A Sign of Good Things to Come?
Today after a lot of hard work on an update to the HanDBase for iPhone application, I finally decided to pull the trigger and submit it to the App Store. This is the long awaited ‘Extreme Makeover’ edition with a fresh and improved look and UI! The testing process has winded down and we haven’t had any new beta bug reports in a bit. We still haven’t updated the documentation, video, screenshots, etc, but if we submit to Apple now, we’ll have plenty of time to update while waiting weeks or months for Apple to approve the update anyway, right? WRONG!
Amazingly, just 5 hours after submitting to the App Store, the update is live in the store. How did this happen? The last update was a 10 week endeavor with a phone call and many emails going back and forth, and that was a minor update. This one is pretty major:
HanDBase for iPhone gets a ‘makeover’ in v4.5.0!
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All New look – carbon fiber theme (classic look selectable in prefs)
New App Icon, in program icons
New Choose Database screen with collapsing folders
Pop Up Bubbles for selecting Views, Popup values, Field and Database actions
Databases sorted can now use a right side quick index
Run Reports on various field types (with Graphs!)
Field Actions Popup: Resize field width, Sort Forward/Reverse, Report and Set Value To
Record Action: Set value to- set a field’s value for all the records within the current
Scroll fields in the list view by dragging the field name bar right or left
Database Actions Popup: Email Database file
view (great for clearing all checkboxes in a checklist, for example)
Switch to and from landscape from almost any screen.
New security mode to protect specific databases from being accessed via Desktop Connect
Many bug fixes and small improvements throughout!
I noticed the other day that Facebook 3.1 was out and just a day later it seemed there was already a 3.1.1 update. I even griped to myself that Facebook is getting special treatment.
So is there a change afoot on the App Store? I have my hopes up. My thinking is that they are using static analyzers to check the binaries submitted and if they are not using certain APIs (Private), using certain amounts of bandwidth, or perhaps have a good reputation in previous updates, there is some sort of automatic check/approval being done.
Perhaps they simply hired more reviewers? Perhaps the change to not show updates as updated when showing by release date in a category has reduced their update load. Or perhaps there is some type of lull in submissions right now (doubtful).
So many possibilities, but one thing is certain- our app was approved in less than a day! So if you’re a developer, don’t expect to have time to work on documentation, assets, etc while waiting for approval in the App Store. You never know when you might be pleasantly surprised as we are!
Are you going to do anything for the Android platform?
Sorry to rain on the parade. I have found the program, as lovely as it does appear, crashing on my ipod. This happened when I try to use popup values in text boxes. Because I have the program running on a variety of platforms I can manage until this one is fixed. I hope they will look into this issue and fix it soon.
HanDBase on the ipod is an amazingly easy program to use. I like that one can export to a desktop as a CSV file that imports into anything. The ipod is well accepted and doesn’t upset anyone at the time of data capture. -Ron R.
Well, all I can say is “bravo, and well done!!”. I received my update last night, but did open HanDBase until today-the new interface is gorgeous, and it looks like the functionalities like linked fields and relationship fields are working mch better than in the earlier iPhone/iTouch version. In moving from the Palm to the iPhone, my biggest (maybe only) regret was that HanDBase didn’t work as well as the Palm version, but now the iPhone versim seems to have all the functionality plus a style befitting the slick iPhone!!
Thank you!!!
Hi Ron,
Sorry about that bug. It’s been fixed and should be part of the forthcoming 4.5.1 update. Hopefully, based on the topic of this blog post, you’ll see the results of the 4.5.1 update soon!
FYI, here is a list of known bugs for 4.5.0:
http://www.ddhsoftware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=561
Thanks for your comments.
Zach, re: Android, yes we do have plans for Android. We even have a forum set up for discussing this upcoming version:
http://www.ddhsoftware.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=19
Thanks for the forthcoming bug fix. What should not get lost is that the ipod is socially acceptible in places where a stylus can cause suspicion. This is an important product. -Ron R.
Dave,
Good deal on the app but I have the same trouble as Ron, and for me it’s really tough because I use those text popup fields in my main patient tracking app (my personal app, not commercial) and it means that I have to enter by hand with the risk that when I go back and search these fields I will have mis-entered something. Is it possible for those of us so afflicted to do a roll-back until you get the fix out?
Jim
Second point:
Though I like the idea of the folders on the opening page, the look is, dare I say, a bit “twee,” as the English might put it. I use it in my professional life and liked the rough tough DB look. If there were a choice of that skin vs the new home filing cabinet skin, I’d prefer it.
Cheers
When will the PC/Mac Handbase 4 get updated to look like the fantastic new iPhone app? Also there needs to be better integration between the 2 for backup – ? bluetooth backup rather than needing WiFi?
Very Disappointed version 4 user for Iphone. Bought the app from the Itunes store. Then Find out you have to buy something else just to SYNC to a desktop app. Then tried to Download the DEMO’s and the crashed.. After 50 plus apps I’ve bought from the Itunes store . This is by far the most Fragmented . Include the Desktop app with the Iphone version. It’s crazy to try and build databases and forms on a tiny screen. Give the user the package they need.
For the Record !
Prompt and personal emails from DDH Software has Won me Over with this Company. After explanations about how the APP STORE platform and pricing works, I now completely understand why the Product is Packaged and Priced as it is. I have no further complaints and retract my Too Quick to Judge comments referenced above. I am completely satisfied by the way my complaint was handled and resolved. I look forward to purchasing their additional Value added products.
Hi,
I used 4.5.0, and was delighted at what HandBase has done with the interface, making it more “Apple-like”, as compared to what was originally “Palm-like”. I pointed out the drop-down error to the support team, who responded quickly that the new version would correct that error. And it was with 4.5.1. Am very happy of the effort your team puts behind the iPhone–they’ve improved since the days of the v4.0 Palm, which was good.
Thanks. Keep up the good work.
Hi,
I’m an avid user of the Relational-Database capabilities of HanDBase on my Symbian phone( Nokia E90). I am also a developer in MS Access. I miss the Forms design feature on Symbian. I have two questions: Why have there been no upgrades on the Symbian platform?
Is there any plan to provide Runtime Development tools for iPhone or Symbian?
Thanks,
It is a wonderful programme.
Hi Sanjay,
Thanks for posting your questions- both great ones. I wish the sales for S60 were high enough to warrant further development, but in fact they are very small compared to other platforms we support. I know that the argument can be made that things like the lack of forms may be preventing some customers from buying, but the fact is that other platforms without the forms feature still manage to sell 20-100x the amount that the S60 version does. Because of this, I have to go where the customers are, and despite s60 being the top marketshare leader of the world of smartphones, the customers that are interested in HanDBase are not using it, it would seem
This does not mean we are abandoning the platform, but it does explain why we don’t put as much time into further enhancing the product.
In regards to the runtime tools for iPhone or Symbian, the latter is based on the above- lack of customer interest. The former is more a technical issue- since iPhone apps can’t be sold or distributed en masse without being signed and approved by Apple with a special account, it’s quite hard for us to build these as demo or even full versions that you could test and have rights to distribute when you buy. Something I am always considering to see if there is a way we could accomplish this, but as of now, unfortunately it’s not technically feasible for us to offer this.
Hope these answers help and sorry they are not good news to you!
Still use your fantastic software on a Palm TX. Love the software, hate the hardware. My HanDBase databases have become indispensable to me, but I’m burning though TX screens and can’t get excited about databases on touchscreen phones because they won’t show a lot of info.
On the other hand, I hear Kindle has announced a beta release of an SDK. Any chance of HanDBase for Kindle? That seems like a perfect fit for my data.
Additionally, will there be an upgrade of the product for the iPad to take advantage of the larger screen?
Keep up the great work… I’ve been a satisfied customer for what? A decade or so, I think?
Hi Dave,
So I will carry on with my Treo 680 until you get Handbase for Palm Pre. Is there a discussion forum in this regard?
Kepp up the good work
J
@Rick
Hi Rick,
Yours is the first request for a Kindle version. I would say at this point we had no plans, but I’d never completely rule out doing one in the future. More than likely it won’t be something we’d develop in the near term as we’d have had to been bombarded with customer requests by now to have this allocated for development!
@John O’Gorman
Hi John,
There are a few threads on the forums discussing this. Here are a few:
http://www.ddhsoftware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=173&start=0&hilit=pre
http://www.ddhsoftware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=173&start=0&hilit=pre
From your FAQs for the iPhone app I see that you are considering whether to add custom forms capability to the iPhone version. I just wanted to add my vote for this feature.
Thanks for the great app!
Got my android picked out based on ATT rumors. I’m just waiting for you guys as I need my HDb and my Palm 680 is held together with Gorilla Glue. C’mon. You’re techies and, well, it’s the ANDROID OS! What are you waiting for?