If all I talk about today is what’s new in 4.0.22 this is going to be a really short post.
Actually, let’s get it out of the way now; Comic Zeal 4 will soon be a universal app and run on your iPhone.
Ok! done. Read on for details …
Now I’m going to tell you a story, not because it’s bedtime (although here it is), but because it’s the best way to let you know what’s been happening.
When the iPad was first announced it was fairly obvious that moving getting Comic Zeal to work on it was going to be a lot of work. Importing of comics would be different, the interface had to be changed to suit the larger form factor, typical usage would change (not a lot of scrolling), new graphics would be required etc etc.
I started work right away and sure enough, it turned into a monster fairly quickly. It took up all my time, so much so that poor old Comic Zeal 3 was neglected, the only update it saw was the removal of USB syncing. Needless to say this didn’t make any of the users happy.
As the work on CZ 4 continued it became obvious that there was no way I was going to be able to release a universal binary. At the time the process for making them was very immature. Although I can’t go into details I can tell you that as the deadline for app submission approached, all of us on the developer forums with iPad-only apps felt terrible for what the universal binary people had to go through.
About a month before the iPad was to be released we made the decision to sell Comic Zeal 4 as a separate app. We deliberately didn’t name it ‘Comic Zeal for iPad’ because the plan was to stop CZ 3 development after a few months. We’d make CZ 4 iPhone compatible, let the current users of CZ 3 know they had to buy CZ 4 for future updates and eventually remove it from the app store.
When the iPad was released there were some problems with Comic Zeal 4, importing was slow and iTunes file sharing wasn’t enabled (it couldn’t be tested prior to the iPad release).
CZ 3 was still working fine but CZ 4 needed serious work. It got all the development time and its code diverged further and further from that of its older sibling. Even once the initial problems with CZ 4 were fixed more and more requirements emerged, everyone was excited to use Comic Zeal on the iPad and had great ideas; native file imports,resizing on the fly, a magic background setting, moving the settings into the application, brightness controls, tap-to-turn pages (obvious now I know, but never really needed on the iPhone), the perfect manga mode people asked for since CZ 1, page fits, easier next-comic selection, basically everything you’ve seen on the change logs in this blog.
Finally, with all that done, it was time to start working on the update to CZ 3 that was sorely needed.
It was too late.
The code was just too different.
If you’re a developer you know that we have tools to make this process easier, things that merge files and version control systems that detail every change you make. It’s all fun until the file merge thing gives up and the version control system tells you you’ve changed something in everything.
Then Steve comes out on stage and tells the world they’ve made a mini-iPad with a phone in it and would you kindly make sure all your stuff works on it coz it’s real important, thanks.
Let me tell you though, as a developer, working on these devices is just a dream come true. This is science fiction people, right here and now. Pixels so little you can’t see them!
So the sleeves went up, I got out the old shoehorn, some oil and made CZ 4 fit in an iPhone.
All of it, no compromises, nothing’s missing. Everything’s in there (except for page-fit which doesn’t make sense).
There’s even a couple of extra features like page resizing and loading in the background for faster page turns (needed for older hardware) and detecting when new files have been added with iTunes file sharing (so you don’t have to re-start the app).
It’s really something special.
And if you’ve bought ANY version of Comic Zeal you’re getting it for free.
Comic Zeal 3 customers will get it first, in the form of an iPhone/iPod-only application that will run on firmware 3.1.3 and later. iTunes file sync and page locking is only available on iOS4 though. It will be distributed as an update to Comic Zeal 3 through the app store. Comic Zeal 3 will be renamed to ‘Comic Zeal for iPhone’
Comic Zeal 4 customers will get it next in the form of a universal application that will run on both the iPhone and iPad. We’ll probably drop the ’4′ from the end of the name too.
There is something that’s very important to note, the versions have exactly the same functionality now, but that’s not going to be the case forever. There will certainly be differences in functionality between the iPhone and iPad versions soon, and there are likely to be differences between the cheaper iPhone only and universal versions in the next three months or so.
The iPhone/iPod-only version has been submitted to Apple for approval. I wanted to get it to them early as I’m fighting a delivery timeline for a project Ms bitolithic started almost nine months ago.
The universal version will be submitted in about a week.
In future I’ll try and submit both versions together.
Thanks for reading this far, I’ll try to answer any questions in the comments. Also don’t forget we have a new support site at http://comiczeal.tenderapp.com, it’s fantastic. A search field that works!
As always my thanks go to Adam and Thom who do all the things I can’t.
Great news! Can’t wait to get ahold of a iPhone 4 and universal Comic Zeal!
Any chance of a sync between iPhone and iPad as in the Amazon Kindle app? Remember where you lett of in a comic, and syncing the same comics?
Great work, keep it up!
Great news, this is pretty exciting (although it makes the wait for the Aus. iPhone4 release even harder!).
And congratulations on the future comic nerd
Thanks Mikkel! Unlikely.
Thanks Anthony! I’d like to see the iPhone 4 released in Oz soon too. The betas tell me it looks great on it though.
Oz is Oztralia? And why would you put shrimp on a doll?
I’m about to download the latest iPad version and take it for a ride as if I had never used it before, going through each feature and trying to break each one. Back to you in a couple days in e-mail unless I manage to break something.
Crustacean love?
Thanks for the testing Jim!
A little off topic but I just wanted to point out that I love the new il3D-ish icon. I wish more apps had that style.
Yes, Adam’s done a fantastic job with that one.
Looking forward to update !
Congrats on the baby, I’ve got one on the way too so I know how you feel
Great app, and the first thing I purchased on my iPad. I’m really happy with it.
Thank you!
Been using ComicZeal since near the beginning, and expecting my new iPhone 4 soon. This is great news about the the free upgrade. Thanks Emiliano! And congrats on the impending lil Bitolithic family member!
Thank you Tony!
Can’t wait for the update. All the additions sound fantastic. But most of all I hope that it fixes my sync issues. I have not been able to successfully sync since upgrading to iOS4.
When I was first searching for a comic reader on the app store, I was unsure which to go with. Value in an app isn’t just what it is but also what it could go on to be. So choosing the right comic reader was a touch choice (there were so many!). I’m glad I backed the right developer and I thank you for all the time and effort you put into this app. It’s fantastic.
Emiliano, I have had Comic Zeal ever since just before you implemented USB connectivity (later removed and now back again) and am very grateful to support a developer who actively listens to his software community. I wrote you with Wi-Fi sync troubles I was having and not only did you respond within a short time, you took the effort to actually listen and come up with a solution.
For this alone, I am very happy to support Bitolithic. I see that you will soon be joined by a new member of the clan. Congratulations. Perhaps it’s best not to expect too many further updates while you part ways with your regular sleep patterns for a short time.
All the best to you and your family from all users of your software and thankyou again for your amazing creations.
Congrats to Emiliano for the baby (it’s a girl!). He is kind of busy right now but i think i’ll be back online really soon. Thanks for all your support to him, he really deserves it.
Congratulations Emiliano on your new baby girl !!!
Hi, you app is amazingly useful. thank you so much.
Hola. No hablo ingles.
Queria saber si la actualizacion 4.0.22 se pueden sincronizar los comic’s por medio de USB y como hacerlo.
Tengo la primera version que si admite USB con iPhone explorer y no he querido actualizar.
Muchas gracias.
——————————————————
(Hello. I do not speak English.
I wish to know if the update 4.0.22 can synchronize the comic’s by means of USB and as doing it.
I have the first version that if USB admits with iPhone explorer and I have not wanted to update.
Thank you very much.
Jejeje… translator online. Sorry.
Awesome stuff! But is there any chance of being able to better organize comics on the app? I’d love to be able to upload an image to act as the “cover” for an entire series. Same question for individual comics? I’d like to be able to choose which page acts as the cover of each comic (this is really helpful for Manga). And any chance of being able to rename comics and issues within the app itself?
Alonso, yes, you can use iTunes file sharing as per the iTunes app description for Comic Zeal
Aku, you can organise the comics into folders but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to chose your own image to represent the comic for a while. Renaming in the app for individual issues is definitely on the to-do list.
While I think the app is great and well worth the money, I do have a couple of suggestions, firstly could you make the page turn by flipping more sensitive so it is a closer match to most other apps, as currently I find it less responsive than apps such as iBooks, stanza or the marvel app.
Secondly would it be possible for a series mode option where the next comic to be read was loaded automatically rather than just the collection drop down opening up.
Thank you for a great piece of software and your hard work. Comic Zeal was one of the huge reasons I got an iPad… so I can read comics. And bonus now I can enjoy it on my iPhone too
.
Just checking to be SUPER-safe before I download the update: iTunes file sync is NOT the same as just being able to sync through iTunes, correct? In other words, I can still put comics on my iPad through the drag-and-drop-into-iTunes method rather than wirelessly, right?
Are there any plans to be able to see shared folders on a PC or Mac over Wifi?
Colin, you’ve mentioned apps that don’t have to deal with scrolling. The next comic isn’t loading automatically in case they are not in order, this is only one more tap and it lets you modify the order as you read.
Hi Mark, sorry for the confusion, I’ve updated the iTunes description to make it clearer that iTunes file sharing still works on the iPad in the most recent version.
Theydon, no. You’ll have to rely on other apps that give you that functionality and allow you to open files in CZ. CZ registers itself as being able to open cbr/cbz files.
emiliano, thanks for the info.
Another question if I may, are the long backup times something that is being looked into?
For example, after a fresh restore with 7Gb of Apps and Music on my iPad, including 1Gb of comics took just 11 minutes to backup. A few hours later, now with 11Gb on my iPad, which includes 5Gb of comics, took 2hrs to backup.
Without wanting to play Devils Advocate, I feel that this change in software is a little unfair on existing Comic Zeal customers.
I have already purchased Comic Zeal 3 for my iPhone before the iPad was a twinkle in El Jobso’s eyes, at a cost of £2.39
I am now being told that I have to spend another £5.00 to use the App on my iPad. Additionally, I am told that the app I’ve already spent £2.39 on will be discontinued, and so if I need to change my iPhone handset and the app is no longer available, I will be forced to spend an additional £5.00.
I do not doubt that Comic Zeal 4 is worth the £5.00 fee. What I resent is that faithful Comic Zeal customers who purchased the original app will eventually be forced to make an additional purchase.
Many other apps that I have already purchased by other developers have been upgraded to universal apps free of charge.
I love Comic Zeal, I think its a great app, but I feel that all this additional pricing is a little unfair.
Chris, nobody has said that people who bought CZ 3 will be left out in the cold. As a matter of fact if you check your iTunes you’ll see that it has been updated to an iPhone-only version of CZ 4. Feel free to thank all the CZ 4 iPad purchasers who financed that development work and that you are now getting for free. While you’re there it’s a good idea to thank all the people who bought CZ after you did, they financed all the updates that you received after your purchase.
I simply don’t understand this belief that people have that all future updates to their iPhone software should be free, what gives you this impression Chris? Are you telling me that the quality of CZ is so bad that you need it improved to get your money’s worth? were there features in the application description when you bought the app that you didn’t get so you want them before you pay for new ones? What is it that leads you to believe that the money you paid for CZ entitles you to the efforts of further expenditures of my time? That’s not the way books work, or operating systems, movies, cars, fruit or anything else I can think of.
CZ already has more features than any other comic reader on iPhone or iPad, with the next update you’re getting PDF support (which others have had but not as good as ours) and Assisted Panning, which nobody has and is just fantastic. So what more is it that you need from bitolithic before you think it’s ok for us to ask for more money from you? Please let me know, I’m genuinely interested, from you or anyone else out there reading this comment.
Theydon, have a look here for more info on backups: https://comiczeal.tenderapp.com/faqs/other/why-are-my-itunes-backups-getting-slower
Emiliano, thanks for the reply – I found that after posting by digging around on the site. Are there any updates from Apple regarding it? It does get to be a pain, and also I get other error messages that only occur after adding large amounts of comics.
The error message is “iTunes could not backup the iPad because the iPad is disconnected”.
Chris, I also bought the iPhone version first, but then bought the iPad version when I picked up my iPad. I had no qualms paying for both, and to see why, take a look at my mini review of CZ. I also compare it to other readers, but to save you the trouble of looking, CZ is head and shoulders above the ones I have tested.
http://www.avforums.com/forums/ipad-applications/1269241-comiczeal-4-a.html
Theydon, a couple of months ago one of the beta testers had an issue where Comic Zeal would crash on startup after importing a lot of comics. I had a play and couldn’t duplicate it. Then he told me that not only was Comic Zeal crashing but the whole iPad was slow and jerky. By this stage I was getting very worried. Then he did some further testing and it turned out that whenever he transferred a lot of files using iTunes file sharing (not just CZ, any app) the iPad would run short of memory. Could that be the problem you’re having? Maybe the iPad is getting low on memory and won’t talk to your computer. In the earlier case an iPad reboot fixed the issue, can you try that?
Thanks for the review (not so mini) and the kind words.
I never had a issue with crashing on start, but I did have a problem with trying to move comics to a folder that would then cause CZ to exit. At the time, I had some 2000 or so comics spread across maybe 20 folders. I have read that other users also had this problem but one of the more recent updates was supposed to resolve this.
As for my error message – I had this problem suddenly start, and combined with my slow syncs that at the time I was not sure was CZ, so I restored my iPad to factory. For reference, my iPad is a 64gb wifi version, and at the time had approximate 15 or so gig of comics and around 30gb free space on my iPad.
I restored my iPad, added all my apps and music and video, which totalled around 7 gb. It sync’d in a few minutes.
I added 1gb of comics to CZ, with no other changes and the backup took 11 minutes. I had no error messages at this time either.
Over the last few days I have been adding more and more comics, testing 4 gb of comics to find that backup times increased to 2 hours.
I then added more comics to around 7gb, and saw the error message once more -I have not attempted a sync but would imagine it to be 7 hours or more.
I believe I have approx 11gb now, and will be adding more shortly.
If you wish we to test anything I will be more than happy to.
And just to add that I normally add comics in batches, normally by series so that I can edit them into folders more easily – I never add more than 100 or so iTunes before adding them to cz and then repeating the process.
Emiliano – thanks for the reply.
I have to say I am a little shocked at your tone. I think that you are not seeing this from the buyers perspective.
You clearly state in the blog that the original CZ will be out dated by CZ4. While I appreciate that CZ3 customers have been upgraded, it still means that eventually because of the presence of the universal app that eventually the original app will be outdated and discontinued.
The reason I expect upgrades for my money is because that is the way the app store works. The fact that you do not understand why people expect free upgrades is unfathomable. Nearly all apps on the app store give their updates for free. Angry Birds, for example, keeps on updating with new feature and levels at no extra cost. Apple themselves offer the newest iPhone OS for free. Also any updates for said OS are free, as well as updates to OS X.
Thusly, I do not think my question is unfair. We all currently operate in a software market that, more often than not, gives software updates for free.
I never said that comic zeal is a bad piece of software. In fact I said I’m sure it is worth the upgrade. I love the software, all I was saying was that from a buyers perspective, who has received free updates from other developers, I did not understand why Bitolithic were charging for an upgrade.
Chris, where do I say that the iPhone only version will be discontinued? let me know and I’ll change the text straight away.
With regards to your ‘Angry Birds’ comparison: http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/angry-birds-hd/id364234221?mt=8
WRT your Apple comments, you can’t seriously compare myself to Apple, even then you’re incorrect in saying that OS X updates are free. I recall having to pay for a few boxes with pictures of cats on them.
I’d love an answer to my last question, what more do you think it’s fair for us to give you for free before we ask for more money?
Hello. Fantastic work on the new iPhone version.
I have a little request:
When looking at my collection, I am not able to see the entire title/name of the comic.
This makes it cumbersome to understand what it is I am looking at.
Now, would it be possible to:
Use 2 lines for the title + make it smaller in order to fit.
Thanks in advance.
emiliano, I think your “counter” with of Angry Birds HD is bad. They released a new version only for the iPad, which is titled HD and you linked to. I agree with buying different versions of programs for different platforms.
I think the issue people have is, you aren’t releasing an entirely new product. It just appears the early adopters are getting the shaft, and being told they have to buy the new version to get better features. I mean I already see CZ4 has 4.0.23 while CZ3 (or CZ4 iPhone Only) still only has 4.0.22. Simple things like this imply our version will be forgotten.
Maybe there should be 2 versions then, like Angry Birds? One each for iPhone and iPad separately?
John, releasing a new version for the iPad is what I did too, but then I went the extra mile, made it run on the iPhone and gave it for free to ANYONE who had bought ANY Comic Zeal.
And still there are people who don’t think that’s enough.
The request is not as simple as it sounds. If it went over two lines a lot of people wouldn’t like the look of it!
Emiliano:
maybe have a choice of: 1 Line vs. 2 Lines ?
Thanks!
Emiliano, I don’t know how to specify what more I would need out of any program to make it worth an additional purchase. You are asking me for a feature request for CZ – I think it has enough excellent features as it is.
JS put it well – by releasing an additional universal app alongside an iPhone only app which only real additional feature is iPad support is where your problem lies. Realistically, anyone buying your product for the first time, whether they have an iPad or not, will get the universal version because it is newer, and future proof for a potential iPad purchase.
However, existing customers will need to make an additional purchase if they want to be on the bleeding edge. This would be fine I think if the price of both iPhone only and universal apps were the same, or the additional features of the universal app were considerably improved or different. But they are not.
I apologise for being unclear about the discontinuation of the iPhone only product. What I meant was that the discontinuation of that product was inevitable due to the fact it would be outdated. This was based on: “the versions have exactly the same functionality now, but that’s not going to be the case forever. ”
I am beginning to understand what you are trying to do with the product price-wise, but I think this is how I would have done it: upgrade all existing customers to the Universal App, and the name the iPhone only App as ‘Lite’ and make it free or 59p/99c. This way you have a product that buyers know will be lacking features and may become outdated, but due to the low end price would not have a problem with it.
I think I should state that this is not an attack on the product or bitolithic, that this is simply my opinion as a customer. If the costs and pressures of being an app developer have pushed you down this pricing route, then fair enough. I know nothing of the process.
Chris,
You write ” I think it has enough excellent features as it is.”, so you think that I should either stop adding features or continue to work for CZ into perpetuity without charging you another cent. Most developers on the app store choose the first option, I’m unwilling to do either.
You write “I apologise for being unclear about the discontinuation of the iPhone only product. What I meant was that the discontinuation of that product was inevitable due to the fact it would be outdated”, you’ve made up two things in the one sentence and are presenting them as fact. First of all nothing is ‘outdated’, secondly nothing is ‘inevitable’ about a non-existent discontinuation.
You write “upgrade all existing customers to the Universal App, and the name the iPhone only App as ‘Lite’ and make it free or 59p/99c.”, for starters, the first is impossible, have you seen ANY upgrades between apps in the iTunes store? and the second … well, I don’t even know what to say, you’re suggesting I give away for free or incredibly discount an application that has more features than it’s predecessor, why? why would I do that to a perfectly healthy app that saw an update just two or three weeks ago and I’ve already promised more updates for?
Look Chris, if you don’t want to pay any more for CZ that’s fair enough, but don’t tell me that it’s unfair that you don’t receive all further updates for free. It’s simply a ridiculous point of view, the logical conclusion of which is that there are no further updates. I’m not willing to let that happen so I’m going to stop trying to explain why my time is valuable and go work on the next update. Consider it both a demonstration of the value of said time and a gesture of goodwill; you are bound to reap the benefits of said work, as you have reaped the benefit of all the work I’ve put into Comic Zeal since you bought it.
Just as an update, since the latest iPad OS update, my backup took 1.5hrs for 18Gb (inc 11Gb of comics) instead of at least 12hrs previously.
Emiliano,
It seems to me that you do not like criticism, even if it intended to be constructive. I am simply trying to be a customer offering a suggestion.
I never intended to represent anything I say as ‘fact’ seeing as I have no authority to do so. As I have previously stated, I have no experience of the app store as a developer.
Of course I am not suggesting you never update CZ further. Learn to take a compliment.
It would have been possible update existing customers to the universal app by updating the existing app to the new universal version. Then, if you wish for a cheaper iPhone version you could release the older app as a new one. I am well aware you can not cross-upgrade in the app store.
I’ll discontinue this line of conversation as I appear to be offending you, and that was not my intent. As you suggest, I will indeed continue to enjoy the app as you intended.
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my queries.
That’s great news Theydon! Apple responded to my bug report saying things should be faster in iOS4 but due to a comedy of errors I’ve not been able to test it yet, it’s wonderful that whatever speedups they’ve made seem to have made it to the iPad too.