26 replies to this topic

[Gorskar]

John Cody (developer of Satalert) Has just released Smarttip, a little utility which will calculate what tip to leave in a restaurant based on the bill, the number of people in the party, and the percentage you wish to tip.

If calculating that yourself seems too much effort then visit Handango to buy this for $7.95.

[ClintEastman]

Spotted this a little while back, then decided it was one of the most uncool apps ever and didn't post it!!!
How much of a geek would you have to be!!

[Gorskar]

Yea, I want sure whether it counted as news or not, but its a new app, so what the hey.

Seriously though - who wants to calculate an exact % tip to the nearest penny. I'm sure anyone who is smart enough to get an SPV over a nokia can work out an approximate amount easily enough

[ClintEastman]

Yeh it's defo new's...
I just didn't wan't to put out an advert for it!

[midnight]

i've just made a html version, took around 20 minutes, and does exactly the same think, can i sell it for $8 now????

seriously tho, it really did take about 20 minutes

[awarner]

midnight, are you going to release it?

[superkingdave]

for me it would be one of the most worthless apps ever but i guess some people probably find it usefull... maybe they could market it to people who did the worst on test the nation?

[midnight]

awarner, errr, hehe, depends, it aint exactly fair on the author of the app now would it? but then again, is it fair to charge this amount of money for something this simple?

how about i build in many different types of calculator? fuel cost calculator? expenses calculator? dunno, up to you guys what you'd like really, but this sort of app in html is a doddle.

[ClintEastman]

Midnight, that’s what competition is all about. Maybe it will force the developer to do something more useful with his time that create 20min apps and try to charge a (relatively) large sum for it!

Anyways im off to write an great app, the way it works is that you enter into it your fav colour, then when you forget what it is all you have to do is look at your screen and it says it, right there in front of you! Absolutely amazing!!! What you recon £25 fair price?

[awarner]

[HelloDave]

Quote

you enter into it your fav colour, then when you forget what it is all you have to do is look at your screen and it says it, right there in front of you! Absolutely amazing!!! What you recon £25 fair price?

Well, if it displays the colour as well as prints it, go on then

I'm surprised more HTML apps haven't been released TBH, apart from Smartsuite (can't remember the author) and mine and ajb3000's short lived Planus app. They're really easy to code, and great for simple things. Pity PIE doesn't support DHTML, but you can't have everything!

[johncody]

Oh, you guys are brutal

I admit SmartTIP is a simple (to use) app. But I can assure you that a lot more then 20 mins went into producing it. A significant amount of time was spent dealing with the new Logo certification and digital signing issues as well as "quirks" with the development tool and other "behind-the-scene" time sponges that are typically required to release a product properly.

But, I try to always be responsive to feedback on my products. So, I have decided to reduce the price from $7.95 to $4.95. After the 30% commission and the upcoming $2 "Billing-On-Behalf-Of", channel-partner and delivery fees that I must pay for each sale, that will result in a $1.46 profit for me per sale.

Luckily, I was able to use coupons for the Logo Certification ($500 value) and the Digital Signing ($500 value) so they didn't cost me anything other then a bunch of time doing them. But, if I need to do a program change, another Logo certification will cost me a real $500 - so I will need to sell 342 copies just to break even

-John Cody

[Will]

John, that wasn't brutal, it was just that we probably are not the target audience.
The problem might be we don't tip like you guys in the US, hence the app is a little 'strange'.

I'm sure it will be of use in the states, and of course a gprs/html app will cost to use.

keep developing new stuff

[kyrkesmith]

What about just a decent scientific calculator?

[Gorskar]

But your first app was quite cool in a way, the Satalert one I mean!

I think Awarner is right - in the UK we tend to work out tips far more approximately, and they dont usually beat you up for leaving less than a 20% tip. So the place where you find most Smartphones is also the place where you find the least use of this app.

Maybe when Smartphones take off in America you will see some sales of this app, but if you want my very blunt advice I'd be leaving this one, and thinking of some cool new apps to code that lots of people will want to buy!

A decent Scientific Calculator might well sell for example!
Especially if it had some of the functions normally found on graphic calculators

[johncody]

Quote

But your first app was quite cool in a way, the Satalert one I mean!

Thanks a bunch - I am glad you like it. I am planing on a major new version soon...

I was just being playful with the word "brutal", I agree that the US will be a more suitable market for this type of app. I only chose a simple app like this so I could get it developed before the $1000 worth of coupons (free log cert, digital signing) expired. Otherwise, a developer of low-cost apps would have to sell hundreds of copies of their product just to cover the cost for the initial development fees.

Keep the comments coming

-John Cody

[Will]

er how did you get the free coupons?

Wiill

[johncody]

Quote

er how did you get the free coupons?

Microsoft had a Mobile-To-Market promo to waive the Logo Certified fee ($500) until I believe the end of May 2003. And Handango was giving out free packs of 100 digital signings ($495 value) to the first 100 smartphone developers to apply.

-John Cody

[urdone311]

Wow, tips aren't big over in Europe??  Here in Los ANgeles its an act of treason to lot leave a tip!!  The reason is because the restaurant owners are actually allowed to pay the waiters less than minimum wage, since they make tips.  And this is how they make their money.

I'm buying it right now, thank you, and great idea!

[johncody]

Quote

I'm buying it right now, thank you, and great idea!

Thanks for your support

-John Cody