Hacky
Consumer and social
news reader
SHOW HN2013
163points
91comments
#99of 1,739 in 2013
Top 6%of 2013 by points
How HN took it
MixedNo clear lean
18 positive, 24 neutral or asking, 6 mixed, 10 critical, out of 58 comments about the project. Thread score +0.14.
Design: 8 for, 3 againstPricing: 5 for, 2 againstIdea: 3 for, 2 againstExecution: 0 for, 2 againstPerformance: 0 for, 1 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Clean, minimalistic interface
From 3 comments
Nice! I really like the minimalistic GUI of the app. In addition to joren's comment below it would be great if Vim/Gmail navigation key bindings (or just configurable navigation…
marceldegraaf on HNJust purchased, nice work! This is a great minimalistic way to scan the headlines.
jeffpalmer on HNBeautiful app, nice work. But if you're reading hacker news this much, how do you get anything done?
thejerz on HN
Open source with paid App Store option
From 3 comments
I love the application. The thing I love most is your "license". I thought to distribute some app in the same way too: "can you build it? It's free if you don't want to pay for…
yuchi on HNKiller work! Major kudos for making it open source and releasing it on the App Store. I think that's the perfect solution for quality niche apps like yours.
nkohari on HNIn a perfect world you wouldn't have to explain that this isn't meant to replace the site or justify charging money for it, but we don't live in a perfect world. I'm on a Windows…
bpatrianakos on HN
Good work deserves payment
From 2 comments
Hey there, awesome work! I just wanted to say good for you for charging for your app! Good work should be rewarded. Users of this developer centric website should understand this…
jug6ernaut on HNI'm going to take a look at the source but I am also buying it from the AppStore as there is no way that I can convince myself that you don't deserve $2.99 from me for this app.…
rcruzeiro on HN
Objections
Lacks comments, voting and login features
From 3 comments
This post made my day. I've been after a Hacker News app for Mac for ages now. Edit: have now bought it, it's fantastic. Really glad you made it open-source too. Are there any…
kaolinite on HNI just don't see the point, it's lacking in basic features and there's nothing wrong with a browser tab in my opinion. Best if luck, but I try not to replace perfectly functional…
hnriot on HNYour app may not be intended to replace the website but it doesn't actually work. That's the problem with your app; it isn't functional.
jurist on HN
Opens links in browser rather than built-in viewer
From 2 comments
Haven't tried it, but from the screenshots, it seems you need to open the url in the browser. If your goal is so the app allows users a quick view of the stories, having a built…
BSousa on HNNo comment screen in the current version ; it opens HN in your web browser instead.
srgpqt on HN
Charging for an app that just links to the site is hard to justify
From 2 comments
$2.99 for just links to site? :/
jhadi on HNYou should have kept reader free so that people actually download the app and keep features like commenting and ranking from app paid. Anywayz great work I will be sticking to…
maxpert on HN
Menubar icon and read-later integration missing
From 3 comments
Definitely need the menu icon! I bought it but was disappointed that this is not included. IMO this is needed for the product to be viable.
manmal on HNIt would be better if it could stay on the menubar, like the istat menus.
hamxiaoz on HNI'll happily pay for this with "Send to Pocket" included :)
jbrooksuk on HN
Requests
Keyboard shortcuts such as j/k and open/comments keys
From 3 comments
Nice! I really like the minimalistic GUI of the app. In addition to joren's comment below it would be great if Vim/Gmail navigation key bindings (or just configurable navigation…
marceldegraaf on HNI'd add j/k keyboard shortcuts and the ability to view comments within the app. Otherwise great work!
slash-dot on HNGreat little app. Love the duo of Github and the Mac App Store. I also love my apps straight from the app store. Maybe something little to add to the app are more key-bindings.…
joren on HN
Send to Pocket or read-later integration
From 3 comments
Great job Elias! Just purchased. It would be great if you can add a "send to pocket" feature.
serencial on HNI'll happily pay for this with "Send to Pocket" included :)
jbrooksuk on HNPocket is in far wider use, and thus seems like a natural addition. Pinboard, although a relatively unknown service, would also be appreciated.
ruswick on HN
Comments, voting and posting support
From 3 comments
This post made my day. I've been after a Hacker News app for Mac for ages now. Edit: have now bought it, it's fantastic. Really glad you made it open-source too. Are there any…
kaolinite on HNNice Idea! Purchased in the MAS. Since you seem to want to make it better, Let me give you a few suggestions. I like where you're going, but get the sense you want to improve it,…
e1ven on HNI really like your app. It crashed once on me, but other than that, very nice. Having the ability to post/reply comments would make it superb!
davidcollantes on HN
Automatic refresh interval as a preference
From 1 comment
That feels a little aggressive. Should be a configurable option somewhere in preferences.
jschuur on HN
Versions for other platforms such as Windows, Ubuntu or iOS
From 3 comments
This is awesome :) Would anyone be interested in something like this for Windows? If so I'd be willing to code it up in Adobe AIR.
jmotion on HNIf I had a Mac, I would buy this in an instant. Would you consider developing a version to put on the Ubuntu Software Centre?
kunai on HNPretty please port this to iOS too. Please. Please. Please?
idan on HN
Questions
Does it update automatically?
From 1 comment
Does/can it update automatically at all?
petercooper on HN
Which Hacker News API does it use?
From 1 comment
Great work! Which Hacker News API do you use?
julien_c on HN
How well is the app selling and is niche app income sustainable?
From 1 comment
Bought it... needs a bit more functionality, but it's a good start! I'd be fascinated to hear how many downloads you got through the app store and other sources after this post.…
randomsearch on HN
Alternatives named
News:YC iOS client
From 2 comments
There already are really great apps for iOS. If you want a native one, check out https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/news-yc/id434787119?mt=8 If you prefer a web app take a look at…
eliaskg on HNI would highly recommend against News:yc, if only because of it's meager integration with read-later services. (Exclusively IP.) Although it is, from what I've seen, the best…
ruswick on HN
Hacker Web App
From 1 comment
There already are really great apps for iOS. If you want a native one, check out https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/news-yc/id434787119?mt=8 If you prefer a web app take a look at…
eliaskg on HN
ihackernews.com
From 1 comment
Try http://ihackernews.com/
lukes386 on HN
node-hnapi
From 1 comment
Interesting – Have you checked cheeaun's node-hnapi? https://github.com/cheeaun/node-hnapi
julien_c on HN