Developer(s) | Delicious Monster |
---|---|
Initial release | November 2004 |
Stable release | 3.7.1 |
Operating system | Mac OS X Mountain Lion and later |
Platform | Apple Macintosh |
Type | Digital asset management |
License | Shareware |
Website | delicious-monster.com |
Delicious Library App
Delicious Library (DL) takes the tedium out of adding your books, movies, games and music to its database by using your iSight camera or other QuickTime-compatible digital video camera to scan.
Delicious Library is a digital asset management app for Mac OS X, developed by Delicious Monster to allow the user to keep track and manage their physical collections of books, movies, CDs, and video games.
The software was initially released in November 2004, with $250,000 in sales in its first month.[1] Delicious Library 2 was released officially on May 27, 2008, although the final version was available from March 25. Delicious Library 3 is available from the Mac App Store and the developers website for Macintosh systems running OS 10.8 or higher.[2]
Features[edit]
- Enter media items in the following ways:
- Manually
- Inputting the ISBN or UPC
- Importing the library from another application (like Bookpedia)
- Drag-and-dropping an Amazon.comURL
- Scanning barcodes using a Bluetooth scanner, an iSight camera, or a USB-keyboard-type barcode scanner (such as a modified CueCat)
- Integration with Mac OS X's Address Book application to allow 'lending management'
- Voice Search
- iPod syncing
- Spotlight compatibility
- Mini Bookshelf Dashboard widget
- Printouts of specific shelves or entire libraries
- Custom Collections allow the user to create their own 'shelves' to organize their media.
Easter eggs[edit]
- When a Star Wars item is added, Delicious Library says, 'I am your father', in the whisper voice
- When a Harry Potter item is added, Delicious Library says 'Voldemort', in the whisper voice
- When A Brief History of Time is added, the library talks about science concepts in a mock-synthesized voice
- When Rock Band is added, Delicious Library sings a portion of 'Run to the Hills' by Iron Maiden in the whisper voice
Mobile apps[edit]
The only Delicious Library app was withdrawn from the iOS App Store in July 2009. Amazon had asked for the app to be removed due to violation of the Amazon API terms and conditions section 4e '(e) You will not, without our express prior written approval requested via this link, use any Product Advertising Content on or in connection with any site or application designed or intended for use with a mobile phone or other handheld device.'[3] NB: The terms and conditions have since been updated.[4]
Awards[edit]
- Apple Design Award Best Mac OS X Leopard Application 2007 Winner
- Apple Design Award Best Mac OS X user experience 2005 winner
- Apple Design Award Best product new to Mac OS X 2005 runner-up
- Macworld SF 2005 showtime award winner
- Macworld 2005 Eddy winner
- O'Reilly Innovators Award 2004 (First place winner)
![Delicious Library Mac Review Delicious Library Mac Review](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125683475/889182225.png)
See also[edit]
- MediaMan, a similar application for Windows
- GCstar, an open-sourcecross-platform similar application available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
References[edit]
- ^Kahney, Leander (2005-01-14). 'Monster Fueled by Caffeine'. Wired. Archived from the original on 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2008-05-03.
- ^http://www.delicious-monster.com
- ^http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10281670-233.html
- ^https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/advertising/api/detail/agreement.html
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Delicious_Library&oldid=916302914'
Delicious Library 2 (for Mac)
Editor Rating: Excellent (4.0)
We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use.
$35.00
Pros
- Add everything from albums to apparel.
- Scan barcodes using your Mac's built-in iSight camera (or external barcode scanner).
- Calendar loan tracking.
- Delectable UI proves as flexible as it is elegant.
Cons
- Imperfect barcode scanning.
- No easy way to retrieve higher-resolution cover art.
- Paltry sharing options.
Bottom Line
Add everything from albums to apparel. Scan barcodes using your Mac's built-in iSight camera (or external barcode scanner). Calendar loan tracking. Delectable UI proves as flexible as it is elegant.
Volumes of my life remain intractably material. For all my cloud-based ebooks, movies, albums, and apps, I also have a physical library—and not well-organized one—of books, DVDs, CDs, and software. Delicious Library 2 ($35) reconciles libraries by amalgamating everything from booklets to applets and MP3s to bikinis. In addition to automatically subscribing to iTunes music, movies, TV shows, and audiobooks, Delicious makes adding a book or board game as simple as typing in a few keywords or scanning a barcode with your Mac's built-in iSight camera.
With Smart Shelves, you can create a dynamic shelves around a set of criteria, and with iCal loan tracking, you will never lose another album to a forgetful friend. That Delicious manages all of these items with the visual aplomb of iTunes (free, 4.5 stars) and the dexterity of VLC (free, 4 stars) make it simply the best cataloging software available for the Mac.
Entering the Library
Delicious offers two options when you first launch the application. You can either begin with a sample library, which showcases the versatility of the software, or create a new library altogether. Delicious has limited import options: It will automatically open previous libraries, or manually cull items from a delimited text file. Although I chose to start fresh, I have included a screenshot of the sample library in my slideshow.By default, Delicious subscribes to your iTunes audiobooks, movies, TV shows, and music. The software automatically captures iTunes artwork, which you can double-click to play items through iTunes. As an avid podcast listener, I was a bit disappointed that Delicious did not subscribe to my iTunes Podcasts and iTunes U lectures—an issue perhaps attributable to the latest version of iTunes, but one that will hopefully be resolved in the next iteration of Delicious.
Cataloging Your Library
Given the anarchic state of my library, I decided to use Delicious Library to catalogue two rogue bookshelves. I relied upon my Macbook's iSight camera to scan barcodes, but had I dedicated barcode reader (Bluetooth or USB), I could have used that, also. I added the vast majority of the four hundred books on those shelves using my iSight camera. At times, the scanner was less than precise, requiring me to maneuver a book forward and backward in front of my webcam. On a couple of occasions, Delicious rendered my books as something altogether different. (An inexpensive copy ofDelicious Library Mac
Three Classic African-American Novels produced Oxycise, a 15-minute workout DVD.) For the most part, however, the scanner read barcodes without issue. Given how fast you can add items using the scanner, it may even be advisable to disable the Speak Allowed Scanned Titles option (in Preferences).For items without barcodes, I tended to enter ISBNs, though Delicious is surprisingly savvy with keywords. (I located The Shining using the keyword 'Room 237.') In the case of various editions or formats, you can peruse results by clicking More Info, which opens the item in Amazon. The metadata that Delicious retrieves is typically spot-on; however, because the software relies upon Amazon, artwork can be grainy. Finding higher-resolution artwork is somewhat cumbersome. The Search for Cover Art feature simply opens Google Image results, from which you must cull a selection and manually drag it back into the application.
Aesthetic Aplomb
That a drag-and-drop action feels cumbersome attests to the delectable UI of Delicious Library. The software weds the lean dexterity of VLC with the shrewd aesthetics of iTunes. I configured both Shelves and Smart Shelves (à la iTunes Playlists and Smart Playlists), and even emailed items to friends. Delicious lavishes visual garnishes throughout the application. Added items spill into view. When you delete an item, it catches fire (in the case of books) or shatters to bits (DVDs, gadgets, and software). Delicious even uses metadata to approximate the relative size of items.Loans and Sharing
Perhaps my favorite feature is the ability to loan items to friends. You can add friends to your sidebar using Apple's Contacts application. From there, you can drag and drop items onto contacts, at which point those items will be flagged Out. Delicious interoperates with Apple Calendar, so you can use either application to set and track due dates.Given the inherent sociability of libraries, I wish there were more ways to share bookshelves with friends. Delicious lets users publish libraries (or specific shelves) as local folders or via FTP or the now-defunct MobileMe. I hope that the next iteration brings expanded sharing options, be it through an integrated service or support for third-party alternatives such as Dropbox (free, 4 stars).