Am I the only one here who thinks they've actually done a good job with this transition? I've been a long-time (paying) user of Basecamp and the entire 37 Signals suite, and I think Basecamp needed to be revamped long ago.
I actually like that they've created a brand new experience/product, and have given everyone ample time (90 days) to evaluate whether or not they like it. I also thought the FAQ was clear, and the transition process was well explained.
As for the loss of time tracking that a few people have complained about... If you're really that serious about time tracking, you shouldn't be using the extremely limited time tracking capabilities of Basecamp Classic anyway. We use Harvest and integrate it with our Basecamp account, and it's a perfect setup for us. I always thought time tracking seemed like a "nice to have" feature of Classic.
It feels kind of weak to me. 37sigs used to be very vocal and strong about what they believed. "Here's our way, and you'll like it or not". This seems like they are really couching their bets... If no one likes the new one, they won't have lost their cash cow, if they do like the new one, they've made an easier transition for others.
I'm afraid what actually will happen is 45-50% will be on the new Basecamp, and 50% on the old, and it will be confusing to clients who sometimes use the old, sometimes use the new, etc... Will be interesting to see how it plays out, as with everything 37sigs does, it's innovative and if it works I wouldn't be surprised to see more people taking a similar approach.
Interesting point about clients being confused with two different versions... Although it's a remote possibility, I could see it being confusing for someone who works with one vendor who swears by Classic and another who has migrated up to Next.
I also agree that this could be seen as inconsistent with their stance on making opinionated software. However, I put myself in their shoes and see only a couple of options - you either revamp Basecamp with a new design/user experience and risk a huge backlash from your customer base, or you build a brand new product and give people the choice. I'd go with the latter option.
Minor update/edit to this note about the transition if anyone from 37 Signals is listening...
I just noticed that the Launchpad bar at the top of each page lists both Basecamp and Basecamp Classic when you're in the new Basecamp, but if you switch over to Classic you lose the quick link to the new Basecamp.
It would be nice during the trial to have the ability to switch back and forth easily from the Launchpad page/bar. This is a minor thing, but it would help me easily show my team the differences between Classic and Next because I know it will take a bit of "selling" them on it before we can fully make the transition.
Both links are also labeled "Basecamp Projects." I could see that causing some confusion with other people on my account.
I actually like that they've created a brand new experience/product, and have given everyone ample time (90 days) to evaluate whether or not they like it. I also thought the FAQ was clear, and the transition process was well explained.
As for the loss of time tracking that a few people have complained about... If you're really that serious about time tracking, you shouldn't be using the extremely limited time tracking capabilities of Basecamp Classic anyway. We use Harvest and integrate it with our Basecamp account, and it's a perfect setup for us. I always thought time tracking seemed like a "nice to have" feature of Classic.