Out today, here’s something for those of you who like the idea of Outlook, but can’t stand the reality: Barca, a new PIM/email program.
From Canada-based Poco Systems, the makers of the excellent PocoMail, Barca has the makings of a great program. Easy to install, graceful and light in feel, it starts working for you very quickly. There’s a feature list that makes your mouth water and your tears well up at the effort and ingenuity that has gone into this product. It’s truly wonderful to see people really care about the software they create.
But. Sadly there’s a but. Maybe I’m wrong, but at $60 a pop (I’m assuming it’s US$ here), I’m not convinced it’s going to sweep the board. The main problem: Poor synchronisation with your PDA and/or cellphone. While you can sync some calendar items, it’s fiddly and not the kind of thing you can do while you’re running out the door to lunch. I suspect most people really need this feature, and, at least, in this spanking new release, it’s not there. That’s a shame. Otherwise I think Poco could really give Outlook and others a run for their money.
Still, give it a shot. You might be tempted.
Jim Dada of Poco Systems tells me that “We are working on adding a full PDA sync into the future release. Yes, you are right, Barca cost $59.95. Also, your blog is on point about PDA/cell phone sync, but we intend to add the PDA sync to Barca’s future release. However, please keep in mind that Outlook cost $130 and it lacks a PDA sync (as do most PIMs including InfoSelect ($250) and Ecco ($130) which), unless one shells out additional $40-$90 for the PDA sync feature alone, which are often provided by third-parties; if one Poco Systems can be that lucky.”
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