Backpack is a nice, clear and simple online application to help keep yourself organized and all of your information in one spot online. I’ve been using it for about a week now and I’m finding it very helpful. Being a huge fan of Basecamp, which was created by the same folks, I was pretty much looking forward to Backpack, which in many ways is similar, yet done on a more personal level.
The thing I like the best about it is that it’s flexible. You can apply your own rules to it. This is actually one of the core ideas behind Backpack. It’s an online application that intended to work with your own way of working. The Backpack Manifesto is a way to get some insight into the philosophy behind the tool.
Aside from all of that, it’s just plain practical. You can store notes, to-do lists, images, reminders and a whole lot more in an easily accessible place online. I know I’ve already made quite a bit of use of their reminder system, which will send you an e-mail or SMS to your phone. With so much on my mind of late, this has been extremely helpful in letting me set a reminder and clear my brain for more important things.
In any-case, it’s a very useful personal productivity tool that does just what it should–no more, no less. Well worth checking into.
Backpack is a great tool for maintaining productivity. I use the lists lots to keep track of to-dos and use notes to make notes (how surprising) about the stuff I need to get done (things to tell people, colour choices, etc.)
If I was on the go more, I’d make heavy use of the SMS feature, but since I work at home for now there’s no sense in using cell phone time…
Love the new site, Keith. Everyone needs tools to make them productive, it’s nice to have a place to discuss them.
Darryl — Thanks for the kind words, I hope to have some good discussion here.
The more I use Backpack the more I like it. It’s nice and simple. Not a world-changing application, but it doesn’t have to be.
I just had a quick look at backpack, but there are some points I would like to discuss:
1) privacy: so you have your data on the backpack server – how can you know that you can trust the maintainers?
2) data security: you might have spent some effort in bringing your data to backpack and then one day the service is dissolved – have you got a backup?
3) wouldn´t it be better to put your data on a server of your own – even if it is only rented space? Yes, this does seem to make the same privacy problem as in 1), but at least your data are not in a centralized spot and noone needs to know that they are really somewhere.
Any ideas?
Kind regards
Marchal
Backpack
This is one web application I am playing with at the moment (next to trying to find some sort of order in what mobile phones are offered at the moment) – Backpack by 37signals. 37signals are the people who offer Basecamp , as well – they also offer ta…
buy backpack at bags store