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OmniFocus pre-release: early birds get the bugs

Posted by Linda Sharps on 05.14.07 @ 12:47 PM File Under: OmniFocus

Boy, I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to writing a blog post that mentions OmniFocus but doesn't include yet another wishy-washy (and ultimately inaccurate) guess at a beta timeframe.

Folks, we are unleashing OmniFocus into the wild TODAY, starting with a subset of the OmniFocus mailing list. We aren't seeding the whole list yet because among other things we want to make sure our password system doesn't explode, sending database shrapnel all over our office, but if you're on the list you'll eventually receive an email from us with the information you need to access the beta.

Heads up for those of you who signed up early, since we're starting with the first subscribers. Check your email for a love note from Omni! For everyone else, over the next several days we'll be expanding the sneaky peek pool, so hang in there—we'll be in touch very soon.

If you haven't signed up on the list, now is the time to do so! The time for doing so is now! We're heading into Pre-Release Madness, and we want to take you with us.

Hey, does anyone smell that? It's . . . why, I think it's the smell of vaporware, floating away in the breeze.

 

Comments

  1. Steven Jarvis

    05.14.07 1:56 PM

    Great! Now I get to wait patiently until my number comes up! I should be finishing up my pre-OmniFocus re-read of GTD tonight.

  2. rishabh

    05.14.07 2:09 PM

    waiting for my beta invite email….. -(

  3. Alexandra

    05.14.07 2:09 PM

    Yay! You made my day.

  4. NAKAHARA

    05.14.07 2:20 PM

    All Excited !

  5. D.W.

    05.14.07 2:21 PM

    Bought OmniOutliner a few hours ago today, but would prefer to get started with OmniFocus if possible by trying the beta. pLeAsE…......

  6. a11en

    05.14.07 2:39 PM

    Just in time!  My system needs a revamp!  Can't wait to try this guy out.  I know there may be alpha-frustrations, but I'm very intrigued!  :)


    Cheers, guys, and congrats on such an early pre-release!!

    -Allen

  7. Al Willis

    05.14.07 2:57 PM

    The timing couldn't be better for me. I signed up in November, so I'll be checking my inbox…


    —Al

  8. Joe

    05.14.07 3:00 PM

    Great job Omnifolks!  We're right behind you!

  9. david

    05.14.07 3:04 PM

    Can't get the beta…how about the mini-manual to bide your time


    OmniFocus-micro-manual.rtfd.zip @


    http://www.omnigroup.com/ftp/pub/software/MacOSX/Manuals/


    enjoy!

  10. Charliee

    05.14.07 3:26 PM

    Almost there….where's my email….Did I remember to sign up for the beta….better do it again…

  11. [...] Many of us have been eagerly waiting to get our hands on a copy of OmniFocus, and it looks like that magical moment is finally here! Starting today, The Omni Group began sending out invites on a first-come-first-serve basis starting with users who signed up for the OmniFocus mailing list early on. For those of you who haven’t yet had anything hit your mailbox, know that patience is a virtue, and that you’ll get your turn in the next few days. The sneak-peek is only available to people on the mailing list, so if you haven’t yet signed up, do so now. [...]

  12. Hiram

    05.14.07 3:55 PM

    Oh, the suspense!  And Spotlight doesn't find my subscription confirmation e-mail anymore… I hope I really did send it, and I hope it was long, long ago.

  13. Tommy Weir

    05.14.07 4:14 PM

    No email… and I signed up straight away.  I got an error message when I tried again yesterday.


    Roll away…

  14. LLorenc

    05.14.07 4:33 PM

    Suspense! .... mmm

  15. SB

    05.14.07 4:47 PM

    Wow, can't wait to try it out….

    /me runs to click the check mail button…over and over and over and…

  16. [...] GTD: OmniFocus beta Gestern teilte die OmniGroup mit, dass die ersten in der OmniFocus Mailingliste Zugriff auf die betaVersion von OmniFocus erhalten. [...]

  17. [...] They opened the door to the first beta testers today, which means they will make a first copy of the OmniFocus available for the guys that signed up to do so… I also signed up and I’m pretty much intrigued about what OmniFocus may come up with. As they said on their corporate blog, the last traces of vaporware are gently started to leave. it was about time, anyway… [...]

  18. Cameron Williams

    05.14.07 7:00 PM

    Argh. I just realized I never confirmed my signup in October. This will be a long, long wait.

  19. ganesh

    05.14.07 8:49 PM

    Subscribed on november 1. No mail yet.

  20. greg

    05.14.07 10:04 PM

    Anyone receive their mail yet? i signed up pretty early on but haven't got one. Curious if anyone else did..

  21. [...] Stay focused and online At last! The OmniGroup has finally unleashed their much anticipated new app OmniFocus into the wild. How about that - just as I’ve started reading my copy of Allen’s Getting Things Done! [...]

  22. appleboi

    05.14.07 10:23 PM

    signed up on October 31!! :D

    waiting for the e-mail, hitting 'refresh' every few seconds…. ;)

  23. [...] Link: OmniFocus pre-release: early birds get the bugsShare This [...]

  24. tom

    05.14.07 11:02 PM

    signed up on end of oct, i got an email and have successfully downloaded the alpha.  finally!

  25. Craig

    05.14.07 11:08 PM

    What a bunch of dorks. Sitting around hoping for a freaking email letting you into a beta for a piece of software to help you get things done. Why don't you quit hitting Get Mail or Refresh and go get something freaking done.


    Losers.


    Oh, by the way, I signed up November 1, I can't help but wonder when I'll get my invite….

  26. BZ

    05.14.07 11:34 PM

    This just proves that the pressure of my posts got to the OmniDudes! :)


    BZ

  27. [...] For those who are wondering whether or not they’ve already been sent an invitation and it’s just slow in arriving: the first batch of 100 invitations went out about eleven hours ago, which means that anyone who confirmed their subscription to the OmniFocus beta mailing list before 2am (Pacific) on October 31 should have received it by now. 100 down, 4,200 to go. Or, um, that’s what it was eleven hours ago—it appears we now have 4,874 subscribers, so make that 4,774 to go. Or, uh, 4,782. Or… [...]

  28. Dan

    05.15.07 1:49 AM

    Boo. I've been subscribed to the Omni RSS feed for *ages* but only recently added my email to the OF mailing list. Guess I'll have to wait in line for a while…

  29. Dan

    05.15.07 1:51 AM

    Immediate remorse for my shameless whining—apologies, all—can't wait to get the beta!


    Thanks, OmniGroup et al. :)

  30. Anon

    05.15.07 2:40 AM

    What a bunch of dorks. Sitting around hoping for a freaking email letting you into a beta for a piece of software to help you get things done.


    Says the guy flaming people he doesn't know on the Internet.  Do you feel nice and superior now, little camper?  Ready to leave your mom's basement and face the big, scary world?

  31. tomislav

    05.15.07 2:52 AM

    Well, I'm using it :)


    still very alpha

  32. jrk

    05.15.07 2:56 AM

    Well I confirmed at 10:06AM EST on 10/31, according to Gmail, but I have yet to receive the invite email. I have checked all my spam buckets, to no avail. Would anyone at Omni care to rescue me? I would be eternally grateful.

  33. Alan

    05.15.07 3:42 AM

    can those saying it's still “very alpha” please explain? Is it ready for daily use if only missing some features?

  34. joecab

    05.15.07 3:54 AM

    I've never understood the whole “vaporware” whine. I can see why you don't want someone pre-announcing something because it may kill sales for competing products shipping right now. But this is Omni—you guys have a rep for quality and not for FUD, so you've earned the trust of a lot of people. This ain't Microsoft we're talking about. And I'm glad OmniOutliner users are getting a discount since a lot of us bought it initially for kGTD (hi Merlin! hi Ethan!) before we started using it for a lot more.


    “very alpha” = This release is ONLY for people on the cutting edge who simply cannot wait for the finished product, with the understanding that you better be prepared for data loss which may or may not happen. Backup backup backup.


    P.S. Backup.

  35. Ken Case

    05.15.07 4:05 AM

    What we're providing is access to our internal builds—the exact same builds that we see here at Omni.  They're just snapshots of our development that are updated every few hours and haven't gone through any sort of vetting process—which means that any particular build might introduce a new column only for it to disappear again in the next build, or it might eat all your files.  (Not that we expect that to happen, but since we haven't tested it first we can't make any guarantees.)


    In other words, as I'm writing in the invitations:  “This isn't an invitation for the faint of heart; it's an invitation to come join us on the bleeding edge of our development process.”


    When we have something a little less risky to share, we'll definitely let folks know!

  36. Alan

    05.15.07 4:10 AM

    Thanks for the reply, Ken-

    Any idea how often the downloadable beta will be updated?

  37. Ken Case

    05.15.07 4:53 AM

    JRK: Sorry, the first 100 users subscribed before 2am Pacific on 10/31.  But you're definitely in the next batch (you're #118).


    Alan: Our build system automatically tries to build new sneaky peek releases at 1am, 7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 4pm, and 6pm (Pacific time), and they usually get published about twenty minutes later.

  38. Alan

    05.15.07 5:07 AM

    Interesting…so people who receive a later download invitation will have different version/features/fixes than those who downloaded earlier. Good to keep in mind when reading feedback from early users then.


    Ken…what number am I? (sorry to make you roll your eyes…)

    I just started iGTD but hope to start using OF soon as I like it's seeming ease of use and logical GUI

  39. Ken Case

    05.15.07 5:19 AM

    Alan: All sneaky peek testers have access to each new build as it arrives (as well as some builds from previous builds, just in case the latest is horribly broken).


    Normally I'd be happy to look up your number, but I'm afraid that that would firmly establish a very time-consuming precedent.  (Don't worry, I'll send you email when your number comes up!)

  40. Alan

    05.15.07 5:24 AM

    Thanks again for the quick response, Ken.

    I didn't really expect you to start giving out numbers to us OF nerds…

  41. coconino

    05.15.07 5:52 AM

    Alan, you said can those saying it’s still “very alphaâ€? please explain? Is it ready for daily use if only missing some features?


    I'd suggest that if it were ready for daily use it wouldn't be alpha, it would be on sale.

  42. Craig

    05.15.07 7:39 AM

    Just to clarify since an anonymous poster took me to task for calling you (us) dorks. If you read my whole post you can see that I point out that I am behaving exactly as the people I'm “flaming”. It was a freaking joke. Sorry.

  43. Al Willis

    05.15.07 9:39 AM

    Just checking… when is the next batch of invites going out? Thanks.


    —Al

  44. nick

    05.15.07 9:42 AM

    when will you guys be done sending out the invites to everyone?

  45. michelle

    05.15.07 10:12 AM

    We just sent out the next batch of invites :-)

  46. Ken Case

    05.15.07 10:14 AM

    Nick: We don't know, we're still playing this by ear.

  47. rish

    05.15.07 10:27 AM

    Ken Case: I still haven't gotten my invite, and I signed up the day you guys started the list.

  48. Ken Case

    05.15.07 10:32 AM

    Rish: I don't see your email address subscribed to the list at all.  Are we talking about the same list?  And the same email address?

  49. rish

    05.15.07 10:34 AM

    yeah, its the same email, and it simply can't be; there's something wrong somewhere

  50. Nathan

    05.15.07 1:55 PM

    Excellent. Even in it's potential spontaneous smurf-mulching status, it's a very nice upgrade from trying manage a todo list with OO.


    Ken or Linda or whomever: Is there a preferred method for bug reporting/product feedback?

  51. Ken Case

    05.15.07 2:06 PM

    Rish: Maybe you forgot to confirm your subscription?  I'd recommend signing up again right away.  (And if there's still any difficulty, I'd suggest you contact us directly in email at omnifocus@omnigroup.com.)


    Nathan: The preferred mechanism for feedback is to select “Send Feedback” from the Help menu or to send email to omnifocus@omnigroup.com.  Thanks for asking, and I'm sorry we didn't make that more obvious!

  52. Lizard

    05.15.07 2:10 PM

    Nathan: The best way to report bugs for OmniFocus (or any of our apps) is by email, in this case .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). The forums are also available, and are great if you want to interact with other users, but not guaranteed to get your bug heard. Our ninjas try to follow the forums, but they give first priority to email.

  53. Jonathan

    05.15.07 4:48 PM

    I signed up in February!  I can't wait!

  54. [...] OmniFocus Pre-Release Revealed, GTD Done Right Filed under: Uncategorized — recar @ 6:54 am   OmniFocus Pre-Release Revealed, GTD Done Right Folks, we are unleashing OmniFocus into the wild TODAY, starting with a subset of the OmniFocus mailing list. We aren ’t seeding the whole list yet because among other things we want to make sure our password system doesn’t explode…but if you’re on the list you’ll eventually receive an email from us with the information you need to access the beta[apple] [access] [news] [technology] [...]

  55. Lizard

    05.15.07 4:59 PM

    Oh, right! “Send Feedback” is probably the _best_ way to tell us about the bugs you find, because it sends an email to the right place, but it also puts the OmniFocus build number in the subject line. This lets us know exactly which version of OF you're running. Then we know whether to say “update and it'll be all better” or “hrmm…I thought we fixed that already. We'll have another look.”

  56. Stephen

    05.15.07 6:03 PM

    I can't tell you how much is resting on your app! I'm a big fan of the rest of your software - and I'm hoping this helps me transform my productivity…

  57. [...] read more | digg story [...]

  58. Be.

    05.15.07 8:53 PM

    Why don't you just tell us in regular intervals, up to which date of subscription invite e-mails should have currently been received?

  59. Oyvind

    05.15.07 10:43 PM

    How many have got the beta so far? I have not, BTW…

  60. Joe Squid

    05.16.07 1:58 PM

    There's hoping the OmniFocus rollout is better than the Halo 3 Beta rollout. ;)

  61. Michael

    05.17.07 12:33 AM

    How does one find out if they are on the list?  I know I've received emails, but can't remember if I “confirmed” back when I originally signed up.  I did re-sign up again today however.

  62. nick

    05.17.07 2:59 AM

    how many invites have you sent out yet, and when's the next batch going out

  63. Gregory

    05.17.07 4:39 AM

    I haven't gotten my beta email yet either. I signed up on 03/16/07. It would be great knowing how far along the list Omni is.

  64. [...] Ist jemand unter den glücklichen die Zugangsdaten für die Beta von OmniFocus bekommen haben? Ich bisher leider nicht. [...]

  65. Ken Case

    05.17.07 3:00 PM

    Status update: everyone who subscribed to the list before February 1 should have received an invitation at this point.


    Michael: You can check whether you're on the list by going to the omnifocus-beta-announce options page and asking the list to mail you your password.

  66. Jonathan

    05.17.07 7:11 PM

    Still not got my invite :-(

    Though I can't remember when I subscribed but I seem to remember it was as soon as I could…


    Isn't it ironic that waiting for this to hit has literally stopped me getting things done! ;-)

  67. erik

    05.18.07 2:13 AM

    These have to be the funniest “comments”

    I have read in a long time. A bunch of GTDers not GTD! I love it! I get checking my mail too!


    I fear I am number 4700.


    Thanks Omni for putting up with us!

  68. nate

    05.18.07 7:31 AM

    time for another status update…...

  69. AmberV

    05.18.07 10:26 AM

    Argh. February 28. So close, and I am dearly hoping I can use this weekend to play.

  70. rishabh

    05.18.07 11:40 AM

    me too, mine was f27 -)

  71. Sara

    05.18.07 5:13 PM

    I registered on February 16… and had a massive monthly review scheduled for this weekend, which I do not want to undertake unless I can use Omnifocus instead of the kGTD.

  72. Simon

    05.19.07 12:02 PM

    YES.

  73. thor einar

    05.19.07 5:41 PM

    Hey, I registrated at nov.16 but have not seen anything to omnifocus link and password yet.

  74. Geoff

    05.19.07 9:30 PM

    March 5… waiting with bated breath… any news of when it will be released to us (relatively) latecomers?

  75. Erik

    05.20.07 11:27 AM

    Well No email tonight so I guess I will just work with kGTD again this week. The videos are great but make the wait even harder. I hope Ethan doesn't make an iPhone video I couldn't take it.


    And so I wait…

  76. Max

    05.21.07 3:17 AM

    oh my gosh. i thought i am early with april registration.

    i found myself waiting for this app so hard, that i stopped using any GTD programs, including kGTD.

  77. Michel

    05.21.07 7:58 AM

    J'ai hâte, si omnifocus équivaut à omnioutliner pro, ça va être merveilleux! Je veux être bêta testeur!

  78. Sara

    05.22.07 11:14 AM

    Finally… a beta invitation for the next batch! Thanks, Omnigroup!

  79. Geoff

    05.22.07 11:30 AM

    Woohoo! Got my invite! Thanks Omni! That means they're at least through early March, fyi.

  80. Joel

    05.23.07 4:56 AM

    oooh - I am March 19 - should be soon! Can not wait! Too bad I didn't sign up on the list earlier - I have been watching from the beginning (including the AppleStore introduction at MacWorld this January).

  81. Klaus

    05.23.07 8:37 AM

    Well, I did not notice the subscription thingy until early May, despite checking for OminFocus news regularly. Serves me right, and it may serve you Marchers and Aprilers well to know that there is somebody behind you in that endless queue ...


    Boy, I'm not English, I hate to wait!

  82. Mike

    05.23.07 8:42 AM

    Any idea on when we're going to get around to those who signed up say…March 11th?

  83. joecab

    05.24.07 4:15 AM

    According to Michelle in the next message thread, people who signed up this month (like unfortunately me) have a few more weeks to go, so I assume that you'll be getting yours a lot sooner.

  84. Jason Lazzara

    05.24.07 5:19 AM

    Hi, I signed up on March 13th.  I am beginning to wonder if the email invitation was bounced by my server.  Is there any way for you to check?

  85. Zach

    05.24.07 10:12 AM

    Am I really still waiting for access to the beta software?


    :-)

     

  86. Joel

    05.24.07 11:00 PM

    Hopefully they will do a big wave today so we have something to play with over the long weekend!

  87. Clint Laskowski

    05.25.07 1:17 AM

    Come on! Everyone wants to try it. Just put it up somewhere and announce it to the list and let everyone have some fun this weekend. PUUURTY PLEEEAASE?

  88. Miles

    05.25.07 5:50 AM

    Wow.  I don't think I've ever been this eager to get my hands on a product before - and it's only in alpha! Any idea when I might be able to join the carnage? I signed up March 14th

  89. Dirk

    05.26.07 12:10 AM

    Looks interesting. I never thought about using a software to help me do this kind of thing, but I am open to be convinced.

  90. Zacharias

    05.26.07 11:38 AM

    This is fantastic! Just checked back in to see what you guys are up to… and signed up for the beta. Looking forward to putting this to use, I've been an Omni customer for years and know this will be another first-rate product.

  91. Troy Gunther

    05.28.07 8:25 AM

    Looking forward to trying it

  92. Mike

    05.28.07 12:52 PM

    Things have been pretty quiet lately.  Any word on how things are progressing?  When can we expect the next round of invites to go out?  (Waiting in great anticipation…)

  93. Mattias

    05.29.07 12:40 AM

    I registered on March 14. Now it's been 15 days since the beta launch started: This specific quote gave me a little too much expectations: “...For everyone else, over the next several days we’ll be expanding the sneaky peek pool, so hang in there—we’ll be in touch very soon.”


    Release. The. Software.


    I feel so nerdy to even care about this. A lot of my dignity has been lost by writing this message. ;-)

  94. Klaus

    05.29.07 6:04 AM

    Mattias—relax! You're still two full months ahead of yours truly, which is not unlikely to translate into about the same amount in additional waiting time for unhappy me. Omni have stated elsewhere that the feedback from the lucky few is already enormous, which means they are not so much in need of additional beta-testers.


    Which means that many of us will continue to wait, reconfiguring Mail so that the cherished invite will not be killed as spam, visiting this thread about twice a day (reality check: make this three times a day) to see where we stand, and whatnot.


    Geez. And there is no alternative package with sequential projects, which is all I'm drooling for now that my KGTD context lists are getting overwhelmingly long. (And, of course, Ethan killed true next action support in KGTD ages ago.) Bummer.

  95. Mattias

    05.30.07 9:14 AM

    I just got back from the pub with a friend. I got it. A little to tired to start tonight, but next morning will not be very difficult to wake to. First todo – wake up. Check out OmniFocus.

  96. Mike

    05.31.07 8:58 AM

    I signed up March 11th and my invite came yesterday—Thanks, Omni!!!!

  97. James

    06.01.07 3:45 PM

    Have fingers crosssed!

  98. Don

    06.02.07 5:12 AM

    Oh please Oh please.  Time pass quickly so we can attain greater focus in our work!!

  99. Hector

    06.05.07 1:40 AM

    It seems that all of us are a bunch of alpha geeks (or beta geeks?)

  100. Graham

    06.06.07 8:40 AM

    So much for signing up at Macworld, being a registered user, etc, etc.


    Nothing!

  101. [...] read more | digg story [...]

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