Filed under: Software, Cool tools, Productivity
SmileOnMyMac Releases TextExpander 1.3, the Customizable Typing Timesaver Tool
Earlier in May, SmileOnMyMac acquired Textpander, a really handy (and free) text insertion utility. Today, they released their first official version update in which they changed the name to TextExpander, added a few snippet-creation features and are now charging a lump-in-throat inducing price of $29.95. The new features include the ability to create snippets from selected text, snippet nesting and the ability to limit usage to an application list.
A 30-day demo is available, but I have to say: I'm really happy I backed up the disk image of the latest version of Textpander. I haven't installed this new retail version of TextExpander yet, but slapping $29.95 (without any warning) on a utility that was previously
[UPDATE: Peter Maurer makes a really good point: Textpander wasn't free, it was donationware. Unfortunately, the donation system clearly wasn't working, as Hawk Wings points out that many donationware-centric developers lament that only 1-2% of downloaders actually donate anything for the app. Let TextExpander serve as a good lesson for what happens when you don't show some donation love to hard working developers.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Patrick Haney said 12:09PM on 5-23-2006
I've spent well over $1,000 on software this year for my MacBook Pro and I have to say that $30 for this application is over-the-top ridiculous, especially considering that it was free prior to SmileOnMyMac's purchase of it and the "new features" aren't worth much either. If it were half that price, I might consider it (emphasis on "might"), but not at $30. Peter Maurer, the developer of the original Textpander, should feel at least a little remorse after this move.
Thanks, but no thanks. I've unchecked the "Check for updates" box in Textpander and will continue to use this highly capable free version.
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Tim Gaden said 12:17PM on 5-23-2006
I don't think that the new price is such a big deal.
It was never "free". It was donation-ware. Granted that the distinction is often misunderstood, I'm sure that enthusiastic users of Textpander would have donated something in gratitute for Peter's work and so have received a free registration from SmileOnMyMac.
Even if they didn't make a donation, people who work with text a lot (writing, coding, editing, formatting or whatever) will get their money's worth in the first month.
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N. Godbout said 12:29PM on 5-23-2006
So you've backed up that original version, eh? Care to share that .dmg?
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ron said 12:39PM on 5-23-2006
share share share
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John said 12:48PM on 5-23-2006
I was surprised and happy to get a free license in my email yesterday because I had donated to the previous version. Cheers to SmileOnMyMac for that.
But the new version is not worth the extra money, unless of course it's worth the extra money for *you* (if you work with text and stuff.)
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zx said 12:48PM on 5-23-2006
Got-it!
http://www.mirrors.ausmac.net/AusMac/auslist.cgi?location=Internet-Buzz/2006-03-March
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Marcel Bischoff said 12:54PM on 5-23-2006
It's really disgusting to see how some people want everything for free. I also don't see why people would ever have a need to use a tool like this except for daily routine tasks. And in this case they should go buy it.
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Jeff said 12:58PM on 5-23-2006
$30.00!?! Now I love this piece of software, but I can't imagine paying $30 for it. I could see the average user willing to pay $10 for the upgrade which should hopefully bring better performance and a few more features down the road. But for a piece of software that was previously free-to-use donation ware, slapping on a $30 price tag is pretty absurd.
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Karen said 1:09PM on 5-23-2006
If you donated for the program (as Tim mentions) when Peter Maurer was developing it, then you get a free license from SmileOnMyMac - I received one this morning and was very pleased that my previous donation was rewarded.
Unfortunately I guess there were just too few people who donated out of the many who seemed to use it...
And the new features seem nice - especially the ability to create a snippet from a selection.
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icruise said 1:30PM on 5-23-2006
Yes, I'll have to say that $30 seems outrageous, especially since it was donation-ware before. Maybe the program is really worth that to people who get a lot of use out of it, but I would guess that most people were like me and only used it casually for a few phrases, etc.
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t.y. said 3:21PM on 5-23-2006
thank you "zx" for the mirror!
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Twist said 3:54PM on 5-23-2006
Okay well I guess I am yet another cheap ass who will be sticking with Textpander. I think that $15-20 is the price point they should have went for. Textpander is useful but not $30 useful.
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Jono said 3:57PM on 5-23-2006
Thanks a lot zx, I'll stick with that version.
And the menu bar icon on the older version looks so much better than the new version.
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Nigel Hall said 4:24PM on 5-23-2006
My free license arrived in the mail yesterday.
Would I pay $30 for it now? I don't know.
I actually use Textpander a lot, hence the grateful donation to Peter, but if he was charging $30 back when I first downloaded it, I don't think I would have even tried it out.
It's an odd pricing decision by SmileOnMyMac. You would think that if they wanted to encourage people who are already using the software to upgrade, they would have set the bar much lower. If more people buy the upgrade, SmileOnMyMac gets a better picture of who their customers are, and they can then use that info to try and cross-sell their other products. They blew a marketing opportunity if you ask me.
I have no idea what the new features of TextExpander are, but they don't seem to affect the core functionality. For anyone who has an older version there's really no reason to upgrade. I remember seeing somewhere, perhaps on Peter's site, that the next version was going to be Universal but I don't know how you can check to see whether it actually is or not.
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Adam Rice said 6:29PM on 5-23-2006
I seem to recall that Peter Maurer went from no charge (or donationware) to payware for Calendarclock...And there was a macro program once called--um, I forget-- that was explicitly distributed as freeware, but eventually became the payware iKey.
Certainly developers have a right to be compensated for their work, but yeah, going from 0 to $30 stings. The price of utilities like these seem to be almost completely arbitrary, and $30 seems to be at the high end, especially for a one-trick pony. That's more than I paid for NetNewsWire! And equal to what I paid for Transmit!
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sjk said 8:17PM on 5-23-2006
$30, ouch! That scared away this potential customer.
$20 is my upper limit for many "utility" app purchases. $10-$15 can be a no-brainer decision when it's obvious how useful they'll be to me. And there are occasional under $10 impulse purchases for apps with questionable long-term value.
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Leo of BORG said 3:01AM on 5-24-2006
So far I hear a lot of carping about the price and a number of users whining the Textpander was FREE. It was NOT free, it was DONATIONWARE.
Software developers have to eat. Software developers may get tired of, or cease developing apps if they reach a point of diminishing returns. I'm not saying this happened with Peter, but this is the 2nd app I know of that he's sold off.
This is just me, but if ANY of his other apps have saved your collective butts as of late I humbly recommend that you DONATE.
Just my 8 euro. To Peter Maurer.
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Peter Maurer said 3:10AM on 5-24-2006
Patrick et al., let me just say this: You're mistaking "donationware" for "free", and now you're trying to make me feel bad? You must be kidding me.
In fact, you're the archetypical example for the sad fact that donationware doesn't work.
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Leo of BORG said 4:35AM on 5-24-2006
Part of the blame should be heaped on David Chartier for writing the article in this manner.
"..but slapping $29.95 (without any warning) on a utility that was previously free.."
This isn't the readers. This is bad journalism. My rebuttal, among other things:
http://expat-leo.blogspot.com/2006/05/geek-textpander-goes-shareware-and.html
Original Textpander writeup:
http://expat-leo.blogspot.com/2005/12/geek-my-textpander-snippet-list.html
Label 'Donation' as 'free' at your peril. TUAW owes Peter and SmileOnMyMac a retraction.
LeoM
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Hervé Sainct said 5:47AM on 5-24-2006
While I don't use TextPander I have been in the position to recommend it many times, like most of the (excellent) softwares from P. Maurer, and I for one am *very* satisfied that he managed to sell this piece of software.
I hope he'll have made a lot of money with it, and that this will allow him to continue with his other brilliant (and very well crafted) developments.
Now, everyone should know that once sold, a software changes. The decision from SmileOnMyMac to set a given price, is their decision not Maurer's, and I am quite shocked to read almost insults to Maurer associated to this.
For me, this move is a good news, it means brilliant independent developers like Peter Maurer do have a chance to get a real career.
I just hope I'll see many more such announcements. (and there are: OSX's current Grapher application was entirely developped as a shareware and bought by Apple at the time of switching to 10.4, for instance)
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