Yojimbo 2.0 brings new features, improved syncing, and joy

My take on it is this:
Ever been in a hardware store and found -- I don't know -- a hammer or something that you liked better than what you had at home?

Life is short, people.
Don't complain about the old hammer -- Just buy the new hammer and move on!

There are certainly both functional and aesthetic differences between these apps -- no question! But, at the end of the day, each app is a *tool* that you hopefully use to enable other things in your life: Creativity. Organization. Documentation. Whatever.

Some people process information best in a "Yojimbo" style; Other people respond to Evernote's approach. Some people need their information on their phone (or on a Windows box) ...and other people could care less! Each has an audience and hopefully fills a need for its user base.

Perhaps we'd all be better served by insisting that developers make it as easy to transfer our data out of their programs as they do to transfer it into their programs. Maybe demanding more open, universal standards for things like tagging is a better use of our time instead of spending energy complaining to a developer about how their product doesn't meet our needs?

I write AppleScripts that connect applications together for my clients all the time. For example, I've posted a couple of AppleScripts on my site to help facilitate import/export between Yojimbo and Evernote... ;)
Links are here:
http://veritrope.com/tips/yojimbo-evernote-export
http://veritrope.com/tips/evernote-yojimbo-export

For me these days, I primarily look at whether I'll be able get my data back out of whatever program I'm using because, after all, this is technology we're talking about. You *WILL* find a better, shinier tool three months from now that you'll be itching to try! ;)

Enthusiasm for that new, shiny future is part of why I enjoy reading TUAW -- Keep up the good work!

the name of the company, after all, is "bare bones". that should give you an idea of what to expect - solid product, few bells/whistles.

i agree with the assessment - 2.0 is "underwhelming". the new tags features should have been there years ago. by now, i would have expected more/better. especially because the app is so thoroughly embedded in the tags "religion" - to the exclusion of even the most rudimentary support for conventional organization (i.e. folder hierarchy).

I've been a Yojimbo user since version 1 and was even responsible for quite a few purchases in my circle of friends and colleagues. I was excited when a saw the news of a 2.0 update yesterday and immediately hopped over to the Bare Bones site - only to be seriously underwhelmed by both the feature set and the upgrade price.

After trying it out and especially reading their email response here regarding iPhone development I've decided it's time to move on. I checked out Shovebox, Notebook, Mori etc but then visited the Chronos site which had been seriously lacking in updates when I checked them out a few months ago (they were still talking about .Mac!!). I was a long time user of Stickybrain and was curious to see what they were up to. Well, Soho Notes 8 is coming in a few weeks and it looks like everything I hoped Yojimbo should be. It feels modern, has real smart folders, subfolders, Quicklook, Coverflow... and an upcoming iPhone app that will sync with selected folders. And right now the pre-order will cost me nine bucks more than the Yojimbo update WITH an extra free app thrown in.

The aging UI, feature set and lack of iPhone involvement tells me the guys at BB are either out of touch or don't care. It's really too bad. I was a big fan of Yojimbo.

I want a pony, pleeeeeease!

1) I also sync via Dropbox. Fast, reliable sync of Yojimbo library, something Bare Bones hasn't had for years.

2) The fact that there is no iPhone app is a perfect reflection of Bare Bones' arrogance. Any current user who has been on their forums knows this.

So if you're new - stay well clear. We are all only still here because we have data in the app. If you're starting out, find something with an iPhone companion and less arrogant developers!!

John

It seems a bit much to claim "the patient and faithful have been rewarded" - with a point-level upgrade that they have to pay $20 for?

Yojimbo has many good things about it - I used it for several years - and if I were a new customer looking for that sort of app now I would consider it, but after having found alternatives I'm unlikely to pay to go back. And it *still* doesn't have proper smart folders.

It's almost as if Bare Bones doesn't listen to customer requests at all.

I guess their closed kimono approach will reap what it has sown now. Enjoy.

As opposed to most people, I think this is a great upgrade. It carefully improves a very well designed application. The goal is not for Yojimbo to become the swiss army knife of information management, but for it to be usable in your everyday work.

I've been trying to use Evernote and just can't get myself to use it regularly. Yes, the iPhone sync is nice, but not essential -- and the desktop app leaves a lot to be desired.

I actually like upgrades with few new features, only containing usability improvements and bug fixes. I am also willing to pay for them. I'd much rather have a small number of extremely polished applications than a gazillion of kitchen-sink-type thingamajigs that don't do anything right.

Together anyone?

Does this save the files in a "non-proprietary" format?