Packt Reader Hack 1.8 + Redeem Codes

This app looks and feels like a demo project from a book. I find it very lacking in features compared to the app it replaced (for instance, I cant go to my owned books, reading lists, etc.). It’s also a usability nightmare since it just dumps titles on the Home Screen and never keeps track of your progress. Sure, the original app was missing things (highlighting and note taking) but this is a step backwards imho. They would have been better off to improving the other app. If this one doesn’t improve greatly and fast I’m not sure I’ll continue my subscription past its current term.

The title asks a question that only Packt can answer. While not perfect the last application was an effective book reader and video player. This one is not. Pages sometimes just don’t appear when you turn the page. They display slowly. The user interface is crude and not effective. I have been a Packt subscriber for years and this app is so bad that I am considering not renewing my subscription as I can’t consume the content that I paid for.

This app seems to have been written by one of the Packt book authors. It is low quality and lacking features, just like the books. Many developers in my circles understand Packt books lack depth and mastery. You can find better resources online for free in blogs and tutorials. Often, the documentation for your chosen technology is the best resource as it will be most up to date, explain in detail how to use the project, etc. Technical books are becoming obsolete.

I just took out an 18 month subscription. With the expectation that a good publisher with the Packt brand, would extend its learning experience in practice to its app.

Instead what we have here is a joke. There are two apps listed. Packt Reader (This) and another simply called Packt (Which doesn’t even fire up.)

This app is utterly unusable.
1. The video don’t have a ‘start where you left’ memory.
2. The videos lack any controls.
3. The videos can’t be downloaded.

And Packt sells books on UI and UX?!

What a rip-off / scam is this?
How long will it take to fix this SNAFU?
Is anyone reviewing this thread?
To think I was going to recommend this as a preferred resource for my DEV team.

FIX IT? NOW! PLEASE!

This app doesn’t really seem to make any sense, and I don’t know what the developers even planned on putting it on the App Store if the user is not going to be able to access their owned material. I don’t have a subscription and I’m not looking in paying for one but I’ve already paid for $35 worth of learning material on packt and am unable to access on the go.

Packt has really good content. I have enjoyed doing their courses on the website. This app though is full of problems. Constant crashes, lagging when playing videos and very very poor user interface. Such a shame because their courses really deserve better.

My purchased titles and courses do not show on my list with this app, just ones I do not own and they are trying to sell me.
How is this a reader when my purchases are hidden from me? This company starting to seem sketchy and scammy.

Version 1.4 is an improvement, however, more is needed to make the app usable. The app does not retain your position in a book. Every time you close and then return to the same book, it resets you to the beginning.

This app is absolutely worthless, I have no idea how Apple event let this app in the App Store. It doesn’t even load half the time. When it does it logs you moments later and you have to start all over again…

The app fails to load any books. It just freezes with a white screen.