DON'T BUY 1Password 3.9!

I never thought I'd hear myself utter those words. I've probably been one of AgileBits' most boisterous proponents, recommending 1Password for the past four years in every medium I possess. This blog, our MacTexan podcast and the MacNoob blog have all had posts and segments dedicated to 1Password evangalism. With the Mac App Store release of version 3.9 I must rebut myself.

When I got the email notification from AgileBits announcing the release of version 3.9, I was all too happy to spend twenty bucks for the privilege of downloading 1Password from the MAS. While there are few visible changes from version 3.8.5 (the most recent non-MAS version), the promise of a free upgrade to version 4 and automatic updating was more than enough reason for me to spring. Turns out, IT WAS A BAD IDEA! Version 3.9 is a giant step backwards from the usual error-free, reliable releases I've come to expect from the 1P guys. After installation I soon realized I was working from a very dated keychain database and the Dropbox support, while advertized, wouldn't work. When I tried to point version 3.9 to my keychain file stored in my Dropbox folder, the button for doing so was greyed out and nothing I did would change that. I spent countless hours fighting failed imports and corrupted databases before finally surrendering and reverting to the 3.8.5 version stored in a Time Machine backup. In the process, the 1P data on each of my iOS devices was FUBAR. Thankfully, Dropbox and Time Machine saved my bacon but I still don't have the new MAS version of 1Password I paid for. If you want my advice, DON'T UPGRADE YET.

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