Things I don't like about iBrewMaster

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alestateyall

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I have seen iBrewMaster described as the BeerSmith of iPhone apps. This is not true.

IMHO iBrewMaster is not worth the $10 price tag. I recommend avoiding it.

I bought iBrewmaster with great anticipation after reading so many positive reviews on itunes and positive reviews here. I admit I may not have searched hard enough here before buying it.

I am writing this thread to offer my impressions of the tool now that I spent $10 on and can't get a refund for.

I find iBrewMaster to be poorly designed and incomplete in as much as it lack obvious features.

Here are some issues I found:

1) Navigation within the app is terrible.
When brewing, after setting up a recipe, you work from the batch screen. Before I mashin I measure the grain temperature. To change this value you have to navigate through 6 screens to get from the batch view to the screen where you edit your mash profile. Here is a tour:

IMG_0197.jpg
Start in the batch display. Press batches to get to the list of batches.

IMG_0198.jpg
From the list of batches, press setup on the bottom row to get to the setup screen. Please note, I edited the bottom row to avoid having to go through the "more" list. That would have added one more screen.

IMG_0200.jpg
Now on the setup screen scroll down and press the to mash profile option.

IMG_0201.jpg
Now select your preferred mash profile.

IMG_0202.jpg
Finally we can edit the grain temperature. To get back we repeat the same multi screen process in reverse.

When setting up recipes and getting the tool optimized I was constantly walking through pages. It got old and made the app a chore.

2) Entering numbers for values requires endless use of numeric sliders rather than just typing.

IMG_0202.jpg
The photo above is an example of the numeric sliders. These are all over. They really slow down number entry. This has been pointed out to the developer (by other users) through the in app feature request tool.
The developer responds: Status: Under Review, comment from Joe "See the sync feature request notes...considering the dozens of places pickers exist and the thousands of lines of code behind them...this would be part of the rewrite to support iCloud syncing"

Under synching Joe comments, "We really want this feature, unfortunately, it will require an entire rewrite of the apps...This will be an extremely large under taking and is under consideration...we may implement this with more advanced features, elimination of pickers, and expanded functionality. We'll first complete the inventory model, Mac fixes, and release the Android version, at which time we'll take a closer look at this".

Sorry for all the quotes, but, bottom line the pickers will be there for a while.

By the way, the in app feature request tool is a good idea.

3) The app requires users to enter efficiency when designing an all grain recipe, but, the app doesn't bother to calculate efficiency from your measured volumes and original gravity.

This drives me crazy. Calculating efficiency is easy. Probably an oversight, but, to me it is a big one. If they get around to efficiency I hope they add the ability to add measured pre-boil and post boil volumes so you can calculate accurate mash and kettle/brewhouse efficiencies.
 
its not perfect, it hasn't been out too long either, but ive had pretty decent success with it on the ipad, the pickers slow things down, but i'm not in a race. i give it a B-/C+ for now, i am sure it will continue to evolve over time and eventually get better. $10 is not very much really, so i don't personally consider it a "waste".
 
4) The mash water calculations are confusing and difficult to use.
Setting up the mash calculations is confusing. Initial infusions and infusion steps seem fairly straight forward. This part of the tool sometimes has an "auto calc" button to press and sometimes does not. I am not sure why and it is not obvious to tell which fields are are auto calculated and which are not since all boxes are the same color.

My favorite is adding a batch sparge. First, I didn't find a batch sparge option so I created my own. I came up with a totally blank screen in mash setup! What?!

IMG_0203.jpg
Here is the blank screen, renamed "Batch Sparge". I selected "auto calc." and "sparge". Notice I did not set a Target Mash temp or water temp. Setting those has no effect.

IMG_0204.jpg
This is a screen showing the resulting batch sparge step. Notice it calculated I need 13.53 quarts at 175F. Changing the water temp or target mash temp on the setup screen has no effect on the 175F output. That is odd and not confidence inspiring.

5) The water volumes are displayed at different relative temperatures in different places.
The water volumes for mash steps are measured at room temp (I think). The boil size output seems to be at 212F. I think these numbers should be consistent.

I figured this out because the tool tells me I have 6.87g boil size and 5.2g batch. If I subtract 1.3g for boil off in 60 minutes and 0.15g kettle trub loss I get 5.42g. It took me a long time to realize I need to multiply the 5.42g by 0.96 (5.42*0.96=5.2) to account for 4% shrinkage. I like to check the math.

6) There is a setting for kettle trub loss. Instructions tell you to set this to 0 if you pour all the trub in the fermenter. That seems wrong to me. I still loose volume to trub. It is just that I keep the trub volume around longer. I bring this up because the developer just put out a bug fix talking about how this setting affects OG prediction. I don't think it should.

7) There is no setting for volume lost to yeast. I think this should exist to accurately predict final batch size and to accurately calculate brewhouse efficiency. Yeast reproduction will absorb some water which results in less beer (final batch size) which in turn affects brewhouse efficiency.

8) You can't get a refund. I know this is Apple's fault, but it is still annoying and a $10 price tag for the app makes this harder to stomach.

I got this response to my refund request from the developer: "In either case, we are unable to provide refunds as Apple handles all the financial transactions. They do not even let developers know who has purchased their apps, let alone allow them a means of providing refunds. You would have to contact Apple to request a refund under their refund policies as they are the reseller. Please understand that we would certainly provide a refund if possible, however, it would be like going to Sony to refund a TV that you bought at Best Buy. We simply do not have the physical capability."

He is right of course he can't give me the refund. He was also quick to respond and polite.

When I contacted Apple for a refund through the "report a problem" link in my emailed receipt, iTunes told me to contact the developer about my problems and deactivated the "report a problem" link. Now when I click "report a problem" it tells me I have already reported a problem and can't do so again!
 
I don't mind paying the price tag to be honest; it's not really all that much and I've paid for much worse apps. It's two cups of coffee out of my life.

With that being said though I do think iBrewMaster has a long way to go. It fails for me on so many levels. I even use the iPad version which I consider to be much easier to navigate than the iPhone version.

I don't mind the numeric sliders. Sorry to rant on this but it's a damned iOS app -- almost every date or numeric field in any iOS app uses numeric sliders.

What I despise about the app is:

1. Calculations. Real versus actual, efficiency (you talked about it)

2. Inventory. Sucks. Period. Never should have been put in until it was done. There is no definitive way to subtract a batch's ingredients from inventory. and when it does (when does that happen?? LOL. I know it happens at some trigger) if you modify the damn recipe it basically resets it, but doesn't put the ingredients back into inventory.


3. Social integration. This is broken. as soon as I create a new batch it posts to my FB wall because the default "brew date" is today. Once I go in and edit it to move it forward to a planned date the system doesn't care because it's already posted. Then when it does post it's more of an Ad for iBrewMaster.

4. Mash Steps -- Horrible. I tried to figure out how to do a decoction + batch sparge. Took me a good 20 minutes. I could have done it on a bit of paper with a pencil in that amount of time. I love how Beersmith does this guys. Batch/Sparge is an ending option -- not really a mash step. Mashing ends at mash-out, the rest is rinsing.

Anyway.. figured I'd agree/disagree with you on a few points.

I really do want iBrewMaster to get better. I love carrying the iPad into the garage rather than my laptop but I just don't have any desire to design or use iBrewMaster as my primary tool because of all the problems with it.

I'll stick with beersmith and use iBrewMaster as a glorious brew-day timer for right now.
 
Thanks for doing this, I've not been able to find much in depth info on the program beyond "it rocks." Ive been considering getting this, rather than waiting for Brad t "get around" to writing an app for the iphone. But spending 10 bucks for it, and then spending whatever to get the bs app when it comes out doesn't seem right.

For me, all I really want is to be able to creat my recipes as I do in beersmith already and then be able to open them and manipulate them as needed on my phone in the field. I don't know if I necessarily even want to write my recipes on my phone, it seems too much to do on a small platform.

But thanks for giving some valid sounding criticisms of it....People seem to rave about it but noone seems to actually discuss how it works.
 
i think generally, people who are familiar with or accustomed to Beersmith will be generally disappointed with ibrewmaster.

for people who are new to brewing software and don't know enough to know what they are missing, and are especially looking for something for ipad, then ibrewmaster is probably more acceptable.
 
Navigation can be a little clunky, and there's 50 pages of directions that I kept in my bathroom for a month and a half, but overall I like it. I have it on my phone, I use it to brew with so it's definitely easy to carry out to the garage, and everywhere else I go. In fact, thats the big plus as far as I'm concerned. I always have my brew log and notes with me, wherever I go. I'm able to answer recipe questions at the HBS and events, bars, friends houses, etc. it also allows me to tinker with recipes wherever I go. I feel it's a great value for 10 bucks.
 
Navigation can be a little clunky, and there's 50 pages of directions that I kept in my bathroom for a month and a half, but overall I like it. I have it on my phone, I use it to brew with so it's definitely easy to carry out to the garage, and everywhere else I go. In fact, thats the big plus as far as I'm concerned. I always have my brew log and notes with me, wherever I go. I'm able to answer recipe questions at the HBS and events, bars, friends houses, etc. it also allows me to tinker with recipes wherever I go. I feel it's a great value for 10 bucks.

What you describe is exactly how I use BrewPal, which cost 99 cents. I use BrewPal to calculate mash temps, track OG/FG, calc ABV, calc efficiency, and finally, answer questions about my brews (how many calories, what colors, etc) when out and about.
 
I think it all comes down to what one is used to/comfortable with. I started with brewpal, and have since dabbled with most of the available software for the Mac/iPhone. I have actually found the ibrewmaster to be the easiest, after the learning curve becomes second nature as to where to find things. I have found the calculations to be accurate, and don't mind the sliders, probably because they are used across the board in any iPhone app. It would be nice to be able to turn them off if desired though. I tried both beer alchemy as well as beersmith after using ibrewmaster, and while I like the interface of the beersmith app, I find it so convenient to carry my phone or iPad to brew day for reference that I have found myself reentering my beersmith data into my ibrewmaster app on the night prior to brew day, so have ultimately gone back to using the ibrewmaster 90% of the time. I do agree that the inventory function could be better, but it's not difficult to take a look prior to going to the LHBS to see what I need, and I have been very happy thus far with the frequent updates to the software, and trust that the function will improve with time. Other than that, from a practical standpoint, I think it's a wash as far as which one to use - provided that beersmith eventually gets a mobile version of its software. That essentially has made the difference for me. And I remain amazed how simple it is for me to create/edit recipes anywhere I am with the ibrewmaster. I have never felt constrained by the small device despite all of the information that the app is juggling/displaying. I also think the ability to simply create and manage multiple batches simultaneously is a great feature that is incredibly simple to use in ibrewmaster. This is a feature that I simply haven't found to be relocated by the other software. Just my two cents after having used several of the programs. FWIW, I have also used beer alchemy for a short period, but could never manage to use it as easily as the others. IMHO, beersmith and ibrewmaster are the two simplest to use and the best bang for the buck.
 
Thanks kehaar for sharing this. I think I will continue using Ye Olde ProMash on my laptop.
 
Honestly I love the app. It may not be everything that other full fledged programs are but I use it every brew day. I actually find the navigation to be quite simple easy and straightforward on the iPad version.
I'm not sure how having everything on one page one button away could be confusing but that's just me. Also it's more of a brew "keeper tracker" and calculator than a pro brewery automated computer which is what it sounds like people are mad that it's not.
I use it to formulate recipes and modify batches and do my calculations for me while keeping track of it all and logging it. That's all I need with me on brew day personally so I would say that it's been one of the best most used apps I've purchased.
Honestly if you need more than that to brew consistently good beer you are ether doing something majorly wrong or you just view brewing as a science more so than a craft or art. But that's just me.
 
I think it all comes down to what one is used to/comfortable with. I started with brewpal, and have since dabbled with most of the available software for the Mac/iPhone. I have actually found the ibrewmaster to be the easiest, after the learning curve becomes second nature as to where to find things. I have found the calculations to be accurate, and don't mind the sliders, probably because they are used across the board in any iPhone app. It would be nice to be able to turn them off if desired though. I tried both beer alchemy as well as beersmith after using ibrewmaster, and while I like the interface of the beersmith app, I find it so convenient to carry my phone or iPad to brew day for reference that I have found myself reentering my beersmith data into my ibrewmaster app on the night prior to brew day, so have ultimately gone back to using the ibrewmaster 90% of the time. I do agree that the inventory function could be better, but it's not difficult to take a look prior to going to the LHBS to see what I need, and I have been very happy thus far with the frequent updates to the software, and trust that the function will improve with time. Other than that, from a practical standpoint, I think it's a wash as far as which one to use - provided that beersmith eventually gets a mobile version of its software. That essentially has made the difference for me. And I remain amazed how simple it is for me to create/edit recipes anywhere I am with the ibrewmaster. I have never felt constrained by the small device despite all of the information that the app is juggling/displaying. I also think the ability to simply create and manage multiple batches simultaneously is a great feature that is incredibly simple to use in ibrewmaster. This is a feature that I simply haven't found to be relocated by the other software. Just my two cents after having used several of the programs. FWIW, I have also used beer alchemy for a short period, but could never manage to use it as easily as the others. IMHO, beersmith and ibrewmaster are the two simplest to use and the best bang for the buck.

Almost entirely the way it is for me, I don't use BeerSmith anymore, I carry around my iPad, and use ibrewmaster.
It's not that we are not as experienced or don't know what we're missing. I like having the inventory, the ability to design a recipe at a friends house, and email a recipe when I'm not at my computer.
I actually hate the new BeerSmith 2.0, the screen is almost too busy! There are some nice things about BeerSmith, but for me, they do to out weigh the perks of ibrewmaster for me.
I also like the fact that when I email the developer, which I have done several time, the average response time is less than 3 hours, and not a canned response like some grain mill manufacturers, but an actual answer.
 
Thanks for doing this, I've not been able to find much in depth info on the program beyond "it rocks." Ive been considering getting this, rather than waiting for Brad t "get around" to writing an app for the iphone. But spending 10 bucks for it, and then spending whatever to get the bs app when it comes out doesn't seem right.

For me, all I really want is to be able to creat my recipes as I do in beersmith already and then be able to open them and manipulate them as needed on my phone in the field. I don't know if I necessarily even want to write my recipes on my phone, it seems too much to do on a small platform.

But thanks for giving some valid sounding criticisms of it....People seem to rave about it but noone seems to actually discuss how it works.

That is what I'd like to see. Access my recipe and maybe have timers for all of the steps and hop additions. IBrewmaster just have too much info for the iPad to display in a nice format.
 
That is what I'd like to see. Access my recipe and maybe have timers for all of the steps and hop additions. IBrewmaster just have too much info for the iPad to display in a nice format.

I know to each their own, I just don't get it. Ibrewmaster, has built in timers, and you are able to manipulate recipes, without hitting all the tabs that some people are talking about.

It does need improvements, what program doesn't.

Look at Brewpal, it hasn't been updated in what, almost 2 years?

That was actually a pretty darn good program for $.99

But, I guess it's why they make chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.
OR
Stouts, IPA's and Wit's?
 
Personally I think all of the software is too crowded. I would like a Entry mode and a brew mode. Beer Smith comes close to this with the brew step print option.
 
I have used ProMash but it the UI looks like I hadn't been update since about 1995. Pretty powerful but clunky

I have used Brewpal. Toany crashes and bugs. And hasn't been updated I. Forever.

I brewmaster needs some work but developer is actively working to improve and add more features. I bought it last year at 7.99. I guess it's gone up a couple of bucks. I have emailed the developer several times and always got a timely response.

It may not be for everyone. But personally I like having it in my pocket as not have to drag out the Laptop every time.

When has anyone ever gotten a refund on software ever? And if you can't spare 10 bucks. Honestly you are in the wrong hobby.
 
I have used ProMash but it the UI looks like I hadn't been update since about 1995. Pretty powerful but clunky

I have used Brewpal. Toany crashes and bugs. And hasn't been updated I. Forever.

I brewmaster needs some work but developer is actively working to improve and add more features. I bought it last year at 7.99. I guess it's gone up a couple of bucks. I have emailed the developer several times and always got a timely response.

It may not be for everyone. But personally I like having it in my pocket as not have to drag out the Laptop every time.

When has anyone ever gotten a refund on software ever? And if you can't spare 10 bucks. Honestly you are in the wrong hobby.

I actually use BrewPal every brew session and I have never had it crash. When I bought iBrewmaster I was trying to replace BrewPal because it is not supported by the developer and because it has one flaw, it forgets gravity readings for old brews. I wanted iBrewmaster to be a brew day companion and a tool which stored information about old batches and especially information about iterations of the same recipe (ie. brewing the same recipe more than once).

I wrote my review so there would be more information about iBrewmaster and I appreciate the discussion the review has generated. I like that iBrewmaster is supported by the developer, but, I also noticed that the developer is busy with many other versions of the app (iPad, Android, Mac) and still adding features so it is going to be a while before he gets around to aesthetic improvements and new features I would like such as calculating efficiency.

In regards to the $10. I realize I am not going to need to file bankruptcy due to the loss of the $10, but, I don't think the tool was $9.01 better than Brewpal. The impression I got from reviews here and on iTunes was "it rocks" to quote Revvy. I am more of the opinion that iBrewMaster is a work in progress that has a ways to go.
 
I bought it last week for my iPad and just input a recipe and had my first brewday using it. I liked it. It took me a few minutes to figure everything out, but frankly I found it easier than when I first fired up beersmith and beertools pro.

Maybe the iPad app is better because the screen is larger and there are less tabs to navigate through. I had brew pal before and hated it. There also is no yearly subscription fee. You pay one time and get free updates. Way cheaper than $30/year.
 
I have tried to use ibrewmaster on a brew buddy's ipad for two batches. It just frustrated me to the point that I refused trying to use it for a third. It actually turned me off of brewing software. Now I have downloaded brewtarget and it took me 10 min to get comfortable with, love it.
 
I think it's a style thing...the biggest complaint I have is about some of the little bugs in the SW...but they are very minor and not worth submitting a bug

Notably the mash in calcs and sparge calcs don't always work right. I like the inventory module but it needs a little more polishing as well.

I like having the control and detail of the tool, other people like a pen and paper or a different kind of tool.
 
I have tried to use ibrewmaster on a brew buddy's ipad for two batches. It just frustrated me to the point that I refused trying to use it for a third. It actually turned me off of brewing software. Now I have downloaded brewtarget and it took me 10 min to get comfortable with, love it.

Actually, that's why I teach BeerSmith, and other programs to my club, and have now added Brewpal and ibrewmaster, so so they can see the differences between all the programs.
 
I have both and love 2 main features of iBrewmaster that make it the choice on brew day, Multiple simultaneous timers with associated alarms and prompts as well as the recipe sharing, which I find better than Beersmith. A lot ot HBT recipes are on the share server already! I am brewing Bee Cave IPA tomorrow from this database that is expanding fast. Easy a hell to find as well. The mash steps are a pain to figure out, but work once you figure out the quirks. That needs to be fixed for sure! The lack of calculated efficiency should have also been fixed before the inventory module was added IMHO. Anyway the program is constantly getting better so $10 was a bargain IMHO. Try to get a kid to mow your lawn for $10. Beersmith doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get an iPad app out anytime soon.
 
I have both and love 2 main features of iBrewmaster that make it the choice on brew day, Multiple simultaneous timers with associated alarms and prompts as well as the recipe sharing, which I find better than Beersmith. A lot ot HBT recipes are on the share server already! I am brewing Bee Cave IPA tomorrow from this database that is expanding fast. Easy a hell to find as well. The mash steps are a pain to figure out, but work once you figure out the quirks. That needs to be fixed for sure! The lack of calculated efficiency should have also been fixed before the inventory module was added IMHO. Anyway the program is constantly getting better so $10 was a bargain IMHO. Try to get a kid to mow your lawn for $10. Beersmith doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get an iPad app out anytime soon.


Quoted for truth!

Well said, I am not as articulate.
 
I agree too. I use it exclusively now on my iPhone. Always handy. On competition entry forms it's my assistant brewer.

The OP could have written an app with the time it took to document all of those terrible shortcoming. RDWHAHB.
 
Maybe he's not a programmer. Frankly I appreciated the time he took to detail the shortcomings of the program. This also didn't turn me away from my intent to purchase it (I refuse to buy apple products personally unless they really dazzle me and currently only carry an Android option... Damn iPad3 is trying it's damndest as we speak.) but I do like that now I won't feel as let down by it as a couple of his gripes would irritate me as well. What I gathered of his review was that the Developer makes a concerted effort and for my $10 bucks (or whatever it ends up being within reason) that's all I really ask. I suspect many of the "shortcomings" will get fixed over time as the guys clearly just have a lot on their plate right now. This might not happen as quickly if there weren't people willing to point them out rather than going on an ego stroking tirade that most of the previous reviews I had read were comprised of.
 
Accidic said:
This might not happen as quickly if there weren't people willing to point them out rather than going on an ego stroking tirade that most of the previous reviews I had read were comprised of.

I tried hard to make my review fair. It was not an ego stroking tirade.

I do appreciate that the developer is working hard. I think the app will get better.

I just don't think the app is worth $10 when compared to the $0.99 Brewpal and compared to my personal spreadsheet.

PS. I am a computer eng'g professor. I don't program everyday but I have done a lot of programming in industry jobs in the past.
 
for people who are new to brewing software and don't know enough to know what they are missing, and are especially looking for something for ipad, then ibrewmaster is probably more acceptable.

This is me. I use iBrewmaster, have never used any other brewing software, and I like it. I probably don't know what I'm missing, but when I was looking for brewing software the number one priority for me was that it be native on my iPhone. It does have a few quirks and outright deficiencies, but overall I find it to be well worth the ten bucks. As iPhone apps go that's pretty steep, but having a developer that issues updates semi-regularly is nice.

In regards to the $10. I realize I am not going to need to file bankruptcy due to the loss of the $10, but, I don't think the tool was $9.01 better than Brewpal. The impression I got from reviews here and on iTunes was "it rocks" to quote Revvy. I am more of the opinion that iBrewMaster is a work in progress that has a ways to go.

Perhaps you should hit those reviewers up, both here on on iTunes, for your refund rather than the developer or Apple, since the reviewers are the ones who influenced your purchase so heavily?

That said I do appreciate your comments, and they will be a great addition to the knowledgebase here. I too found, after purchasing and using the app, that it didn't quite live up to what I expected from the reviewers (although I'm still happy with it and looking forward to it improving over time).

I'm a lot lower-tech of a brewer than most of you guys, I haven't made the jump to all-grain yet. Perhaps when I do the deficiencies kehaar points out will matter more to me. But as an extract brewer the program does have one problem that I either haven't figured out the way to do it yet, or it the app isn't equipped for it: steeping grains in extract recipes. Where the hell do you put those?

Interesting thread, thanks to both the pros and cons for speaking up!
 
JimTheHick said:
Is this ibrewmaster really $10 for my iPhone and another $15 for my iPad?

This keeps me away.

Like some apps, I wish you only had to buy it once. For $15 I'd like to have it on my iPhone too. It'd be nice if they linked so I could use my iPhone for quick reference.

I used it again on a brew day yesterday and like it. I just couldn't figure out how to calculate sparge water volume for a double batch sparge (or single). The strike water calcs are all there.
 
I just discovered that the iPad version and iPhone version of iBrewmaster is two different apps, and had to pay twice for it. That is LAME LAME LAME . Most respectable iOS apps are universal across iPad and iPhone. You buy once and you get it on all of your devices.
 
I use both Beersmith and iBrewmaster, after I figured out the nuances of iBrewmaster it is my go to software on my brew day.

Also the developer is extremely active and quick to respond to and inquiries. That is worth some of the cost of the software. The human element is rare.
 
Better than a $29.00 program, that was modified for the worse, no Mac version, doesn't sync to another device, and the only way to use it is to drag out a laptop. Clearly a much better choice!

One things for sure, can't pay enough to put up with the haters, whiners, cheap a$$ people that think they can do better!
 
I suppose if I were a pro or faux pro brewer then I'd consider a $30 purchase for one of these softwares. However, for brewing once a month, Hopville works great. I'm even considering donating a dollar. But not two. I'm frugal. ;)
 
A pro wouldn't be brewing with an iPad I bet. Lol

I find the arguments about app costs so funny. Not just this app but basically any app that's not free. Ppl are funny.
 
rawlus said:
A pro wouldn't be brewing with an iPad I bet. Lol

I find the arguments about app costs so funny. Not just this app but basically any app that's not free. Ppl are funny.

Good point about pro's on iPads! Sounds unlikely.

I disagree that cost is not a salient point of discussion when considering apps, however.
 
What's even more sure is that one can't pay enough to keep the fanboys at bay either. No matter what there are both sides and both lend to constructive discussion on both the pros and cons.

I think this discussion has great points on both sides; and iBrewmaster should take note of them, both for the good and bad.

I use both iBrewMaster and BrewSmith, like both for various reasons and definitely note the shortcomings of each.

but to remaining objective is key; I don't think anyone here is being a hater for hater's sake; you have to admit as far as iPad app prices go it's high. Especially since Apple doesn't refund money on purchases and iBrewmaster doesn't have a trial.
 
Yeah, I guess I don't get as worked up about app prices as most seem to do. The economic realities of an app are such that even at $10 you get something reasonably polished with support and updates for life. It's cost is REALLY low. 2 micro drafts at the avg bar low.

It is unfortunate that ppl now expect the world on a platter for $0.99

You have to consider, if you are developing a mass market app that will be 500k downloads, then 99cents might do it. What's the potential audience size for a brewing app and what is the competition now and future? What are your costs, can you work on this app 40 hrs a week and make ends meet? I think I read somewhere that the initial projections for app sales of ibrewmaster were 22 downloads. What is your time worth? How many manhours would you be willing to out into a 0.99 home brewing app? Can you afford to work for free for the first 6 months?

In my experience, I tend to see higher app prices for self-published apps, those from software companies seem to have lower entry costs. Cost/value is a difficult thing to please everyone on... But I do think the general public is a bit spoiled/unrealistic in their expectations sometimes. You can do a lot of things with apps for free, personally I can't stand most of the free apps, i hate the in-app advertising, and I'm willing to pay $5 for a great weather app or whatever... It's a cup of coffee. A $10 app is a car wash and the car is dirty again a day later. I do know ppl who think $.99 is too much to pay.... Really? It's such a silly situation.
 
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