Skeuomorphism to the Max!
If you like crown molding and a baseboard on your window, over twenty kinds (count 'em!) of wood bookshelves, jiggling objects, moving lighting effects, eraser dust on your chalkboard, and much more...then you'll love this software. But if you are like me, and apparently many others, that want a way to turn off all this stuff so it doesn't get in the way--forget it. You can't. Not to mention that the implementation eats up screen real estate, sucks up 1 gigabyte of real memory, and causes other performance hits.
This application has great potential to be a productive tool, and could be fun to use to catalog your books, DVDs, software, video games and gadgets (a catch-all for any kind of technology-related stuff). But the developers have lost their way with all the skeuomorphism. I'm sure a lot of effort has gone into the design and implementation of the appearance of this application. Too bad the effort didn't instead go into features and functionality that make it easy to use and manage your information. For example:
- Displaying the details of your stuff is truly laborious with a small pop-up window and unintuitive controls. And you can't edit some of your data after it's in the database.
- Controls that should be on toolbars are hidden in menus.
- Virtually no customization of your data...what the developer wants is what you get, nothing more.
- No preferences? Really?
- There's no built-in backup/restore. You can lose a library of hundreds of items without a way to recover.
- It hooks up with your iTunes library, but you get the whole thing. I could care less about another app cataloging my music collection, but I can't exclude music. It sucks in the whole iTunes library. Except eBooks! The one category I would want added to the Delicious Library can't be added. Huh?
And there's serious bugs:
- The main window resets itself to a small size every time you quit the app. It doesn't remember anything, including thumbnail sizes and other things you set in a session.
- The app crashes while simply mousing around the features.
On the plus side, the companion iOS app to scan barcodes is great, and works well. Unfortunately, all it does is scanning. In an age where we are becoming more and more mobile, there's no way to sync your library to an iPad or iPhone...there's no companion library app. You can publish a website or print a PDF, but that's it. Neither is a good solution for a large library of hundreds of items.
If you are using the previous version, can't recommend upgrading at this time. Stick with what you've got. If you are considering a new purchase of this application, download the trial (25 items max) before you spend the $$. And definitely don't take my word for it...spend some time on their support forum. A lot of long-time users have some telling comments about this new version.
Is directed more towards a hobbiest/collector audience then my use case that needed the ability to track SN/Warranty/and userguide information. Otherwise seems fine
This has a nice GUI, but the one for DL2 was better. A serious drawback is you can't drag and drop files into it. I have over 1,000 comics that I would LOVE to be able to track in an app like DL. But it won't allow me to do that. It's a shame that there isn't a decent app like this anymore. DL2 stopped working for me some time ago. :(
I bought this several years ago shortly after Steve Jobs introduced it at MacWorld Expo. It was good but the publish to web feature was "flakey". What I hate about the developer is that I emailed them several weeks ago for an upgrade and was told there was no upgrade pricing and I would have to pay the full price!
Like (5)
Version 3.6.2
1 answer(s)
@timi
20 October 2017
Yeah! Developers should starve! That'll make for great software!
When I moved cross-country, this was an essential app for cataloging my DVDs, CDs, and books. After the move, we only opened it to add new things because it hurt to use. With the 3.3.2 release, skeuomorphism is dead and this app's UI makes a lot more sense now. I can stand to look at this enough to catalog my records now.
I'm so over this app. It does me no good to have a pretty collection sitting on my Mac when I'm out and about. They need to be like 1Password and have a read-only phone app that synchs with the Mac (that wouldn't use any Amazon API). Otherwise, it's mostly useless unless one solely shops from their couch; one can't even publish as a site to MobileMe (iCloud) any more.
Heard lots of good things about this software over the years and finally came to the point where I thought I could use it. Scanner integration is nice and was the feature that pushed me over the edge and made me purchase. Soon after I ran into issues that gave me buyers remorse. iTunes integration is weak (no support for multiple or external iTunes libraries) and sends my cpu through the roof. Reading user forums reveals lots of excuses and rationalization why this or that doesn't work the way users would like. Their commitment to Amazon APIs delivers a simple app that performs mostly great lookups, but it fails in delivering what could be (or used to be) a killer app for different levels of users. I'll use it for my physical dvd/book collection, and may recommend it to others with large physical collections, but will look somewhere else to catalog my gigs of digital movies and ebooks.
I shouldn't be surprised by this, given the target audience, but if you scan your old laserdiscs, it actually draws them correctly and to proportional size on the shelf. Which looks weird, because they're huge (would be nice to have a toggle to turn it off, honestly), but it's still sort of amusing.
I working with Version 2.0 a long time and was happy with it to manage all of my movies, but with the time I start to missing some things. For example I was not able to put Movies from the iTunes Music Store in a library or intelligent library or there is no option to link to a trailer on YouTube or a digital file. With the time this made me crazy. So I decide to switch to DVDpedia who's cheaper and give me much more options to complete my management around my big DVD and BD collection. The support of this Software is awsome and fast. I can't remember me that I got an answer to my problems on Delicious in one day or less.
Anyway... Now this company released version 3 and they give a great focus on a new layout for this app, but they still ignore what users want. Still no drag & drop from movies from the iTunes Store for example, still no file linking or a weblink to trailers for the movie. Also I must note, that the performance of this app start's to be not so delightful. Yes, it looks great and the effect with the shadows or when you moving over a DVD Cover or an Item are outstanding and I never seen it before, but what will helping me that to manage my stuff in this application?
Oh and there is still no iOS application. I know... In the past there where one, but it was dropped because of amazon and the using of the API. I never understand why this company decide to drop the amazon API for the iOS app and bring it back to life. I need a platform to watch at my list, if I'm in a shop and looking for new DVDs or BDs. Two times I bought a DVD doubled, because I has no overview of my collection... Thanks to Delicious Lib.
Well... If you want to have a good looking user interface and some nice effects, you will love this app. But if you need good solution to manage more than 50 DVDs, it's better to spend DVDpedia a bit of time. You will safe some money and some frustrations, I think.
Barcode scanning with details pulled from Amazon is cool, but I don't see a way to add a second image, like a receipt, or an instruction manual, nor warranty information. Is it there and I missed it, or is it really designed for "Library" like functionality?
I guess this is just my opinion so I'm not giving it a bad rating; however, I think buyers should be aware that they released version 3 less than two months after running a big sale for version 2.
In my mind this is dishonest marketing and just inconsiderate.
I am sure that most people who bought version 2 at the sale, including myself, would have waited if they had known that a completely new version was on the horizon and was going to cost the same for everyone.
In addition to the many other issues people have mentioned about 3.0, here's what I'm seeing with the huge memory use.
Library - 3,276 items - 30 shelves.
With 2.0, open the app - 163 MB used, clicking through every few seconds each of my shelves - 1.3 GB used, then after a bit it drops to 660 MB. Not great even with this version, but useable.
With 3.0, open the app - 402 MB used, click through the 30 shevles - 3.3 GB…. memory doesn't begin to go down… click back through some of the shelves and resize zoom (that never remembers it setting the next time you launch) grows to 3.7 GB… wait, still doesn't drop.
So, way way way too much memory for this app under 3.0.
Skeuomorphism to the Max!
If you like crown molding and a baseboard on your window, over twenty kinds (count 'em!) of wood bookshelves, jiggling objects, moving lighting effects, eraser dust on your chalkboard, and much more...then you'll love this software. But if you are like me, and apparently many others, that want a way to turn off all this stuff so it doesn't get in the way--forget it. You can't. Not to mention that the implementation eats up screen real estate, sucks up 1 gigabyte of real memory, and causes other performance hits.
This application has great potential to be a productive tool, and could be fun to use to catalog your books, DVDs, software, video games and gadgets (a catch-all for any kind of technology-related stuff). But the developers have lost their way with all the skeuomorphism. I'm sure a lot of effort has gone into the design and implementation of the appearance of this application. Too bad the effort didn't instead go into features and functionality that make it easy to use and manage your information. For example:
- Displaying the details of your stuff is truly laborious with a small pop-up window and unintuitive controls. And you can't edit some of your data after it's in the database.
- Controls that should be on toolbars are hidden in menus.
- Virtually no customization of your data...what the developer wants is what you get, nothing more.
- No preferences? Really?
- There's no built-in backup/restore. You can lose a library of hundreds of items without a way to recover.
- It hooks up with your iTunes library, but you get the whole thing. I could care less about another app cataloging my music collection, but I can't exclude music. It sucks in the whole iTunes library. Except eBooks! The one category I would want added to the Delicious Library can't be added. Huh?
And there's serious bugs:
- The main window resets itself to a small size every time you quit the app. It doesn't remember anything, including thumbnail sizes and other things you set in a session.
- The app crashes while simply mousing around the features.
On the plus side, the companion iOS app to scan barcodes is great, and works well. Unfortunately, all it does is scanning. In an age where we are becoming more and more mobile, there's no way to sync your library to an iPad or iPhone...there's no companion library app. You can publish a website or print a PDF, but that's it. Neither is a good solution for a large library of hundreds of items.
If you are using the previous version, can't recommend upgrading at this time. Stick with what you've got. If you are considering a new purchase of this application, download the trial (25 items max) before you spend the $$. And definitely don't take my word for it...spend some time on their support forum. A lot of long-time users have some telling comments about this new version.
Like (11)
Version 3.0
3 answer(s)
Xenophile
22 May 2013
Reminds me of those 1970s station wagons with the fake wood siding. To imitate those atrocities with a computer application would be a funny joke, but I don't think the people behind this app are joking. Even if the fake wood siding could be removed, the GUI underneath it isn't anything special. I find there is just too much mousing around required for repetitive tasks, and information is displayed rather clumsily.
Like (1)
gatorjim
22 May 2013
Here's an update regarding version 3.0.2
1. Good news...they have fixed the window resizing issue. It remembers the last size and position when you restart.
Bad news...the app frequently forgets the thumbnail size you set and reverts to unusably large thumbnails. You have to keep resetting the thumbs to the size you want.
2. Good news...displaying details is now easier. You can open a details window, resize it, and it updates to show the details of the selected item.
Bad news...the app frequently (like almost always) crashes when you drag and drop the information window away from the selected item.
3. You can now add your own synopsis to an item. One other field can be used for your notes, but that's it as far as customizing information goes.
4. You can now create a backup by way of a copy of the SQLite database.
5. The iTunes connection sees some books in your iTunes library, but not all of them. Sorry, half a library is almost worse than no library at all.
Still no mobile solution in sight...the developers blame Amazon licensing restrictions but offer little in the way of an alternative solution.
And the app crashes a lot.
OTOH, the developers appear to be putting in the effort to keep fixing and improving this app, but they have a long way to go. Purchase or upgrade? Your call. Keep your DL2 stuff around, though, if you are upgrading.
Like
Makosuke
13 July 2013
The proportionally-sized items on the shelf is actually kind of nice in a way, even from a non-skeumorphic design perspective, and I don't even mind the 3D-ish items that much. The inability to turn off the ridiculous Greek Revival chrome, however, is an embarrassment.
That said, they're rapidly working out all the OTHER kinks with v3, and you have to give them some credit for not just embracing their hardcore skeumorphic bookshelf design, but going completely over-the-top with it when everybody else is going the opposite direction.
And whatever other issues v3 may have, the iOS barcode scanner (that can even cache when you're not on the same network or your library is closed) is such a ridiculously awesome, absolutely killer feature that it would make me willing to put up with pretty much ANYTHING else wrong with the program.
Version 3 did not work stable on my machine. Hangs on 2.0 library import, barcodescan crashes the app, the skeuomorphic design is not appealing to me (unfortunately) and reminds me of bad Mac OS skins back from the 90’s.
Finally and most annoying/important drawback: The is NO detail pane or window on a item anymore!!!
All you get is a far too small tooltip that not support convenient editing.
I’ll stop by with version 3.x - but don’t expect much to change at the overall a 2 star rating.
After playing with the demo of version 3, I must say that the interface if just too over-the-top. I just want to scan and catalog my collections, not feel like I'm playing a video game. I have now removed version 2 since the future looks dim for this series and have moved back to DVDpedia. I really did like version 2 and will miss it, but version 3 is a step back.
Don't bother upgrading from DL2 to DL3.
The new layout is annoying. I much prefer the older side by side details view.
The barcode scanning has a mind of its own.
The much desired extension to include other sellers apart from only Amazon has not made it to version 3.
I rarely revert to an older version of software but in this case I have done.
I've only started to poke around version 3 (user since the early slowwwww days of Version 1), but I'm still jonesing for an iOS app. I don't want anything fancy, no connection to any Amazon API, just a flat database of What I Have when I'm out and about. That's not asking too much, is it? I'd even pay more $$ for it.
If you were lucky enough to grab the iOS version of Delicious Library, you may want to stick with version 2 of this app. As far as I can tell the syncing option has been completely removed in this version.
Understandable but unfortunately a bit of a deal-breaker for me.
Like (4)
Version 3.0
1 answer(s)
evolveø8
26 April 2013
Ditto on an iOS version... Support for Snow Leopard would be an added bonus for version 3.
I bought Delicious Library 2 some time ago but never got round to catalogue all my stuff beyond a quick try-out. Today I finally started. As I need to make some space I made shelfs like "Books" and "Books for Sale". Cataloguing was easy but unfortunately after a few hours I noticed that I can't drag and drop a book from one shelf to another when I decide to sell or keep it after all! Shelfs are basically just lists, the equivalent of playlists in iTunes or albums in iPhoto, so are a very simple feature indeed. That you can't drag&drop an item from one shelf to another is such an unbelievable omission ...
I don't know if you can drag&drop between shelfs in version 3 but I can't upgrade to version 3 anyway as I'm still on Snow Leo (and I don't like Lion / ML ... and yes, I have it on one of my Macs and simply hate that grey in grey appearance).
Like
Version 3.0
2 answer(s)
Neil-M
25 April 2013
http://www.delicious-monster.com/nerd-stuff/
"Smarter Shelves
With our groundbreaking, surely-to-be-award-winning hybrid shelves, you don’t have to decide between manual and smart shelves. Create rules to populate any shelf and manually add or remove items."
Like
Markus-Winter
05 May 2013
I've just figured it out. You have to drag the ICON, you can't drag the row.
Boggles the mind. It is non-intuitive and very much against any user guidelines I've ever read. It is easy to program this properly. Please change this behaviour.
Love this app, will be all over it once I find out the upgrade pricing, but I have to admit (and I hate being "this guy") that after YEARS of people BEGGING them to add Discogs support, it's *still* not here.
First company that comes up with a library program that includes Discogs support gets my money. Simple as that, really.
Like
Version 3.0
1 answer(s)
dwp-1
25 April 2013
No Upgrade, however developer dropped price by $10.00. Since the developer is a coding genius and it took him 5 years to develop Delicious Library 3 then $25.00 is cheap.
There are a few things that need addressing. Have a Mac Pro (2x)Xeon with 20GB Ram and SSD's and it is slow performing many tasks (although scrolling is fast) and doesn't remember window location or Icon View's size. Minor problems like this are common for a first release, so I am not worried and purchased anyway.
Are the still in business? The website can't be accessed and the MacUpdate download link isn't working for me. I did find online. So, I'm just wondering.
Like
Version 2.7.8
1 answer(s)
Salamurai
09 December 2012
Site loads fine for me (just now). You may have just suffered a hiccup of some kind.
Wow! Library cleaning works! My library went from 307 MB to 125 MB after cleaning! Lots of junk accumulated over the years in there I guess.
It is a fantastic app, there's nothing even close to it. I really do miss the mobile app though, it was so nice standing in Best Buy and making sure I didn't already own the DVD or CD I was looking at! It still works on the iPad for me, but I'd rather have it on my iPhone as I usually don't carry the iPad when shopping.
Like
Version 2.7.7
1 answer(s)
Mäkkäri
08 May 2012
I was lucky and downloaded the iPhone app in that short time period when it was at appstore. Works still fine. And yes the app is great to have with you when you are at store checking some DVDs.
I can't believe I am getting the update of Delicious Library. I can't remember the last update before this. Thank you for remembering us. By the way, please resubmit your iPhone app to appstore.
Like (5)
Version 2.7
5 answer(s)
@timi
09 September 2011
The iPhone app was removed due to conflicts with Amazon and their mobile terms. It likely won't ever be back.
Like (3)
Foxstrong
09 September 2011
Who Knows. Steve Jobs just left.
Like (1)
@timi
09 September 2011
It has nothing to do with Steve Jobs. It's between Delicious Monster and Amazon.
Like (2)
Foxstrong
09 September 2011
Things will change
Like (2)
Fightingcat
09 December 2011
I missed the app to, because it's not so helpfully to have the lib only on the Mac. It would be much better to have it on the iPhone / iPad too, to manage the stuff.
And the problem with amazon is bad, Yes. But amazon is not the only source to collect infos for movies. There are other sources available like IMDB.
For example: The app "Movies" existing for all iOS devices and there are a Mac Version available for free too (Or for pro users a pro-version).
The real story behind the "Amazon deal" in delicious is, that all Items are linked with amazon. You can buy Movies directly over Delicious if you like and each time who you do that, you spend a little money to the developer. I know, that is not really unfair, because the app is quit good... But it's not longer the best and only solution to manage your Movie library. Same and more features existing on other Apps to.
I never thought it would be so easy to get an inventory of my whole library. I imagined it would take me ages to list all the books but no! I only have to type the ISBN, and the application automatically finds the right book.
It even works with books in foreign languages. I am so glad!
Scan books, music, products; app classifies automatically.
Loads scans near-instantaneously in real time when in Bluetooth range.
Still best in class interface.
No fussing with windows or buttons in app to scan; just set up and go. Best in class integration with Bluetooth bar code readers.
Jan 2010 update makes program rock stable.
If you have lots of items to inventory (selling stuff when moving; insurance inventories), this is the one to get. Much easier and faster in scanning than others in class.
Once the most beautiful and promissing app for Mac, the iSight camera codebar scan is a must, it goes to internet to find metadata, the disign is very well done, and Apple Inc has copy it as others, but it seems developping stopped, Internet Auto Data only happends when ISDN code exists, it has no conversion format tools, like pdf to epub etc that would be useful to read in a ebook reader etc, it very limited in what it can do, and when I found the FREE and open source Calibre app, I just stopp using Delicious Library, Calibre even if not C native mac app, is quite fast and does lot more, conversion to epub, it reads almost every format, pdf, doc, text, epub, djvu, and many more, also can make a web server for your books, so you can download from anywhere, and the list goes, I wish Delicious was like that... pity
Like (3)
Version 2.6.3 (v13007)
1 answer(s)
Pres!
15 November 2011
But... Calibre is an ebook library, where you store your ebooks. Delicious Library is a book (and other media) catalog, where you store information about your books, not the books themselves. They're a little too different to compare.
How would you even save a reference to a paper book in Calibre?
Do you guys have a problem with reviews in Delicious Library?
I'd assume that since 2.6.3 it stopped downloading reviews for any new item (a book, etc) ...
Do you have a solution anybody ?
Like
Version 2.6.3 (v13007)
1 answer(s)
Lois-Desjardins
03 January 2012
This is a quote from a reply that DL2 staff supplied some months ago through the GetSatisfaction site:
"Amazon changed some things in how we're allowed to access data and while there is still a "reviews" tab in Delicious Library (which doesn't really function right now), we'll be getting rid of it in future versions."
Great for every collector of DVDs, Books, ...
Everything with a barcode on it. You can simply scan the barcode with your webcam and this software searches all details in the web.
but I'm missing an iPhone-App for this software.
Like (1)
Version 2.6.3 (v13007)
1 answer(s)
Rubaiyat
03 March 2012
Last time I tried that didn't work outside the USA.
If you're like me and tend to forget which movies and books you already own, you'll love this program. Let it make a nice webpage showing your stuff and you'll never end up with two of the same DVDs again :-)
I have few problems with books not found, only very rare volumes have to be entered manually.
Totaly useless as many of such apps for people in Central Europe.
People, there are lot of things relesead that are not on Amazon UK DE US etc...
I want support for Poland
I test drove this app and it seems pretty good. Scanning barcodes is a cool feature, simple and fast, and it scales each book to its relative size to one another (i.e. coffee table book vs. pocket novel). For years I have maintained a Filemaker database of my book library. Lots of hand-entering, and this would have saved me lots of work. The thing about the Filemaker database though, is Filemaker has been around a long time and this file can be read on virtually any computer including PCs.
One thing of interest it doesn't do is magazines. Whether its a 1977 copy of Playboy or a brand new New Yorker, it won't recognize it and this is because its not in the Amazon database. Pre-70s books, before there were barcodes, are another problem and require hand-entering.
My only real critical comment is this should sell for less because it seems they are making money both on the front end and the back end. It appears, and correct me if I'm wrong, but when you click on a book you own, or a recommended book based on your reading preferences, you are not only taken to Amazon but taken there via a referral code which means they are getting kickbacks from your purchases on Amazon. Smart. In fact, if they are generating a good income this way, why not make this freeware? It makes me feel like I'm being used. I would prefer companies have transparency when it comes to such business practices. Tell me that in the product description, and I'm okay with it.
Like (10)
Version 2.6.3
1 answer(s)
Moogan
25 January 2011
Good point about the referral fees - according to the Delicious Library website the Amazon fees are donated to various charities (listed under support charity).
Also, went from super design to poorly designed!
*Can someone explain me why Books, Movies, Videogames and Toys got the same background/shelfs...while Gadgets and Tools got a totally difrent background/shelfs...?
Laaaazy!
The new update is absolutely perfect. In the first moment i was thinking: Hey, same update news as in the past around the better scanning" but after launching the app and search for updates, i got the same updatenews like here on macupdate.
After installing it i try the new scan-process and it's true. It's even better.
A few days ago friends gift me two DVDs and I try them to scan the code and it doesn't work. Now two of the three DVDs work perfect.
With each update this program grows up more and more.
I think this software is the best and easiest way on the Mac to have a perfect overview of your DVD collection (or other stuff)
Excellent update. Despite having the software for a few years now, I hadn't put many books lately into it because the camera on my iMac was virtually useless (worked well with my external iSight cam with autofocus). With this update I'm scanning barcodes again.
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