Estimated Due Date for GTD Outlook Plug-in???

[Guy Bjerke]

Any new information about when the GTD Outlook plug-in will be available? Looking forward to trying/using it.

[Anonymous]

I'd be very interested in an Outlook plug-in. Is one under development? I am considering buying the new FranklinCovey plug-in to see how their to-do list add-in works.

[dbcoyer]

If you do end up trying the new FC system, I would love to hear what you think of it. A lot of their earlier systems were junk, but the screenshots of the new system looks interesting.

--David

[JERE]

:roll:
I am trying it out. There are of course some quirks but nothing like their old stuff was, because this is more a plug-in not an application so to speak. The quirk is in Hot Syncing which requires more manual control over duplication.

But as far as getting the granular look into the work of our lives & the details and the 50000 ft view in Mission & Goals & Roles in a pleasing aesthic appearance I think they are closer than ever.

Might very well be worth a try.

(Hurry up DavidCo!) :?

[dbcoyer]

Jere,

Can you elaborate on the syncing?? Both the issues and the information. Is there an app they give you for your Palm/PPC or does it just sync to the standard apps? How well does the syncing work?
How about using it with GTD practices? Can they both live in the FC add-on?

Thanks,

David

[jkgrossi]

I figured that I'd give FC another shot after hearing about Plan Plus. I ordered the software about 5 days ago, but now I'm getting a little nervous because of all of the talk around duplicating tasks (huge problem with earlier versions of the software).

[whkratz]

I haven't actually used this addin, so I might be speaking out of turn. However, looking at the features and the online demo, it looks mostly like a restrictive repackaging and remarketing of a small subset of Outlook's inherent capabilities. Maybe it's a little flashy, but it doesn't look like it can do anything you couldn't do on your own with Outlook.

Their own marketing hype says "PlanPlus will move you past just scheduling and e-mail." That's a blatant ploy to make us think that Outlook's capabilities are limited, which is far from the truth. If you need proof, please visit my GTD with Outlook website at http://home.attbi.com/~whkratz/. There I present just the "tip of the iceberg" with regards to Outlook's GTD capabilities.

I have tried and tested many Outlook addins and enhancements over the years, and I've gotten a sense of what to investigate thoroughly and what to ignore. I'll pass on "PlanPlus for Outlook", especially for implementing successful GTD.

Regards.....whkratz
http://home.attbi.com/~whkratz/

[JERE]

8) I agree that this PlanPlus is nothing more than enhancement. But isn't Windows itself just a graphical user interface of DOS?
What I really mean is that I really appreciate the 'atmosphere' of the 7 Habits environment & Outlook alone is really too sterile.
I have implemented http://home.attbi.com/~whkratz/ PROJECTS FOLDER & see the benefit & have also just downloaded the TASKLINE to check it out.

What I am getting at is that I am still looking for the ultimate system & all this 'stuff' reminds me that David Allen said early on that all of this GTD can be done on 'the backs of old envelopes with stubby pencils' - hey what more is a Franklin Paper Planner?

Now in specific regard to the Hot Sync issue I believe I have it down pretty well to a science. I virtually use to computers in one because I have a work partition & home partition that use the same Outlook.pst in it's own partition [too bad of experience in July with HDD Crash]. I just have to remeber to open the Hot Sync on the Taskbar & choose Desktop Overwrites Handheld if that is where I made the latest change or vice versa. Do I like it like that? No But I can handle it for now. Do I like wasting time & money on software from FC. Geez I must :oops: why else would I get suckered into this stuff, :wink:

[Cikub]

PlanPlus is what Franklin Covey should have been producing all along. I have not had a chance to really get into it yet, but I think they've done a commendable job. Believe me, there are a lot of people (me included) that expected just another FC bomb, but there has been a lot of praise even from some of the most jaded folks. Nobody *needs* an Outlook plug in, but to say that you can do the same thing by yourself in Outlook is like saying there is no reason to buy a paper planning system when you can use a blank sheet of paper and a pencil to customize it yourself. It's not the same.

[Anonymous]

I have been trying to find out from FC if they have updated their Palm apps along with PlanPlus, but have recieved no answer. Does anybody know what has happened. It was the Palm apps that irritated me.

Gordon

[Guy Bjerke]

Gee...I didn't think I was asking that tough a question. David Allen posted on the old board that the GTD Outlook plug-in would be out sometime in September. I thought David or Jason would have chimed in by now to give us the latest scoop...

[Anonymous]

I be very interested in that answer as well. It would really reinforce my effort to implement GTD on a daily basis, rather than a new tool, i.e. ECCO, or system such as the FC plug-in.

[Anonymous]

per David's original response--they're using an outside company to develop the plugin for them--

my guess is the outside company probably suggested the idea in the first place ...but maybe not :wink:

[felixc]

I've been using planplus for a few weeks and I'm sure my thinking will evolve.

Planplus is signficantly better than the old Franklin Planner for Outlook software which was just very problematic. Planplus is an improvement however I do have a couple concerns.

First, the overall user interface for both Planplus and the Palm apps are not as smooth. One of the philosophical tenets of the GTD approach is having a single interface that you can look at. With the Franklin apps (FC) the appointment schedule is still separate from the task list. There is an agenda view which will display daily tasks in line with appointments but it is not a functional view. You cannot create tasks from that view.

Second, FC uses the basic outlook functions but still has a standalone app for the task list which forces use of a separate datebook function (Datebk or any of the other 3rd party palm apps won't be able to read from the FC task list.)

Third, hotsyncing is incredibly slow. It easily takes fifteen minutes to sync. I've had it go as long as an hour for a sync. And this is after the initial sync. Also, it won't sync with outlook as long as it is open. You have to close outlook in order for it to sync.

These are my initial thoughts. I'll post more as I think about it. But overall, it just doesn't reach the "mindless" (that's a good thing) state that David Allen advocates. To me, the ability to work with your PIM in an efficient manner is one of the keys to success.

Quick history: I was previously using GTD with outlook and a palm based on the David Allen guide. I would probably get rid of PlanPlus and switch back if I could think of an effective way to integrate high-level goals into the GTD system.

[Anonymous]

Felixc,

Thanks for the review. It sounds like it still has a ways to go :(

>>Quick history: I was previously using GTD with outlook and a palm based on the David Allen guide. I would probably get rid of PlanPlus and switch back if I could think of an effective way to integrate high-level goals into the GTD system.

Amen to that that thought. I am in the exact same boat. Sounds like a great topic for a new thread :D

--David

[jkgrossi]

I'm kinda in the same boat. I just installed PlanPlus last night, and I'm running into many of the same issues as Felix. In addition, I do most of my planning @ work where we use Lotus notes for e-mail and group scheduling. I have Outlook installed just for planning, however, PlanPlus will not install unless Outlook is set up as your default mail client.

I'm going to mess around with it for another day or so, and if I can't tune it to my liking I will get rid of it. I started another thread asking users about features that they would like to see in a "GTD" Outlook add-in just to get a feel for what such a system would look like.

[whkratz]

Felixc & Others -- When you say "effective way to integrate high-level goals into the GTD system", I assume you really mean integrating into an Outlook implementation. What sort of functions are you actually looking for? List functions, help with planning (if so, what sort of help), reminders, aids to focusing?

There's a good chance that a "plug-in" isn't needed, and that your requirements could be met by tweaking normal Outlook.

Looking forward to your replies and ideas.

Best Regards.....Bill Kratz

P.S. for Guy -- I'm sorry. I know this still has nothing to do with your original question.

[MattZ]

FYI, David announced in the Dallas seminar last week that the Outlook plug-in should be (famous last words!) release sometime in October, so it won't be much longer now. It will come bundled with the GTD/Outlook document.

Matt

[felixc]

I might have missed it because I was scanning pretty fast but what are the details on this outlook plug-in?

The more I use PlanPlus the more I think I'll go back to the GTD setup.

The hotsync times are abominable with PlanPlus. Even via USB, it takes a minimum of twenty minutes versus less than a few minutes with the normal outlook conduit.

Plus, I'm never fully confident that items will be fully synced properly because the Franklin conduits crash occasionally.

[felixc]

Felixc & Others -- When you say "effective way to integrate high-level goals into the GTD system", I assume you really mean integrating into an Outlook implementation. What sort of functions are you actually looking for? List functions, help with planning (if so, what sort of help), reminders, aids to focusing?


For me, it was an issue with managing my tasks (or tracking others' actions) across the span of the project.

I saw your site on GTD for outlook. It looks great.

[Guy Bjerke]

MattZ - thanks for the information.

For everyone else's information...here's the two posts by David Allen on the old forum about the GTD Outlook Plug-in...

Yes, indeed, we've been in a joint venture with NetCentrics (Washington DC)to create an Outlook-specific add-in for GTD. They had already done a nice job on their own of creating a way to simplify the in-basket; and they hooked up with us to refine it more completely for GTD. It's in beta testing now, should be available sometime in September. Stay tuned. David Allen 8/16/02

The Outlook add-in seems pretty bullet-proof. It's been in beta testing at Goldman Sachs, and there's hardly a tougher crowd. It's really a seriously magnificently glorified macro within the Outlook development environment that reconfigures the Task view per GTD, and adds a button bar above the in-basket to manipulate your e-mails elegantly. It's also going to grab any Project in the Project category in your Tasks for a drop-down which you can use to connect with any new task or email. It'll then give you an extra Project View that'll show'em to you that way. Dean Hering, the partner at NetCentrics, is as bright and savvy a GTD convert and Outlook expert as they come. David Allen 8/17/02

Best regards,
Guy Bjerke

[JERE]

So I wonder & rambleon... :P , what will the cost of the plug-in be?
I've already spent my $107 for overnight from Franklin Covey & have found all of my workarounds so that my issues & Syncs are doing well.
I wonder if the two will be compatable for in whole or in part!? :roll: Probably asking for real trouble. :? I really do appreciate the Mission & Compass modules & the Quick Prioritize - but :oops: I just may have to grow up here & trust the process David Allen states we need to have in our systems and maybe there will be a special handling of FOCUS AREAS where the mission & other value based 50000 ft views are kept. :?:

[Guy Bjerke]

OK. It's time for David Allen to prove he occasionally reads this board. What's the scoop on the GTD Outlook plug-in? Is MattZ correct? Is there an October timeline? Any clarificaton on pricing? Is it going to be bundled with a "new" Outlook manual? Is the Next Action for this project on your list or someones' at NetCentric? We can take it - let us know...

[pstmstr]

I was also at the Dallas Seminar and David mentioned the plug in would most likely be out in October. He also clarified that by stating the obvious, with software development and beta testing, release dates are estimates. I think it will be a great product and don't mind waiting a little while longer for a bug free version.

[JERE]

:x :roll: :idea: :) I got rid of it [Plan Plus + headache - take two aspirin & call David in the morning]!

I use David's Microsoft guide & this PROJECTS SETUP http://home.attbi.com/~whkratz/ to clean up & am, with provisional, anticipatory, tolerance I await until Davidco 'says' their plug-in is ready & that, is based upon the credibility he [David] has established thusfar!


So I wonder & rambleon... :P , what will the cost of the plug-in be?
I've already spent my $107 for overnight from Franklin Covey & have found all of my workarounds so that my issues & Syncs are doing well.
I wonder if the two will be compatable for in whole or in part!? :roll: Probably asking for real trouble. :? I really do appreciate the Mission & Compass modules & the Quick Prioritize - but :oops: I just may have to grow up here & trust the process David Allen states we need to have in our systems and maybe there will be a special handling of FOCUS AREAS where the mission & other value based 50000 ft views are kept. :?:

[Jason Womack]

For more info, please visit our website:

www.gettingthingsdone.com

[JERE]

Got it; Like it; 'nuff said.

[neilhedley]

Wish I could get it - the download link is broken.

I hope it's functional soon; I've been excited about the add-in since they announced it was on the horizon.

--N

[scott.adams]

I have the plugin. It is worth the money.

[neilhedley]

Okay, link is working this morning - just downloaded it, and I'm ready to go.

It's like Christmas came early, ya know? Is that a typical techno-geek response? Or am I the only one who's this excited that the plugin came out?

--N