Long Live the Future of Keyboard Maestro

Questions & Suggestions
1

This has been on my mind since the painful and joyful migration to Keyboard Maestro and I sort of already have an answer to my question and that is this... Peter would Keyboard Maestro continue to be updated and improved upon should you choose to move on to some other project in your life? As you probably know QuicKeys lost their sole programer, and way back in 2011 they said they were looking for a programer but to this day still haven't found one (odd).

http://forums.startly.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3289
QuicKeys 4 Lion News

We began working on the update for Lion the first week of April, well before the public release of Lion on July 20, 2011. Our programming team for this project consisted of two individuals, one of whom had a twenty-year relationship with our company.

Programming was to be done off-site. Though we felt development was not proceeding quickly enough, we were assured that though the task was difficult, progress was being made. This situation continued through September. In October we learned that the lead programmer had an aggressive, fatal disease. He has now passed away. Because this illness was kept secret from us, both our company and you, our customers, have been harmed. Legal action is under consideration which has caused us to be more silent than we would have preferred.

In October we began searching for a replacement programmer to complete the update for Lion. Despite the offer of significant compensation, we have not yet found a properly qualified applicant.

We are disclosing this problem hoping that someone may know the right person who could complete this work. We estimate that about a month (or more) is needed for completion. We are willing to negotiate significant compensation to a qualified candidate who can complete the task. We are also offering a $1,000 award payable to the person who refers the programmer who successfully gets this software shipping within the time period that we negotiate with the candidate. Send referrals of qualified programmers to us at this special e-mail address, startlysoftware@aol.com

We again apologize for our silence. We ask for your understanding and assistance in helping this application have another 24 years providing greater productivity.

-- Startly

fyi - To allow our full effort to be directed to finding the right programmer, this forum will only allow posts pertaining solely to current and past versions of our products.

My solice in switching to Keyboard Maestro is that Peter has mentioned that he doesn't do tweaky things that break in the new versions and Keyboard Maestro 2 still works in current versions of the OS (not sure if that is still the case with El Capitain).

Transition From QuicKeys [Keyboard Maestro Wiki]
Keyboard Maestro follows the rules, so sometimes Quickeys can do things that I wont do in Keyboard Maestro, but on the other hand, Keyboard Maestro version 2 released in 2007 still runs under Yosemite.

Anyway I know there are no garentees in anything, espeically in software but is there anyone that knows the back end of Keyboard Maestro and could keep adding new features and keeping things fast and current? Or is Keyboard Maestro 100% the brain child and workings of Peter?

I hope this isn't impolite to ask, it has been an elephant in my room since the switch.

2

I’ve actually wondered the same thing. The answer would NOT cause me to quit using KM - not in any way. But I am curious.

We’ve all got some level of investment in the product, so impolite it may be, but prudent it definitely is! (I think I’m channeling Yoda.)

3

Keyboard Maestro 2 still works in El Capitain.

I am the only developer of Keyboard Maestro, and it is (essentially) my only program.

It’s not impolite to ask, but I can’t (and wont) give you an answer. I never commit to anything in the future (ask my kids, I never even tell them that I’ll do anything absolutely, it is always “maybe” or “try”). To do otherwise is to lie because no one knows what tomorrow will bring.

I can tell you that Keyboard Maestro is my sole income, and that I make a good living on it, and that I have no plans to change anything substantial in the business or the business model. So my current plan would be a few more free versions of 7.x and then on to development of 8.0, and continue repeating that as long as it makes sense.

I did a recent Interview with Mac Automation Tips which goes in to more detail about me and Keyboard Maestro and my philosophy and history. Perhaps that will help some.

All that said, I don’t know what will happen tomorrow that might change everything. And it’s pretty much a certainty that one day I wont be working on Keyboard Maestro for one reason or other. So I’m afraid you’ll have to live with some level of uncertainty.

I guess maybe if Keyboard Maestro was owned by some big company then you might have less anxiety. I’m mean its not like Apple would abandon all those AppleWorks users with some new fangled application suite, right? Or all those iPhotos users with some new photo app that doesn’t even have Events in it? etc. Realistically, every program dies eventually.

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4

Um, no. Then we'd get a release with a show-stopping bug (like what happened with Final Cut a year or two ago), and not get a fix for months. I'll take you over that any day and twice on Sunday.

I guess there isn't really any way for you to take these questions other than personally. And that's unfortunate, because it takes away from just how strongly we feel about the work you've done, and your continuing commitment to long-term excellence.

So all I can say to that is, read my other glowing posts about how great you are. Seriously. I'm a developer. I know genius when I see it. Unfortunately, that's usually not when I look in the mirror. But I most definitely see it when I use KM.

So, live long and prosper!!

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5

Been using KM since version 4.0 in 2010. Since then so many products have disappeared and KM remains strong and well supported with a community built around it.

On the evidence, you have nothing to be concerned about. While its correct to apply lessons learned elsewhere, there is nothing certain about technology and its future. Equally, the KM has benefited greatly from advances/changes like JXA.

My other motto “there is more than one way to do it” applies here. KM is my best solution for now but I also know that there are many other choices, I choose KM for simplicity and ease of use.

My 0.02c.

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6

Not to put words in @peternlewis’s mouth, but he’s proven himself to be a canny operator where it comes to acquiring and selling applications. I strongly suspect that if he happened to move on to other things, he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to cash out and sell the support and revenue stream of Keyboard Maestro to another developer.

7

No doubt, there is a long list that could go Studio Vision was a major DAW that people were using and thanks to a nice big company called Gibson they bought and killed it. It had many things in it that Pro Tools still doesn' have nearly 20 years later.

Great article to read and glad I asked for that alone, many good comments in this thread. You're support, phlosopy and cost to me make Keyboard Maestro a no brainer. Oh yeah and it is an amazing application that according to it has saved me 18 days of my life, not to mention the stress I would have had otherwise and things I just wouldn't have been able to do.

Thanks Peter and others for the comments!

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8

Even more realistically, every programmer dies eventually.

I'm a mere 792 macros in, and I'm prepared to serve as your part-time body guard.

I'm certain your future documentation should include your medical report and whether you're having a happy day.

It may not be clear from your perspective, but I believe many of your subscribers (me!) are kind of all-in on your excellent service. Thank you for the considerate way you support your community!

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9

Fortunately also users die.

Since I’m probably older than Peter chances are good that I won’t be here anymore when Peter and/or KM dies. I have to admit, this is quite reassuring :innocent:

But I sympathize with the younger folks here :wink:

10

Hey, Tom –

My take, exactly.

I’m starting to play the Old Guy card anytime I think I can get away with it.

I literally looked at Peter’s picture, assumed it’s real, and decided I’d tip over before he does.

That’s full on jungle behavior, isn’t it?

Seems a little cold until a vendor has hung you out to dry.

Probably a common story for most of our group, wouldn’t you guess?

Ted Dieck
Recruiter
(954) 915-0000

http://www.dieck.us/

11

As has already been stated - even if Peter died (God forbid), his product would keep on working, for the foreseeable future.

It’s not like KM dials up regularly and checks to make sure Peter has a pulse. Uh, right, Peter? :stuck_out_tongue:

“Dials up”. Sheesh. How old am I? LOL.

Hey @skillet - Might I suggest you change the title of this topic to add “… Looks Bright”, will you? We don’t want prospective new users running for the hills if they see the title.

12

I changed it from "Future of Keyboard Maestro" to "Long Live the Future of Keyboard Maestro." How's that new title (it's even somewhat redundent like good hardware)?

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