Douglas Blaine

Backpack from 37 Signals looks to be my next favorite and actually USED web app.

Here’s my discovery path if you can believe it:

1. started looking for good definitions of ‘rubric’
2. got a page referring to ‘ruby on rails’–no idea how
3. got all warm and fuzzy for the ‘next big thing’
4. RSSd Loud Thinking
5. signed up for Basecamp (cool)
6. signed up for TaDa List (nice enough)
7. heard about Backpack too late to get or beg for a ‘Golden Ticket’
8. signed up today with the rest of the regular world

Others have raved about it’s usable and clean interface, so I won’t bother–I agree. More have talked about how it’s just what they have been looking for–I agree. I want to talk about it’s longevity.

Like the PDF, Google, and the blog, I am not sure how we got along without something this useful nor how we would get along if it went away. This is an app that I immediately saw myself using forever.

I have started converting all my to do lists over to this format because, unlike TaDa List, I can integrate them with other tools I like to have at hand: reminders and general note taking. I haven’t splurged for the paid account yet, but will be as soon as I can find where I put my wallet (no PayPal payment option?).

Once I am paid up, I will find out how the Sharing and Picture posting goes. I see myself using those features less since there’s flickr and I am not a person to share this sort of information, but the stuff I plan to use is easily worth the $5 a month option.

Don’t waste you time listening to what I have to say, go see for yourself.