Feeder: The Future
I said I was going to write a little about the future. There’s more going on than I can say here, but I can tell you things that are pretty certain.
Feeder 1.1 will be the next major release to come out. I’m very happy with the reviews and feedback this application has received. It was kind of like working in the dark, while there are other Mac apps out there for editing feeds they’re either free or hopeless and lack even the most basic functionality beyond editing items in a feed. On Windows I know of two roughly equivalent products (one was released after I’d started Feeder) – NewzAlert Composer and FeedForAll. I’ve had some requests from Windows users about doing a Windows version of Feeder – it’s not going to happen – I just direct them to either of these.
Feeder has comparable core functionality to both, but each has its unique features, which is cool. Also, while all three apps might do the same, they all look and work quite differently. Feeder is the most affordable at $24.95, NewzAlert Composer $29.95 and FeedForAll is $39.95. I should also mention here that for a while now, the USD to GBP exchange rate has sucked and always seems to be getting worse, so it’s possible Feeder’s price will have to rise in the future. It’s really difficult to be about 20% down on where you want to be. I know I have the market cornered, but that won’t last forever; I want to charge fair prices and Mac users can be savage in their analysis of a product’s worth. So I’m hoping the extra stuff in 1.1 will make Feeder worthy of a possible small hike, but what I’d really like is for the hike not to happen. Are you listening, markets?
And what will be in Feeder 1.1? In a nutshell, more publishing options and some extra polish. I’m pretty certain most of the following will make it through, barring any technical difficulties:
- Secure FTP
This should have been in v1.0, but the Open Source library I wanted to use vanished from the net. It’s back now, but in the meantime I found an alternative. Choice! - .Mac Publishing
- File Publishing
- HTML Export
- AppleScript Support
- Better podcasting support
- Improved templates
That’s quite a simplified list, there will be much more than that but these are the things people have been asking for. Feeder will be tweaked and refined in all sorts of small ways that might not immediately be obvious, but should feel perfectly natural.
I’ll write a little about KIT soon.