What Is Mac Project Management Software? Is a Cloud-Based PM System Right for You? Common Mac PM Software Capabilities Key Considerations. What Is Mac Project Management Software? Native Mac products are designed to run on the Apple operating system, and provide a consistent user experience across Apple devices. Oct 12, 2016 You can try Project Planning Pro for Mac. It is the No 1 project management app on iPad and we recently released it for Mac. @vickifromtregeagle yes you can import your MS project plan in Planning Pro. We will give out promo codes to the first 5 users.
Developer(s) | Solosoft, Claris |
---|---|
Initial release | 1984 |
Stable release | Pro 1.5 / 1993 |
Operating system | System Software 6, System 7 |
Type | Project management software |
License | Proprietary |
MacProject was a project management and scheduling business application released along with the first Apple Macintosh systems in 1984. MacProject was one of the first major business tools for the Macintosh which enabled users to calculate the 'critical path' to completion and estimate costs in money and time. If a project deadline was missed or if available resources changed, MacProject recalculated everything automatically.
MacProject was written by Debra Willrett at Solosoft, and was published and distributed by Apple Computer to promote the original Macintosh personal computer. It was developed from an earlier application written by Debra Willrett for Apple's Lisa computer, LisaProject. This was the first graphical user interface (GUI) for project management. There were many other project management applications on the market at the time, but LisaProject was the first to simplify the process by allowing the user to interactively draw their project on the computer in the form of a PERT chart. Constraints could be entered for each task, and the relationships between tasks would show which ones had to be completed before a task could begin. Given the task constraints and relationships, a 'critical path', schedule and budget could be calculated dynamically using heuristic methods.
One of the early proponents of MacProject was James Halcomb, a well known expert in the use of the Critical Path Method. Having supervised hand-drawn network diagrams for countless complex projects, Halcomb immediately recognized the promise of the WYSIWYG graphical interface and computerized calculation of the critical path. Using a Lisa computer housed in a case designed to fit under an airplane seat, Mr. Halcomb traveled the United States demonstrating this new technology in his CPM courses. In consultation with the software's developers he authored the book Planning Big with MacProject, which introduced a generation of Mac users to PERT and CPM.
In December 1987, an updated version of MacProject, called MacProject II, was introduced as a part of Claris's move to update its suite of Mac office applications.
In 1991, Microsoft Project was ported to the Macintosh from Microsoft Windows and became MacProject's main competitor. However, after the release of version 3.0 of Microsoft Project in 1993, Microsoft terminated support of the Macintosh release.
MacProject 1.0 is not Y2K-compliant as it cannot schedule tasks past 1999.
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When MS Project Doesn’t Work on a Mac…
Most project managers have endured Microsoft Project. For years, it was an industry standard tool, even though it was (and is) difficult to use.
Whether using MS Project for desktop or MS Project Server, the problems of the tools are legendary. The calculations are confusing and overly complex. Sharing files requires add-on tools like Sharepoint. It’s non-collaborative, meaning only PM Pros can use it.
And it’s costly. MSP Desktop can cost $1200 per license. And MS Project Server, can easily start at $100k for an install.
For Mac users, MS Project is a non-starter. It simply doesn’t work, leaving many looking for an alternative solution.
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Mac users also love the easy-to-use interface and collaboration tools that allow teams anywhere in the world to work together. Plus, our iOS app for mobile phones and tablets supports on-site visits with clients, field updates, or even working on your tasks in your pajamas.
See why Mac users recommend ProjectManager.com over other tools.
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ProjectManager.com is a cloud-based project management software that exists entirely online. Manage your projects on any computer with any web browser, including Safari. As long as you have access to an internet connection, you have access to your projects.
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Simple to Use
Our complete project management platform gives Mac users everything they need to plan, schedule, track and collaborate on projects from start to finish. Create task lists, build project plans, schedule teams, and report on your project progress — all from your mac.
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Mac Management Software
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