Google Calendar
Everyone loves Google. They have the best and the brightest writing their code and it shows. Unfortunately, they need to be all things to all people so their presentation is not quite as “beautiful” as Apple or 37 Signals… but it works. And it works well!
I often recommend folks start with Google and see how far they can take you.
Pros
Free!!!
Industry Standard (everyone loves Google)
Integrates with all Google products
Authorized users can subscribe
Authorized users can edit events
Authorized users can share their calendars
Excellent notifications
Cons
NOT private (Google reads your info)
NOT secure (Google can share your info if requested by law enforcement)
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mac.com
Apple makes a lovely calendaring solution. It is integrated into the operating system so anyone on a Mac can easily use the incredible calendaring engine. The software is a joy to use. It is the best thing out there in terms of ease of use and flexibility. Apple will release their new OS X 10.5 this month and with it comes a host of wonderful improvements to iCal.
Of course, if you are on a PC, you are out of luck unless you want to use the web-limited version which works, but is no better than Google. To share calendars on the web you need a single $100/year mac.com account.
Pros
Mac-based extremely flexible engine (best-of-breed and getting better this month with the release of OS X 10.5)
Authorized users can subscribe
Authorized users can share their calendars
Acceptable notifications
Cons
NOT secure (Apple can share your info if requested by law enforcement)
$100/year
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BackPackIt Calendar Movie
backpackit.com
37 Signals makes the best online applications on the planet. I L-O-V-E these guys. Their stuff is affordable and very, very well written. I can not recommend them enough.
That being said, Google is free and the industry standard. If backpackit.com helps you in other ways, use the calendar. If you do not need the backpackit.com services… go with Google or mac.com
Pros
Authorized users can subscribe
Authorized users can share their calendars
Integrates with all BackPackIt/37 Signals products
Acceptable notifications
Cons
NOT secure (37 Signals can share your info if requested by law enforcement)
$60/year
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http://yourdomain/wp
When all is said and done, we at YVOD are big Open Source and privacy advocates. As such, we care more about function than form (to put it mildly). You can do everything Google, Apple and 37 Signals offers… right on your own blog.
Is it as pretty? Nope. Is it as easy? Nope. But it is yours and you never have to worry about paying an additional fee or someone sharing your data with others. And because it is Open Source, upgrades are free and if you ever need to migrate to another service… you can take your data with you.
Now how is that for security? =)
Pros
Free!!
Private and secure (you own all content)
Integrated into your blog (blog plugin)
Authorized users can edit events
Authorized users can subscribe
Authorized users can share their calendars
Acceptable notifications
Cons
Not as robust as other offerings