iPhone MapleRead -- iPhone version of BookMaster -- now ready for beta testing

[sbaylor]

MapleRead is the upcoming iPhone version of BookMaster, our highly acclaimed ebook reader app for iPad. We are very excited to tell you that it is now ready for beta testing, starting today (May 26, 2016).

For more details, please see TestFlight for MapleRead.

Hopefully with your help, the first post-beta version of MapleRead will be available on the App Store by the end of June as scheduled.

[odamizu]

This is exciting news! Unfortunately, I don't have time to beta-test anything right now, but I look forward to the official release.

Question 1: I notice syncing requires registration and is done over your own Cloud service, but there's no privacy policy posted anywhere. How much data do you collect on registered users and how is privacy protected?

Question 2: Why did you decide to give the iPhone app a totally different name from the iPad app? MapleRead and BookMaster?

[sbaylor]

Good questions.

Originally Posted by odamizu

This is exciting news! Unfortunately, I don't have time to beta-test anything right now, but I look forward to the official release.

There is absolutely no expectation for our beta testers to test everything. Just taking a casual look at the iPhone user interface and feeling that it looks ok are good enough feedback for us. Actually, very few bugs are expected to be found.

Some other app developers may give users a different expectation of beta testing when they require dedicated beta testers, and are proud to report how many bugs are found and fixed. We don't. We are mostly concerned about the aesthetic aspect and the look-and-feel (rather than the features per se), which are quite subjective. We think the best way to collect the feedback is to let existing users take a look. How long will it take? Probably a few minutes?

I remember that you were kind enough to help us test sync just with one iPad, when the sync feature was first introduced in BookMaster. And now you can test sync from iPad to iPhone, or vice versa. Wouldn't it be more interesting? That'll be useful, even if that's the only thing you have time to test.

Question 1: I notice syncing requires registration and is done over your own Cloud service, but there's no privacy policy posted anywhere. How much data do you collect on registered users and how is privacy protected?

Since its introduction, syncing has always required registration and is done with our own secure cloud service. We care about privacy issues. Thank you for your reminder. A privacy policy is being drafted and will be posted on our website.

Basically, data are collected only as needed to provide the service. For example, syncing of reading progress of a book involves data that identify the book uniquely and the reading progress percentage, chapter and page numbers. Nothing about your notes, vocab are collected, as they are not needed for this purpose. Moreover, we don't share the collected data outside Maplepop LLC.

Question 2: Why did you decide to give the iPhone app a totally different name from the iPad app? MapleRead and BookMaster?

Actually, we've been thinking about the app name for a long time. We want a name that is (more) unique and emphasizes the major service it provides--tools for reading, rather than books for selling (like iBooks).

Perhaps the name "BookMaster" will be changed later too!

[cedhax]

I understand and respect your beta policy for "TestFlight for MapleRead", but I just want to say a few words about how I feel after only about ten minutes of playing with MapleRead.

It is as thoughtful, powerful and graceful as BookMaster. The best ereader app I've ever used on my iPhone 6s!

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by sbaylor

... There is absolutely no expectation for our beta testers to test everything. Just taking a casual look at the iPhone user interface and feeling that it looks ok are good enough feedback for us ...

Oh! I can do that! Okay, I will do the beta when I get a chance.

... Actually, we've been thinking about the app name for a long time. We want a name that is (more) unique and emphasizes the major service it provides--tools for reading, rather than books for selling (like iBooks).

Perhaps the name "BookMaster" will be changed later too!

I don't feel strongly about which name you use — BookMaster, MapleRead (or MapleReader?). I just think it's confusing for the iPhone and iPad apps to have such different names, especially since they sync with each other.

You should, of course, do what you think is best for your apps, but my suggestion is to use the same or similar names for both iPhone and iPad

[slantybard]

I have beta tested it on my iPhone using TestFlight and have some feedback.

[sbaylor]

Originally Posted by slantybard

I have beta tested it on my iPhone using TestFlight and have some feedback.
...

Thank you for your feedback.

However, this is not the place to discuss it.

Please play by the rule we posted on our website about TestFlight for MapleRead:

As what you'll test is a beta version of MapleRead provided only to a limited number of qualified users like you, we ask you to agree not to discuss in public any feature, any missing feature, or any bug that you may or may not discover, and not to post in public any screenshot of the beta app.

Please use the standard feedback mechanism as provided by TestFlight.

I'd appreciate very much if you modify your previous posting so that it will play by the rule.

Thank you in anticipation

[slantybard]

Originally Posted by sbaylor

Thank you for your feedback.

However, this is not the place to discuss it.

Please play by the rule we posted on our website about TestFlight for MapleRead:

As what you'll test is a beta version of MapleRead provided only to a limited number of qualified users like you, we ask you to agree not to discuss in public any feature, any missing feature, or any bug that you may or may not discover, and not to post in public any screenshot of the beta app.

Please use the standard feedback mechanism as provided by TestFlight.

I'd appreciate very much if you modify your previous posting so that it will play by the rule.

Thank you in anticipation

Sorry. I saw others posting above and thought feedback here would be OK. I have deleted the post's content as per your request. I can not find any place within the beta MapleRead app to provide feedback. Also, the TestFlight app has no feedback mechanism that I can access (it only provides a link to open MapleRead) so I will simply refrain from providing any user feedback unless you personally request it.

[slantybard]

@sbaylor - in further response to your posting about me posting feedback here, I have re-confirmed that there is NO FEEDBACK button currently available/enabled to send feedback to you from within the TestFlight app.

It appears that you might have forgotten to add a "feedback email address for the build in iTunesConnect"

A google search about this problem links to:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2...eedback-button

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by sbaylor

Perhaps the name "BookMaster" will be changed later too!

I just had a thought. Maybe MapleRead is a universal app for both iPad and iPhone, and BookMaster is being phased out? That would explain the totally different name.

@sbaylor: You don't need to answer or comment. I'm just speculating out loud

[sbaylor]

@slantybard - There is indeed a "Send Feedback" button right under the MapleRead app icon. See the attached screenshot. Can you see the same button on your TestFlight app?

By the way, I have already received quite a number of feedback email via this channel. In fact, even before the beta announcement, I have tried this feedback path myself by signing up as a beta tester.

[sbaylor]

@odamizu - Yesterday I answered your Question 2 honestly:

Actually, we've been thinking about the app name for a long time. We want a name that is (more) unique and emphasizes the major service it provides--tools for reading, rather than books for selling (like iBooks).

Perhaps the name "BookMaster" will be changed later too!

But it seems that you don't believe it.

[slantybard]

Originally Posted by sbaylor

@slantybard - There is indeed a "Send Feedback" button right under the MapleRead app icon. See the attached screenshot. Can you see the same button on your TestFlight app?

By the way, I have already received quite a number of feedback email via this channel. In fact, even before the beta announcement, I have tried this feedback path myself by signing up as a beta tester.

Ok, this is totally weird then. My TestFlight app page for MapleRead does not have the FEEDBACK button. That's why (a) I originally wrote feedback here and (b) posted my google search above about the missing email address in iTunesConnect. I am attaching my iphone 6 screenshot of TestFlight below.

[sbaylor]

@slantybard - Yes, it's indeed weird. A bug of the TestFlight app from Apple?

Anyway, in your case please send your feedback with the subject "TestFlight feedback" to our email address you used for beta sign-up.


[BTW, I have not typed that email address here so as to minimize its chance of being email-harvested.]

[slantybard]

Originally Posted by sbaylor

@slantybard - Yes, it's indeed weird. A bug of the TestFlight app from Apple?

Anyway, in your case please send your feedback with the subject "TestFlight feedback" to our email address you used for beta sign-up.


[BTW, I have not typed that email address here so as to minimize its chance of being email-harvested.]

Sounds great .

Understand completely why you didn't write out the email address.