Simple Software

Many of you have probably read about or used simple software. There is a long-standing debate - would you prefer a simple solution that includes fewer features or bloatware that has 10X what you need? The answer is that everyone wants simple features but the problem is that not everyone agrees on what those features should be, which the software companies then react to, developing bloatware to appeal to everyone. 37Signals has done a great job balancing this need to satisfy the need while delivering simplicity. I use their mini-CRM, Highrise, and their project management tool, Basecamp. Like most users, I have some grips - where is my Entourage Sync?!?!?....and why can't I forward email and assign it to someone OTHER than the original sender's contact info?!?!? But overall, the user experience and feature sets are excellent. And they offer an API, so theoretically, someone could fix the Highrise Entourage sync deficiency. Hell, maybe Beehive Media will look into creating a solution to make Highrise sync with Entourage!