*I originally started writing a normal Vesper review. I talked about the design, the icon that I like slightly more than I dislike it. About the features missing, about the use cases, and so on. But because I am a bit slow on this, I had the chance to read a lot of other reviews. So I deleted mine and wrote this instead.*
I’ve met John and Dave. I don’t have their phone numbers or anything, and I don’t warrant any special consideration from either — I’ve only met them briefly at that. Oh, and Brent is from the same city as me too.
It smells of bias in here.
Oh, and this app they have created, this beautiful gem of design (both graphic and interactive), my god they charged $4.99 for it and [I’m all about paying for things][1].
Bias I tell you. *Bias*.
But I’ve been struggling all day with my next sentence here.
It’s just that I don’t know if the app is worth $4.99 and that’s tough for me to say for a few reasons.
$4.99 is nothing to spend on a good app. It’s a trivial amount given the clear work that was put into [Vesper][2]. Trivial.
And yet do we buy a “thought collection” app — which by the way really is an apt description no matter how pompous it sounds — for $4.99?
It does so little, and there’s so many options. It’s not the price, it’s just how do you recommend that, how do you sell that argument to someone looking at all the options?
There’s two arguments that I can make about this app:
1. That this app is not worth the price. That there are other options out there that do far more for far less money. There are probably hundreds of note taking apps out there that offer data portability, syncing, and all the other options we have come to expect from a paid note taking app — options that just simply don’t exist in Vesper.
2. Or I could argue that this app is worth every penny of the $4.99, because just look at it. Just feel it. My god man.
I personally think both statements are true.
Vesper is phenomenally well designed from the graphics, animation, feel, speed, and interaction. It looks and feels great. It’s a fucking Ferrari of note, no, thought collection apps.
And yet I wouldn’t recommend people buy it for the same reason I rarely recommend or argue that people buy a Mac in 2004, an M5 at any time, or an iPhone in 2006.
Either the design is compelling you to use something more than you otherwise would, or you buy Windows/Kia/Android. That’s not a knock against other companies, it’s a statement of fact about human psychology. You either are compelled to use things you love because of practicality or because of the way they make you feel.
Vesper is not a practical app for a multitude of reasons.
Personally I’ll go out of my way to use things more if I love the way I feel, they feel, when I use them. It’s why people drive an M5 when a Toyota Corolla would do the job better 60% (ok 90%) of the time.
I don’t know or care what the future holds for Vesper because I just enjoy the app. You’ll find better options for $5, of that I won’t argue, because I’d rather just enjoy the app I pissed $5 away on.
[1]: http://brooksreview.net/2011/03/fragility-free/
[2]: http://vesperapp.co
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