Pixate - beautiful native mobile apps with CSS • Hacker News Board

Re: Pixate - beautiful native mobile apps with CSS

#41

Post by exogen » Fri, Jul 20, 2012, 11:53 PM UTC

jff wrote: post #7

Feedback on the Listr (ugh, that name) re-imagining: the little icons weren't particularly informative in the original, but at least there was some text to try and explain. Now I get to guess what each icon means, plus instead of everything fitting on one screen, you apparently must scroll down to select e.g. "Projects". By the way, what is up with every project talking about "beautiful"? "Beautiful Javascript", "Bea…

Agreed. On the left I saw an app I'd use, and on the right I saw an app I wouldn't use. Nothing wrong with the project, but a bad example.

Re: Pixate - beautiful native mobile apps with CSS

#42

Post by mstepanov » Fri, Jul 20, 2012, 11:55 PM UTC

podperson wrote: post #40

jlongster wrote: post #13

I doubt they will reach $200k, but this is sorely needed for iOS apps. If they had launched this without kickstarter, and at a reasonable price, I bet developers would be flocking to it.

Needed? It looks to me like a terrible idea not very well implemented. It's easier (and more WYSIWYG) to style controls in Interface Builder using the properties. It's probably just as easy to write NIBs by hand.

Ha, I doubt you are an iOS developer at all :)

Re: Pixate - beautiful native mobile apps with CSS

#43

Post by pcolton » Fri, Jul 20, 2012, 11:58 PM UTC

objclxt wrote: post #21

brittohalloran wrote: post #12

So does it compile to Objective-C? It sounds more like an 'engine' that is a part of your actual app and interprets the CSS realtime. Sounds more processor intensive than just loading up flat graphics. (not an expert, please chime in)

They are somewhat vague on the technical details - however, it sounds like they are indeed basically rendering out their own graphics context and not using Apple's native UI components ("[a] 2D graphics engine facilitates the rendering of scalable, resolution-independent vector graphics). As to performance, it depends how they do it. I wouldn't want to comment until they revealed some more technical details about thi…

The Pixate Engine styles native controls using the standard iOS bitmap approach. Bitmaps allow your controls to take advantage of the speed offered by the GPU. However, in contrast to today's workflows, the Pixate Engine renders and caches content to bitmaps dynamically as needed at runtime, giving you the ultimate in flexibility in your designs.

Re: Pixate - beautiful native mobile apps with CSS

#44

Post by pcolton » Sat, Jul 21, 2012, 12:00 AM UTC

PufferBuffer wrote: post #38

Why in the world would you put a ferrari into a _Kickstarter_ video?

There are no Ferraris in the video.

Re: Pixate - beautiful native mobile apps with CSS

#45

Post by majormajor » Sat, Jul 21, 2012, 1:10 AM UTC

Animus7 wrote: post #22

weego wrote: post #4

I'm not sure I absorbed the message as it was supposed to be put across. The video showed a (seemingly) quite advanced prototype, and they expect to be able to ship before the end of the year. So what is the $200k for? Seemingly to "make it happen" but it appears to be happening already, so it's kickstarting a hefty salary? If I did somehow miss the point and this seems like a cynical response then obviously I apolog…

I'm getting the same vibe. And I'm beginning to think that allowing this kind of thing will be the downfall of Kickstarter. Yes, I will explain. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the Kickstarter concept. But in practice, their scaling seems to quickly be turning hem into a sales platform that has no controls or accountability. And I have nothing bad to say about this project in particular, but they are a YC compa…

In just a month or so I've already found myself developing an almost habitual response to Kickstarter software things posted here. Like you say, there seems to be a pattern of trying to cash in.

I see an interesting title on HN. I visit it and start reading. I start reading the copy and see some interesting screenshots/mockups, keep scrolling, and then realize a bit later that there isn't actually anything ready for me to try out, but they want me to give them some money.

Then I close the tab.

Very few of the software projects I've seen linked there have seemed interesting or novel enough for me to care to put up some cash up front. There are tools that cost hundreds of dollars out there that will let me try them, fully-featured, for free. These guys want $50 for beta access or $100 for a full license for something that doesn't exist yet?

It's probably somewhat irrational, but I'm even more annoyed by the ones with real slick demo videos and such. Why not put the time spent making that towards making a product I can actually try?

Re: Pixate - beautiful native mobile apps with CSS

#46

Post by loceng » Sat, Jul 21, 2012, 1:47 AM UTC

PufferBuffer wrote: post #37

webwright wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I just saw that it's retailing for $299. It all feels rather cynical." Huh? For a $99 pledge, you get the $299 license when it launches, it looks like. This looks like every other product kickstarter, which essentially are saying, "We've invested considerable time and money. We're committed. We'd love to have you pitch in to help accelerate us and get us over the finish line. In exchange, your pledges entitle you to…

Why don't they just create the product and have me pay for it? The company is already funded, why should I go ahead and pre-order something now, knowing it might not work as advertised when it's ready. I'd much rather pay $300 when the product is on the shelf, when I can evaluate the pro's and con's. Sure, if this was a project that hasn't been started and looked very promising, I would give it some money, for a chan…

It's an investment round that that don't have to give equity up for.

Re: Pixate - beautiful native mobile apps with CSS

#47

Post by ruswick » Sat, Jul 21, 2012, 2:44 AM UTC

The CSS part is particularly interesting, and has a ton of potential. But frankly, I don't like nor would I use a proprietary library like this.

Also, I don't see why they need Kickstarting at all. If they are going to sell the product, then sell the product. They appear to already have a product that is finished or near completion, and are in Y Combinator and thus have funding. It doesn't make sense.

My real hope is that one day we get an open source tool like this for writing native UIs in CSS.

Re: Pixate - beautiful native mobile apps with CSS

#48

Post by dotmanish » Sat, Jul 21, 2012, 3:41 AM UTC

jefflinwood wrote: post #36

I know I'm missing something here, but if they get enough money, they'll add Android support - but doesn't Android already do this (not with CSS, but with XML, like everything else in Android) http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/themes.html

I think it's more to do with making it "cross-platform", the code-once-build-multiple-platforms aspect of PhoneGap, etc.

Re: Pixate - beautiful native mobile apps with CSS

#49

Post by montecarl » Sat, Jul 21, 2012, 3:59 AM UTC

weego wrote: post #4

I'm not sure I absorbed the message as it was supposed to be put across. The video showed a (seemingly) quite advanced prototype, and they expect to be able to ship before the end of the year. So what is the $200k for? Seemingly to "make it happen" but it appears to be happening already, so it's kickstarting a hefty salary? If I did somehow miss the point and this seems like a cynical response then obviously I apolog…

I'd love to see complete or nearly complete software on kickstarter. One could finish a software project, then recoup all of the development costs plus profit and then offer the final product for free since you have already made all your money. This model allows the people that are most interested to fund the entire development cycle of the software and pay for everyone else to have it too. It also avoids all of the immoral intellectual property laws.

Re: Pixate - beautiful native mobile apps with CSS

#50

Post by simonw » Sat, Jul 21, 2012, 9:16 AM UTC

andyfleming wrote: post #16

DanielRibeiro wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that they also have YC funding: Q. What's your background? Paul and Kevin were accepted into Y-Combinator this summer to launch Pixate into it's current prototype phase

Does everyone in the YC program have funding? Obviously, they have access to funding, but does everyone without exception take on funding?

To participate in YC you need to accept a very small equity deal from YC - this is usually around $17,000 for 7%, but I believe it can vary depending on the stage of the company.

You later get the option to take a $150,000 convertible note at extremely good terms. This isn't mandatory, but the terms are designed to make it almost a no-brainier to say yes.