Thanks for the very kind comments.
I do appreciate that there may be alternative uses and alternative markets, I am not sure how much traction I will get with them. Obviously, the co-location with Scrivener (at present) gives me good exposure to writers. I have no idea how much I can rely on the AppStore to deliver good exposure to everyone else.
Regarding your alternative uses - I actually had a go at using Aeon for project planning for work, and as a result of that came up with a list of several things that I would want to add if I was to use it in this way all the time, as a kind of simplified Microsoft Project replacement. You know, Project that isn't so ugly and awful, but also, a little more lightweight, which can be a bad thing if you need all that extra stuff.
After the release is out, I am considering whether to add that stuff in, or to tweak it a little into an "Aeon Planner" application, that would be better geared towards that.
But obviously, I have to get this release right first, and make enough money to justify the further work (windows, planner, etc.)
Matt
Aeon Timeline's Eventual Pricetag
Well I know one feature that's been requested for story timeline planning that would be also useful for project planning: event A is fixed at n days after event B; if either of them is moved, they both move.
Like Scrivener, you may be surprised at what you find people using your software for
Like Scrivener, you may be surprised at what you find people using your software for
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mariabeatrizccma
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 5:46 pm
- Platform: Mac
I'm not a writer and I would like to second the opinion of those who said that Aeon has a lot of potential as a standalone timeline app.
I need a timeline app to use as a study tool (to consolidate historical research and have a visual perspective), and I stumbled upon Aeon while researching for a decent application for mac. I've been using it for a couple of weeks quite heavily and I can say it has fulfilled all my needs.
There aren't many timeline apps around and it's hard to find good reviews, but, from what I've seen, I reckon Aeon is the most complete when it comes to classifying events (entities, labels, tags...), it has a friendly and straightforward interface and, even though it doesn't have fancy export options like beedocs' Timeline 3D, I don't really need them since I don't intend to make presentations.
I know more users = more support, but I just want to let you know there is a lot of potential for Aeon outside Scrivener's user base (I actually only heard of Scrivener when reading about Aeon).
Regarding the price, it's a tough question. On your side, the price has to correspond to all the work you have put into it. On our side, the price has to correspond to our expectations and the use we'll make of it.
My suggestions:
a) Expectations
When it comes to expectations, you have to be sure the app will have everything you need. I checked Beedocs' website and watched a lot of videos to see how it worked. Timeline 3D is, indeed, pretty expensive, but I wouldn't buy it even if it was cheaper, because it doesn't serve me. It's focused on presentations and it doesn't have as many tagging/labeling options, which are crucial to me.
I know it's only a beta, but there is virtually nothing about Aeon online (videos, tutorials, etc), so I probably wouldn't be using it now if it wasn't free. If a trial version was available, I would have downloaded it, but wouldn't use it "for real", because you always risk losing a lot of work (not only data, but also time) if you decide not to purchase the app.
A trial version is important, but, in my opinion, videos and tutorials are even more important. If you watch a video that shows that the app has what you need, you're comfortable purchasing it even without a trial (and if you download a trial without the videos, you won't know how to use the app and it will expire before you even figure it out...).
As an example, iMindMap has a lot of short videos (http://www.thinkbuzan.com/intl/support/tutorials) and I think they're really helpful.
b) Use possibilities
Don't limit your target market to writers and Scrivener users. Although I agree project planning is a good evolution, Aeon is pretty good as it is to use as a study tool. If I were you I'd keep it simple and work on usability improvements, more export options and fixing bugs. If it's simple, there will be less support needed even with a big user base.
Bottomline:
I'm loving it so far, not sure if I'll still love it that much when the price comes out. You got me hooked and I don't want to go back to spreadsheets and mindmaps, so I'd probably spend the $50 (not very happily, though...). If the price is too high, you may lose a lot of the current users and if the app is not well advertised, you may not get many new users... I think that $30 is fair, $40 is ok and $50 may be too much.
Cheers and congratulations for the awesome app!
I need a timeline app to use as a study tool (to consolidate historical research and have a visual perspective), and I stumbled upon Aeon while researching for a decent application for mac. I've been using it for a couple of weeks quite heavily and I can say it has fulfilled all my needs.
There aren't many timeline apps around and it's hard to find good reviews, but, from what I've seen, I reckon Aeon is the most complete when it comes to classifying events (entities, labels, tags...), it has a friendly and straightforward interface and, even though it doesn't have fancy export options like beedocs' Timeline 3D, I don't really need them since I don't intend to make presentations.
I know more users = more support, but I just want to let you know there is a lot of potential for Aeon outside Scrivener's user base (I actually only heard of Scrivener when reading about Aeon).
Regarding the price, it's a tough question. On your side, the price has to correspond to all the work you have put into it. On our side, the price has to correspond to our expectations and the use we'll make of it.
My suggestions:
a) Expectations
When it comes to expectations, you have to be sure the app will have everything you need. I checked Beedocs' website and watched a lot of videos to see how it worked. Timeline 3D is, indeed, pretty expensive, but I wouldn't buy it even if it was cheaper, because it doesn't serve me. It's focused on presentations and it doesn't have as many tagging/labeling options, which are crucial to me.
I know it's only a beta, but there is virtually nothing about Aeon online (videos, tutorials, etc), so I probably wouldn't be using it now if it wasn't free. If a trial version was available, I would have downloaded it, but wouldn't use it "for real", because you always risk losing a lot of work (not only data, but also time) if you decide not to purchase the app.
A trial version is important, but, in my opinion, videos and tutorials are even more important. If you watch a video that shows that the app has what you need, you're comfortable purchasing it even without a trial (and if you download a trial without the videos, you won't know how to use the app and it will expire before you even figure it out...).
As an example, iMindMap has a lot of short videos (http://www.thinkbuzan.com/intl/support/tutorials) and I think they're really helpful.
b) Use possibilities
Don't limit your target market to writers and Scrivener users. Although I agree project planning is a good evolution, Aeon is pretty good as it is to use as a study tool. If I were you I'd keep it simple and work on usability improvements, more export options and fixing bugs. If it's simple, there will be less support needed even with a big user base.
Bottomline:
I'm loving it so far, not sure if I'll still love it that much when the price comes out. You got me hooked and I don't want to go back to spreadsheets and mindmaps, so I'd probably spend the $50 (not very happily, though...). If the price is too high, you may lose a lot of the current users and if the app is not well advertised, you may not get many new users... I think that $30 is fair, $40 is ok and $50 may be too much.
Cheers and congratulations for the awesome app!
mariabeatrizcc wrote:I'm loving it so far, not sure if I'll still love it that much when the price comes out. You got me hooked and I don't want to go back to spreadsheets and mindmaps, so I'd probably spend the $50 (not very happily, though...). If the price is too high, you may lose a lot of the current users and if the app is not well advertised, you may not get many new users... I think that $30 is fair, $40 is ok and $50 may be too much.
I have opted for $US40, but there is a 20% discount available to Scrivener users until June 30 by entering the Coupon Code "SCRIV TIMELINE", bringing the price down to $US32 for that period.
Regards,
Matt
Deal!
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mariabeatrizccma
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 5:46 pm
- Platform: Mac
matt wrote:I have opted for $US40, but there is a 20% discount available to Scrivener users until June 30 by entering the Coupon Code "SCRIV TIMELINE", bringing the price down to $US32 for that period.
Regards,
Matt
Sounds good, but I don't have Scrivener. Do I need to actually have it or can I use the coupon anyway?
mariabeatrizcc wrote:Sounds good, but I don't have Scrivener. Do I need to actually have it or can I use the coupon anyway?
No, if you go to purchase at the moment, it even tells you what code to type right there in the eStore (SCRIV TIMELINE).
I don't mind non-Scrivener people using it.