Booxter 4+

Let me echo some of the other reviewers and say that the desktop version of the program is fantastic; I haven't tried any other personal library management programs but I wouldn't be at all surprised if, like a few people have said, Booxter was the best of them.

The mobile app is badly in need of bug fixes, though. I've found that I am only able to sync my library to the desktop version by deleting and reinstalling the app. The app consistently crashed when trying to delete or sync libraries.

Booxter Mobile also seems to have some unfinished elements, which is weird for an app that's been out so long (the last update was in October 2011). I am not exactly sure what the camera function is for; when you scan a barcode, the app vibrates the phone and displays the book's ISBN on the screen but doesn't feed that information anywhere that I can tell.

If you get past those problems, though, it's still a useful app. As I mentioned, the desktop version of Booxter is excellent and a couple of minutes spent deleting the mobile app, reinstalling it, and syncing your library will give you a searchable list of all your books to consult while you're at the bookstore. With any luck the developers will finish putting a little polish on the app.

UPDATE: I feel I should note that the most recent update to the program fixed the sharing/loading problem completely. It works like a dream now and it is one of the most useful things I have on my phone. Five stars.

The desktop application is by far the best of its kind, which is why the spotty performance of the mobile app is such a disappointment.

The problem is updating, which, in my experience works about 4 times out of 10 attempts. When it fails, the app is useless and won't even display any library. You have to delete the entire app, reload and re-install and start from scratch: and this will be unsuccessful at the same rate, around 6/10 tries. Just keep doing it till it finally works.

This is, in fact, the way I use it. Every update requires several deletions and re-downloads. If you have lots of patience and time, it can work. Just make sure you have an hour or so to spare when you attempt an update. In my experience, it always works eventually.

I'd been using Booxter on my Mac for several years before the iOS version was released, and was very excited to see it come out. It works great, but adding these two features would make it mind blowingly great!

1) Live editing of the database - When I find that one issue I'd been searching for, I would really like to be able to open this app on my iPhone and click "Owned" when I buy it. The app would then move that issue from one list (my missing issues list created on the desktop app) to the list displaying those I already own. I don't want to wait to get home, edit the DB on the desktop app, and re-sync. Of course, it would also...

2) Auto-magically sync the whole DB via iCloud, Box or Drop Box.

Adding these two features would really raise the already great app into the stratosphere.