Serious question, has anyone tried the new trail app that costs $40 a year?

I paid for the premium version of TrailFinder last spring before my trip to the Smokies. It was about $40 for the year. The offline maps saved me when I took a wrong turn near Clingmans Dome and lost cell service. I could see exactly where the actual trail was versus the game path I'd wandered onto. But the campsite booking feature through the app was totally broken and I almost lost my permit. Has anyone found a better app for route planning that actually works for permits too?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace_white7d ago

That "beta test we fund" feeling is everywhere, from my smart fridge to this coffee maker.

the_tessa1d ago

Remember when software had version numbers? You paid for 2.0. Now it's just a constant stream of updates that fix last week's bugs. My car's touchscreen freezes if I use the heater and radio at the same time. They shipped it like that. Where's the line between a new feature and a public bug report we paid to file?

jennys727d ago

Why do we keep paying for apps that only half work? Your story is so familiar. It feels like every subscription service now is a beta test we fund. They nail one cool feature to get your money, then ignore the broken parts. We accept this as normal when it shouldn't be. Makes me miss just buying a finished map.