iPhone Cigar App ... need beta testers

You are doing the lords work Ken!

Ken,

Still working very well. No crashed today. I added some more cigars to the list, and have the process to get you my updated list. I hope to have it later tonight or tomorrow morning. Last, I added Solomon under shape.

[KenS]

Props to promethius for some awesome testing and input. Any BOTL's that end up with this app on their iPhone or iPod Touch will benefit from his input on this. Much appreciated.

Originally Posted by promethius

Ken,

Still working very well. No crashed today. I added some more cigars to the list, and have the process to get you my updated list. I hope to have it later tonight or tomorrow morning. Last, I added Solomon under shape.

[KenS]

ok, I'm about ready to build and release a 2nd beta version of Mobile Stogie, based on input from first round of tests.

Since a few of the testers were unable to make time to provide feedback, I'd like to open this round up for 3 more testers.

If you are interested, and:

1. Can honestly spend some time with the app and provide feedback over the next few days
2. Can respond quickly to requests for needed info about your iPhone or iPod Touch, so I can setup the app to install for you.
3. Want to make the app better for the rest of the BOTL's

Please post back in this thread, and I'll add 3 more testers to the next round.

Again, I'm looking to finalize the app and send it to Apple by mid/end of next week, so quick turnaround on feedback is important. If you honestly can't make the time over the next few days, then please wait for the public release.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[BigBruce]

I would be glad to help as I have an iphone I'm addicted too.

1.BigBruce

[tchariya]

dont have an iphone yet....but man if you get it out to the store i'm going to promote the hell out of it through all the geek review feeds I subscribe too. You gotta get a design going for your iphone app icon...since I don't have an iphone I can't see what you are using!

Also...more suggestion...

Allow a field to let you add notes to 'review' your own cigar for your inventory.

[white_s2k]

Originally Posted by tchariya

Allow a field to let you add notes to 'review' your own cigar for your inventory.

Yep, that would be very cool.

[Sauer Grapes]

Well. I guess I should apologize for dropping the ball. I had the computer issue, and then when I got that resolved, itunes wouldn't load the file onto my phone and would give me the "this file was not transferred to XXX because it cannot be played on this device" message.

I guess I also didn't realize the timeline you were working with.

[Sr Mike]

I have an iPod Touch and willing to help out, I will have a lot of time over the next few days to use it.

1.BigBruce
2. Sr Mike

[King James]

1. BigBruce
2. Sr Mike
3. King James

[alley00p]

Ken,
Unfortunately, I came down with that 72 hour bug that has me hacking and trying to coughing a lung out.

But, I've been adding and deleting cigars to the current database since I've been sitting at home.

You've apparently gotten the first thing I found fixed, which was the "forced capital" on the keyboard... most iPhone apps do this so it's a distraction to try and go back on each entry.

There are a number of sticks that aren't listed that I have in my humidor, especially Gurkhas, RP's and Macanudos in the NC section. I have about 150 sticks in there now, and when I get to work, I'll add some more from my work humidor.

I have only had the app crash twice in all the time I've been using it. Everyone who sees it has really liked it; I did attend a herf last night, even sick, and a number of BOTLs who saw it mentioned that maybe it was time to get an iPhone or iTouch!

I'm still working with the app, but other the couple of things I mentioned, I haven't had a lot to report.

Be back with more data soon....

[Sauer Grapes]

Anyway, I got the issues sorted out and so far I've seen a few items left out of the reference cigars.

The Fuente Maduros aren't listed. These include several of their regular lines, but the only wrappers listed are the cameroons (and sun growns listed separately). CAO and Don Pepin are missing several lines as well. La Flor as well.

Also, some cigars don't have a size option, ie La Aurora 100 Anos.

It seems adding a cigar is cumbersome. For instance, when you add a cigar, it asks to a humidor or a wishlist. This is fine. The next screen to add it to the humidor is the cumbersome part. I'd like to see it default to the humidor if you only have one entered. If there is more than one, then have it default to a preselected default chosen by the end user. There is also something I don't like about the screen you enter the cigar info to add it, but I don't know how to make it better. I'd like to see pop up windows that direct the user through the required info, and keep the non required info like box code separate and on a similar screen they are on now.

The app seems VERY cuban oriented, which I think will be a mistake when it comes to the majority of american users. Seems like it'd limit your audience.

Also, I didn't have ANY of the crashing issues that others were having when adding or deleting humidors, cigars, or anything.

[Sauer Grapes]

I really like the idea of the app. In fact, when the final version is out, I may be one of your customers if the NC database is improved.

[jovenhut]

I enjoy this app. It takes some time to enter everything but its does a great job of tracking everything

[KenS]

Originally Posted by tchariya

dont have an iphone yet....but man if you get it out to the store i'm going to promote the hell out of it through all the geek review feeds I subscribe too. You gotta get a design going for your iphone app icon...since I don't have an iphone I can't see what you are using!

Also...more suggestion...

Allow a field to let you add notes to 'review' your own cigar for your inventory.

There is a "Notes" field in beta 2, where you can enter as much text as you want. A future version will have a much more robust "Smoking Notes" area, but that isn't designed and thought through yet.

Thanks for the suggestion

[KenS]

Originally Posted by Sauer Grapes

I guess I also didn't realize the timeline you were working with.

No worries . I'm glad you got it working, but I also understand that people have lives with more important things going on. Any help is appreciated, but the timeline pressure is my own self-imposed pressure.

Thanks.

[KenS]

Originally Posted by Sauer Grapes

Anyway, I got the issues sorted out and so far I've seen a few items left out of the reference cigars.

The Fuente Maduros aren't listed. These include several of their regular lines, but the only wrappers listed are the cameroons (and sun growns listed separately). CAO and Don Pepin are missing several lines as well. La Flor as well.

One quick learning for me is that the reference database is the key value here, so yeah, I really need to build out the NC data. Unfortunately, a lot of that info is all over the map, whereas the CC data was much easier to find concisely (Wikipedia and a couple of internet sites have a lot of it captured very concisely).

Also, some cigars don't have a size option, ie La Aurora 100 Anos.

I think that's an exception rather than a rule, but I'll make sure it can show up blank if it's not needed.

It seems adding a cigar is cumbersome. For instance, when you add a cigar, it asks to a humidor or a wishlist. This is fine. The next screen to add it to the humidor is the cumbersome part. I'd like to see it default to the humidor if you only have one entered. If there is more than one, then have it default to a preselected default chosen by the end user. There is also something I don't like about the screen you enter the cigar info to add it, but I don't know how to make it better. I'd like to see pop up windows that direct the user through the required info, and keep the non required info like box code separate and on a similar screen they are on now.

Excellent point. I will see what I can do with this. Fundamentally, the only 'required' info is Humidor and Quantity, so those should be prompted more efficiently. I like that idea.

The app seems VERY cuban oriented, which I think will be a mistake when it comes to the majority of american users. Seems like it'd limit your audience.

Agreed. I originally was adding the cigar data as an "extra", since users can enter their own anyway, but clearly this data is one of the value propositions of the app, so I need to get focused on the NC data.

Also, I didn't have ANY of the crashing issues that others were having when adding or deleting humidors, cigars, or anything.

With beta 1, as long as you add humidor first, it shouldn't crash, and that seems like the most intuitive way anyway. If you tried to enter quantity first, I can assure you it would have crashed . Beta 2 (due out today or tonight) will fix that so you can add 'em any way you want.

Great feedback. Thanks

[KenS]

Beta 2 list is filled:

1. BigBruce
2. Sr Mike
3. King James
4. sikk50

PM going out shortly with instructions. Thanks everybody

[King James]

sounds good. After first cup of coffee I'll be ready to rock n roll

Ken, first suggestion for today(still beta1) under my cigars, it lists humidors, wishlist, etc. Might be nice to have the cuban, non-cuban option you get once you enter a humidor/wishlist.This would allow a view of the total # of a specific cigar, say if you have 5 cohiba's in one humidor, and 10 in another. It would allow a quick reference without going through multiple humidors for a inventory reference.