Today I downloaded Vesper.
Today, I know of the news that Vesper will be shutting down.
I’m writing this piece on it now. Such a fine note app. So many little delights sparkle all over – sliding left to archive exits into the main menu and the piece you’re working on pops up, as if you are filing away the document in real world. It gives a positional sense of where you are and where the archive document went to. Also, if you attach a photo to the note, the picture fades out ever so slightly as if to indicate the drawing of curtain in the cinema. Denoting an end, like a closure to whatever you are working on.
Tap and reorder the note on the main section. The card slides up or down the existing notes, not unlike you climbing up or down the stairs. This feedback, though not my favourite, gives another sense of position. Perhaps the heavy-handiness can be reduced and be more subtle.
But the intention is there, just like most things they do.
Except establishing a viable business model.
I wouldn’t have downloaded Vesper if I didn’t come across the news by John Gruber on his site Daring Fireball.
I love daring fireball and it’s one of the first sites I added to my RSS feed years back.
And Vesper has been on my iOS wish list since it was launched.
But I never got it. Till now.
I’m already using simplenote for my notes for the longest time. I’m heavily invested into it and never thought of switching to other software. What’s more, sync is so speedy and reliable these days that I sometimes take things for granted, until other less-able solutions make me appreciate how solid simplenote’s sync is across devices and platforms.
For short snippets which I don’t intend to revisit, Scratch gets the job done. It’s bare, and doesn’t do anything much, opens up a blank page each time I fire up the app. But it’s exactly what I want. Type something in a hurry, and send it to whatever place I want later.
I really want to like Vesper. It’s one of those softwares that’s obviously well-considered and developed, but just came out short. My all time favourite service Everpix was the same (I still weep for it).
John Gruber already knows what’s wrong. He makes many valid points on what possibly went wrong and what he could’ve done better. One of the points is to make the app free, with in-app purchase. A syncing service across platform. That would work. People who invest in the Mac app(which he said his team should’ve roll out first), would download the (free) copy of the iOS app, and pay an annual fee to sync their notes. I foresee people who buy the Mac app is already the ideal target audience for them. Those who want to give the app a spin can do so with iOS. This way, it should reach a wider audience and possibly generate greater revenue.
I’m almost done writing this piece.
Hello, Vesper
Farewell, Vesper