18.8k
Hey!
For the last almost three years, I've been developing a brand new Reddit app for iOS called Ap...
since 8 years, 3 months ago
33 of 33
Tip Reveddit Real-Time can notify you when your content is removed.
your account history
Tip Check if your account has any removed comments.
view my removed comments you are viewing a single comment's thread.
view all comments
I have been beta testing Apollo for quite some time now, and as someone who has purchased literally every reddit client I can find out there, this is the one. It’s incredibly customizable, looks really good, extremely functional, and even has a ton of app icons to choose from. This is the one that lets you have speed and functionality and doesn’t make you suffer a terrible UI. If there was a spiritual successor to Alien Blue, this is absolutely it. It’s the only app I’ve actually stopped using Alien Blue for, and I finally don’t miss it.
And I’m not even getting paid to write this. I just like what iamthatis has done here. I hope this app is successful for him because he has poured heart and soul into Apollo and it shows. From early betas to now, I can feel the love that went into this. The mans’ a damn good coder.
It's funny, when I started building it, Alien Blue was still alive and well, not even acquired yet, I remember a friend being like "Whoa, Alien Blue got acquired! What are you going to do?".
So given that, I built it very much intending to compete with Alien Blue head on, and I really think it fulfills that. I loved Alien Blue, the UI (especially that diagonal menu) just felt a bit odd at times, and I wanted to make that and the navigational experience a lot better.
It did. You knocked this thing out of the park. The consistency with Apples UI/UX guidelines makes Apollo so easy to use and makes it feel like home in a way Alien Blue couldn’t given it’s more esoteric UI. It’s like you took classic mode Alien Blue and turned it up to 11. And then made it better still. I’m rearranging my homescreen for this, and that’s the highest compliment I can give an iOS app. And your openness and responsiveness during the betas gives me confidence you’ll address any issues that arise and you’ll keep making Apollo better and better.
(I would throw many of whatever currency you want at you for a watch version that lets me pick a subreddit and read the first page of post titles.)
This thread is making me (a crusty 5+ year AB user) absolutely joyous.
I’m still a die hard alien blue user. I can’t agree more, wow, someone basically remade and improved the best reddit client of all time.
I can’t believe how familiar/similar this is to alien blue. I also can’t believe it’s taken this long for someone to make a legit alien blue upgrade.
I’ve just started testing it, but I’m very excited to potentially find a new reddit app that is currently being updated.
Thank me? Thank YOU for supporting it, I'm so glad you like it. :)
Me too, bought pro after a few minutes. I’m not totally weaned off of alien blue yet, but I love that I have found something that can replace it when the time comes.
Thank you so, so much. :)
I'll get onto the watch version!
Yes an Apple Watch app would be fantastic! (Maybe when /u/iamthatis fills his tip jar with fins for the Apple Watch he can be able to make and test it) we can help!
Edit: enough not fins
Fins?! :o
I'll be getting an Apple Watch, there's been a ton of requests, just need to find the time. :P
I meant enough haha.
Hold to zoom on thumbnails in compact mode. If you add this, power users who do a lot of browsing in scroll mode will be able to interact more richly without expanding EVERY SINGLE POST. It's an amazing feature that makes RES a critical add-on for desktop and AB a critical add-on for mobile. I have put thousands of hours into AB because of this feature and you'll instantly win me and many others who absolutely refuse to switch without that same rich power-browser feature set.
Popping into a thread and still having to click once or twice more to get a full image expanded is very annoying. Don't bury full images.
What about canvas? The canvas browser was incredible for image-rich subs. That separates AB from the masses as well!
It's available on 3D Touch, do you have a non-3D Touch iPhone by chance? Noted on the thread front, that's a good point. Looking to add a Canvas esque feature too, I loved that as well.
7+
You're amazing. 3D Touch is super underutilized to the point I honestly don't even attempt to use it anymore! So I was doing long soft presses and just getting the upvote / comment menu. o_O
Thank you so much. :)
Hi, I downloaded your app and so far I’m loving it. I really liked alien blue and so far it’s very much an upgrade. Except for one problem. I can’t find the subscribed vs casual subreddits! Is there an option to view these? Thank you!
No problem! Once signed in, subscriptions are the alphabetized ones on the page back from the first one in the "Posts" tab. Casual subreddits can be added with a multireddit called "Casual" that you expand, then you basically have it exactly like Alien Blue. :)
Did you use the alien blue iPad app much?
Is there hope in the future for Apollo being similar with things like 2-pane browsing and, I think the most alien blue feature, the way posts, images/videos/articles fold out infinitely to the right?
I used the heck out of it. :P Definitely plan to improve the iPad app a ton.
That’s great news!
I’ve used many apps trying to move on from alien blue and helped in beta for some. So many folks trying to replace AB can’t put their finger on what it is that makes AB so different, even when other all’s have come close, but I think the ‘folding out to the right’ thing is it. It opened the app up so much more than just up and down.
That, and only a small suggestion here, but there was something about the neon color theme on the dark theme. AB used really vibrant blues greens reds and pinks for things like user names, op names, sticky posts etc.
Great app here though. I think this is one of the closest to AB I’ve used, up there with Readder, for which that holds the reigns for iPad right now. Will be keeping a keen eye out on this in the meantime as I think the dev there has said there is no hope for the ‘folding out to the right thing’ because of how the app is set up.
Agreed with every sentence. Love this app.
I finally gave up Alien Blue 5-7 months ago -- not because I had any issues with it -- but my pitiful iPhone5 (with minimal memory) was screaming at me to delete stuff (or it'd die), and Alien Blue finally had to go.
I've lived with the new (official) Reddit mobile app ever since, and it's decent enough that I've kind of forgotten what I miss about Alien Blue.
But I'll have to check out Apollo too, especially with I finally upgrade to an iPhone7 this fall (or early winter), FINALLY.
how’s the performance? the official reddit app is the only app on my 7 that stutters
I haven’t had any stuttering, slow downs, or anything of the sort for the past few betas. So far in using the App Store release, it’s been flawless. And I had a lot of issues with the official app too. Hated it, but I put up with it because it was the best looking. Now, not so much.
The only thing I miss about my android is Reddit Sync. I quickly found narwhal after the official Reddit app left me yearning for more.
I've been using this one for 5 minutes and I'm already blown away. It's like every one of my favorite features is jumbled together into this really pretty app. Very excited to waste my life on it.
Might actually purchase it too.
But I can’t edit text size? Or am I missing something? I like small text on my iPhone 7 Plus. It’s all huge on this app.
That’s coming in the next update. As Christian explained, he wanted to get the app launched, and that feature would have delayed it by more than he was willing to wait at this point. But that is coming very soon.
Yeah. I think I agree. This is the first time I switched from alien blue and think I might actually have found an upgrade.
Great work u/iamthatis
Thank you so much. :)
Hey.
Thank you man.
Totally rocks.
Awesome, was looking for this to download it. I've been using Alien Blue for quite some time now and whilst it started out pretty good, it's quite outdated now and can't do many things. I mean, they discontinued development for the app quite some time ago so it makes sense. Going to see how Apollo performs.
Thanks for the answer! How long does the treatment take? Does it continue after or does it end before chemo? What are chances of curing it completely? Sorry for the nagging :)