In this post I will discuss 1Password first, created by Agile Web Solutions. Originally intended for the Mac only, they now offer a MS Windows solution as well, which is what I purchased. When I bought the program, I was under the impression that I needed to purchase the family licence for my multiple computers and also, I thought my husband Murray would be tempted to use it as well. When I found out that neither was the case, I contacted Agile and promptly received $20 back, with a friendly and personal message. I can't emphasize enough how delightful it is to know there are human beings behind a company... 1Password has that down pat.
Installation of the program was a breeze. I could not import my eWallet entries, the reason why was explained patiently in their forum. However, copying and pasting the information manually only took about an hour or less, so I wasn't too upset. I very much liked the way I could use Dropbox to not only sync between my desktop and netbook (which both eWallet and SPB Wallet do too), but with my Nexus One as well, albeit read-only on Android. Setting that up was a bit of a hassle and slightly buggy, but not annoyingly so.
1Password provides add-ons for IE, Firefox and Chrome (probably more, but I don't use anything else). What a vast improvement on both eWallet and SPB Wallet - 1Password actually resides in the background of the browser, and not only remembers your passwords, but offers to save new ones as well! The feature I have been patiently waiting for in eWallet for the past 8+ years!
However, there are a few drawbacks to 1Password which actually prevent me from using it full time. Remember, I am still talking about the Windows version, apparently the Mac version is miles ahead in that respect. One thing that unfortunately put me off, is the fact that EVERY TIME you accidentally close your browser, you need to re-log in.
A second feature I miss is the fact it does not auto-fill the fields such as login and password. When I tried to show Murray, my husband, how easy 1Password is, he just about pranced.
He is not conditioned by really inconvenient software such as eWallet, after all, so I made the mistake of wanting to show the conveniences of 1Password after he had clicked the X to exit Chrome to keep a clean desktop- a habit he can't be weaned out of. So, I started his browser, surfed to one of his forums, then clicked the 1Password icon, entered his master password, and then selected the login bar. He looked at me disgusted, and told me in no uncertain terms where I could put THAT piece of junk. He said it would be a hundred times quicker to just type in his username and password for that site... and I had not argument against it.
All in all however, I do like 1Password very much, and if they improve the usability a bit more, I might find myself back to using it again one day. Their forum is warm, friendly and helpful, and I get the impression the software is being worked on constantly. In the few weeks I tried 1Password, I got at least 3 updates, and all added useful and rather major features.
In conclusion, 1Password is a keeper - but not for my day-to-day use. For the moment I admit it is on the back burner and serves mainly as a backup for LastPass. However, as soon as Agile has implemented the features I need, I will probably find myself back with it. It is solid software, looks great and is a pleasure to use. It just lacks a few major features that I can't live without, and which LastPass does offer.... for now.
Nice post. I would like to add one thing though.
ReplyDelete"So, I started his browser, surfed to one of his forums, then clicked the 1Password icon, entered his master password, and then selected the login bar. He looked at me disgusted, and told me in no uncertain terms where I could put THAT piece of junk. He said it would be a hundred times quicker to just type in his username and password for that site... and I had not argument against it."
In regards to this comment, it sounds like you may not really using 1Password for it's original intent, which is increased internet security. 1Password not only stores all of your online information, but also helps you create very, very strong unique passwords for all of your sites.
For instance, I typically use a unique password for every single site with a password length of 32 characters. So, if any one site is ever compromised, I don't have to worry that the attackers can access other sites where I may have used the same password. That is the downfall for most online users, they may have a strong passwords, but they use the same password across multiple sites. Your strong password is only as strong as the weakest site that you use it one.
Therefore, in my case, it is a lot quicker to log into 1Password and have it fill in a password that is 32 characters in length than fill it in myself every time.
It certainly autofills for me: just login and password, but that is certainly what you want most of the time.
ReplyDeleteAside from being a password manager, you can create as many "identities" as you wish with 1Password, depending on how you would like to appear online. Other features include Account, Wallet and Secure Notes.
ReplyDeleteemail encryption