Just like everyone, I had the journaling or diary habit, from previous handwritten to modern digital journaling app.
I am use DayOne journal app really since Day One in iphone 3 (then 4,5 and Mac, ipad) and bought all the perpetual version at that time, for iphone, ipad and Mac. Then come Day One version 2, and DayOne become “classic” and later on “retired” it. Again, i bought iphone and Mac version, at that time it still “perpetual version”, can be buy off.
Then it start “subscription model”, make my existing version become “Day One Plus”, keep the dayone version 2 feature where 10 notebook and can sync. At that time they start Android version. Just like everyone expected, Apple empire start to fall after Steve Jobs passing away, no more innovation and so do I just like everyone, migrated over to Android smartphone, from Sony z3 and then Samsung S9+ . At that time, Android version of DayOne do not had perpetual anymore, if you want to use, and for sync, you got to pay for “subscription model”, that is, continue to pay for it.
Since I had years of dayone diary data write since really Day One, and without sync, it pointless to use it in the first place, so I end up from being “perpetual customer” bought it before and commit on the continuous subscription plan. I write this is not want to said I am loyal to it, it just a logic I think most of the user will do.
I am had bought JourneyApp (perpetual license) for Android and Mac, Evernote (end the subscription few months back since Atlas feature is no more offer) and OneNote. I would like to said with those real user experience, DayOne version 1 is indeed classic, the best so far – elegant and minimalist. DayOne version 2 support for multiple notebook and multiple picture in one post, is improvement. No mind to pay for the subscription for it as well. But when this version 3 and force all customer move to DayOne version 3, and end the DayOne version 2, the new format become the problem. All the write up generate from the DayOne version 3 (from my Mac) if sync over to Android, it can not be edit. The reason being it is old version, can not edit new version content. As being paid subscriber had make support inquiry twice, the standard response basically give me the feeling of “you are nobody (and we are now somebody, since we are no need to work hard to improve anything and we got the continuous subscription revenue), you just wait for our future new version come to dayone android, it had no timeline”.
As you can expect I make the decision just like everyone will be do. I terminate my continue yearly subscription plan, despite already terminate but since I pay for yearly in advance, so even I do not use for those balance of months, I just fine, because I strongly understood it will fall soon. The reason is simple, no company in the world can be sustain when they are forgot in the very beginning for the reason why people use their product in the first place. When you sudden develop product and do not sync with your own product and it seem like they are aware for the problem for the user, it do not had timeline for close the gap for the product. Do not get me wrong, their Mac I would said work just fine, the problem is on their weak link – the Android platform do not support or in sync for the format change that cause user can only do one way editing. Unless you are do all your work in android, them just fine, if that my case, I do not need Mac version and what for I paid for the subscription for the sync to take place. Because I need to editing in Mac and sync it back. Anyhow, I am no here to write for said something I do not more use, just tell my true user experience.
Understood now day all developer want to transit to subscription model due to it really challenge for build perpetual product and do not get continuous revenue streaming. This is why developer no really in the data sync business, to make sure they can lock you in, they only support their very own way for sync, regardless in the world got other better technology. This is why few sync disaster happen and users can not be sync for multiple days. From business point of view, fully understood. But what I can not ok is do not had plan for action, despite fully aware for the issue in hand, but no acting on the issue. As user, I can only said, before the ship sink, make sure migrating all the data out, as it better do it soon than later.
For those who had still in happy use case and do not be encourage with my own experience. I think for those who still in pure Apple ecosystem will be just fine (or just use single product). But for user like me migrated out to other platform, they are no yet really ready for cross platform support. But since I make the switch decision, it do not concern me anymore.
I found it handy by export and import into journeyapp without data loss, but off course, it is different product, it had it strengths and weakness. Once you are develop your habit and know how to use it, and I had very smooth sync from Android to Mac via Google Drive technology. What I want is just to make 2 way editing possible. Do not make me wrong, I do not said JourneyApp much better than DayOne or whatever. I used Evernote for note taking and making need before as subscription customer before, but I stop it since lot of core feature they can not keep anymore, so I decide to end it, and I now get used to OneNote for note taking and making purpose. At the moment still in coexist note taking and making, and journaling need with both app approach. Maybe in the future I will consolidate into single platform, obviously it is where OneNote had edge due to multiple book, division, section approach is more flexible. But that future direction maybe it will go, but for this post and the main theme is just for me express my good time and memory with DayOne is end.
