On the heels on announcing a $12 million financing round last month, Greg Reinacker (NewsGator’s founder and CTO) writes about what led the company to make all the NewsGator clients free:

What we’re working to do is to saturate the market with our clients. Anyone who wants a rich experience for consuming content, or anyone who uses multiple computers or devices and wants a best-of-breed experience on each can now use our clients. Using a Mac at home, along with an iPhone? NetNewsWire and our iPhone reader will sync up. Have a PC at the office? FeedDemon will sync with your other two applications. And they’ll all sync with NewsGator Online. It all just works.

…we’ve found that when we go into an enterprise to sell NewsGator Enterprise Server (NGES) and Social Sites, there are already a ton of people using one of our desktop apps already. The more folks are already using them, the easier it is to sell our server products – especially since these client apps can sync with NGES directly. So, the more the merrier – we’re going to make sure that everyone who wants to use our apps can do so, without having to climb over the hump of having to dig out their credit card.

I’ve written about NewsGator’s products in the past and NetNewsWire is one application on my Mac I couldn’t live without. And before my Mac, I said the same about FeedDemon.

What I love about the NewsGator platform is the ability to move from desktop to mobile and have all my feed reading synchronize. If you haven’t tried their products, there’s nothing holding you back now.

It’s great to see a company make a smart business move that positively benefits customers.

As certain sales milestones are reached, additional apps are added to the bundle. This morning, XMIND Pro was unlocked after 1000 of the bundles were sold. The deal expires in 4 days, but it looks like the milestone for iStabilize should be reached.

Two of the programs I was planning on purchasing anyway (Xslimmer and Yep) and it made the deal all the better.

Here is the full list of apps in the bundle so far: ForkLift, RapidWeaver, Swift Publisher, Marine Aquarium, Xslimmer, MemoryMiner, Yep, XMIND

Disclaimer: Obviously, I hope more people purchase this deal so I can get my hands on the additional software!

Sadly, I dread this small task because I have to interface with Blackboard. Despite (or maybe because of) Blackboard’s dominance in many universities, the software is completely unusable. Blackboard is quite possibly the worst web application I have used recently.

Why such strong pronouncements? Two main reasons. First, the design and layout look like they haven’t changed in ten years. Crappy icons (hey, ever hear of FamFamFam? how about hiring IconBuffet?) and cryptic menus rule the day with Blackboard.

A good test for usability is a web application should not require lengthly manuals or tutorials in order for a web savvy user to accomplish even the most basic tasks.

An example of this occurred this morning. When a new semester starts, a course is created by Blackboard. In order to actually have students use this new course, it needs to be made “available”. The courses are listed with a status after the title:

Why aren’t these status messages simply a link to activate? That would be simple, easy to implement, and quite intuitive. Instead I started hunting through various menus, before giving up and searching for help.

After searching for entirely too long, I found it takes 10 steps to activate a course. My solution could be implemented with one step – click on a link beside the course. This is quite unbelievable:

Remember that I HAVE to get this set up. Imagine if this scenario was occurring on a web application that did not have captive users. Let’s say I was testing out a new site with a free demo or trial. I guarantee you this experience would have made me leave and never come back.

I know you’ve heard it before, but the usability of your web application is critical. I can’t belabor this point enough especially if you’re trying to build a base of users for your product.

While this is one example of Blackboard’s poor user interface and overall usability, I’m constantly banging my head on my desk while I’m using this application. Any possible reasons why Blackboard may be this unusable? The most obvious is that they don’t have to – at least not now anyway.

A number of companies are working on doing this better, but I don’t think they have much of a chance in the short term. Blackboard does a good job of selling an integrated system to schools. By integrated I mean that Blackboard courses are automatically populated with the names and relevant data for all students in each class. Even for my class of 50+ students, I would not want to enter this data by hand. Imagine a full time professor with multiple freshman classes of 500 students each. See my point?

So the only way to really have a software solution that works in this environment is to sell to the universities, not the individual instructors (or even departments for that matter). A new entrant will need to be decently funded and patient. Unfortunately, Blackboard has a captive audience with no incentive to make significant improvements to their software. Hopefully, some company will see this long term opportunity.

While most developers were hoping Apple would open up the iPhone to third-party apps, it appears that isn’t going to happen any time soon. Instead, Apple has focused on using the Safari web browser as the development platform of choice.

This makes sense for a few reasons. First, it’s safer for Apple in the short term to not have to worry about dealing with any potential issues third-party application may introduce. This type of restriction is not new. In a way, T-Mobile and Danger have been doing this for years with their Sidekick. Developers wishing to distribute their apps to the Sidekick have to get them approved by Danger and added to the master catalog that can only be accessed inside the device. The rationale is likely the same as Apple’s – we think we have a slick user experience, so let’s make sure others don’t mess it up.

It’s actually a valid, though controversial, argument; but one that Apple mitigates by having a standard browser platform on the iPhone for web developers to build upon. To date, the biggest issues with mobile web browsing has been the very poor built-in browsers on the mobile devices. JavaScript? Flash? Forget about it. With Safari on the iPhone, a much richer set of applications can be developed. Think AJAX. This is a boon for web developers, but still disappointing for Apple’s community of developers hoping for a software development kit.

Safari ported to Windows is a brilliant move to expand the base of potential developers to web applications that will work on the iPhone. As of yesterday all web developers, regardless of platform, have the ability to build applications that can work on the iPhone. This removes one additional barrier for the development of a nice ecosystem of apps available for Apple’s phone.

Finally, if web-based applications are the future as many predict, what better way for Apple to play this shift than to make a bigger claim to the browser market? Even without the iPhone aspect of this announcement, I still think the company’s move to increase Safari’s market share beyond 5% makes perfect sense.

Technorati Tags: 37signals, highrise, software

Both applications attempt to solve the same goal of using the GTD approach to enhance productivity. Each are exclusively for the Mac and sport very similar features and user interfaces. For Ghost Action, the three main components are projects, actions, and contexts (how you do your work, i.e. @computer or @errands). Actiontastic tweaks this slightly by removing the listing of all available actions and replaces it with the inbox. This is a bit more GTD, but Ghost Action provides similar functionality if you create an inbox project. If you’re not familar with GTD concepts, the last few sentences probably don’t make much sense, so on to other features. Both applications sync with iCal which provides a lot of flexibility especially if you then sync your iCal to a mobile device. Actiontastic’s main difference lies in the enhanced visual details provided for each action. For example, the user has the choice between viewing all, todo, or done actions.

Overall I prefer the simpler workflow in Ghost Action, but I’m interested in the complementary web application being developed by Actiontastic called Actionatr. Full integration with a matching web application would be a significant differentiator between these two competing apps.

Midnight Inbox is another GTD application in this category, but it felt less of a simple GTD application and a much more creative implementation which is why I left it off of this comparison. Everyone who uses GTD, develops their own personal workflow so this one may work for you. I’ll need some more time experimenting with Midnight Inbox before I can give it a full review. One interesting side note – when I downloaded the trial for Midnight Inbox, it was being pulled from Amazon’s S3 web service. Nice bandwidth management!

If you’re already using OmniOutliner, you should check out Ryan Carson‘s excellent tutorial on how he integrated the software with GTD into his daily workflow. TUAW also has a sneak preview of OmniFocus, the new GTD application from OmniGroup.

I was never able to find a good stand-alone GTD application for Windows. Does anyone have suggestions? Is there something I missed?

Technorati Tags: gtd, mac, productivity, software

Twitter is a cross between IM, blogging, and SMS if that makes any sense. In what would seemingly appear useless spraying of what a person is doing at any moment in time, Twitter enables groups of people to keep up with that everyone is doing (or thinking as the case may be).

Filling a role not quite satisfied by blogs and chat, Twitter can act as a true lifeblog as Steve Rubel mentioned recently. Each post on Twitter is limited to 140 characters, just enough for a few brief thoughts. These are the kind of topics that you wouldn’t actually write to a blog. These simple missives would take way too much time to blog and are more personal in nature than most people write on a blog anyway. The service functions in much the same way as adding a status away message in your IM client. Just a brief note letting your friends know what you’re up to.

There may even be some potential business use here. I’m starting to see numerous companies and news sites distribute information via Twitter. I added CNN Breaking News to my Twitter list and I like how unobtrusive the messages come through. I can see a business offer service or product development updates via Twitter as another form of communication that doesn’t require any response or work from the recipient.

And this is probably the key aspect of Twitter – no action is necessary on the reader’s part. When using IM or email, the sender expects a response. With a service like Twitter, the sender is just posting updates on what’s happening in their life. It should be quite interesting to see if it moves beyond the early adopter crowd. Additionally, I can’t wait to see how Twitter holds up at SXSW starting this weekend!

I definitely recommend checking out Twitter to see how this works for yourself. If you sign up, feel free to add me as a friend. If you’re on a Mac, I also recommend using Twitterific as a nice persistent desktop client.

UPDATE: I just saw an interesting post on “why twitter matters” via a Rubel link post.

Technorati Tags: twitter, software

Let me try to explain. But first, I know what you’re thinking. Why must every new switcher to a Mac, write about it in their blog? Why do they all start sounding like Apple fanboys from the moment they switch? I’ll tell you why new switchers to Macs get excited – everything just works. After a few days of working through the newness of everything, I’m easily more productive than I was on Windows XP. And that wasn’t a horrible operating system all things considered. But Mac OS X is just smooth, especially if you like the efficiency of using keyboard commands instead of endlessly hunting for applications and menu items. My current Windows laptop had slowed to a crawl (as usual) after less than two years. When I did some research and realized that I would be unable to run Vista well with my existing laptop, I finally decided to look at all the alternatives.

The research
Before switching, I did a lot of research. If anything, I was a Mac hater. I was one of those people who insulted Mac users without ever even having used one for enough time to make an informed decision. My recent experiences lead me to believe that most of those who are so vehemently opposed to Macs are uninformed just like I was. There’s nothing wrong with preferring Windows to Macs. You can’t dispute a personal choice. But to hold such staunch opinions without actually taking the time to use and learn the OS isn’t rational. So after seeing all the positives regarding Macs, I decided to dive in and really find out what was going on.

While I was at it, I read a lot about the Ubuntu Linux distribution and decided to compare it against Windows XP and Mac OS X. The first thing I did was make a list of all the applications I used on a regular basis. In my opinion, this is one of the best ways to evaluate whether you can actually switch and be happy (as well as productive). For the vast majority of users, the applications are the point of using a computer. So I attempted to find what apps already existed for my potential new operating system and which have equivalents. My definition of “equivalent” may be quite different from yours though. For example, from the research I did, there is no equivalent to Quicken. Period. There are applications on all three platforms that help with your personal finances, but nothing comes close to the functionality provided by the recent versions of Quicken.

I installed Ubuntu on a relatively new, low-end Dell box and tried to use it as much as possible for two weeks. While Ubuntu is rock solid (it’s been up and running for a month now with no reboots), the applications are just not there yet for the average user. OpenOffice.org and Firefox run as expected, but that was about it for me. I thought software like Wine or CrossOver, would allow me to run the Windows programs I needed (like FeedDemon), but I had real trouble getting either to work correctly. While I liked the idea of Ubuntu and was glad to hear about many others switching, I found it just wasn’t ready for prime time. Ubuntu may never reach the status of an operating system for the average user and that may be a good thing. But Ubuntu may not have to achieve that goal to be successful. The simple fact that I could consider Ubuntu as an actual option shows they’re made considerable progress with a desktop focused Linux distro. If your needs are basic (web browsing and basic office type apps) or you’re a Linux person, Ubuntu may be for you.

The applications
Installing iTunes on my Windows laptop made me buy an iPod. Initially, I couldn’t understand why everyone loved them. If you compare a list of MP3 player features, the iPod never wins. It’s unparalleled in the user experience though and this makes all the difference, Take a technology that is reasonably complex and make it dead simple to use. iTunes just worked in a way that Windows Media Player never could. This finally opened my eyes to what Apple was doing. The same process led me to the Mac. Once again I started seeing all the excellent applications available for the Mac. After keenly watching and learning about Macs over the past year, I became quite envious of the software available.

Going back to my application comparison list, all the applications I needed (plus those that I wanted) were on the Mac. Not only were most of my regular applications already on Mac OS X, but there were numerous ones I found vastly superior to their counterparts on the Windows platform. A short list of these include Keynote, Pages, Adium, OmniOutliner, and ecto. I also don’t miss Outlook, as I now prefer the distributed three piece combo of Mail, iCal, and Address Book much better. I decided to skip Entourage altogether. Interestingly, I find the Mac version of Office just as frustrating as the Windows version so I’m weaning myself from it altogether.

What made the switch to Mac OS X a no-brainer was Parallels. This software enables you to run Windows and its applications on your Mac. I’m not talking about a dual-boot here. You can literally have a Windows app on your desktop right beside a native Mac app. Easily run Windows and Mac on the same laptop. Talk about the best of both worlds. The impact of Apple moving to the Intel chips is just starting to really hit home for me. Windows on my Mac runs better than it did on my Dell. Of course, my MacBook Pro is a more powerful peice of hardware overall, but nonetheless it’s impressive.

Ruby on Rails
The final piece of the puzzle was Ruby on Rails. As my company began moving away from developing software in Microsoft .NET to Ruby on Rails, a few things became quite apparent. Even though Rails development on Windows is fine, there a some better tools available for the Mac. Specifically, TextMate is a superb peice of software that has abolutely no comparison in Windows. Additionally, the Rails core team and many Rails developers work on Mac. Oddly enough, in this community, Macs are in the majority.

Summary
Over time, I’ll be following this post up with a few more related ones. I’ll discuss specifically what I really love about my new Mac and another on the drawbacks. Coming from Windows, the Mac transition is not as easy as some would make you believe. So, in an attempt at balanced coverage, I will talk about both after using my Mac on a regular basis a bit longer.

While I’ve switched to a Mac, I doubt I’ll ever be able to completely move away from Windows (though I hope to at some point). This is why I think Parallels is such a game changer. It removes all the final excuses a potential switcher may have. If you’re in the market for a new computer, do yourself a favor and at least check out a Mac. I’ll save my rant on why Macs are not more expensive than equivalent Windows machines for a later day.

Technorati Tags: apple, mac, os+x, mac+os+x, switch, windows

What pauses me to think is the growing trend towards web-based office applications. The benefits are great, but I just don’t think the mass market is ready for this dependence on the web. Today was a perfect example. For many of us, Internet access often appears ubiquitous. We never think about it until we don’t have access or when our wifi connection is on the fritz. If I wasn’t using a desktop based email and office suite of applications, I would have been completely grounded.

I think the realization of a web-based operating system will come, but we’re not there yet with the current infrastructure in place. So, again I greet the latest speculation regarding Google with a healthy dose of skepticism. Apparently some screenshots have increased discussion of an upcoming presentation product for Google to add to their expanding suite. If there was any doubt Google is moving towards an entire web-based operating system, even rumors of this presentation product should quell them.

Trends show us moving in the direction of full web-based office suites being desktop replacements for some workers. Zoho is doing a great job of this right now and I’d consider them the leader for a fully integrated suite of business applications.

When Internet access is a stable as other utilities like water and electricity, then we can completely rely on a web-based operating system for business needs. Otherwise, these applications are great for sharing and collaboration, but not full reliance. Right now I prefer apps that integrate closely with the Internet, yet are still functional without it.

(via Webware and TechCrunch)

Technorati Tags: google, office, software, web

As a free service operated by Berkeley Data Systems, Mozy is hands down the best automated backup system I’ve used for a Windows based computer. I say that for two reasons – ease of use and automation.

First, Mozy is easy to setup and doesn’t require any specialized knowledge of your file system to get started. Anyone, even a novice user, can install and operate Mozy. The option to specify specific folders and files exists (which is what I do), but the initial setup starts by asking you to select types of files you want to backup in what they call backup sets. For example, the user is given the option to select all spreadsheets and databases, word processing documents, presentations, email, music, etc. For the average person (or simply as a great time saver), this is a wonderful solution. What do I want to back up? All my photos, images, music, and movies? Done with a couple clicks off a check box.

The second area where Mozy excels is its automation. A backup solution is simply no good if it doesn’t occur automatically, in the background, so you don’t have to think about it. This is where every other solution I’ve tried has failed. They always left some element of the backup to human intervention and thus error. I never think about Mozy. The only time I notice it is when the service asks me if I want to install a new, updated version. Otherwise, the only other cue that Mozy exists is an icon on the Windows task bar.

Finally, security is important in any backup solution. Mozy takes care of this with 128-bit SLL encryption when you send data to the service and 448-bit Blowfish encryption when the data is on their servers.

So where’s the catch right? How can they offer 2GB of online storage for free? Well, the initial business model when I started using Mozy was that they would send emails with advertising to users in exchange for use of the service. They took some heat from Mashable for that, but to be honest I thought an occasional email was well worth the trade-off. I suppose some people were expecting them to spam the hell out of users, but to date I’ve never received more than a single email per month from them. It appears their new business model harks to the “freemium” approach. Mozy offers 2GB for free and you can then upgrade to their premium service for $4.95 per month that provides 30GB of storage. Their terms still reference their right to send you advertising emails, but I personally have not seen more than one per month.