PackRat 1.3 supports new Backpack, adds more exclusive features

Backpack, the fantastic online PIM from 37signals, was recently updated with some solid new features like drag-and-dropping items from one page to another and the ability to reorder items any way you chose on a page (i.e. - lists and notes no longer have to be lumped together in their own sections). As with any web app update, desktop apps that integrate must often release an update of their own to stay on top of the changes. Fortunately, Rod Schmidt has done exactly that with his excellent offline synching PackRat app that brings Backpack to your desktop. With v1.3, Rod has updated PackRat so it can work with the new Backpack, but he has also introduced yet more exclusive features that keep making PackRat even more useful than its web-based symbiote, such as:

The reminder sheet now has a calendar on it to make entering dates easier.
A New Reminder toolbar button
An 'In minutes from now' option for reminders.
Shared pages now have a shared icon in the pages list so you can easily see what pages are shared.
An Upload Changes command and toolbar button to quick upload your changes to Backpack without waiting for auto upload to kick in.

Unfortunately, a few of the Backpack updates - such as reordering items anywhere on the page - haven't made it into PackRat simply because 37signals doesn't allow external applications to do this through their API. Rod urges users to contact 37signals and request this ability, and hopefully in time the company will listen and open up this functionality. Other new Backpack features like search are probably coming with a future PackRat update.

As with the the recent change to PackRat's trial period, a 30-day demo is available, while a license costs a mere $24.95.

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Source: http://infinitenil.com/blog/2007/07/27/packrat-13/

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Backpack, the fantastic online PIM from 37signals, was recently updated with some solid new features like drag-and-dropping items from...

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Fritz Laurel

@1 tim - I completely disagree. $20 is too expensive? Are you still in school? No disrespect intended, but if you're still scrounging change for ramen noodles, then you'll probably find that a piece of paper is much cheaper to keep yourself organized.

Let's take, for example, the recently released Halo 3. Ranging in price from $60 - $130 (depending on which version you buy), you'll get about 20-30 hours out of the campaign play.

Compare this with, say, $25 for something like Packrat that you'll use every day for the next year (or until the next version comes out) and I think you've gotten more than your comparable money's worth.

I think the freeware days have passed us on. That was only useful when it was more trouble than it was worth for a developer (mostly it was hobbyists) to charge for their noodling. Now, though, these apps are much more complex than the freeware apps of yesteryear. I'll bet this guy has spent considerable time and planning in developing this app and $24.95 is nothing when you consider that he'll sell, what, 1000 copies?

Basically, my rule of thumb is if it's a useful app to me and I don't want to spend the time to develop it myself, then I'll plunk down the change for it. And $24.95 is less than it would take me to write an app like Packrat for myself, and I would be willing to bet it's much less than it would cost for anyone else to develop the app for themselves, too.

Cheers,
FL

September 28 2007 at 8:46 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

tim

all of these programs are so expensive these days. every program youve pushed on here has been over $20 recently, whatever happened to freeware?

i know developers need to be paid for what they do, but they could at least ask $10 or something...

July 30 2007 at 3:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply