Round 2: iPhone Mobile App - beta feedback for version 1.0 (build 11)

This topic is primarily for those beta testing the iPhone mobile app. If you're one of those testers - tell us what you think!

This is specific to version 1.0 (build 11). If you have the prior version (build 10), install the update first! Beta testers should have received email instructions on this.

Don't forget to review our official plans here:
mountainproject.com/mobileA…

Just downloaded the app and it looks great. I downloaded all the Northern California locations when i opened it and they had downloaded with no problems except for Southern Sierra Foothills, which gave me an error. I clicked it again and it worked without a hitch.

Suggestion:
use GPS to find nearby climbing areas, much like the climbingweather.com app.

access to the forums

p.s. I am going to lovers leap with weekend and will post back on my experiences.

This app looks great! I just downloaded it. First impression is that it's super intuitive to figure out, and the couple areas I've downloaded took only a few seconds and worked great. I like the google maps that locate the areas too.

One suggestion so far: I understand not wanting people to add photos, comments, forum posts, etc directly from their iphones in order to filter out half-ass posts, but it would be nice to be able to add ticks using the app and sinc them up once you are back in 3g range. These tend to be cyptic posts anyway due to charater limits, and it would be cool to put notes in while they are still fresh in your head. I'm not sure how tricky this would be to do, but it was the first idea that popped in my head while browsing the app layout.

BTW, I also like how it downloads low-res version of the photos (to save space), and only downloads hi-res versions of the ones you click on. I'm stoke to take this out to the rocks!

• Edit to say that if you do add tickability to the app, you may as well permit star rating and grading too.

Nick, do you need any help with the Android side? I can design the layouts(xml) and do some of the Java. Do you guys have a github set up?

Just downloaded the update and all went smoothly. Right off I noticed the accelerometer now works with pictures, Love it!

Hey guys, no problems with the download and none with the app as of yet. I will most likely take it to the south platte this weekend.

It would be nice to be able to download all of the "hi-res" photos for each area at once. While I love the idea of saving space some low res photos are useless unless you can view them at a higher res.

If you exit the app, anything you were in the middle of downloading pauses and you have to restart the download when you open back up the app. It would be nice if it either kept downloadong after you closed the app or resumed where it left off when you open it back up.

You can't access other areas while you are waiting on your downloads. The error message comes up "Unable to access datastore. If you are currently installing or updating an area, access will be restored as soon as teh install finishes.

This won't be a big deal if you just download one area when you need it but I guarantee folks will want to download all of their favorite crags right off the bat and experience this.

Also- Where is the ticklist? How cool would it be to add a route to your ticklist right there when you climb it? Of course you would have to have a way for it to sync with the site and update occasionally.

mountainmicah83 wrote:You can't access other areas while you are waiting on your downloads. The error message comes up "Unable to access datastore. If you are currently installing or updating an area, access will be restored as soon as teh install finishes. This won't be a big deal if you just download one area when you need it but I guarantee folks will want to download all of their favorite crags right off the bat and experience this.

Wow. And I thought I was impatient.

JL

I've loaded the new version and am seeing several improvements:

• new button to check for updates.
• navigation to main area while viewing a route or from search.
• photos can be seen in portrait and landscape.
• "see all" button while viewing individual photos.

Generally, the app seems to respond quicker and download new areas faster. I've not experienced any glitches or crashes so far.

It would still be nice to have climbing log and ticklist features as are incorporated in the RRG and Joshua Tree iPhone guides.

Looks like this is just about ready for prime time! Good work!

JL

Finally got it downloaded, and I just need to say that I love it. I needed to say that before I start mentioning a couple things I found odd.

1st: While downloading the Wasatch range the staus bar never moved I sat there watching it for about 5 min and it never moved. So I backed out and went right back in and it said it was installed. Don't know if it was my phone or what but the other two area's I downloaded didn't do that.

2nd: It would be really nice if there was a way to sort or filter by type of route (i.e. sport, trad, etc.) It's kind of a pain to have to go into each route to see what it is. If not then maybe list with the route name list under the area.

I'm taking it climbing tomorrow and the rest of the weekend. I'll post anything else I find....good or bad.

saxfiend wrote: Wow. And I thought I was impatient. JL

haha. Ok, i did come out with negatives right away. Before I sound like a sour puss, I should say that I really like what is involved within the app and that you can download areas and that they are left to right and the mapping feature plus many of the many great mountain project features. I can't wait to use it at the crags in the very near future and provide some more feedback.

I'm onboard with those that want to sign in to tick routes but not have forums. I'd like to be able to rate climbs and maybe have a spot to flag climbs i'd like to do when I get there. that way i'd have a few warm-ups in mind and know exactly where to go after. i'm a little OCD when it comes to planning...

I used the app yesterday up in the Wasatch. As of yet, no bugs to report. Great job guys, I am impressed! I second that it would be nice to sort by route type (trad, sport, etc). Unlike Daniel, when I downloaded the Wasatch, the status bar worked fine.

summer'n'rance hamaker wrote:I'm onboard with those that want to sign in to tick routes but not have forums. I'd like to be able to rate climbs and maybe have a spot to flag climbs i'd like to do when I get there. that way i'd have a few warm-ups in mind and know exactly where to go after. i'm a little OCD when it comes to planning...

Since this app is designed to be used offline, I think incorporating a log and ticklist feature would be more useful than having to sign in to log your climbs or add to your ticklist on the actual MP site (which you probably won't be able to get to from the crag anyway). If you want to see how this works, you can download the "lite" version of the Red River Gorge or Joshua Tree iPhone guide.

JL

First I'm super stoked on this app. I'm excited to use it in the canyon. Real user friendly right from the start. But I also would like to see a way to search/filter to find routes that fit ur style and grade. I also like to see the length of the route in the info area.

I will report back when I use it outside this weekend.

Downloaded some more areas. Still no bugs. LA county took only about 20 seconds to dl over 3G!

One other idea, it would be nice to be able to download your todo list from mp...

Thanks for the great app!

The app works great!
So far I've noticed a few things that I like/dis-like.
Things I like...
1. I love the fact that it downloads low-res photos with the option of uploading high res ones
2. I like the navigation through all the areas
3. I love the fact that you get all the comments as well as the description

Things it needs...
1. It needs a search feature that can help me find out which area a climb is in. For instance, if I wanted to climb "Epinephrine" I should be able to find it even if Red Rocks wasn't a downloaded area.
2. It should be tied closely to the gps of the iphone to help find crags and indifidual climbs. It would be cool to pair it with some sort of topo softwear.
3. I would love to be able to tick and rate climbs.
4. I would also like to be able to see a map containing all the areas. For instance, if I travel out of town and am unfamiliar with the local crags, I'd like to be able to see a map of the state and download the crags that are close to the city I'm in.
5. I would like the option of downloading all the high-res photos when downloading an area.
6. I would like a "best routes for you" feature to help find the climbs that I would like to do in an unfamiliar area
7. It also needs to be able to have the option to sort routes by grade as well as L-R/R-L and alpha.
8. Though I like the fact that you can see where the crag is on a map, I should be able to get driving directions through the google maps app just by clicking on the pin.

That's about all I can think of at the moment. I'll keep using it and keep thinking about it. overall I'm very impressed and I absolutely love the app!

Jeremy

There is a search function. Top of the main page. It only searches your installed areas though.

dameeser wrote:It would be nice to be able to download all of the "hi-res" photos for each area at once. While I love the idea of saving space some low res photos are useless unless you can view them at a higher res.

+1, a high res option would be nice.

So far the app works great. I wasn't a round 1 tester so no comparison ability there. No downloading issues and most of the routes that I've used/looked at have not had any issues with layout. The app is very intuitive to use and everything loaded relatively quickly when in a 3G area.

Two ideas that others have mentioned.

1. I'd really like the ability to tick with the tick mark comments and add a rating. Completely agree with not allowing comments/forum posts. Another side thought to this could simply be having an integrated notepad like function for each route where you can write gear used, who climbed with, beta info etc. That way it doesn't clutter the main site and doesn't ruin anyone elses experience if they want to climb beta free. Mostly right now I mark in the margins of a guidebook or a note pad for that, but this could eliminate that.

2. Given that so much of NC is remote with a poor cell signal the ability to download all photos before heading out would be nice if the goal is to have full guidebook level functionality in the field. Perhaps there could be a cache or temporary folder that has a maximum amount of photo sizes downloaded or you could click a series of downloaded areas and allow only those areas to pick photos for example (download all photos for Linville Gorge Table Rock) so it doesn't eat up too much memory. Not to sure as most of the NC sites have few photos, but if you go to Red Rocks there are 500 photos.

Giving it another field test run this weekend, but so far great work.