http://tinyplanetsoftware.com/

Thanks again, everyone, for your interest in Knapsack!

Cheers,
Brad Willoughby
TinyPlanet Software, LLC

I’m actually really excited to be able to not only organize upcoming trips, but document older trips and keep a tab on the places I’ve been and things I’ve done. Having said that, I’m in the process of planning a hiking trip across England so I have a few comments:
– Yes, iPhoto integration is key, and I want to be able to update my trip afterwards to include pictures I took while on the trip.
– More importantly, I want Google map integration BEFORE the trip for planning purposes. I know this is a priority for you, but I hope it’s one of the first.
– For a 2 week trip, multi-day documentation is necessary. Of course I don’t have the program yet, so I’ll have to check out what Jacqui is referring to.
– I’ve seen mentioned elsewhere that the software seems pricey. That is an argument to be made considering the current feature set, but I feel that it will be a great deal once you can implement the proposed features.

I also had a question regarding updates and fees, so thanks for answering that above! Thank you for being so helpful in other forums/blogs as well (I’ve seen a personal response on every site I’ve seen discussing Knapsack). This seems like an absolutely great program, and I can’t wait to get it once the iMac comes in.

I wonder about the future possibilities of uploading to .Mac or integration with an iWeb-site. That way, I could create my trip and share it with friends, and possibly add blog entries while on the road.

I love to plan for upcoming trips, and I love reliving them just as much. The planning aspect of this software is top-notch; very intuitive and attractive. If this were simply planning software I would have no complaints. However, it is also advertised for its ability to help you relive your trips, and this is where I feel the application falls short.

Here are a few recommendations that come to mind:

- It has been said enough that the map is not very good, and that google integration is a must. I’d like to put a “postcard” for multiple activities in one area, and with the current map it becomes a jumbled mess. For example, my wife and I went to France for our honeymoon and did many different activities in Paris. I made a postcard for each activity in paris and it’s very tricky having to click through all of the “pins” to find specific activities.

- I would like to be able to add a thumbnail picture for each activity in the itinerary view to help recollect the experience. The ability to sync with iPhoto would be great.

- It would be nice to be able to attach multimedia files, such as video, to help relive an activity. For example, we took many pictures as well as videos on our honeymoon. I’ve been having to substitute this option with writing “*see video*” under each activity.

- I like how specific you can be with where you have been by entering the longitude and latitude into the “Postcard”, but I’d like it to be easier. There are a few programs out there (memoryminer, houdahgeo, and, to a lesser extent, geophoto) that have built-in latitude/longitude finders (with google map integration) when you enter an address. I am very curious if this has been considered for Knapsack. I would rather be patient and watch Knapsack become the perfect companion for a traveler than have to spend my money on a separate application for a feature that seems like a “no-brainer” for what Knapsack wants to be.

That said, this software is one-of-a-kind and, as a proud owner, I am very excited to watch it grow. Is there an approximate date when we can expect the first update?

The name should be “Time-Traveler” or such so that it obviously lets you know 1. you will and are saving time by creating everything in one place and 2. it is a program specifically made for your traveling needs.

or how about:

Time-Travels

Destination complete

Traveler’s quest

The map isn’t bad, but Googler map intergration, or something more like it would be nice. Interesting, I need to fool around with it a bit more.

Jacqui:I’m glad you’re enjoying the nested checklist. Some of us are also very detailed list-makers and the nesting works wonderfully for that.

Also, that’s a great use of dragging activities. In fact, I just implemented your request to include activity details when dragging activities to a text editor in our development build and it’s working great from both the itinerary and the activity list. Expect this feature in the next release of Knapsack.

Feel free to send feature requests directly to us via our support email address which can be found on our help page: http://www.tinyplanetsoftware.com/help.html

Cheers,
Brad Willoughby
TinyPlanet Software, LLC

I’ve also now realized I can nest the to-do’s as many layers deep as I want, so that makes me happy. I write extremely detailed packing lists (listing out every single piece of clothing, toiletry bottle, etc. etc.), so the show/hide arrow is definitely my friend

I still like the idea of a dedicated packing list section, though.

I’ve found that I can drag Activities into a text editor, and the Activity title pastes itself in. Now if i could just get the whole description to do that, and for it to work on items from the day view, I’d be 3/4 of the way to having my blog written for me.

Thanks for the feedback. You list some great ideas, most of which we already have open tickets for since they’ve been requested by others Your issue around overnight activities is an interesting one. A possible workaround for now is to create an additional activity on the next day that starts at midnight.

As far as re-using checklists, you can do this now by creating your own “template” trips. For example, you could create a “packing lists” trip and add all your detailed packing lists into the checklist. Then, when you want to use one for a specific trip you can just select the list and copy & paste it into any other trip. You can also copy & paste activities between trips. Be creative in your use of Knapsack trips and trip groups … I’d love to hear what you come up with!

I hope this helps and thanks again for the feedback.

Cheers,
Brad Willoughby
TinyPlanet Software, LLC

First, let me say that the product is amazing. I’ve just quit my day job in December to become a freelance writer and travel with my husband. His work has kept him away more than home the last year. We returned from 2 months in Brazil in mid-March, immediately went to Portland, OR for a week, got a couple weeks at home, and now we’re back off to Brazil on Monday. (My apologies that I did a terrible job keeping my blog updated. I plan to do better this time!)

Now for the suggestions:
1) A better map, please (although I see the option to specify Lat/Long, and that does help me pin in the right place).
2) All that stuff about iCal & iPhoto integration sounds great.
3) May I add to that list blog support? I guess you’ll have to decide if you want to go for a Google or Tripadvisor intergeneration. Both have maps, and blogs and picture services you could work with. Either would be ok by me.
4) Possible bug: I can’t add an event that goes overnight! This was an immediate problem when I tried to add my flight from JFK to GRU. It lets you add it, but the time doesn’t ’stick’ – if you click back it resets the end time to match the start time.
5) This is sort of covered by the checklist feature, but I would love to see a dedicated packing list. One that I could save and reuse/update for future trips. Actually, I’d prefer to be able to save multiple packing lists (for places/climates that I will visit repeatedly)

The feature requests you pointed out – iCal integration, iPhoto integration, and Google Maps integration – are on the top of our list. In fact, we’re just now entering private beta testing for iCal integration which will be released soon in an upcoming version. We’re really blown away by all the positive feedback we’ve received since we released Knapsack less than a month ago and we’re looking forward to the new features as much as you are.

That said, we’d love to hear what your readers have to say and where they’d like to see Knapsack go. The four of us here at TinyPlanet Software created Knapsack because we love to travel and we love our Macs. I’m sure that many of your readers do, too, and have their own ideas for their ideal Mac travel tool. Let’s hear ‘em! Good luck, everyone!

Cheers,
Brad Willoughby
TinyPlanet Software, LLC