Good-bye SugarSync, Hello Dropbox
I am a long-time SugarSync user. Prior to my complete switch to Mac OS at home and work in late 2011, I relied exclusively on SugarSync for a couple of reasons:
- Dollar-for-dollar, SugarSync provides more storage than Dropbox. I subscribed to the $9.99 / month plan and received 60 GB of space. Dropbox only provides 50 GB of space for the same money.
- Prior to my complete switch to Apple products, I used a Mac at home, a Windows PC at work, an iPad and an Android phone. Early in the game, SugarSync simply played better in a multi platform environment.
In early April, we made the switch to iPhones at work, and this completed my transformation to an Apple environment. Now I use Macs at home and at work, an iPad, and an iPhone. At the risk of gushing, it is wonderful. :)
As I’ve learned more about the iPhone and about some of the cool apps that really make iOS the awesome operating system that it is (e.g. Instacast, TextExpander, 1Password, and Byword) I’ve also learned that iOS apps strongly favor Dropbox as the preferred method of syncing between devices. Yes, SugarSync provides an iOS app, but many of the in-app sync preferences only support Dropbox. Even support for Apple’s own iCloud falls far short of support for Dropbox.
So, I am in the process of transferring my files out of SugarSync and into Dropbox. Uploading over 40 GBs of data will take some time, so it will likely be a multi-day transition.
The question that begs to be asked is why not iCloud? Simple: even though iCloud has been released, it is still very early in its development, and there has not been a broad embrace of iCloud yet within the developer community. I believe iCloud will be a true contender in the cloud/sync arena by early- to mid-2013. Right now, however, iCloud is not ready for prime time.
How about you? Have you made the transitioned away from Dropbox to iCloud?
Scrivener + OneNote = Perfection
As a relatively new Mac user, I am completely enjoying my introduction into the wonderful world of Mac Application. Unlike many Windows Apps that still sport a 1990s Windows ME look, Mac Apps are clean and contemporary.
One of the new applications I am falling in love with is Scrivener. Scrivener is a writing tool without equal.
Unfortunately, for someone like me trying to juggle both a Windows OS world and a Mac OS world, there is nothing close to Scrivener for Windows. I have tried many of the suggested applications, but without exception, the Windows apps lack the killer features Scrivener offers.
For me, it's not too critical, because I do have a Mac, and Scrivener is quickly becoming part of my workflow. What I am missing on the Mac side is Microsoft OneNote. As with Scrivener, OneNote is without equal as an information gathering tool. The newest version of OneNote 2010, just released this spring, takes the app from good to Wow! I love OneNote.
This got me to thinking about my "perfect" toolbox. What would it look like if all applications were cross-platform?
Here is my Windows toolbox (Work):
- OneNote (structured research for projects/papers. Better organization, note-taking, highlighting, compiling)
- Evernote (general information capture)
- PersonalBrain (long-term information store. Shows connection between areas of focus. Thoughts link to pages in OneNote or Evernote)
- MindManager (Dashboards for planning and 30,000 to 50,000 related tasks. Mindjet the maker of MindManager offers a Mac version of MindManager, but it is essentially a new purchase at upgrade pricing. At $XXX+, that's too much for cross-platform convenience.)
- Microsoft Word (like it or not, most of my writing must end up in Word format, which is the standardized format in most sectors)
- TaskAngel / Toodledo for list management and GTD implementation
- GoToDo app on Android mobile phone syncs with Toodledo
- I will add The Journal to this list. I have played with the trial version the last few weeks, and this will become my writing tool. Prior to this, I have used Microsoft Word.
Here is my Mac OS toolbox (Home):
- Evernote (sync with my Windows data)
- PersonalBrain (syncs with my Windows brain via SugarSync)
- OmniOutliner (the best outliner I have used without question. If only it was available for Windows!)
- Scrivener (This is where my search for a Windows replacement for Word started. I love Scrivener and would pay any price to have access to its features on both Mac and Windows. The Journal is my Scrivener counterpart in Windows, but to be honest, it's not even close.)
- Toodledo via the web interface.
What's missing from my Mac OS perfect world? OneNote. I love OneNote.
So, if we can engage in some fantasy right now, here is my "perfect" toolbox if all of the applications in the world were cross platform:
- OneNote
- MindManager
- PersonalBrain
- OmniOutliner
- Scrivener
- Microsort Word (a necessary final destination)
- OmniFocus (synching with Toodledo)
- GotToDo on my Android phone
What do you think? How would you blend applications in perfect world?
Windows / Mac Applications Cross Comparison
I am now a Mac/Windows crossover. (In other words, I am going from a Windows OS to Mac OS.) A week ago I purchased my first Mac, a Macbook. While I think I am going to like it a lot, it is very different from what I am used to. I mentioned in a twitter post that it feels like I am driving from the right side passenger seat when I am used to driving from the left side driver’s seat. Everything is different.
One of the most obvious involves the software that I run my life on. Obviously, with almost 20 years of Windows experience, I have an extensive library of Windows-based software. Some of it transitions to the Mac nicely, but at a cost. Other titles simply are not available for the Mac.
(I will add, that while I do understand why software companies need to charge for both Mac versions and Windows version of the same software, it does seem unreasonable to charge full price if my desire is to transfer a license from Windows to Mac. A good balance, I think is Logos Bible Software. They charge a small fee for the Mac engine that drives their system, but all of the resources I have work in either a Mac or Windows environment. That’s reasonable. Adobe, on the other hand, appears to charge full price for one of their applications if I want to use it on my Mac rather than on Windows. That’s unreasonable.)
Here is a listen of the software I currently have installed on my Windows laptop and a comparison to what is available in the Mac OS. Note: If a program is unavailable for the Mac, this does not mean there are not alternative apps I can use instead of the Windows app, it just indicates there is not an windows-to-apple equal.
| Windows OS | Max OS | Note |
| AceReader Pro | Available for Purchase | |
| Acronis True Image Home | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Adobe Air | Available – Free Download | |
| Adobe Audition 3.0 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Adobe Fireworks CS4 | Available for Purchase | |
| Adobe Flash Player | Available – Free Download | |
| Adobe InDesign CS3 | Available for Purchase | |
| Adobe Media Player | Available – Free Download | |
| Adobe Reader 8.1.3 | Available – Free Download | |
| Adobe Shockwave Player | Available – Free Download | |
| AI Roboform | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Allway Sync | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Apple Mobile Device | Available – Free Download | |
| Audible Download Manager | Available – Free Download | |
| AVG Antivirus Free 8.0 | Not Applicable | |
| Bluebeam PDF Revu | ||
| Bonjour | ||
| Camtasia Studio 6 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| CCleaner | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| CyperLink DVD Suite | ||
| Diskeeper 2008 Pro | ||
| Dragon Naturally Speaking | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| eBook Library by Sony | ||
| Evernote | Available – Free Download | |
| FileZilla FTP Client | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Flock 2.0 | ||
| FranklinCovey PlanPlus | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Google Chrome | ||
| ISO Recorder | ||
| iTunes | Available – Free Download | |
| Java 6 | ||
| Journal Sync | ||
| Logos Bible Software | Available for Purchase | |
| Livescribe Desktop | ||
| Logitech QuickCam | ||
| Microsoft OneNote 2007 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Microsoft Office Pro 2007 | Available for Purchase | |
| Microsoft Silverlight | ||
| Microsoft Visual C++ | ||
| Mindjet MindManager 8 | Available for Purchase | |
| MobileMe Control Panel | ||
| Mozilla Firefox | Available – Free Download | |
| Mozilla Thunderbird | Available – Free Download | |
| MyScript for Livescribe | ||
| Netflix Movie Viewer | ||
| NetObjects Fusion 11.0 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| PhatNotes for Outlook | ||
| Picasa 3 | ||
| Quicken 2008 | Available for Purchase | |
| QuickTime | Available – Free Download | |
| ScanSoft OmniPage Pro | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| ScanSoft PaperPort 11 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| ScanSoft PDF Create | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| SecondLife | Available – Free Download | |
| Skype | Available – Free Download | |
| SlingPlayer | ||
| SmartDraw 2009 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| SnagIt | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Sony DVD Architect | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Sony Vegas Movie Studio | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| SugarSync Manager | Available – Free Download | |
| TreeSize Free | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| TweetDeck | Available – Free Download | |
| Wildform Flair | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Windows Live Essentials | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Windows Live Writer | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| WMDC | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| WORDsearch 8 | Available for Purchase | |
| World in Conflict |