I have a very soft spot for ProMash; it's like an old girlfriend I can't forget. Even after not being updated in more than 13 years, it still does more than almost any other comprehensive brewing software app. BeerSmith has a far more modern look and feel, and some additional features, but it's less user friendly and has what I consider to be a few errors and inconsistencies that bother me from an accuracy standpoint.
I knew ProMash developer Jeffrey Donovan from long ago, but in a professional rather than personal context. I understand his life has taken more than its share of twists and turns over the years. I get the feeling he can't quite let go of ProMash, either, but he also can't seem to bring himself to summon the will necessary to develop a new version. I don't know if the current banner that appears when you access the promash.com site is a sign that he intends to resurrect it, or merely that he continues to own the domain and doesn't want it to go dark.
If I could speak to Jeff personally, I'd tell him that a developer seldom realizes just how close the relationship can be between an application and its users, and how some of us would go to great lengths to encourage him to do what needs to be done. The market for it is insignificant in terms of the tiny potential profit and the considerable work involved. It's a labor of love, and homebrewers, who are notoriously "thrifty," wouldn't pay what it would truly cost for a professional product. So I'm reluctant to tell someone to make the sacrifice when the returns are so small.
But none of this stops my longing for a new and improved ProMash.