Impressive...

The workflow is very different from any other application Ive ever used for writing, but it didnt take long to adapt to the CBB way of doing things.

Its a little rough around the edges, but its hard to complain. The number of features makes up for the drawbacks (mostly - there are a couple things that *need* to be fixed).

I assume everything will improve with time (please continue development - dont abandon the project the way so many app developers do - what you have here is a great product with a ton of potential to be even better).

There are three things, though, that I think ought to be addressed before anything else:

1. When editing an element (such as a paragraph), it would be nice if the text view automatically receives focus. Right now, theres just the "Tap on the area below to begin typing" title (I forget the exact words, but thats close enough). When I select an element (paragraph, title, whatever), its because I want to edit it. It might sound like a petty complaint, but it seems like most "elements" are subclasses of some base, abstract "element" that *always* represents an editable item. I dont know if Im making sense right now - its late and I forgot to eat because Ive been having such a good time getting to know CBB. Point being, if I tap on, for example, a "paragraph" element, when the paragraph appears, I want to be able to start editing it immediately. I dont want to tap on the text field. Its an unnecessary step in the process that gets very old very quickly.

2. After Ive selected an element to edit and tapped the text field to do my editing, the view is automatically resized to accommodate the iPads soft keyboard. Thats fine, but I use a bluetooth keyboard for anything that requires a significant amount of typing (like the review Im writing). I use several apps on a regular basis that require a lot of typing, and they all handle external keyboards properly (when I turn on the bluetooth keyboard, the soft keyboard disappears, and the text views resize to take advantage of the newly freed space). CBB needs to do the same thing. Its sort of frustrating to be typing in a text view that only takes up half the screen (the bottom half is just empty - black). Given that CBB is an app designed specifically for writing, its surprising that it isnt "aware" of external keyboards. I cant imagine writing even a short story using the soft keyboard (no offense to Apple - the soft keyboard is fine for filling out fields here and there, but its not a comfortable way to write a few thousand words in a row).

3. The cover editing is clunky. I tried using some drawing apps to get around the problem (designing the cover using a drawing app, exporting to a png, then importing the png in CBB). Despite using canvas sizes that correspond to the iPads screen ratio, I havent been able to get a cover to look right. You have the basic tools in place - resizing image views, moving them around, being able to push an image to the back or bring an image to the front - its tricky to develop that stuff, so kudos there. What bothers me is that youre *so close* to having a system that works - the features are good, but the overall experience lacks finesse. If you can take what you have and just refine it, the cover design aspect of CBB would be adequate.

Anyway... although Ive spent a lot of time writing about the bits of the app Im not happy with, I want to be clear: I took the time to write this because I think the app is mostly great. Being able to assemble epubs on an iOS device is something Ive wanted to be able to do for ages. For the most part, CBB is snazzy. Its worth more than what I paid (at the time Im writing this, I think I paid $4 or something). Id have given the exact same review even if the app were three or four times more expensive. Im very happy with it - Im glad I bought it, and for anybody whos reading this and wondering if its worth it: it is. Its a brilliant product for the price of a latte. Or a box of granola bars. Or a tub of ice-cream. But CBB doesnt get cold, stale, or melt. Were used to apps being a dollar or two, so anything over a couple bucks seems expensive. If you take a step back and remember that desktop applications used to cost at least forty bucks a pop (with many costing far more), something like this is a no-brainer.

Generally speaking, if you decide to wait until the app is "perfect", youll be waiting a long time. I figured - and I was right - that there would be some clunky bits here and there, but with a little more work, I think CBB will be fantastic. However, if you dont buy it, the devs dont make the money they need to continue working on it.

In other words, if youre on the fence, just buy it. Its great as it is, and every dollar we spend is another dollar they can put toward perfecting this thing. For purely selfish reasons, I encourage all of you to invest in CBB so it can become a five-star app.

Think about it: your money could fund the bluetooth keyboard problem I mentioned a few thousand words ago.

What kind of person would pass up the opportunity to bring us all one step closer to the app being everything I want it to be?

A bad person. Thats what kind.

Are you that kind of person? If you dont buy the app, then, yes: you are that kind of person.

Dont be that kind of person.

I consider every sale of CBB to be a down payment on my happiness, and thats more important than your latte.

RoryBlyth about Creative Book Builder