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TimeLog 4.3 punches in

by Brett Terpstra Mar 3rd 2008 at 5:00PM

Media Atelier has released TimeLog 4.3, a time-tracking application that integrates tightly with Address Book, iCal, .mac Sync and iSync. We've covered many such apps, and this is another entry in a crowded field (see Billings, Billable, iRatchet, et al). It takes a lot of features to be a contender in this arena and TimeLog has plenty to offer.

The iSync, .mac Sync and iCal integration allow for multiple macs to be on board. You can even let other people in on the timesheets (they suggest your accountant) simply by publishing the calendar that you're syncing with. The Address Book integration is a pretty standard feature, but I'd definitely miss it if it weren't there. A walk through the Preferences gives a better view of the abilities of the software, though.

One feature I love is application tracking, which includes your time spent using certain applications in the log. An XML export that can auto-publish at configurable intervals is also potentially handy. Time logs in graph form can be displayed on a full-screen panel which optionally becomes a floating mini-window when the program is not in the foreground. Categories can each have their own hourly rate assigned, which you'd expect, but TimeLog also provides the ability to define a per-client, custom rate within each category. It also handles expenses, which some other apps in the field are lacking. The timer feature allows for an array of display options, including the ability to show task, project and extended tracking. And small, optional HUD reminders can be used to keep you aware of your timer status... in addition to its Growl support.

This is my first look at TimeLog. I'm currently using Billings quite happily, but I'm pretty impressed with this one. And at $25 it's a valid competitor for my hard-earned money. The demo allows 50 entries, so you can take a pretty good test-drive and decide for yourself.



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Media Atelier has released TimeLog 4.3, a time-tracking application that integrates tightly with Address Book, iCal, .mac Sync and iSync....
 

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11 Comments

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alan

I've been looking for a good time-tracker, and TimeLog is visually appealing, but it's totally baffling to a new user -- e.g., what's the difference between "Tasks" and "Projects"? Is the former nested inside the latter, and if so where and how? What does "St" stand for in List View? Both the manual and screencasts (which have no sound) assume pre-knowledge of the program's purpose and potential uses. A 20-minute newbie walkthrough is badly needed ...

March 04 2008 at 11:47 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
brett Ellis

I prefer OfficeTime although it is still waiting for an update for ical integration to work in Leopard. It is definitely worth a look and I think a little more straightforward in comparison to TimeLog.

March 04 2008 at 9:55 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to brett Ellis's comment
Todd

I've been using OfficeTime as well, but the update cycle is very slow. On a day-to-day basis, I've been working more small projects lately instead of one big one, and the multiple window format for OT is a bit crazy-making.

March 04 2008 at 10:59 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
brett Ellis

Try filechute.app. You need an online storage like .mac but you drop on the file and it will give you a www address for someone to click on and download.

March 04 2008 at 9:53 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to brett Ellis's comment
brett Ellis

whoops, my apologies. 1password restored the form with an old comment.

March 04 2008 at 9:58 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Dalton

I'm a happy user of On The Job. I don't even remember how I originally found it, but it does a great job tracking my freelance gigs and helping me create invoices at the end of the month.

March 04 2008 at 6:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Todd

It looks really nice, and I played with it for a little bit. The thing I can't see is an easy flow to generating invoices. Can any TimeLog users share what their workflow is to make an invoice?

March 04 2008 at 1:35 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Scott

I've been using TimeLog for a long time, since just before the upgrade to 4.0. It's the best program I could find for actual real-time logging; definitely worth the price tag. The recent updates have made the program much better and it seems to get updated fairly regularly.

March 03 2008 at 7:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JimB

I've got to agree with JClark. Billings seems to be in a different league than TimeLog. But even Billings has a limitation that is turning into a bit of a showstopper for me. I am a Canadian living in Sweden with clients in different countries, using different currencies. Billings doesn't handle this. It's beyond what TimeLog is really about. I've used On The Job which works, but is overly simplistic. Does anyone know of a good program like Billings that can handle multiple currencies for those of us working in an international world?

March 03 2008 at 7:56 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
James Young

I've been a long-time user of TimeLog. As a freelancer, I find it to be an invaluable way to extract 'billable time' from my iCal events.

March 03 2008 at 6:28 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JClark

I don't see how this really compares to programs like Billings. Billings is pretty much an end to end system, you track your time, create invoices, and record payments all within the one program. This seems to only to the time tracking part.

I'll admit, it's interesting, it looks great, and some of the ways it integrates with other apps is really cool, but I'll stick with Billings for now.

March 03 2008 at 6:28 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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