I thought that iPad users might be interested to know that Lee Valley has a catalogue app at the App Store. It seems to be an excellent way to help you send money to Mr. Lee, and as SWMBO obeyed says view "tool porn" .
[OP]
Member
I thought that iPad users might be interested to know that Lee Valley has a catalogue app at the App Store. It seems to be an excellent way to help you send money to Mr. Lee, and as SWMBO obeyed says view "tool porn" .
Old age can be better than the alternative.
Contributor
Thankfully I don't own any devices from the "we will tell you what you need" company and I refuse to install that virus which masquerades as a music app.
Nonetheless, for the rest of us in the real world we won't see an Android app any time soon.
I'll just keep viewing online as per normal. To be honest though, I don't enjoy mobile apps like the one for Amazon etc. I prefer to open a link in a new tab when I'm shopping.
"If you have all your fingers, you can convert to Metric"
Contributor
Hi Hilton -Originally Posted by Hilton Ralphs
That's a curious statement. While our first foray into a library/reader app was within the Apple world, we have no plans to ignore platforms running Android. It's just a more complex environment, and will require more resources and time to execute.
Cheers -
Rob
[OP]
Member
Hilton, I have the "we will tell you what you need" company tablet. I quite like it. After working with my wife's android tablet and phone trying to keep them running, I like it even more. (Her tablet works better than the phone.) I do wish that we could add a extra memory card, but then we wouldn't have to pay as much for the extra memory. Sigh. However, everything syncs across all my devices. (Yes, I have a Mac.) Back to the app. This app is a bit different than the Amazon app. You can down load their indexed catalogues for browsing. I haven't even found a place for ordering on it. Certainly not a necessity, but fun while waiting in line, at the doctor's, or just for finding what you didn't know that you need. The copy that I used to keep on my desk is now on my tablet. In the long run it will save paper. A far as most other apps like Amazon and others, I, too, like to use the browser.
Old age can be better than the alternative.
Contributor
Rob, during those annoying hours between breakfast and supper I work in IT so I'm all for the new cool stuff but I'm just wondering how many woodworkers are going to want to browse the site on a small phone or tablet. Given the more advanced in years age group of woodworkers, small screens are surely more a hindrance than a convenience. Perhaps I'm wrong here but I for one would prefer to browse the tools on offer using my 24" screen on my desk so I can get a better feel for what's on offer.
Buying weekly groceries is a different story of course as I don't care what shape the latest bottle of milk is.
"If you have all your fingers, you can convert to Metric"
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Lloyd, take my Apple comments with a pinch of salt. If you're an Apple fan I'll wind you up, if you're a soccer fan I'll wind you up, if you're vegetarian I'll wind you up but it's all in good fun. Same goes for BMW, Indie singers and anyone who supports the Aussie rugby team.
"If you have all your fingers, you can convert to Metric"
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Speaking of paper catalogs, I would kind of like to stop receiving them. And that's not particularly aimed at LV, because I buy and have bought enough from them to justify the cost of the catalog.
But, stuff like Farmtek (not woodworking related), I"ve bought $40 worth of stuff from them in 5 years, and I know they've sent me at least $40 worth of printed cost catalogs. Consequently, the prices on most of their things are so high that I can just go to amazon (who isn't very inexpensive anymore) and find cheaper, and in most cases, if something is available locally, it's cheaper than farmtek.
And Japan woodworker, I don't remember the last thing I bought from them, but the same thing is the case - they have the highest price on 99% of everything they sell and sometimes by a wide margin (for example, the kitayama stone is $102 in the JWW catalog, and generally $62-$80 anywhere else., and the now limited tsunesaburo planes are far more expensive (not just $10 or $20 but in some cases several hundred) than what it would cost to get them straight from japan. I don't need more paper catalogs, I want better prices.
And northern tool, I can't even remember the last time I actually bought something from them. Must've been five years ago.
I should be mindful and go opt out of LV's catalog, and LN's mailings. I've bought plenty from both, but never as a result of a catalog.
Contributor
Hi Hilton -
I do get where you're coming from - but that's not the type of app we've developed.
What we (I) were after is a bookshelf that lets people download and browse catalogs and publications without a persistent connection, to be used exactly as one would use a printed piece. Add to that the ability to search, use the index, and add notes. It's not ecommerce enabled, and we didn't make it an iPhone compatible app, as we recognize it would just not be a good experience on a small screen.
My "inspiration" for the Library App was the Nikon Manual reader, and various other bookshelf type apps. Clean, functional, and suitable to purpose.
The exisitence of this app also means we'll be able to produce specialty content without incurring print and postage costs... an eight digit budget item here (and no - I'm not counting the decimals!). The potential exists for us to provide a reference library of manuals and instruction sheets, and to produce content in multiple languages.
It will also be used extensively by staff at our stores - we're outfitting floor-walkers with tablets, to be able to better support customers in the showroom.
This is just our first application, and on one platform. We will continue to work on expanded function, more types of content, and to increase the platform availability.
Cheers -
Rob
Contributor
Rob, then I look forward to your first Driod app with much anticipation.
Consider 3D rendered images and way more detail than what's on your site.
"If you have all your fingers, you can convert to Metric"
Member
I want an app that actually converts my Droid phone into a block plane please!
Woodworking is terrific for keeping in shape, but it's also a deadly serious killing system...
Contributor
Does that 8-digit item include shipping on product, or just postage on printed material? (?!)
Matt
I am excited to have the iPhone app and excited for LV too. The wife and I are hard at work trying to get our web site to display equally well on iPhones, iPads and full size computer screens. Things have been getting smaller for many years now and I don't see that trend changing. At least in my little world, it is kinda scary how much time I see people spending on their iPhones surfing, looking up just about anything...
I don't see why anyone would go anywhere other than the Apple iOS for starters, everyone knows "there IS an app for that"! Come on Hilton give the Apple guys a little slack they were sniffing tails for quite a few years and earned their present place by giving people what they wanted not the other way around.
Chris which one are you in your new avatar, block plane, that is funny?
Last edited by Mike Holbrook; 08-22-2013 at 9:32 AM.
Member
That's a secret. I deliberately made it ambiguous. For that matter how know I'm either. Could just be some photo I found on Facebook...I might actually be a 62 year old Russian women out hunting for an American divorcee to be my sugar daddy.
....I actually kind of regret putting up my new avatar. I think I was just starting to convince people that I might actually be a cat!
Last edited by Chris Griggs; 08-22-2013 at 9:34 AM.
Woodworking is terrific for keeping in shape, but it's also a deadly serious killing system...
Wow Chris you have me wondering now!
Next Rob will come up with an app that will change our phones into any tool we want. I'm not betting against it, somewhere in a dark room in Canada...
Member
you can please some of the people all the time...seems to be what this falls under.
i am involved with a sporting club, when we decided to move all of our registrations for events to our website we got some slack from "older" members. but even the guys in their late 70's and 80's signed up for stuff online. when i was in charge of all the events at the club one year, i found that people even the "old" guys responded to my emails within 24 hours. three years latter there is not a peep about having to go to the website...the complaints that i had heard before we started.
for those that prefer the 24 inch screens, there are others that prefer the tablets so they can do what they want where they want. if it is true that you wont need to live online to view than that will fill the bill for a lot of people. it is a lot nicer to be able to just take my tablet on a plane for a long vacation. no more books, mags and papers for work to read on the plane or at other down times. just one light tablet and i have everything i need. for those that might not like that some tablets dont have memory slots. just get dropbox. you get 2gb of free space to start, share folders with others and you get more space. put dropbox on your devices and every file is on every device. for desktops and laptops you only need to be connected to sync the files. files are also saved locally on those devices. the only downfall is that for tablets you need to be connected to open a file.
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