Cha-Ching: The First Nail in Quicken's Coffin?

One of the more common idea submissions for my ongoing software contest, My Dream App, was a "Quicken Killer" and ideas in a similar category. We had literally dozens submitted, and even a minor ruckus once people realized none had made it as a finalist. Why didn't we? Well, to be frank, it was decided that it would be difficult for a small development team to do properly in a relatively quick development cycle. Color me wrong, because Cha-Ching has done just that.

Currently in public beta as version 0.2, the first thing you'll notice when you download and launch this app is its impeccable presentation. Kudos to developer Juan Alvarez (this guy is hilarious, watch this video we shot at WWDC. And I swear if you watch the Keynote video, you'll hear him laughing in the background at points), and UI designer Krzysztof Wrosnki. This is a very pretty, very "OS X" app, and it's clear the team drew inspiration from Delicious Library's three-paned, custom control laden interface. And that's a good thing, because it works. (Delicious Library topped my Top Ten Beautiful OS X Apps list.) Continue reading...