State of PIM Market

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Note: This message is from the outliners.com archive kindly provided by Dave Winer.

Outliners.com Message ID: 3768

Posted by daly_de_gagne
2005-08-15 10:28:41

Here is a post I sent to ECCO Yahoo group yesterday afternoon, in response to a post that suggested Outlook owns the PIM market:

I take issue with the notion that the main PIM space is owned by Outlook. If it wasn’t for a variety of add-ons, such as David Allen’s Getting Things Done and Nelson Mail Organizer, I suspect Outlook would have far fewer users. Yes, Outlook may have a majority of that market…but let’s say it’s renting, and that competition for that market is heating up.

For example…

Two programs, UltraRecall and Knowledge Workshop came onto the market about the same time within the last couple of years. KW isn’t anything to write home about, was over-priced from the get-go, and is more sizzle than steak.

However, UR is finding an ever-increasing following. Although in version 1, it arrived as a well-developed, mature product. And the developer’s plans will only add to its stature.

ADM is working very hard to refine its column/metadata capabilities and get version 4 out. I have worked with it in beta; believe me, if ADM can get some annoying bugs eliminated, ADM 4 will find a significant new niche.

Zoot, although it’s a 16-bit program, continues to draw new users. Why? Because it can do stuff that no other product on the market can do.

Similarly, Ecco has capabilities that have not been completely duplicated.

Either an open-source Ecco, or the coming 32-bit version of Zoot, will certainly be contenders in the marketplace.

If there are problems getting the code for ECCO, the cynic in me would say look for signs of Microsoft moving in the background.

Tired old InfoSelect seems to be dying on the vine for want of good programmers and a more contemporary approach to information management. But, if Jim Lewis could get some creativity going over at MicroLogic, IS could again eat market share. There has been seen some rumour off and on that IS 9, yet to be released, may be the major remake that will save the brand.

Still in the open source arena, Chandler is probably within a year of being released in a form that will allow the average user to appreciate what its developers have been trying to do.

Omea Pro also brings its unique approach to information, making it easy to define workspaces where context-specific files and programs are accessible. Haystack from MIT, has tried to do the same thing, but Omea is far ahead in terms of its usability and immediate application.

EverNote, with its continuous roll metaphor and system of categories and keywords is winning some loyal users.

And MDE InfoHandler, with a unqiue approach to data management using categories, continues to find converts. I believe InfoHandler could have a major sales surge if people, when first looking at the program (a 60-day trial is offered)realized it is far simpler and easier to use than it looks.

And Dave Gustafson, a developer who knows ECCO in and out, is preparing his own information management offering for public beta testing.

So where’s that leave us?

In a PIM market that continues to heat up. I don’t think we have seen anything yet.

Daly

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