BusyCal 1.0 Released

busycal-icon.jpg

One of the most interesting applications I saw at Macworld in January was the beta for BusyCal, the beefed up iCal replacement created by the same team that did BusySync. I was so impressed, I gave it a Best in Show award. I’ve been using the beta for a few months and today the final 1.0 version released. I am not disappointed. This application cures most of iCal’s sins. You get recurring to-do’s, baked in (easy) google calendar syncing, compatibility with BusySync (and BusySync functionality built in). I also like the event editing window.

monthview.jpg

There are plenty of interesting features for a 1.0 release including built in weather support and the calendar displays sunrise and sunset in the weekly views. It took BusyMac just 6 months to get this right. What has Apple been doing with iCal for the last 6 years? There is a free demo. A license is $40 per computer but there is a discount for multiple licenses. If you already purchased BusySync, the upgrade is just $10.

30 Comments BusyCal 1.0 Released

  1. john@johnchandler.org

    I’m hesitant on this one. We use, and love, BusySync in our house. I know there are gripes about iCal out there, but the added features make BusySync look cluttered and…busy. Maybe it’s just the amount of data that squeezed into their samples for the screenshots.

    Thx for the shout out on MPU this week.

    Reply
  2. john@johnchandler.org

    I’m hesitant on this one. We use, and love, BusySync in our house. I know there are gripes about iCal out there, but the added features make BusySync look cluttered and…busy. Maybe it’s just the amount of data that squeezed into their samples for the screenshots.

    Thx for the shout out on MPU this week.

    Reply
  3. john@johnchandler.org

    I’m hesitant on this one. We use, and love, BusySync in our house. I know there are gripes about iCal out there, but the added features make BusySync look cluttered and…busy. Maybe it’s just the amount of data that squeezed into their samples for the screenshots.

    Thx for the shout out on MPU this week.

    Reply
  4. john@johnchandler.org

    I’m hesitant on this one. We use, and love, BusySync in our house. I know there are gripes about iCal out there, but the added features make BusySync look cluttered and…busy. Maybe it’s just the amount of data that squeezed into their samples for the screenshots.

    Thx for the shout out on MPU this week.

    Reply
  5. john@johnchandler.org

    I’m hesitant on this one. We use, and love, BusySync in our house. I know there are gripes about iCal out there, but the added features make BusySync look cluttered and…busy. Maybe it’s just the amount of data that squeezed into their samples for the screenshots.

    Thx for the shout out on MPU this week.

    Reply
  6. david@macsparky.com

    @John,

    It doesn’t need to be busy. I’ve disabled all of the pretty pictures except for the weather, which I’ve shrunk. Play with the free trial and you’ll see what I mean. I also forgot to mention the List view which really should have been in iCal to begin with. The only iCal feature I miss is the three finger swipe to move forward week/month/day view. I’m told that is coming to BusyCal though.

    Reply
  7. david@macsparky.com

    @John,

    It doesn’t need to be busy. I’ve disabled all of the pretty pictures except for the weather, which I’ve shrunk. Play with the free trial and you’ll see what I mean. I also forgot to mention the List view which really should have been in iCal to begin with. The only iCal feature I miss is the three finger swipe to move forward week/month/day view. I’m told that is coming to BusyCal though.

    Reply
  8. david@macsparky.com

    @John,

    It doesn’t need to be busy. I’ve disabled all of the pretty pictures except for the weather, which I’ve shrunk. Play with the free trial and you’ll see what I mean. I also forgot to mention the List view which really should have been in iCal to begin with. The only iCal feature I miss is the three finger swipe to move forward week/month/day view. I’m told that is coming to BusyCal though.

    Reply
  9. david@macsparky.com

    @John,

    It doesn’t need to be busy. I’ve disabled all of the pretty pictures except for the weather, which I’ve shrunk. Play with the free trial and you’ll see what I mean. I also forgot to mention the List view which really should have been in iCal to begin with. The only iCal feature I miss is the three finger swipe to move forward week/month/day view. I’m told that is coming to BusyCal though.

    Reply
  10. david@macsparky.com

    @John,

    It doesn’t need to be busy. I’ve disabled all of the pretty pictures except for the weather, which I’ve shrunk. Play with the free trial and you’ll see what I mean. I also forgot to mention the List view which really should have been in iCal to begin with. The only iCal feature I miss is the three finger swipe to move forward week/month/day view. I’m told that is coming to BusyCal though.

    Reply
  11. john@johnchandler.org

    Trying it out this morning. I had downloaded the beta, but bailed when it mentioned that I had to convert my busysync data. A little digging tells me that I’m safe to go backward if necessary.

    I do like, and yes, it’s not as cluttered as the screencaps.

    Only two minor gripes:
    In iCal, I like the week view scrolling by day so that I can always see the next seven days. This isn’t available in BusyCal but I emailed them to request it.

    I also use Today so that I don’t have to leave iCal open, but BusyCal has to stay open to sync, unlike BusySync.

    Reply
  12. john@johnchandler.org

    Trying it out this morning. I had downloaded the beta, but bailed when it mentioned that I had to convert my busysync data. A little digging tells me that I’m safe to go backward if necessary.

    I do like, and yes, it’s not as cluttered as the screencaps.

    Only two minor gripes:
    In iCal, I like the week view scrolling by day so that I can always see the next seven days. This isn’t available in BusyCal but I emailed them to request it.

    I also use Today so that I don’t have to leave iCal open, but BusyCal has to stay open to sync, unlike BusySync.

    Reply
  13. john@johnchandler.org

    Trying it out this morning. I had downloaded the beta, but bailed when it mentioned that I had to convert my busysync data. A little digging tells me that I’m safe to go backward if necessary.

    I do like, and yes, it’s not as cluttered as the screencaps.

    Only two minor gripes:
    In iCal, I like the week view scrolling by day so that I can always see the next seven days. This isn’t available in BusyCal but I emailed them to request it.

    I also use Today so that I don’t have to leave iCal open, but BusyCal has to stay open to sync, unlike BusySync.

    Reply
  14. john@johnchandler.org

    Trying it out this morning. I had downloaded the beta, but bailed when it mentioned that I had to convert my busysync data. A little digging tells me that I’m safe to go backward if necessary.

    I do like, and yes, it’s not as cluttered as the screencaps.

    Only two minor gripes:
    In iCal, I like the week view scrolling by day so that I can always see the next seven days. This isn’t available in BusyCal but I emailed them to request it.

    I also use Today so that I don’t have to leave iCal open, but BusyCal has to stay open to sync, unlike BusySync.

    Reply
  15. john@johnchandler.org

    Trying it out this morning. I had downloaded the beta, but bailed when it mentioned that I had to convert my busysync data. A little digging tells me that I’m safe to go backward if necessary.

    I do like, and yes, it’s not as cluttered as the screencaps.

    Only two minor gripes:
    In iCal, I like the week view scrolling by day so that I can always see the next seven days. This isn’t available in BusyCal but I emailed them to request it.

    I also use Today so that I don’t have to leave iCal open, but BusyCal has to stay open to sync, unlike BusySync.

    Reply
  16. seanmoyn@gmail.com

    Couple of quibbles with this app, the recurring to do’s don’t sync with an Iphone. Recurring events would make this a killer app. If you use month, view the only way to recognize that there there are more events in the view than can be displayed is to move the mouse over that day. Not likely ever to be any Address Book linking.

    Reply
  17. seanmoyn@gmail.com

    Couple of quibbles with this app, the recurring to do’s don’t sync with an Iphone. Recurring events would make this a killer app. If you use month, view the only way to recognize that there there are more events in the view than can be displayed is to move the mouse over that day. Not likely ever to be any Address Book linking.

    Reply
  18. seanmoyn@gmail.com

    Couple of quibbles with this app, the recurring to do’s don’t sync with an Iphone. Recurring events would make this a killer app. If you use month, view the only way to recognize that there there are more events in the view than can be displayed is to move the mouse over that day. Not likely ever to be any Address Book linking.

    Reply
  19. seanmoyn@gmail.com

    Couple of quibbles with this app, the recurring to do’s don’t sync with an Iphone. Recurring events would make this a killer app. If you use month, view the only way to recognize that there there are more events in the view than can be displayed is to move the mouse over that day. Not likely ever to be any Address Book linking.

    Reply
  20. seanmoyn@gmail.com

    Couple of quibbles with this app, the recurring to do’s don’t sync with an Iphone. Recurring events would make this a killer app. If you use month, view the only way to recognize that there there are more events in the view than can be displayed is to move the mouse over that day. Not likely ever to be any Address Book linking.

    Reply
  21. seanmoyn@gmail.com

    Sorry, used the wrong term in the above post. What I mean by recurring is “floating” to do’s and events. Floating events that move from day to day until completed.

    Reply
  22. seanmoyn@gmail.com

    Sorry, used the wrong term in the above post. What I mean by recurring is “floating” to do’s and events. Floating events that move from day to day until completed.

    Reply
  23. seanmoyn@gmail.com

    Sorry, used the wrong term in the above post. What I mean by recurring is “floating” to do’s and events. Floating events that move from day to day until completed.

    Reply
  24. seanmoyn@gmail.com

    Sorry, used the wrong term in the above post. What I mean by recurring is “floating” to do’s and events. Floating events that move from day to day until completed.

    Reply
  25. seanmoyn@gmail.com

    Sorry, used the wrong term in the above post. What I mean by recurring is “floating” to do’s and events. Floating events that move from day to day until completed.

    Reply
  26. cmeermann@mac.com

    I am hesitant. BusyCal may be great and far superior to iCal. But then, who knows when Apple will improve iCal. I just don’t want to spend loads of money on an app that may become obsolete one day.

    Reply
  27. cmeermann@mac.com

    I am hesitant. BusyCal may be great and far superior to iCal. But then, who knows when Apple will improve iCal. I just don’t want to spend loads of money on an app that may become obsolete one day.

    Reply
  28. cmeermann@mac.com

    I am hesitant. BusyCal may be great and far superior to iCal. But then, who knows when Apple will improve iCal. I just don’t want to spend loads of money on an app that may become obsolete one day.

    Reply
  29. cmeermann@mac.com

    I am hesitant. BusyCal may be great and far superior to iCal. But then, who knows when Apple will improve iCal. I just don’t want to spend loads of money on an app that may become obsolete one day.

    Reply
  30. cmeermann@mac.com

    I am hesitant. BusyCal may be great and far superior to iCal. But then, who knows when Apple will improve iCal. I just don’t want to spend loads of money on an app that may become obsolete one day.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *