Stanza in iOS5... dead...

[kyteflyer]

Amazon denies even owning Stanza. Here's the response I got to an email I sent them.

Hello,

My name is Phil I would like to thank you for taking the time to write into AmazonWireless. I have read your email and would be more then happy to help you with your questions about Stanza.

I have done some research into this and found some information that might help you. While Amazon is not affiliated with the Stanza application I have found their website. Here is a link to the official Stanza website:

http://www.lexcycle.com/

I'm sorry that i was not able to give you any more information as to why Stanza is not on the iOS5. If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to contact us via email or at 1-877-429-8502 between 7am-9pm CST.

Amazon Wireless? Don't ask me!!

So what do we make of that, then. My reply to "Phil"...

Well, Phil, I appreciate your response, but unfortunately the information you have given to me is incorrect. Amazon purchased Stanza from lexcycle at least two years ago, and so sending me to visit the website is worse than useless. The website has been left for informational purposes only.

Amazon IS affiliated with the Stanza application. Amazon OWNS the Stanza application, and its Amazon which can do something about the update. The Stanza developers no longer work for Amazon, but I assure you, Amazon *can* do something about the issue.

If you do not believe me, please feel free to check the following link where the announcement has been made on April 27, 2009. http://appscout.pcmag.com/news-event...id=YaqLaod8mrx

I would really appreciate it if you would escalate the enquiry

Of course, I may end up with egg on my face, because in spite of the multiplicity of links around the net *claiming* that Amazon bought Stanza, the one thing thats missing is an announcement, or indeed *any* confirmation from Amazon itself, that it had acquired Stanza. Just starting to wonder...

Of course if nobody owns it anymore, then it should be disassembled and recreated as a new app.

[kyteflyer]

Oh wait. No egg.
A domain lookup at domaintools: http://whois.domaintools.com/lexcycle.com

check it out.

So I've sent "Phil" another email.

Additional to my previous email. A domain lookup on lexcycle.com at domaintools shows that the contact is Amazon Legal http://whois.domaintools.com/lexcycle.com

So please... do make more enquiries with your team leader, and then further up the line until/unless we get an answer that Stanza is being buried, or that there will be an update soon.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

Amazon denies even owning Stanza. Here's the response I got to an email I sent them.



Amazon Wireless? Don't ask me!!

So what do we make of that, then. My reply to "Phil"...



Of course, I may end up with egg on my face, because in spite of the multiplicity of links around the net *claiming* that Amazon bought Stanza, the one thing thats missing is an announcement, or indeed *any* confirmation from Amazon itself, that it had acquired Stanza. Just starting to wonder...

Of course if nobody owns it anymore, then it should be disassembled and recreated as a new app.

Lexcycle announced it on their blog in 2009:

We are very excited to announce that Lexcycle has been acquired by Amazon.com!

It has been an amazing experience to see Stanza grow out of our brainstormed ideas into one of the most downloaded iPhone applications. Throughout this period we have attempted to listen to and innovate for our customers to provide a great ebook reading experience.

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by kjk

Lexcycle announced it on their blog in 2009:

I hate to disappoint, but that is *not* an announcement *by* Amazon, which is what I wanted. It doesnt matter anyway because I found the evidence I wanted, in order to go back to their denial with a kick to say... give us an answer.

[midlifec]

Originally Posted by aagstn

I've been using Stanza a lot so it figures I would lose it.

Wanted to give Bluefire a try, but I can't add books to it. I used to be able to go to the file sharing section for apps on my iPad and drag and drop books, but with the iTunes 10.4 update it no longer works. Is dropbox my only other option for adding books to Bluefire?

Try Diskaid. Works fine.
I too mourn the passing of Stanza of which the best feature was the ability to customise the touch screen so any tap is page forward.
On all other readers the toolbars come up almost every time you touch the screen.
Bought an iphone 4s before I realised I was going to have to swiitch from stanza. Now I look at it with loathing.....

[Barty]

I emailed amazon and they told me it's Apple's responsibility to update the app. Yeah, seriously.

Hello,
>
> I understand you'd like us to update the Stanza for iPad app.
>
> We're happy to help you figure out how to install and use the Kindle application on your iPad.
>
> However, it sounds like you're asking about something related to another download from the App Store. Though Amazon purchased the Stanza e-reader program, an update for the application should be provided by Apple. Please contact Apple for device support at the address below:
>
> http://www.apple.com/support/

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by Barty

I emailed amazon and they told me it's Apple's responsibility to update the app. Yeah, seriously.

I think we are dealing with clueless idiots.

They clearly have NO idea how the appstore works, nor how developers get their apps in there in the first place. At least you got an admission that they own Stanza, the rest of us seem to have failed on that point.

I'm not emailing anymore. I have resumed my search for a replacement, and until I find it, its fbreader on a dead cheap simless android phone. If, by the time the Galaxy Note is released and available here, Stanza has not got its update *and* I have failed to find a suitable replacement (contenders right now in iOS land are only Bluefire and its offspring, and Megareader) I will buy the Note just for reading. A 5" screen will be a joy to use, I suspect

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

I think we are dealing with clueless idiots.

They clearly have NO idea how the appstore works, nor how developers get their apps in there in the first place. At least you got an admission that they own Stanza, the rest of us seem to have failed on that point.

I'm not emailing anymore. I have resumed my search for a replacement, and until I find it, its fbreader on a dead cheap simless android phone. If, by the time the Galaxy Note is released and available here, Stanza has not got its update *and* I have failed to find a suitable replacement (contenders right now in iOS land are only Bluefire and its offspring, and Megareader) I will buy the Note just for reading. A 5" screen will be a joy to use, I suspect

Mantano Reader (for Android). Support for tags, collections, custom colors, custom fonts and the recent update even added OPDS support. The developers are open to suggestions and they actually try to implement feature requests (based on popularity). One thing it does (along with majority of Android ePub reader apps) that Stanza doesn't is the ability to read embedded ePub metadata.

[bbr]

Originally Posted by Barty

I emailed amazon and they told me it's Apple's responsibility to update the app. Yeah, seriously.

How does that even make sense in their heads?

If they released the source code, ok, but they have the sources, apple doesn't.


Though, I'd be VERY interested in hearing a response from apple - if you forwarded that reply by amazon

[addressee]

A Facebook group has been started to "Revive Stanza For iOS5". Perhaps this could serve to supplement discussions happening here and across multiple sites and forums and quantify our displeasure with Amazon.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/230548790339245/

--
Tom

[Micah]

Just to let folks here know, we've heard the requests loud and clear, and we are switching our feature priority list around to get some features important to exStanza users in soon. Things like Collections, Edit Meta, User Added OPDS, quick brightness control, etc have jumped to the top of the list. We hope to get an update out with at least a few of those in the next couple months (adding features takes work, time, and testing). I know everyone has their pet feature, and some will be disappointed by our choices, but we are tyring to gauge what are the most common requests, and we also take into consideration how long a given features would take to release.

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by addressee

A Facebook group has been started to "Revive Stanza For iOS5". Perhaps this could serve to supplement discussions happening here and across multiple sites and forums and quantify our displeasure with Amazon.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/230548790339245/

--
Tom

I'd join if I wasn't in the process of dumping facebook because of MZ's attitude to privacy (which is that really, nothing should be private).

[Philantrop]

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

I'd join if I wasn't in the process of dumping facebook because of MZ's attitude to privacy (which is that really, nothing should be private).

Heh, *anything* you put *anywhere* on the net ceases to be private the very moment you do. It's not just Facebook, it's MobileRead and any other site, too.

Don't believe any privacy and data protection claims on the net. If enough money is thrown at any site's owner, he'll sell your data faster than you can say "no". :)

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Mantano Reader (for Android). Support for tags, collections, custom colors, custom fonts and the recent update even added OPDS support. ...

That may be but theres only a Trial, or an $8 app. I wont be committing to something like that until I know I can't replace Stanza with something suitable on iOS. In the meantime, fbReader is very configurable and its free. I might give the trial a go and see if it is a possibility but I won't be paying for it until I am sure of what I am doing. I've spent masses in the apple appstore... not planning to repeat that with Android.

Edit: then again... very impressed by its capacity to import all the other books you already have downloaded to the device. Maybe buying is not yet out of the question.

[kyteflyer]

In the meantime I am back to bemoaning the lack of Stanza on my device. I've just discovered what others have known all along... how much I depend on sorting and grouping. Stanza has groups according to author in alphabetical groups, or subject, as well as by title alphabetically. Bluefire and Megareader just list alphabetically or by author in a single long list. On Android, Mantano does the same thing, so does fbreader (so no, I wont be paying for yet another app which is not organised the Stanza way)

Stanza also has that handydandy alphabet down the side so you can jump to the letter you want.

There are so many little niceties that Stanza employs, that I am getting more frustrated than ever.

[edit] Had a response to my last email. In short what they said was that even though Amazon owns Stanza/lexcycle (at least they arent denying it anymore) that it (Stanza etc) operates as a separate entity, and they suggested I write to info@lexcycle.com, which I have just done. Clearly, Amazon is not prepared to get involved directly.

Following is the text of my email to info@lexcycle

Hello,

Since amazon customer service refuses to answer any questions about Stanza and its future, and keeps redirecting enquiries to this address, and to the lexcycle website, I'm throwing myself on your mercy.

Please, can you give any indication of whether Stanza will be updated for iOS5. Currently its completely broken, throwing errors of different kinds depending on what you try to do. Suffice to say, the app does not work and is unusable. I and many others have been forced to use other apps which simply do not do the job that Stanza has done, so well, for so many years.

Please.. update soon?