Competing with Google's Voice Web App

[biomedengineer]

No doubt Riverturn have heard that Google released their own HTML5.0 web app today. I give you guys tremendous applause for being the first to release a web app and stick it to Apple. I really want you guys to succeed especially since so much effort went into this. Here are my thoughts about the strengths/weaknesses of each app:

- I like how yours is full-screen and is designed specifically for the iPhone; there is no scrolling and no unnecessary element (copyright, terms of service). Google's app isn't full-screen and isn't as focused, since the interface has to be versatile enough to accommodate Palm's phones too. Depending on your workflow, Google's integration with its other services can be a distraction or a feature.
- Your interface is more similar to the iPhone's and doesn't need as much time to reorient. However, I really like Google's interface since it gives a feel of simplicity and the light, cheerful color makes it more pleasant to use
- both are trying to pack too much navigation into a tiny space where sometimes I would accidentally hit the wrong button
- please get rid of the splash screen
- your Contacts list has an advantage in that it offers a quick go-to alphabet letter feature, but it's not as smooth to flick through. Sometimes the scrolling inertia works as expected, but other times a flick that stops making contact with the screen results in the scrolling to stop suddenly. Google's advantage is that they allow searching for contacts, and a Top list.
- Google offers the advantage of not having to give a password to a 3rd party; I understand it's encrypted and it's not stored and there's nothing that can be done, but this is a big advantage nonetheless.

These are my initial impressions and I hope it helps. Google has made it publicly known that they were going to release a web app for some time now, so I would like to ask you what kind of features or distinctions will be in future releases that will allow your app to stand out?

Also another suggestion is that since you are a small, nimble, and responsive company, it might be a good idea to aim to fulfill the needs of niche GV users instead. Google has to make one product that has to be the same for everyone, and some may not like the blanket approach. So if you do things your way that works well for a fraction of GV users, you will get a consistent, loyal base.

Again, kudos to you guys for beating Google with the first GV web app.

[dotwod]

My 2c

Black Swan is more elegant in design

Google is free (obviously). Their UI is simple/simplistic but not beautiful

I like the lack of callback in Google - but I like the fact that I can relatively simply change the callback number on Black Swan for my particular use case (GV blocked at work, so I can initiate calls from my iphone address book but have it call back at my desk phone) which Google can't support since it doesn't do a callback.

(at first I was excited by no call back because it implied it would work over wifi -but it is still making a physical call, just not doing a callback)

search on contacts obviously a big plus but I'm sure Black Swan will have that shortly

agreed re splash screen, can take a v long time to start up. I was showing it off to someone yesterday and gave up when the splash screen hadn't changed in a minute