Legacy APDL was dependable.
Was it perfect from the start? I'm a veteran of the old APDL as well and I don't think it was. It got there, though.
In my opinion you're comparing apples to oranges. So many things in the airline industry have changed since APDL's creation. Heck, the smartphone didn't exist when it was born.
I've been a beta tester for Neal since before the redesign of APDL began. Neal and his team have always been receptive to every idea thrown at them. Some have been rejected. Others have been incorporated into the app. In the end it's his baby.
Regarding the payroll functions, or lack thereof, I was a huge proponent of giving the app more time to evolve in this area before launch. After some back and forth with him, I became a believer in the logic of launching with this area slightly deficient. I realized more patience was needed. I've been manually inputting my schedule and ACARS times into a spreadsheet for years and I'm itching beyond belief to be able to ditch it. Believe me, I share your pain on this front.
The bottom line to all of this is please be more patient. If you had been a part of the beta program you'd have a better understanding of the app's development and the ins and outs of the massive decisions that are required to get this thing to level it's at now. I'm truly impressed.
So, going forward I hope you can better understand - and I hope you could at the very least just trust a fellow pilot - Neal and his team knows what needs to be fixed and is working as fast as they can. This isn't a Fortune 500 company (not yet, Neal!) and can only work as fast as their resources and time allow.
Cheers