Merlin - Project Management App Reviews

After purchasing Merlin with the web and iOS sharing modules, Im disappointed with the functionality of this app and most of all the stability. First your computer has to be on, connected to the Internet and running Merlin to make any changes on the iOS version. The Gantt chart does not show dependancies and orders groups and projects based on start time and not how you have them in your actual plan, but the worst problem is that the app crashes all the time. It seems to be most stable right after a sync. I believe they have a good product here, but it needs a lot of attention, especially frustrating considering what you have to pay to use it.

Doesnt do ANYTHING without a Merlin server.

This little app may be free - and it may even work well - but remember that its completely useless without buying an _additional_ (and rather expensive) Merlin license for iOS sharing.

Dont want the hot-dog for free if there is nothing on it...!

Not work on 3.0 and 2.7.1

This is a very good start for mobile Project Manager. But this app does not allow to alter the task dates by simply dragging the bars, and critical paths arent shown. The gantt chart view is also slow. This app is just so far behind than its desktop version in terms of intuitiveness & ease of use. Anyway, support it and waiting for future updates. Hope it will turn out to be a great app in future!

Merlin is a real lifesaver for us. Project management in Mac style and the addition of an iPhone application just confirms this. Two thumbs up!!

While I have worked with Merlin projects remotely with a mobile device while on the go, by using the Web Module to view projects in a browser, having this iPhone solution for quick mobile access along with an easy-to-follow user interface is a great addition to the product. The new UI footprint is superb and having a gantt display is a major thumbs-up. In fact, I am already finding myself quickly looking up project status with my iPhone rather than viewing Merlin on my Mac. Being able to view Merlin projects off-line also delivers great performance...I only need to connect to sync and update data, which doesnt take much time at all to do.

We use Merlin for modifying MS Project files for our clients and then export back to MS Project - when we saw that the iPhone version was available, we jumped on it - frustrating part is that while none of our Merlin projects are password controlled, the iPhone version insists we enter password information. Needless to say the path forward from there is very short. Good start though, but the documentation could be a little more illuminating!

I was able to connect and load my Merlin projects on my iPod touch without any problem, and Im really impressed with the features for the initial release. I was expecting nothing more than a simple list view type app to be quite honest, so discovering the inspector view, working with elements, and especially the gantt chart view were all a pleasant surprise. I would definitely recommend this for anyone seeking a mobile app for project management.

I have been waiting for weeks to finally use merlin iphone. I was so excited to install...I have been using the desktop trial while deciding between two PM/GTD software programs. Alas! But now comes the hard part, getting it to work. The manual doesnt explain much if you dont have a dedicated IP your out of luck, the web instructions are even worse. Its been 2 days and only once did I get my project connected and that was via wifi on a local network. To give it a fair shot I thought it was just me and that I was doing something wrong. After countless emails to the support team & several forum posts, I find that with my basic airport network running DHCP, I cannot successfully access my computer if I am not on the same network with it. We dont have a firewall! Whats the point of paying $60+ to access a network computer right next to me? I love the software and really want to use it. Maybe soon I will get full instructions or someone that can help... Shouldnt be this hard! Sadly disapponted.

Ive been using Merlin on my Mac for a little over a year, have owned an iphone for 2, Im very happy to now have the ability to combine the two and work and access my projects while on the road, the wireless connectivity and work anywhere convenience is really what makes this app so great.

"The iPhone sharing demo does not support projects with more than 40 activities. You need a iPhone sharing license to fully enable iPhone sharing. You can buy licenses in our online store." And how much does that license cost? US $65.

Would be outstanding if syncing were via MobileMe - take a look at how Omnifocus achieves this!!

I wish I could rate it but I cant because the big project Im using Merlin for has more than 40 activities. Dont make us pay 65 dollars more just to use this program on the iphone, thats not fair.

I just paid $210 for a Merlin license and now they want me to spend another $65 just so I can look at my project on a tiny little iPhone screen? I dont think so. Id pay $10 for this app but beyond that its just not worth it to me. Ive deleted it from my phone.

I paid $65 for this apps license to be able to edit projects on the road. Guess what? I cant. I can only edit project while connected to my computer through my local network, in which case my computer is next to me so it doesnt make sense to use the iPhone. It has a lot features that make it very useful but if you cant edit projects offline and then sync to your computer then its not worth it.

Set everything up but every time my iPhone accesses the Merlin file my MacBook crashes!! Whats up with that?! A fix would be nice to make me happy. Hopefully someone reads these remarks and makes some changes to this app. It has potential to make some money if it was done properly.

$65 is just too expensive on top of $210 for the app itself. Especially since you cant work offline on the iPhone and sync up changes via MobileMe or an equivalent.

What I love = having my project in my pocket, being able to view gantt chart and activities. An absolute great thing. = that I may be able to change project info on the iPhone (but may need tricky config) What I am missing = search. Id love to be able to search for a certain activity and look up its status, expected finish time etc. I am in my boss office and he wants to know about a task… on the small screen, it can take a while to find that in a large project…. search to the rescue. = when taping on a lowest level activity, I get an empty screen. Id expect to get the same as when clicking on the blue arrow, e.g get the inspector. = A better explanation on how to setup the connection if you are behind a NAT router. Ive mostly used it with bonjour, and that seems fine.