KA Pro versions

[Alessia]

Hi Ian,

I note you are offering v4.45 as the current version in your download area and yet I have been running v4.48b since March 2010. Is there any reason why I should not be using v4.48 please?

[Ian Cook]

No reason.
Continue to use v4.48
I just have never gotten around to releasing the new version.

[Alessia]

I know you don't wish to continue development of KA however; I have to say that there are many companies offering what they believe is a similar product. The only thing they have over KA is an up to date smart looking GUI. Otherwise they can't hold a candle to KA in terms of functionality. Quite simply put, KA is still the best in its industry and thoroughly indispensable! If they can sell rubbish with a pretty dress you should be able to take the carpet out from under their feet if you made KA look more like a Win 7 app instead of a Win 98 app.

It's your baby Ian but, if I were in your shoes, I certainly wouldn't want to abandon all the work I had put in especially knowing that nothing has managed to overtake my product yet.

[Ian Cook]

Thanks for the kind words.
You are right of course, I should not abandon it.
But to be honest I am absolutely swamped with well paying contract work.

I guess I am also a little gun shy of putting too much effort into Kirby Alarm for little return.
I work for myself now and have to be very careful where I devote my time.

When Kirby Alarm was free I had over 37,000 registered users.
I thought that my developing be better version (ie Kirby Alarm Pro) I would be get more than a little bit of money from it.
I was not asking much. As little as $14.95.
But... to my major disappointment, the sales did not come in. These days I am lucky to get 5 sales in a month.

I'm not a smooth talking sales person, and I do not know how to market Kirby Alarm to it's full potential.

Having said all that, rest assured I will continue to support those people that have purchased Kirby Alarm.
I think others can vouch for the level of service offered.

[Alessia]

Take a look at this competitor offering Ian. It doesn't offer nearly as much as your product but he has given its GUI an Office 2010 look. I think that if you could make KA more attractive it would sell. As it stands, Windows has been through at least 3 versions since you released KA but your product retained the look of a Win 95/98 offering. I may be wrong but my guess is that is what put people off buying it.

I know someone who might be interested in taking on the marketing of it if you are at all interested.