've been using Notes for the last couple years every day and like it a lot. Hope Apple keeps that minimalist UI that I greatly appreciate. And that it works seamlessly across all of my devices and computers. It just works and works well.
I've also used Evernote. A lot, over the years. But with the frequent and tarted-up UI changes, I eventually stopped due to not wanting to figure out and get comfortable with the latest UI "improvement." Those improvements I usually found to be cumbersome.
And the above brings me to Apple Notes. It's minimal, which I prefer. But still has subtly evolved, and I suspect that will continue. I've been using Notes for the last couple years every day and like it a lot. Hope Apple keeps that minimalist UI that I greatly appreciate. And that it works seamlessly across all of my devices and computers. It just works and works well.
I am not familiar with "journaling"...
It sounds like note taking.
And the good news is the makers of WordPress offer their SimpleNote FREE...
I have used it for years and it is GREAT.
The syncing is almost perfect... probably works 99.5% of the time.
The only glitch is the backup to .zip gives out an error about half the time.
Other than that, it is awesome.
It sounds like note taking.
And the good news is the makers of WordPress offer their SimpleNote FREE...
I have used it for years and it is GREAT.
The syncing is almost perfect... probably works 99.5% of the time.
The only glitch is the backup to .zip gives out an error about half the time.
Other than that, it is awesome.
I've owned it for over a year, haven't actually used it yet. Given that I'll be grandfathered in I probably won't delete it yet but I obviously wouldn't miss it if they push me out with a subscription only solution.
You can't blame Adobe and MS. They went on a limb and tested out a new business model for software. If it failed they would have been up a creek, esp. Adobe. For better or worse (I'm not a fan), it worked and Adobe is more profitable than ever.
But it was the marketplace that accepted the model, not Adobe or MS that made it "acceptable." Subscriptions for other products have existed for centuries. It's hardly a new concept. And in the "digital" world music subscriptions existed well before software.
Whether there is demand for Day One as a subscription, time will tell. I got the app free somewhere -- either Starbucks app of the week or Apple's. I've never used it. I prefer to do my travel diary with Twitter or Instagram. Annoyed Day One users can do the same... or if they like the app and it's worth $50/year they can do that. Marketplace at work.
Problem with instagram and twitter is ad based and probably scanning people's info
This is a great example of how subscriptions work against the developer, not for it. Something like a journaling app is something that gets used but not often enough. So right off the bat, you get people saying no I will not pay. Then you get people that will pay but after discovering they do not journal enough, they will end their subscription in year 2. All that's left are the die hards who are using the app frequently enough and will continue to pay. I can't see how this generates a more sustainable revenue model for the developer.
I thought that the mac version was a bit on the expensive side. Now I won't even consider buying them again. I bought their app when it first came out, then they stopped supporting it and made another version for a much higher price.
I left Evernote when they started getting restrictive and pushing their subscriptions. I'll be leaving this app too. Day One now Last Day...
love Day One, purchased both version 1 and 2.
Now they want $4 PER MONTH? The ****?
This is what happens when people want to host their own servers instead of going with iCloud.
Even though they state I'll "continue to receive maintenance updates", I'm sure version 3 will be subscribe-only.
I'll export everything tonight and find a replacement.
Now they want $4 PER MONTH? The ****?
This is what happens when people want to host their own servers instead of going with iCloud.
Even though they state I'll "continue to receive maintenance updates", I'm sure version 3 will be subscribe-only.
I'll export everything tonight and find a replacement.
To be fair though, many of these sorts of apps would have had yearly or bi-yearly upgrade fees and cost 4-5 times as much on the Mac or they would break with OS updates. Do I think a relatively simple journaling app should be charging monthly or yearly to use? No. Would I pay a subscription for quality apps like Coda and Affinity Photo? Yes because they're very high end yet have limited market appeal so low volume with expensive development costs. Panic has even talked about ditching all their iOS stuff because it doesn't make them enough money to be worth it. Do you want Coda for iOS to go away? I just used it in bed the other night to quickly fix a problem on our website that I had missed in a patch. So useful! So I paid $10 around four years ago for "Diet Coda" and now it's this full fledged, beautiful thing that even works on my phone. I sometimes wish there was a donate button in the app because it's so freaking useful and I don't want it to go away. Even if it was only the cost of the app per year, so $10/yr for Coda and $20/yr for Affinity that would be easily doable for those of us using iPads to assist our professional workflow.
You use the app every day and it isn't worth $0.07/day (assuming you are on 2.0 already and get the discount) to continue using it?
If you have version 2 then it's $2.09/month.
If it had value to me and i used it every day I'd do the sub. I don't though. I'm not against subs. But it has to be something I really value. It's not like I stop charging my accounting clients. The pay once and use forever (along with updates) just isn't sustainable. On my totem pole of needs and wants, paying indefinitely for a diary app isn't high up. I can make do for free.
There are many alternatives. Simplenote for text-only journaling, Apple Notes or Google Keep if you want to include images.
How is that any different than Gmail or other Google products. My travel diary isn't scandalous. If they want to scan it let them have at it.
Also, again, that is the marketplace at work as I said. If you don't want ads or bots scanning your info then you can buy into Day One. If you don't mind then you can go the "free" route. Either way the service provider or the dev has to get paid. Do you work for free? I'm guessing not. Then why do you expect others to so you can have cheap or no-cost, no-strings attached apps and services?
They argued the switch to their own service was because iCloud wasn't good enough. But when they switched to their own system, the service because much worse than before.
I don't understand the logic here. A subscription model works for things that you get in return that you prefer to rent rather than own. Music, audiobooks, video, that sort of thing. Why would anyone subscribe to a "service" where you are doing all the work? Why would I pay someone a monthly fee so I can write?
This is a false promise on a bad premise.
Good example of what digital startups should never do. Digital journals in the world of accelerated obsolescence are totally a fools errand for users and entrepreneurs. Invest in Moleskin journal(s) a scanner and a thumb drive. At least you have a chance of sharing that with your grandchildren. Day1 is going to find out they are offering a service that only serves themselves which isn't a business its a charity. Maybe their engineering team should start a gofundme campaign.
Good example of what digital startups should never do. Digital journals in the world of accelerated obsolescence are totally a fools errand for users and entrepreneurs. Invest in Moleskin journal(s) a scanner and a thumb drive. At least you have a chance of sharing that with your grandchildren. Day1 is going to find out they are offering a service that only serves themselves which isn't a business its a charity. Maybe their engineering team should start a gofundme campaign.
When you do subscriptions in applications, they have to work properly and make sense for the user base. This type of subscription = we've run out of ideas and don't know where to go. Maybe a constant flow of subscribers would boost morale and ideas will turn into updates.. but as trends have shown, this usually indicates a dying application where the developers just got lazy and have run out of "what's next". Should have started a while ago on a completely different application.
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I could conceive of paying $5 a year, but $50? What are the use cases that justify that, when Notes, One Note and blogging apps are free?
Time to export those entries...
Are you a troll? Or do you work for the developer Bloom Built? Just asking, because anyone who's ever subscribed to ANY app knows that it's 50/50 if the developer will actually support it diligently. Most times you just get the same old, same old while they get a steady income for doing the same thing.
Bought the original DayOne (Classic) and DayOne 2 for both Mac and iPad. I love the app.
$50/yr for a journaling app? They can keep it. I'll go back to using Word.
$50/yr for a journaling app? They can keep it. I'll go back to using Word.