Our Little Wizard Just Turned 12
It all began on November 9, 2004 with a tool for internal project planning. New features in project management software, which competitors often liked to incorporate in their own products, were introduced right from the first version. Just ask other vendors how they came up with the idea of linking a mind map with project management software ;-)
We developed Merlin 1 for Mac OS X Panther (10.3), and constantly enhanced our wizard across many subsequent operating system versions. November 28, 2006 saw the release of Merlin 2 – arguably the longest-lasting project management application of all time. This version provided reliable service to project managers for over 10 years – with development never stopping throughout this time.
Read more...Merlin Project 4.0.10 Is Released
Constantly working on the quality of Merlin Project, we have just released with version 4.0.10 a maintenance update of
- Merlin Project,
- Merlin Server and
- Merlin Project Go
Download the new macOS versions by means of the function "Check for updates …". The iOS version is still at Apple for review and after approval will automatically be available in the App Store.
Friday Again Already?
Lately, I’ve regularly found myself asking the same question by midday every Friday: “It’s midday Friday – how could this week have rushed past me yet again?” Yes, I really do ask myself this question just like that – and never like the often-said TGIF (thank god it’s Friday), because I like to work. My motto is “FAA” – “Friday again already” ;-)
So I’m taking some time again to review some of the topics that have caught my attention these past few weeks. Maybe I’ll even manage to throttle back a bit... Or as consultants say: “Decelerate”.
Microsoft Teams, Slack, and all the rest
The trend continues. Since this week, MS has also entered the chat-tools fray. Now dutifully integrated into Office 365 comes the next all-singing, all-dancing tool. While Microsoft Teams isn’t a big issue for us at ProjectWizards in particular, there does seem to be a trend towards companies integrating their own chat tools into their software. A prime example of this is Evernote with WorkChat. The problem I’m increasingly confronted with is that I find myself needing to rummage through loads of programs when searching for a specific discussion. Why don’t vendors simply support existing, compatible systems? In Merlin Project, I simply add a link to an info attachment, for instance, and hey presto I’m in the thick of the topic – and the discussion continues in the specialized system (here’s an example):
What do you think? I’m interested in hearing what you think, so tweet me or drop me an email with a short comment.
Tools we use
Talking about Evernote, I’ve been asked numerous times whether I’d be willing to tell you which tools we use – apart from Merlin Project of course. So I thought yes, why not.
First off, you need to know that we don’t have a centralized structure. This means, our staff can work wherever they want to get their job done. “Headquarters” in Melle is just my assistant (and combined wife) and me. That’s why there’s only one small common denominator concerning our must-have programs.
- We develop using Xcode and manage the source code using Git.
- User documentation is written in Asciidoc and managed in Git.
- Internal documents are organized in a variety of ways using Evernote.
- Support queries are answered via Kayako, but we’re working on changing the system.
- Oh yes, and we organize projects – in case you’re wondering – using Merlin Project.
In addition to these, each member of staff has their own favorite tools. In my case, these are:
- Keynote for presentations
- Things for organizing all those little tasks that don’t need full-blown project management. For viewing in Merlin, we developed an Action Script many years ago now.
- MS Excel for anything involving figures – I am the CEO after all – Chief Excel Officer ;-)
- And of course, the usual suspects that come with macOS, like: Mail, Calender, etc.
Almost forgot: As Merlin Project supports Mind-Maps, I’ve never needed to open any other Mind-Map app ever since it has. Obvious, right? ;-) If not, the usual applies: If you’ve got any questions or comments, simply get in touch via Twitter or send me an email.
Now I must get back to work. Bye for now...
Friday Again Already?
Recently it happens regularly that I ask myself the question at the latest on Friday around noon; "Friday noon, where has this week gone again"? Yes, I really ask myself this question in this form. And not as the universally quoted TGIF - "Thank God is Friday"; because I like to work! So my motto is FAA - "Friday Again Already" ;-)
So now I take some time to review selected topics of the last week. Maybe I will succeed in slowing down this speed a little... or as the consultant's slang says: "deceleration".
New start page
Not only the software but also our website is regularly maintained. In the last weeks it was the turn of the homepage. Now it contains more than just a nice screenshot. Now you can find a general table of contents on the first page and immediately see what's new. You can now also find this column under "Latest News". What did one of the developers call it: "The mother of all start pages"? ;-)
New Macbooks
It was so overdue! We all sat in front of the computer and watched the live broadcast of the keynote. And when the TouchBar was shown, many of us experienced an initial spark: What is Merlin Project going to do with this TouchBar? Zoom in the Gantt, open and close groups? There are so many possibilities! One thing is certain; we will support the TouchBar as soon as possible. But we still need your help. What would you like to do with it? Write your wishes to our support.
Not a new Mac mini
Unfortunately Apple did not update all devices, so it was predictable: Shortly after the end of yesterday's keynote I received an email. "Unfortunately no new Mac mini has been released. Can I run Merlin Server with the old Mac mini without any problems", a worried user asked. Completely problem-free! Of course, we all want new hardware, but the requirements of Merlin Server are so small that any system running macOS Sierra or El Capitan can easily run Merlin Server. And for the beginning of next year we hope to have more hardware. The rumour mill is already boiling again...
Well, now I have to get back to work. Bye for now...
Friday Again Already?
Lately, I’ve regularly found myself asking the same question by midday every Friday: “It’s midday Friday – how could this week have rushed past me yet again?” Yes, I really do ask myself this question just like that – and never like the often-said TGIF (thank god it’s Friday), because I like to work. My motto is “FAA” – “Friday again already” ;-)
So I’m taking some time again to review some of the topics that have caught my attention these past few weeks. Maybe I’ll even manage to throttle back a bit... Or as consultants say: “Decelerate”.
Merlin Project 4.0.9
The most important event of this week by far is the release of the new version 4.0.9 of Merlin Project, Merlin Server and Merlin Project Go. I want to take the opportunity to here to defend the iOS App Store: Contrary to the general consensus, working with the App Store reviewers is anything but a pain. Of course, they’ve rejected one or two of our updates in the past, but this was well-founded, and we were able to resolve the issues quickly. So, what’s new in the new version? As usual, find out by visiting the version information.
iOSXperts celebrates 10 years
Our partner iOSXperts celebrated their 10th anniversary this week! I was really pleased to get an invite, and with it the chance to see their new office space. I was especially delighted to see two friends from Canada again: Alykhan Jetha and Michael Clark from Marketcircle. Their main product, Daylite, should be familiar to most Merlin Project users.
Merlin Project put to an unusual use
The fact that you can use project management software to not only plan and manage projects was brought to the fore when we released our template on key account management. I’m always surprised to learn about the interesting uses customers put our applications to. Have you also got something interesting to show us? Drop us an email – every scenario presented here will be rewarded with a license.
Now I must get back to work. Bye for now...
