We’ve had some feedback from SimpleViewer-Pro customers who are confused as to the relationship between SimpleViewer and Juicebox, so I’m going to discuss some of the ideas behind our current strategy.
Why 2 Different Products?
SimpleViewer was originally built in 2003 using Adobe Flash. Flash was, and remains to be, a great technology for building web image galleries.
Around 2009, a new class of mobile internet devices began to surge in popularity (e.g. iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets). These devices do not support Flash (Android has limited Flash support, but this is being discontinued in the future). To cater to these devices, in 2010 we released a version of SimpleViewer that offers limited support for non-Flash devices.
As we looked at adding more features to the non-Flash version of SimpleViewer, it became apparent that we had to redesign and re-build from scratch. In order to maintain consistency between the desktop and mobile versions we needed to remove the Flash component and rebuild entirely in JavaScript. To support various screen sizes we had to redesign the UI.
So the decision was made to create a new product called Juicebox and to keep the existing SimpleViewer product alive. Many SimpleViewer users are happy with their existing galleries and do not want to change. Rather than force Simpleviewer users to upgrade to a new version with a different design and feature set, we decided to give them the option to keep their existing galleries or to switch.
SimpleViewer remains a great image gallery product. We will continue to actively develop and maintain both products separately.
What are the Differences between SimpleViewer and Juicebox?
- Juicebox is a separate codebase to Simpleviewer with a different design and feature set.
- Juicebox has full compatibility between desktop and mobile galleries. All features work across all devices.
- The Juicebox design is more streamlined and minimal.
- Juicebox design, icons, fonts etc can be completely customized via CSS.
- Juicebox UI is built to be flexible to adapt to different screen sizes. Read about how Juicebox adapts for various devices.
- Juicebox has a different licensing model. Juicebox requires a per-site license.
- JuiceboxBuilder includes ‘true’ watermarking.
Should I Switch to Juicebox?
If you are happy with your current SimpleViewer galleries then there is no need to switch. If you require full compatibility between desktop and mobile galleries, you should go with Juicebox. Before you decide, download the free version of Juicebox and see what you think.
Special Offer Discount Price for Existing SimpleViewer-Pro Customers
If you are a current customer who has purchased SimpleViewer-Pro, you are entitled to a special sidegrade discount price of 30% off (to give a price of $34 dollars for the Single Site license and $69 for the 5 site license). To get your discount coupon code, please email us with your SimpleViewer-Pro transaction id and original purchase email address, and we will send you your coupon code.
We will be sending out an email newsletter update with this information to existing SimpleViewer customers in the next few days. Please post any questions in the comments below.