Product Review: TimeLog

Product: TimeLog
Category: Productivity/Business
Web: www.mediatelier.ch
Price: $25.00
Tested on: iBook 500 Mhz with 10.3.9, iCal

Introduction

TimeLog is an application that uses iCal and the AddressBook on Mac OS X to keep track of how much time you spend on projects.

Usage

The look of TimeLog is very pleasing as it uses the familiar iTunes skin. For those not familiar with iTunes this might make it confusing as there are so many little window panes to deal with.

When I first tried TimeLog I tried to make use of the projects by creating a TimeLog calendar and several different subprojects. Unfortunately this can get very confusing to the first time user because there are tiny icons everywhere and tons of places to do different things. I'll have to print out the help file to figure it all out.

Documentation

There were no documentation files shipped with the product. There is built in help. The help window is helpful if you sit down and take the time to learn the application's features, but it is not helpful in actually running the app. What it needs is a good tutorial that walks someone through creating a few calendars and projects.

Once I figured out that I use the Timer menu instead of any of the little buttons on the project pane then I could make more sense of what I was doing. Finding this out through a little tutorial would be very helpful.

Would I use it?

If I have time to figure it out then yes! I have so much to do between Chippewa Publishing LLC, my family, my house, my blogs, and whatever else I do that I really need something to tell me how much time I'm wasting on what.

What would really be interesting is to create a category of how much time is wasted switching between applications and getting the Spinning Beach Ball of Death. If I calculated how much money it cost me to wait for the applications to resume whatever they're doing, I could have a fortune.

Perhaps when I have more time (there's that word again), I will create a mini tutorial. I will need to sit down and figure it out.

Right now the cost is a little high for my budget so I'll just try the demo for the 30 days. If I haven't figured it out by then I'll just not write the tutorial.

Wish me luck.

Misc. things I would like to know:

How many computers or users does the $25.00 license fee support?