Yes. Users will be able to export their content from the new app into Scrivener.
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The “masterpiece” uses a subscription model which precludes my consideration.
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Absolutely! At $3.33 per month for an annual subscription, it’s less than you’d spend on a single cup of coffee each month.
There are a number of marketing fallacies you’ve fallen for there:
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coffee actually costs me less than 10p a cup, not “over $3.33”;
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lifetime usage costs are more relevant and prevent the hidden reductionism for psychological manipulation, so for software comparing the cost of three years subs (or just the outright purchase cost for non sub models) a more appropriate figure for cost-benefit… ie about $120 in Ulysses case;
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coffee is a terrible comparison as it’s not an either / or purchase. No matter what writing software use, I will still need coffee; and
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most importantly… I don’t give a
about Ulysses.
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We’re not supposed to say much about the new writing app, but being in the beta and having used Ulysses when it was non-sub, and checked it a couple of times since, Ulysses is not in any way a ‘masterpiece’ IMHO. The new writing app, on the other hand 
I’m with Pigfender on the coffee comparison. My Nespresso serves me coffee any time of day or night at $A.9 a cup and that’s always going to happened regardless of what software I purchase. My software purchase decisions are made solely on the benefit from the additional expense on its own.
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Just in case anyone is wondering how much Scrivener costs in coffee or Ulysses units…
Scrivener 3 for macOS launched on 20th November 2017. That’s about 88 months ago.
$59.99 (full) / 88 mo = $0.68 / mo
$32.99 (update) / 88 mo = $0.39 / mo
Either 68 or 39 cents. And it gets cheaper every month. Sure, some day v4 will launch, but that’s an optional update.
Bought once, got free updates and support since.
I may be bad at math, though. But it sounds about right.
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That was a very peculiar comparison, to put it mildly. Meeting friends at Starbucks or Espresso House means I’m paying for more than just the coffee; I’m also paying for the atmosphere and social interaction with my friends, unlike drinking coffee at home or work.
Nobody stops you from paying five to eight times more for the atmosphere of Ulysses. That’s a perfectly fine choice, it’s your money after all.
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Wait… “friends”? I’m supposed interact with people socially, now?! Urgh!
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You could rent friends, too.
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Can I just use AI instead of real people?
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In South Africa $3 is a lot, roughly 10 cups of home brew coffee.
Even if it wasn’t, I am old school and use my software for years, so I buy what I need.
Not knocking your choices, but I know what I like.
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I wouldn’t meet people I don’t like at those purveyors of burnt floor sweepings, let alone insult my friends in that manner, so that comparison doesn’t fly for me. (Starbucks crashed and burned here in Australia where there is a genuine café culture and appreciation of real coffee.)
I do get your intent though. Here in Australia where real coffee (as opposed to a half-gallon mocha, latte, almond ‘milk’, with a dash of turmeric, ginger, sawdust, etc etc) can be had at so many cafés, $5 (no 20-30% tip required - we pay people) is the modest price of enjoying good company, but still bears no relationship to any software purchase decision.
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I honestly don’t get the aversion against subs. To pay for something you use and benefit from. A fee to keep the app aligned with the ever-changing and evolving technology. This is why you run around with USB sticks to sync your stuff. It’s just weird, and the arguments getting old. I would happily opt for a sub on the new app knowing that it be optimized and tuned for modern usage.
Paying is not the problem. Paying waaaay too much for a tiny fraction of the features is the problem.
If subs were honest (a couple of them are, but those are rare), they’d stop delivering new features once you stop paying. Not access to all features you already paid for.
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Except that in most cases, what actually happens is the company in question gets overeager to keep the subs coming and adds a bunch of irrelevant features (feature creep) to justify price increases (Looking at you, Bending Spoons and Evernote…).
Of course if the app in question doesn’t get enough new features, then everyone questions why it is subscription oriented in the first place.
And then that doesn’t even include when there is an equally good or even better app (Scrivener vs. Ulysses) that isn’t subscription. Still the good news is that one is free to do what one wishes. I can go for Scrivener/new writing app, and someone else can go with a subscription based app.
That said, I use Obsidian for my note-taking app, and that is subscription based. So…sometimes it is worth it, I guess?
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Most subscriptions exist for the benefit of the developers, not the users. The best subscription models give you a perpetual license on the latest version you paid for, but you have to pay a subscription for support and updates. I tend to bail on the ones that hold you hostage, so you can’t open old files without a paid subscription.
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Actually… it’s free, now also for commercial use. But the nice thing is that they also sell optional services (sync, publish) to make ends meet. And it works great for them. A really good example how not to be a dick and profit at the same time.
Yup, I have no problem with that.
Marketing a (de facto) $293 purchase (and counting…) as “less than a cup of coffee per month” is my problem. It may be legal, but it’s also pretty fucked up.
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Yeah, I didn’t want to complicate the conversation, but you are 100% correct.
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