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MyDreamApp, 3 Winners Announced!

mydreamapp.com — After five grueling rounds, the MDA winners have been announced. Let the development begin!

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  • camwest, on 10/12/2007, -35/+38Woo hoo!
    • dmoney06, on 10/12/2007, -14/+51Congrats dude, really looking forward to Atmosphere.

      But Hijack losing out by 5 votes....jeeze. Its such a great idea too and I really hope someone develops it.
    • Monolith2, on 10/12/2007, -57/+123Atmosphere is ***** retarded.
    • Kypt, on 10/12/2007, -7/+13Just pissed that the "fraudalent" attempts were probably on hijack's end. I share a house w/ three other peeps w/ their own macs and all voted for hijack. Since its same ip, did those votes get turned down?

      Edit: Never mind, just read beneath me how it is counted, still pissed though :/
    • defectDS, on 10/12/2007, -36/+13"Atmosphere is ***** retarded."

      Evidently not. You're just sad because you live in the desert and all you'll get on your Atmosphere desktop is sun, heat, and cacti.
    • Monolith2, on 10/12/2007, -15/+81No, atmosphere is retarded because it's a gimmicky program that'll get boring and everyone will lose interest in after a month. Hijack was actually useful.
    • GuyHersh, on 10/12/2007, -27/+18camwest was the contestant who developed the atmosphere idea, show a little respect.

      Guy
    • EmileVictor, on 10/12/2007, -5/+15I liked the idea of whistler being developed as part of the competition, but it's a concept that will likely stay a concept for quite a while.

      I don't think Atmosphere has any real use whatsoever though. I can't believe it came in first. =(
    • retral, on 10/12/2007, -18/+13Good to see this thing finally end.. I, for one, am glad Atmosphere won, and I'd really like to see it on windows eventually, too.

      I was starting to get pretty annoyed by all the people who were whining about all the 'noobs' voting for Atmosphere.

      Evidently, I'm going to get buried for saying that, but oh well.
    • CasaMan, on 10/12/2007, -11/+15You guys are all such "digg-sheep". When a general opinion is formed it's cool to shout Hijacked rockt and Atmosphere sucks. Well newsflash. Hijacked will never work, there's no standard in forum software and rss won't give you the needed structure to browse trough a forum in an app. It would be a big hassle to make a scraper for each and every forum. Who needs it anyway?!
      Nobody needs Atmosphere but I would use it. It looks just cool! And it's definitely a lot better than a weather widget.
      I am glad cookbook won. Looks like a easy and fun to use program. Especially the community part is OK.
    • cg0def, on 10/12/2007, -10/+2Atmosphere is nothing special. Yes, it has new features but so what? The existing widgets do enough and atmosphere is a waste of time ( although it really doesn't take that much time to write ). And blossom winning 1st place ? wtf, this application is more of a distraction than any real help. And I completely agree with what Woz said.
    • thecodemonk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2working in what we like to call the dungeon (basement IT), I know I'd like the eye candy from atmosphere...plus I might be able to tune it to another area I'm thinking of visiting and seeing how the weather it there. :)
  • Glenn, on 10/12/2007, -3/+37Third Place: Michael Yuan, Cookbook, with 6109 votes (17.88%)
    Second Place: Farzad Sadjadi, Portal, with 6122 votes (17.92%)
    First Place: Cameron Westland, Atmosphere, with 6566 votes (19.22%)
    • OwenX, on 10/12/2007, -9/+66Yeah, Digg broke this competition. Atmosphere got an incredibly large advantage. Hijack, whistler, and Blossom were all better deserving as one of the winners in my opinion.
    • Zero2aHero, on 10/12/2007, -12/+5How did Digg break it? A couple of the entries made it to the front page of digg... the significance being that digg much like my dream app is centered around what people find interesting.

      I think the right application one of the finalists left.

      I can't imagine Hijack actually turning out well...

      Blossom... how do you teach Blossom what productive is to each individual user? One person could be productive by reading their email if they work for human resources, but to another person reading email could be distracting if they are trying to do homework... how do you teach that to Blossom? If I have to tell the application what is productive for me... it makes it much too much of a hassle to use.

      That Portal program doesn't seem all that useful to most mac users as most of us only have one mac.

      Cookbook... I think Leo said it perfect... cookbook applications are something that people think they want and need but then never use. If you are any kind of cook you know that recipes aren't static (aside from baking). The idea of planning meals a month in advance is simply ridiculous.
    • danboarder, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@ Zero2aHero - the Blossom design has built in "Profiles" for different types of work ( web designer, receptionist, etc) and these can be customized pretty easily (have a look at the MDA blossom forums to see more on this).

      The other solution discussed in the design is web-based database of user-contributed "Profiles" for different types of work. So the idea is that I could download a "web developer" profile and tweak it a bit to my needs (based on my apps, client folders, etc)... then I can track all time spent on any client work (in detailed reports), and get a quick idea of progress from plant growth. I would still like to pursue development of the app ... www.getblossom.com for more info thx.
    • picklepete, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6 Zero2aHero: The idea of planning meals a month in advance is simply ridiculous.

      Tell that to my wife who, at the end of each month, pulls down the calendar and writes on each date of the following month what we'll have for dinner. Sure, things change sometimes but it makes buying groceries extremely easy, efficient and cost effective. Not to mention it removes the ordeal we used to go through when we'd get home from work of "what do you want?" "I don't care, you decide." etc.

      Maybe we're in the minority for how people plan their meals, but I think that Cookbook will be perfect for us. My wife gets a lot of her recipes from blogs anyway, and I like how we'll be able to print out a list of what we need based on our menu for that week.
  • Dog_Paddle, on 10/12/2007, -6/+50I'm sure I'm not the only one let down. I wanted Hijack so effin bad :'(

    I hate wednesdays
    • adinb, on 10/12/2007, -11/+13Yeah, I'm hoping someone goes ahead and makes Hijack as well. :(

      Portal's nice, but it really appears to be a snazzed up version of dropcopy. Atmosphere will be cute eyecandy....but a cookbook app? Puhleeeze.
    • jake57, on 10/12/2007, -4/+18Seconded. Hijack was an awesome idea, whistler too, I'm disappointed to see Hijack lose by five. The sad part is that Portal could easily be replaced by a better iSync and Atmosphere...well, I just don't see any possible practical application for it. Sure its a cute idea at first, but it would probably just get annoying after a few days.
    • blueigloo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13Overall pretty disappointing.

      My Dream App succeeded in picking the most niche applications of the bunch really :( - But if those are what folks voted for, then I guess I use my mac a wee bit differently.

      Different strokes.. for different folks.
    • Odweaver, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13Personally I was more interested in cookbook and I though atmosphere was a neat idea, but I didn't believe Hijack to be very practical.
    • nandabanaotakun, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3I thought Hijack was the only really interesting one of the bunch.

      To any developers reading this: there would be a large market for Hijack. Please make something with those features and I will buy it.
  • angelp, on 10/12/2007, -4/+27It's crazy how Hijack lost out by just a couple of votes. I'm pretty sure there will be some type of controversy because of that especially since there were fraudulent votes.
  • DoMaurier, on 10/12/2007, -4/+24Hijack lost by 5 votes. According to MDA fraudulent votes are what caused the drop from 3rd to 4th. They'd better prove this votes were fraudulent because right now it seems a bit fishy.
  • Glenn, on 10/12/2007, -4/+34We need Hijack made...
  • andrethegiant, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8Ahh glenn, u beat me to it by seconds. Damn your auto refresh schemes!
    • Glenn, on 10/12/2007, -7/+9Haha, I had the post all written and ready in TextEdit :-)
  • whereswaldo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22They just posted the criteria for considering votes "fraudulent". Apparently, when 50 votes were cast towards one application from a single IP, those votes were not counted.
    http://mydreamapp.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=15816#p15816
  • theporchmonkey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5congrats to all...
  • optimo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15Without being a Mac user, I can hope that this sort of contest will spur more creative development for different platforms, including Windows and Linux. Cheers to the winners and all the lucky OS X users that may have some cool new tools soon.

    If anyone knows how I can help or support the continuation of some of the runners-up; in particular `Whistler`, please inform. I would love to see this idea and other projects' furthered to fruition, especially on Windows.
  • Dolomite, on 10/12/2007, -10/+24I can't belive Hijack lost. It's the best idea of the bunch.
  • dragazis, on 10/12/2007, -5/+16I'm glad that atmosphere and portal made it, but cookbook? I rather have had whistler or hijack over cookbook.
    • SuitCase874, on 10/12/2007, -15/+4Cookbook looks neat. Portal is retarded (it has one of those "LOL LET'S LOOK COOL AND DRAW EVERYTHING IN A TINY WINDOW WITH CUSTOM CONTROLS" looks aka the Disco look) and while I am attracted by the gimmickry of Atmosphere, it's clear Cookbook is a good idea with a good set of mockups that indicate a properly usable program. Cookbook seems to me a lot like Hijack - a slick and functional interface to a database of loose and messy information.
    • DJMajickman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@ dragazis
      You obviously don't cook your own meals. This is an awesome app idea. I'll be buying this when it comes out. Granted I would have liked to have seen Hijack in there over Atmosphere. I mean come on look out the window every once in a while people...Better yet go outside and get some color on that pasty white body of yours. Atmosphere is teh suck how on earth did it get 400+ more votes then Portal.
  • kuwan, on 10/12/2007, -10/+3What a great contest! The only one that seems remotely interesting is Portal. Other than that - a virtual window for your desktop - a cookbook - whoop-i-dee-doo! Good luck trying to make any money off those apps.
    • sparkrainfir, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8if that many people voted for them, someone is going to buy them.
  • mixrecords, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17Ugh, so disappointed with the results... I was really hoping for Hijack, Blossom and maybe Cookbook. Atmosphere may seem cool, but when it really comes down to it, it's just another weather bug with some cool effects.

    The concept of Blossom on the other hand seems like it is more of an escape from the software we see now. Sure, it doesn't really have any purpose (other than a glorified Chia Pet) but it would have been interesting to see how it would have been implemented. (IE how to you establish what constitutes work and play? How is each activity weighed?)

    It may not be a bad thing that Hijack lost however. Now the creator has the ability to develop the application himself and sell it for a lot more than a 15% kickback! (Or did the contestants sign away all rights of concepts when they put in their entries?)
    • Kypt, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Problem is that the creator has absolutely no programming background. He's a designer not a coder :/.
  • BrainInAJar, on 10/12/2007, -27/+3Am I the only one that finds this entire contest stupid?

    As in, if you have an idea for an app, bloody make it, programming's not that hard, you're just lazy
    • Kypt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14Whenever you go buy your very first house you better not buy it but build it from scratch. Architecture is not that hard, you'd just be lazy if you don't....

      /sarcasm
    • AssProphet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I disagree... the results of the contest may be less that desirable, but building applications based on consumer concepts and interest is an area worth exploring. I mean, we all know what happens when a company throws features into products just to sell a new version, MS Office anyone?
  • Crusty, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Was hoping Whistler, Hijack and Cookbook would win, in that order. At least one of them made it.
  • Pharaoh777, on 10/12/2007, -15/+19Are you ***** kidding me? Cookbook beat HiJack? That's so ***** lame it's not even funny. How many people even cook these days, let alone collect recipes?!?
    • ckr4282, on 10/12/2007, -14/+1Old women, mostly. A good half of them don't even know how to browse the internet and the other half are afraid of computers.
    • whereswaldo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14You know, that explains why it got so many votes. All the old women were too afraid to use the internet to vote for it, so the votes were cast via magic!
      Plenty of people cook. Just because your culinary skill extends to heating up pop-tarts doesn't mean other mac users are the same.
    • nevenmrgan, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6I'm not crazy about the results either, but let's remember that while Hijack sounds great, the actual development of it would be a nightmare. The problems of developing something for the number and chaotic nature of web forums out there have been well discussed on MDA - push Hijack if you want, but don't just gloss over the ginormous difficulty of actually putting it together.

      P.S. Yeah, Atmosphere is pretty lame.
  • ckr4282, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Well whoop-dee-*****-doo, Hijack and Whistler lost.
    • ckr4282, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Oh, and iSightSee, Whistler, and Ground Control were probably the coolest ideas.
  • adinb, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14The weird thing is that there's already an "iTunes for recipes" app for OS X. I can't believe cookbook passed the "done that" test.

    The app is "Connoisseur" - by TheLittleAppFactory, on MacZot 29 May 06. Link: http://maczot.com/discuss/?p=97

    Homepage: http://www.thelittleappfactory.com/application.php?app=Connoisseur

    • nevenmrgan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Connoisseur looks great, and it's buggy as all hell. It's impossible to maintain even the smallest of recipe databases in it - it simply drops entries randomly. Also, its recipe creation interface is very slow, and the whole app needs to be streamlined more. It looks nice, but when you actually use it, it's a pain. I don't know if Cookbook will be better, but Connoisseur is most definitely NOT the solution to recipe management on OS X.
    • liquidrums, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1MacGourmet is almost the exact same thing. It just doesn't have collaboration.
    • Triene, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5There are a bunch of cookbook applications... it isn't a new or innovative idea.
      I have MacGourmet. Gets the job done, looks decent doing it. It would be easier to just integrate some sort of community thing into already developed apps that do the same thing, even if it were as basic as your typical forum with maybe a little formatting action for recipe posting?
      /Sad it turned out this way
      //Wanted Hijack, Whistler, Blossom
      ///...slashes?
  • jeffburg, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5i wanted hijack too. I used to live in Southern California and so down there knowing the weather is useless. Now I live in San Francisco. And you know, the weather changes more here but its still not worth having my computer centered around. I think even on the east coast where there is every type of weather every day, that its still not worth having your computer centered around weather

    hijack should have won
    cookbook second
  • TheDrinkNinja, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14I'm really disappointed about Whistler losing. Really, really disappointed. I have no musical aptitude, save a really nifty ability to hum catchy tunes, and Whistler was going to be my kickoff into the world of phat beetz and skanky women.

    Now what am I supposed to do, huh? Learn how to play an instrument? Bother with sheet music and guitar tabs? God, I might even have to sing. ON KEY. Dear lord, someone make Whistler, PLEASE.
    • allarise, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2agreed. how is a stupid desktop wallpaper going to get us that.
  • scorpshockey, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1@ckr4282

    I have two words for you. Alton. Brown.
  • spin-docta, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3WTF the best ideas lost... how sad is this
    in the end the developers and costumers lose in the end because of this sad turn out
  • allarise, on 10/12/2007, -3/+23MY dream results

    1. Whistler
    2. Hijack
    3. Blossom
  • mac4evan, on 10/12/2007, -9/+5My dream apps would have been

    Whistler
    Hijax
    Cookbook

    Atmosphere will get boring quickly and Portal is iSync on steroids (it's never been my dream to have a syncing utility with cool Core Animation stuff!)
  • steamedlice, on 10/12/2007, -9/+6Idiotic. Generated more publicity than it was worth... and those apps... Blech!!!
  • cobrabyte, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3Let's see . . .

    Winners get 15% of the proceeds earned from their applications...

    Cookbook stands to make $1000 ... so, $150 + MacBook Pro to that winner.
    Portal will be irrelevant after Leopard ... maybe $50 + MacBook Pro.
    Atmosphere ... sad to say it, but it's probably the one that will make the most out of the bunch (oh, and a MacBook Pro).

    I have to agree that the three likely winners were the three unlikely losers.

    my .02 :/
    • leucippus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6We each get a MacBook (white, 1.83 GHz), not a MacBook Pro.

      We'll see what Leopard brings to the table, but I doubt that iSync will ever expand to offer Sync to Windows. Portal is third-party, so we can at least try to do Windows (down the road, of course).
  • joe90210, on 10/12/2007, -5/+11the results are so lame, after all this effort, you have ANOTHER weather app that's a bit fancier and a freaking cookbook??? is that a joke?
  • neo123195, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12I wanted blossom :(
    • AssProphet, on 10/12/2007, -12/+2Blossom is the stupidest idea I can think of
    • Odweaver, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@AssProphet

      How so? It combines the addictiveness of a tamigotchi or Digimon while actually promoting work instead of slacking.
    • christianw, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2addictiveness of digimon?

      wow someone needs to discover getting laid. like seriously
  • deedas, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Very disappointed with the results. The only decent idea in the final 3 is cookbook.

    Who the hell voted?!
  • totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I can't believe they allowed 50 votes per IP, but 51 and bzzzzt!!! none counted! ouch.

    Sweet contest though, glad they did it, and hope some enterprising developers contact the guys who didn't win to express interest in developing the ideas into real apps too-potentially a great way to bring idea guys and developer guys together.
  • flashboy131, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2a cookbook? didn't they try that like ten years ago?
  • Macam, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Disappointed at the winners, with the sole exception of Portal, although here's to hoping all the hoopla provides us with some good apps in the end and, ideally, funds future similar attempts. That said, it's a mixed bag; Atmosphere, the throw-away gimmick app that'll likely sell the most, Cookbook, the niche app that will likely sell to the less technical inclined (although to be fair, there are savvy technical cooks, but most technical people don't seem to be), and Portal, the utility to the rest of us (Mac) power users.
  • klezmer41, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1RECOUNT!
  • totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6You guys think you can possibly register your disappointment that your favorite app didn't win without having to disparage the ones that did? Calling an app "retarded", "lame", or " stupidest idea"? Show some class, ffs.
  • DShafik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I was hoping for iGTD, none of the apps that won have any impact on me actually getting anything accomplished except maybe Cookbook, I'm gradually getting my mum to send me recipes since I moved state-side and some nice way to store them would be good :)

    I wanted something to improve my productivity to make my work on my mac better. Ah well, there's always next time. *cough*

    - Davey
  • michaelyurechko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I was hoping Hijack and Blossom would be some of the winners, but whatever, hopefully they will be developed also.
  • ramsinks.com, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I can't believe BookRoom didn't make it. (in the category of usefulness)
    I'm not a reader, however "if" I was going e-reading.. it's a no brainer.

    Not sure what another WeatherBug will do for us.. But looks pretty...
    But GG~
  • Triene, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I didn't read all these posts, but here's my two cents.
    It seems backwards.
    When I glanced down and saw the lists, I thought the top one was the winners and the bottom was the runner-up list.
    Then I realized I was so very, very wrong.
    How did this happen? It's... disappointing. All of the entries were interesting, but I think the three runners up were much more practical and had more potential.
  • noreturn, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Thank God it's over. Maybe we'll stop having articles on "Look at my concept for an App that has close to no long term merit." I see more innovative ideas every day at work; sadly it's not these concepts that capture the hearts and minds of the fickle, sensationalist kids who are so easily amazed by gimmicks and pretty mockups.
    • macdee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0agreed. I wonder how they manage to make the Atmosphere to be all it is supposed to be. This should take ***** of time, and I don't think that more than a tiny fraction of actual voters will have it on their computers longer then shareware period will allow.

      Portal have potential to become most useful of the 3 winners actually, but it all depends on how it will actually work.

      And regarding Cookbook.. well I don't know. My wife would definitely be more happy to just have one of her real cookbooks around when cooking. Well, they CAN make it into a good application if they duplicate the functionality of DS's Talking Food Navi, but even if they do that, form factor (computer vs. small device like DS) will make the application less usable than it should be.

      Overall, I think the whole bloody DreamApp contest was a joke. It's natural people want to see gimmiks, but what they really keep, use and pay for are just apps with clean and useful interface. Can you use Atmosphere? Don't know so. It is a cool gimmik? You bet. Will you pay for a gimmik you can't use? I think there are people who do, but all depends on the price, and most of them won't pay after the initial "cool" factor fades out after a couple of days. Oh well.. anyway, good luck with the Atmosphere :)
  • johnjeffrey, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0congrats camwest
  • iAlex, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Bad. The third best came least.
  • tomi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Wow, Hijack lost by 5 votes, that's just unbelievable.
  • Philote, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Adding my disappointment to the plethora of other voices here. I don't really understand how Atmosphere and the Cookbook Apps made it. They are both week apps with no day to day real world use. I had high hopes for this contest bringing some new life into the Mac community. I supose it did, but because of the winners it will be like a brief puff of smoke.
    Oh well... Hopefully some one will produce Hijack
  • robpadbury, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Blossom was the only app that that seemed to be almost universally loved by the judges. I hope someone makes it.
  • neiltc13, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1I'm burying this as lame since it's yet another story about software with no actual download links or information on final products.
  • Chris24, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Why did so many people like atmosphere? Hijack should have won. Portal? Hmmmm..... Just another app for syncing....

    Maybe, and hopefully, someone will make Hijack anyway :S

    If a Developer created Hijack, It would be one of the apps i would unquestionably buy. Someone make it! It's the only app here that is useful.
  • lonelycanuck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I want portal soooo bad
  • onetruetweedle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2That bit. Seriously.

    Why did all three applications, including two I really wanted to see, all get runner-ups?

    Cookbook and Atmosphere are retarded.
  • Wolfman~K, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1damn I was hoping whistler made it. I hope he develops it anyway, I am a strugling musician with little musical training, it would have been the perfect app for me. Congrats to the rest tho I can't wait ti try em all out.
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