Review – Mophie Knox iPod Nano Case

This Review also appeared in the Surfbits ReviewCast #119
I’ve never owned a video iPod. For some reason, my nano always seemed to be just right for my needs. I like the way it fits in my pocket or drops into my car. Now that I have an iPhone, the Nano has taken a bit of a backseat but is still really useful for listening during my commute or working in the yard. The problem with this little Nano is that I abuse the heck out of it.
That is why I was really interested in Mophie’s Knox case for the Nano iPods. The Knox case is an aluminum bodied hinged case with a magnetic closure. The materials say that it is “aircraft grade” aluminum and while I’m not all that sure why that is important, it certainly sounds techy. The case also just looks cool. It has rounded edges and closes with a satisfying snap. It has a small hole in the bottom so you can plug in headphones with the unit still closed.
It is not just an iPod case however. It is also a wallet. It has a little clip on the inside that can hold your cash and a few bank cards. What is interesting about the Knox is you really get two cases.
It also comes with a two piece clear plastic case that snaps over your Nano. This is actually Mophie’s separate Relo product which is a second layer of protection. Once in the Relo plastic case it slides right into the Knox. So with this product you have your slim line plastic case and (for going out) your bigger Knox case.
One thing about the Knox case is that it is big. It puts a noticeable bulge in your pocket if you are traveling light.
I really like this case. It looks good and I like having the option to go big with the Knox or small with just the plastic Relo. It is really made for the G2 Nano but it will also work with a G1 so long as you only use one half of the Relo case. If your in the market for a way to secure your Nano, you will want to take a serious look at the Knox. It lists for $45 but I found several online sellers carrying it at about $30.

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Review – OmniDazzle

The OmniDazzle love continues. This review was broadcast on Surfbits MacReviewCast #118.
Not long after making my big switch to Apple I discovered OmniOutliner which led me down the slippery slope that is all things Omni. These days I use a strange concoction of OmniOutliner, Graffle, Project, and the Alpha of OmniFocus to keep my personal and professional life on track. Throughout this wholesale adoption of the Omni Applications there was one that I resisted, OmniDazzle.
OmniDazzle is a collection of effects and visual enhancements that follow your mouse around the screen. They vary from the entirely practical to the completely whimsical. For instance, the “flashlight” module is very useful when trying to focus on one section of my screen. I use it in the MacSparky Screencasts all the time. They also have several other very useful modules including one that lets you highlight specific sections of a specific window and zoom in on specific portions of the screen.
They also have a few effects that are amusing but not all that practical. For instance, my mouse can leave a trail of pixidust or little footprints that follow you around your screen. There are a total of eleven different screen effects. Like everything made by the OmniGroup, the program is very clean and a breeze to use. I never cracked any manual and I‚Äôve had no problem operating it. Some of the effects are graphics intensive and it may not looks so good on older hardware. Omni has a page that explains the various hardware limitations
The question with OmniDazzle that I initially faced was why? Specifically, why do I need all these fancy effects? I think that you see the whimsey and forget about the substance. When I decided to get a bit more serious about making screencasts it seemed to be a no brainer at $15 but I realize there aren‚Äôt a whole lot of people out there making screencasts. The thing that surprised me though is that I find myself using it under several other circumstances. Whenever I have my Mac hooked into a projector with clients in the room its invaluable.
It also solved another problem I had when giving Keynote and Powerpoint presentations. Specifically, the perils of a laser pointer. When I am in front of a group and try to use a laser pointer across the room it inevitably starts bouncing around the screen. Put simply it is very difficult to hold a laser pointer perfectly still on a screen across a room. Add the stress of a judge, a jury, and a room full of spectators and it looks even worse. So using OmniDazzle I can draw attention to the screen without the dreaded laser and that is a good thing.
So in my life this little application is very useful. I think it would be for anyone else who regularly makes presentation or teaches using their monitor or a projector. I think a good test is your screen. If you frequently find yourself pointing at your monitor or have a bunch of fingerprints on it you should probably check this program out.
This week on MacSparky.com I uploaded a screencast of … you guessed it … OmniDazzle. In it I go through the all eleven effects and ramble with various degrees of incoherence on each one. But wait, there is more! I have been writing to the nice folks at OmniGroup and they have agreed for the week of July 27 through August 3 you can get $5 off the usual $15 license fee if you use the discount code ‚”SparkCast”. If you were thinking about OmniDazzle, this is the week.

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Review – Tekkeon myCharger

This little gadget allows you to charge an iPod and just about any other kind of cell phone from a single AC plug. The myCharger device is compact charger with a USB female plug on the bottom. You can plug an iPod cord in the bottom and charge your iPod or iPhone directly. It also has a separate cord with a usb plug on one end and an adapter on the other end. It also comes with a series of plugs for the adapter that allows you to charge several different brands of cell phones including Blackbery, LG Mobile, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson. I took it into the office and managed to charge everyone’s phone.
Tekkeon also sales add-ons to allow you to charge other 5 volt devices and international plugs for serious travelers.
There are many charging products on the market. I think the Tekkeon myCharger is really best for travelers or others who find themselves carrying several chargers. Using this product, you can cut down on the clutter in your bag. You can find the myCharger online for about $19.

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Review – Airfoil

I really love all the creative things I can do with my Mac. Before going to college I used to play the saxophone and piano professionally. Somehow I’d lost touch with music over the past 20 years but since the Mac makes it so easy, I’ve found myself really enjoying a resurgance of music in my life. I’ve even posted a few of my songs up on MacSparky.com.
Anyway, one problem I ran into when recording music was decent playback. Specifically, when I’ve to several instruments playing at once it is hard to get a feel for the right levels through my MacBook’s speakers. Sure I can plug in headphones but I wanted more. I wanted to rattle the house with my subwoofer . I have an airport express that allows me to play iTunes through the stereo so why not Logic and GarageBand? I kept looking for a way to hack around my airport express but never quite got it to work. I was explaining this problem to one of my favorite Apple Store geniuses when he just smiled and said … “Oh .. you need Airfoil”
Well he couldn’t have been more right. Rogue Amoeba’s Airfoil is the perfect way to unleash your Airport Express from iTunes only playback. Using this application you can route any source of audio from your Mac to your Airport Express. It worked with every Media Player I have, dashboard widgets, system audio, and even web sites. This really dovetails with my latest obession, Tim’s link to Soundsource.com in episode #115. I’ve been using that site, along with Airfoil, to make all sorts of strange sounds come out of my home stereo … from nuclear explosions to balloon animals. It’s all good. My wife, by the way, thinks I am crazy. But I digress.
Airfoil even can drive multiple Airport Express units. So lets say you have two stereos attached to Airport Express units in different parts of your house. The program synchronizes them both so you can really get the neighbors upset. It also has an equalizer and Applescript support.
One limitation on this application is delay. While normally this is not a problem, it does prevent you from watching video on your Mac with sound through your Airport Express. Rogue Amoeba explains this delay is built into the Airport express and there is no way around it.
Using this $25 application I got my wish. I can now hear playbacks when working in logic through my home stereo and much much more.
Edit 8.10.07
Just a point of clarification. Airfoil’s delay applies to everything you pipe through it so when using it with Logic or Garageband it doesn’t work in real time. It plays through the stereo on playback. It doesn’t pipe through the stereo real time while I am playing the keyboard. Cheers, D

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MacSparky’s iPhone Review

If you would like to hear my dulcet tones, this review was broadcast on Surfbits Macreview Cast #115.
This week I’m going to talk about a newly released product that you might have heard about, the iPhone.
Those of you that have visited my blog have read about me explaining how I had no plans to buy an iPhone and was going to try and stick it out with my Treo. Well between that outstanding video on Apple’s website and all the excitement I got sucked in.
So I braved the crowds and actually made a few friends on iDay and got myself a shiny new iPhone. I have now been using it for almost a week. Since just about every web site on the Internet has reviewed this gadget I thought I would just talk a bit about how I use my iPhone.
Setting up the iPhone was a breeze. I plugged it into iTunes, electronically pledged my business to AT&T for two years and picked what data I wanted synced over. It took about 10 minutes. Once it was done I unplugged the iPhone and started using it. There was no manual configuration at all, it was already done. My three email accounts, photo albums, calendar and video were all set up. As of the time of this writing I still haven’t bothered with the manual.
The user interface of this phone is nothing less than stunning. If you haven’t already, watch the 20 minute video at Apple’s website. It has to be seen to be believed.
I know a lot of people have been saying the iPhone is not a “business” phone but I’m not really sure that is true. I have been using my new phone to keep in touch with clients and my office via email like never before. Email is just easier with the iPhone. I particularly like the built in word/excel/pdf attachment viewer.
Also, for the first time in my career I can go to legal websites without a laptop. For example I was standing in the hallway talking to an attorney who said a certain statute supported his argument. I pulled out my iPhone, fired up Safari and found the statute right there which, coincidentally did NOT support his claim.
I’ve never had a GPS device and google map integration doesn’t track where I am, but it certainly is nice getting directions to some of the far off places I drive too, even if I have to click it at each turn. Living in Southern California, the live traffic is great.
It is also a joy finally being able to sync with iCal to my handheld device. Everytime I used to sync my Treo I would knock on wood, throw salt over my shoulder and a host of other rituals in effort to please the sync gods. Now I just plug in my iPhone and it is seamless.
Of course it also has a phone. I haven’t noticed any real difference in switching from Verizon to AT&T. I think both have pretty good coverage here in Orange County. I really like the user interface and visual voicemail is great since I usually have quite a few messages. It is really much nicer than my old phone.
There are a few things about the iPhone that I would change to accomodate my work. First, I wish it would support my portable bluetooth keyboard. I’m actually okay with the on screen type pad but I have a portable bluetooth keyboard that is really convenient for banging out text while sitting on a plane and not worrying about the lady next to me spilling her juice and nuts all over my MacBook. While it works fine with the bluetooth hands free device in my car, it appears the iPhone does not support blootooth keyboards .. yet at least. Second, I would really like to have a program on the iPhone that holds secured data. I have some text files with sensitive information and I can’t put them on my iPhone without some sort of security. This is a feature that goes way back on the Palm and should be on the iPhone. Finally, where is my task list? The calendar is fine but it should get my tasks out of iCal. I’ve solved this last problem by emailing myself pdf print outs from OmniFocus. Fortunately all of these problems are software based and, hopefully, temporary.
Play on the iPhone is a complete Joy. The screen is so vivid, my pictures look fantastic as well as my little vignette videos of my kids that I occasionally use to torture friends and colleagues. I watched the last Harry Potter movie on it and it was an enjoyable experience. I never really cared much for movies on my wife’s video iPod. I never really paid much attention to YouTube but now that it is on my phone I must admit it is a guilty pleasure to sit around and watch some of those crazy videos … has anyone watched Chad Vader?
There has been a lot of talk about the inferiority of the Edge network but fortunately I’m nearly always around an accessable WiFi spot. A few times I’ve done some browsing with WiFI turned off and it is doable but not nearly as fast as WiFi. I really don’t have many complaints on that issue.
In summary the iPhone is not perfect but has been a huge upgrade for me. It really is the Macintosh experience on a phone and that, in itself, is a wonderful thing.

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Review – Incase Sling Pack

One relic of my Dell days is my laptop case. It actually is very nice. It is sturdy, holds plenty of computer gadgets and is built like a Sherman Tank. It even has wheels! Unfortunately, it is also nearly as heavy as a Sherman tank. That is fine for my PC days when I just used my laptop for work but now I use it for so much more. I’m carting it along to family gatherings, the apple store, and a variety of other places and I wanted something lighter.
Well fortunately my kids got the hint and for Father’s day I received a brand spanking new InCase Sling Pack laptop case designed for the 17″ MacBook Pro. I’m very happy with this case.
The fit and finish of the case is very nice. It is constructed of a heavy black nylon material. The actual laptop cradle inside the top loading bag fits my MacBook Pro and has two sheets of dense, but not particularly thick, padding to cushion my MacBook. The laptop fits into it perfectly and does not slide around at all. One feature I really like is the way it suspends the laptop cradle inside the bag so there is a gap between the bottom of the bag and the cradle. I’m actually considering putting some additional foam in that gap but maybe I’m just a little bit crazy. It is clear they thought a lot about the design of this bag specifically in relation to the Apple laptops.
In addition to holding the laptop, the Sling Pack also has numerous zippered compartments and pockets to hold everything you need to run your machine and just a bit more. In my Sling Pack, I’m currently carrying my laptop, two western digital passport drives, a magazine, about a half inch of work related paper, a mouse, the power unit and a variety of other necessary and not-so-necessary plugs and adapters. There is still room to spare. It even has a hidden pocket in the back which is nice for quick access to documents like plane tickets. There is also a nice little padded pocket on the strap that is perfect for holding a digital camera or iPod. It even has a little rubber grommeted hole for your earphones
The strap is wide and padded and includes a quick release clip that frankly scares me a bit. I don’t want this bag popping off accidently. It also has a nice rubber and nylon handle to carry it from top the top when not over your back.
You can get this bag from Apple for $70 and it only comes in black. I can’t get over how light this bag is in comparison to my other case. I use it most of the time now. There still are occasions where the “Tank” is needed but generally, this Sling Pack is my primary case. I am pleased to recommend this bag to anyone looking for a sling bag for their Apple laptop.

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Review – Path Finder

You can hear the below review in MacReview Cast #113.
My experience with Path Finder is an interesting one. When I first switched to my Mac, a friend told me to forget about the Apple Finder and use Path Finder. Well I downloaded it when my Mac was shiny new and it didn’t grab me. I used it a few times but found myself going back to the less intimidating Apple Finder.
Well I know quite a bit more about OS X now than I did during that failed trial and decided to give it another go. Now I can’t imagine ever working without it.
Path Finder is the Swiss Army Knife of file management tools. When you first open the application there is a group of six windows that are fully customizable. You can display a variety of data from your running applications, file and folder histories, volumes, selection paths, information, permissions, attributes, console, and even a terminal window. The binary view makes me laugh but hey, it must be useful to somebody. With so much variety you can make Path Finder can change to suit your needs rather than forcing you to change to meet the application’s needs as is so often the case.
In the main display window it has a Path Navigator that visually tells you where you are and where you have been as you drill down. Like the Apple Finder, Path Finder supports all standard view modes including list, icon, and hierarchical. Also, control clicking on an item in Path Finder gives me a lot more options than I am used too. Of course you can do the normal file management tasks like copying and moving but you can also email, compress, create a disk image, open in terminal and a variety of other options.
This program is very feature rich. So much so that in the week I’ve been using it I won’t pretend to say I’m familiar with them all so I’m going to focus on a few that really grabbed me.
The customizable bookmark bar is very nice. Taking a page from Safari and other web browsers, Path Finder has a bar of common file locations across the top of the screen with drop down menus. It has the usual suspects built in: Documents, Music, Movies and the likes. But you can also create your own custom drop downs like “downloads” or anything else you need frequently.
Another great feature is the Drop Stack. When I open a finder window it is usually to work on several files. With the Drop Stack it gives me a place to temporarily drop files while I’m navigating through multiple menus. Once I’ve assembled everything I need to work on in my drop stack, its all in one place and easy to get too. This just doesn’t mean moving and copying. I can also burn and compress items straight out of the Drop Stack.
Like Forklift and Leopard’s Finder, Pathfinder has an excellent preview pane that handles most image and HTML files and even quicktime movie files. I set one of the larger panes for preview and it is very helpful when moving or cleaning image files.
Using the “File History” setting, Pathfinder keeps a running tally of my most recently accessed files. This is nice as I’m going through my day if I am working on several projects.
Path Finder also brings some extra muscle to searching your Mac. I’ve found Spotlight to be very good at ferreting out lost files but occasionally something will get misplaced into a location that Spotlight doesn’t look. Path Finder has its own separate “Fast Search” engine that will search the entire system.
You can’t beat Path Finder for compression. A version of the StuffIt compression engine is built right in. When sharing with your PC friends, it also allows for ZIP compression.
Another nice feature is the application window. By holding down command-F8 you open up an attractive window that displays icons for all of your applications. This is great when I need to open an application but forgot its name.
Did I mention it has a built in console window, text editor, and easily allows you to see hidden files?
Looking at the preferences you will see that Path Finder is even more adaptable giving you control over the entire look and feel of the application.
Reflecting on the way I manage files I must give a nod to Quicksilver. Once you get accustomed to Quicksilver, you can’t really beat it for down and dirty file management. With just a little practice, you can move, copy, and trash files as quickly as it takes to open Finder or one of its replacements. I really use Path Finder and Forklift on file management tasks that take some heavy lifting.
Path Finder is my finder replacement. It is robust and bends to fit my needs. I would give Forklift the advantage for FTP but generally found Path Finder more useful for the way I compute. I will be keeping both programs and I am certain I will be using them both. If you are looking for just one, you should download and give each one a week or two on your machine to see what fits you better. Like Forklift, Path Finder also has a free trial period. If you get hooked, it will run you $34.95.

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Review – Forklift

This review was recorded and posted on Surfbits MacReview Cast #112
When working in Apple’s Finder I often find myself opening multiple finder windows to allow me to work with files across different locations. Sure you can technically do this within one finder window but it never seems to work quite right and it inevitably leads to a lot more clicks than necessary. Somebody at BinaryNights must have had the same revelation because when you open up Forklift, the first thing that strikes you is the dual pane window. This isn’t rocket science but the simplicity of it is refereshing. You can assign the left and the right panes to different locations and file management will suddenly get much faster and much easier. It even supports tabs and drawers so you can have collections of locations on each pane making the set up of of your source and destination even easier.
When I say “destinations” I’m not just talking about a few directories on you home drive or an external USB drive. Forklift gets the whole enchilada: FTP, SFTP servers, Amazon S3, iPods, Bluetooth devices and just about anything else you can plug into or airport link with. Using forklift I am able to upload files to my FTP server just as easily as if I were transferring between two directories. It even can look at archived files as if they were unscrunched. I don’t have an Amazon S3 account but reading the forums and other web postings this appears to run fine. I spent some time trying to get it to talk to my Verizon Treo 650 but was ultimately unsuccessful. I don’t think this has anything to do with Forklift and a lot to do with and phone. Except for that hiccup it really felt as if I was working on a local drive the whole time.
The application gives you multiple ways to find and sort items from spotlight searches to smart folders to favorites tabs. Whether you are the neat and tidy hierarchical type or a bit more of an anarchist that relies on sorts and smart folders, Forklift will accommodate you.
Another nice feature is the “Preview”. I know a lot of people are excited about the Quicklook feature in Leopard. Forklift has a similar, though not quite so slick, version built in. When you click an image or pdf you see a little version in the icon view. It is very helpful for sorting through images, especially when I am not disciplined in naming them. It does not render previews for all file types. For instance, OmniPlan and OmniOutlilnes just give you an icon, whereas OmniGraffle, pdf, and photo files give you an accurate representation.
Forklift fully supports Growl so my Mac can still tell me when it is done with a file transfer. Likewise it has the spring loaded folders like the Tiger Finder but I rarely used them since the dual panes made it unnecessary.
In addition to providing an excellent file management tool, it also has an application deleter. This is an additional tool in Forklift that hunts down all related files for any application you want to delete. This helps keep the junk off your drive. I ran it against AppZapper and it was comparable. One time, with ChronoSync, AppZappers found a few files Forklift didn’t, but just that once out of ten tests.
I really tried to make it work using keyboard navigation but never got the hang of it. I’ve only been using it a week and perhaps that would sort itself out with some time but I constantly found myself simply resorting to the mouse.
Forklift is an upgrade over the Tiger Finder. The simplified, dual pane interface, the previews, and the seamless integration with FTP and other media make this a no-brainer. You can pick it up at BinaryNights.com for $29.95. They also have a 15 day trial so you can check it out before buying.
This review, however, is not the end of my quest for Finder alternatives. Following this review I am shutting down Forklift and I will spend the next week working exclusively with Path Finder. It will be very interesting to compare and contrast these two applications next week and see how they all sort out.

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Review – Desk Doctor

This review was recorded and can be heard on Surfbit’s excellent Macreviewcast #111. If you have a burning desire to hear me, check it out.
I am part of the first generation of lifetime computer users. My first computer was a Radio Shack computer with 4k RAM when I was about 10 and I’ve spent a large part of the last 30 years behind a computer in one form or another. I’m starting to see just enough grey hair in the mirror to make me suddenly listen to discussions about healthy computing.
It is with this in mind that I took a look at Desk Doctor from Einspine. Desk Doctor seeks to monitor the way you are using your computer and gives you subtle (and not so subtle reminders) on when you need to stretch and otherwise take care of OS Me. The risk to all of us computer users is RSI, Repetitive Strain Injury. Whether you are mining for gold in World of Warcraft or writing under a deadline, you are subjecting your body to the risks of RSI.
Desk Doctor starts out with a diagnostic test that takes about 30 minutes going over the various parts of your body and letting you identify your various aches and pains. This is a very thorough interview. Indeed more thorough than I’ve ever had with any doctor. Then the program takes you through a series of exercises to determine exactly where you are stiff and where you are not. Each exercise is accompanied by a video with the Desk Doctor lady showing you the way.
Once Desk Doctor figures out your particular needs, the program prepares a series of exercises for you. Again, the Desk Doctor Lady shows you each particular exercise. Not only does the program know what exercises you need, it also tells you when you need them. The program logs your activity on your Mac. It tracks them all, key clicks, mouse overs, mouse clicks. It actually keeps score giving you points for doing exercises and taking points for long periods of computing without rest or exercise.
Everything is customizable in the system preferences but the interface does not strike me as particularly clean or Mac-like. The score window is very small but does take screen space. You cannot see your score when it is minimized. It would be nice if they figured a way to integrate the score into a menubar item so your score is available but out of the way. I primarily use the audio alert feature. Whenever I work too long, Desk Doctor “barks” at me. Sure you can use the chime, but the “puppy” sound makes me grin.
All of this monitoring does not come without a price. Desk Doctor uses a lot of system resources. When in monitoring mode it adds between 5 and 20 percent to my menumeters processor stats. It is generally on top of my activity monitor and when I run the videos it sends both cores of my Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro into the 40-80 percent range. This is actually my second attempt to review this program. A few months ago I tried to review it but it was causing all sorts of mayhem on my intel Mac. The new version is Universal Binary and while it does use resources, I used it for 2 weeks without any crashing or other strange behavior. I was actually impressed with the developer who was very inquisitive after my first failed attempt at using the program and appears to be very interested in making this program work.
Because of the resource usage, I don’t run Desk Doctor when playing in Logic or Final Cut. I do, however, spend a great deal of time working at my Mac in work related applications such as NeoOffice, the Omni applications, and Keynote. It runs just fine then. I think I’m actually more productive with it. I dig in and work hard until Desk Doctor’s puppy starts barking. Then I do an exercise or two and dive back in.
There are high res and low res varients. I used the low res version to save a bit of disc space and make it easier on the processor. It is not cheap at $129 but that really isn’t much more than a single trip to the chiropractor so perhaps it is not as bad as it sounds. There is a free 15 day trial so if you are like me and actually remember what a Radio Shack Color Computer is, it probably wouldn’t hurt you to give it a trial run. If you are listening to this, you are the type who is taking care of OS X, so don’t forget to take care of OS Me as well.

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Review – OmniPlan

I recorded the below review and you can listen to it on Surfbits #110.
I have been intrigued with the idea of using project management software in my law practice for several years now. As a litigation and transactional attorney at any one time I have about 30 different cases and I am responsible for along with delegating work to several staff members and paralegals. Having the ability to organize these projects in a way to allow for strategic thinking and keep me honest as the weeks and months tick by would be invaluable. I explored this in my old PC days with Microsoft Project but it felt to me something like trying to hammer a thumbtack with a sledgehammer. Likewise I tried to use a custom template in Microsoft Excel but that also didn’t work for me. Enter OmniPlan [http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omniplan/].
I must admit I am a big fan of the OmniGroup. Having been pulled in by OmniOutliner and OmniGraffle, I became curious to see if OmniPlan, Omni’s project management software, could give me that planning edge I’ve been searching for. Put simply, it does.
OmniPlan is a project management application for the rest of us. It allows you to manage project elements, staff, and resources through the use Gantt charts. Like all of the Omni Group programs, the user interface is very well thought out with intelligent use of inspectors. This allows you to keep your project as simple, or complex, as your needs require. This also allows you to begin working with it in just a few hours.
The workflow for setting up a plan is really simple. You type in to the outline all of steps for a particular project along with the time required for each task and then set them out to the planned dates. During this process you can also set up dependencies where one task does not begin until another task ends. There is a lot of customization with these dependencies allowing you to set prioritization or even relating them to material supplies. You can also create these dependencies with your mouse by just dragging an arrow from one task to another. As you go through this process, OmniPlan builds an elegant Gantt chart graphically showing each task. Once you get your plan in place, you can then track your actual time and costs and compare them as you move through a project.
In addition to managing the critical path and milestones, OmniPlan also tracks the costs and resources attached to a project staff member, material, equipment, and groups. Using the built in calendar you can then apportion the availability of these resources or move areas of responsibility. You can even associate an hourly cost to these resources to keep track of your costs.
The program also checks to make sure you don’t goof anything up. For instance if I schedule someone to make lemonade on Monday but don’t schedule anyone to purchase lemons until Tuesday, OmniPlan will let me know ahead of time.
OmniPlan offers a variety of options to share this data. It imports Microsoft Project files as well as a few other formats. Likewise, it exports to Microsoft Project, iCal, HTML, OmniOutliner, OmniGraffle, pdf, and a few other image formats. You won’t have any trouble sharing your plan with others. I use my MacBook Pro in a windows office and export my OmniPlans to pdf for the various staff members that need access.
OmniPlan is the first project planning program I’ve tried that I can actually use productively. Its friendly interface and simplicity of use make it perfect for my needs. I spent about 2 hours going through the manual and I have already got that time back in better project management. I am admittedly using this in a small office environment but I do not see why this program cannot scale up for more resource intensive projects. There are other project planning programs for the Mac out there and some of them have been around longer and are, presumably, more feature rich. However, OmniPlan was so easy and quick for me to adopt into my bag of tricks that I don’t intent to stop using it any time in the near future.
This application could be of help to you whether you are constructing a building or a pine wood derby car and just about everything in between. If you are considering adding project planning software to your arsenal, I encourage you to visit the Omni Group website and watch the online video demonstrations or even download the demo for yourself. At $150 for a license it is a significant investment but well worth it in my mind.

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