Earlier this week, we gave a brief preview of Delicious Monster's Delicious Library 3, a brand-new version of the company's popular cataloging app for OS X. The app is now available in the Mac App Store [Direct Link], and Ars Technica has a thorough overview of the new features.
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Among the most immediately obvious changes for existing users of Delicious Library is its updated look, which includes the use of SceneKit to boost the realism, along with subtle animation that allows shelf items to constantly move to face the user's mouse cursor.
"We cranked up all the visuals and then cranked down every visual effect so it was something you didn't notice very much," [Delicious Monster CEO Wil] Shipley said. "This has all the graphics effects and polish of a game from a couple years ago. As far as I know, nobody else has used OpenGL in consumer products like this at all, much less the environment mapping and other stuff like that."
Other enhancements include a new stats pane to give users quick overviews of their collections, as well as a completely revamped recommendation engine.
"This isn't about what I own, it's about getting my personality in the computer," Shipley said. "Now, if you scan your whole DVD collection, it provides a bunch of recommendations based on the aggregate of that information. Then if you rate them all, it'll refine the recommendations."
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Finally, Delicious Monster has released a free companion iOS app, Delicious Scanner [Direct Link], that will pair with the user's Mac over Wi-Fi and allow his or her iOS device to serve as a mobile barcode scanner.
Delicious Library 3 is available now in the Mac App Store for $24.99. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
I bought this app a couple years ago. It doesn't really do anything.
Yeah I bought some Extreme Doritos! once and I fully expected to open the package and have the contents fly up into the air and into my open mouth where the chips would self-masticate.
Wow, was that a disappointment.
All I want to know is, can you turn the "recommendation" crap off?
I'd pay $50 for a version that included a *full iOS app* and none of the "recommendation" crap...
Sigh.
Same here. Anyone care to give some clarification?
I think it's purpose is to help us realize that we have SO much junk that we need an app just to remember it all. It's pretty sad knowing that there's a whole market dedicated to apps that just tell you what stuff you have and suggest what you need more of.
But I rarely use it. the biggest problem is that it's only good for new books. I have thousands of used books that are 20-50 years old. Many don't have barcodes, and if they do it usually leads to a used book with no scan of the cover.
Not having an portable iOS-based scanner was a huge issue, too, so maybe that's better there, but I guess my biggest problem is that it's been FIVE years since the last release. There have been updates, but that's only to make sure the program keeps working. I feel like I can't trust the developers for support and new features, so why should I upgrade?
What I really want is a real library cataloging app for Mac with MARC-reading ability and the ability to download records from OCLC. Is there such a thing?