Earlier this week I reviewed the forthcoming Gas Cubby 2.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. This post is a supplement to that one.
While using Gas Cubby, I realized how an application’s features and benefits affect its longevity. Specifically, the features attract your attention, while the benefits grab you for good.
As I said at TUAW, Gas Cubby makes it easy and even fun for me to record my automotive expenses. And that’s crucial, because if something’s fun to do, I’ll be more likely to repeat it. The best part of this app is the charts. Perhaps is my years of training in ABA, but I love analyzing data via charts.
[Gallery not found]To enter data you simply choose the type (gas vs. service) and fill in a few fields. Data can be exported via online sync or CSV export.
Those are the features.
The benefit is peace of mind, and that’s why Gas Cubby is a keeper. It’s important that I record this data, and other methods were failing me. I’d be stressed that I forgot to write down some service, fill-up for other travel expense. That would bother me and potentialy make tax time a hassle. Gas Cubby eliminated that worry.
No, it doesn’t fart, illuminate a dark room or use the iPhone’s unique features (like the accelerometer) in a “because we can” manner. Those are features. That’s the real reason I love this app is the benefit: It allows me to know that I’m doing what needs to be done, and that’s worth a lot more than $9.99 to me.
Can anyone describe how the online sync works? The 2.0 version was released today, but the documentation hasn’t been update to reflect the new sync feature.