"Things" vs Omnifocus....or any other software tool

[alsa]

Things' beta cloud sync is very strong. I essentially use the iPad to iPhone bypassing the Mac app completely. It takes a while to re-write/opy your data, but from then on --your're set!

[North]

The Hit List is stellar.

Actually I've switched to Things, because adding folders hasn't been implemented yet in the iPhone version of The Hit List. The Mac app can add folders which can then be synced to the iPhone app, but I don't have a Mac. Also, the developer is prone on going dark for long periods and either not keeping deadlines or refusing to indicate when a feature will be added, or saying anything at all to anyone.

Which is really too bad, because I think The Hit List is (otherwise) the better app, it even beats Things on its own turf: beauty and ease-of-use while still being fairly advanced for those who need that. But that said, Things is great as well, it's basically competition on elite level.

Oh, and I bought Toodledo at the recent discount. Just for kicks and getting to know what the options are.

[PeterW]

The Hit List looks nice although it doesn't have an online version which I'd need. I have a Mac at home, iPhone on the go and Windows at work, so a browser-based version would be nice to use at work.

I'm currently using Appigo's Todo (Mac, iPhone and Online).

[mattjans]

I couldn't see how to post a new topic so i replied here.

Does anyone use vitalist.com or know anything about it? Seems like a good site, but there isn't much site activity and the support posts are a couple years old.

I'm switching from Springpad.com due to their big let down today. I want something electronic, preferably online.

Other ideas welcome. Tx

[John_Hammond]

Things is one of the applications that make me envy Mac users from time to time.. I really wish that there was so stylish software for Windows..

[North]

Actually I've switched to Things, because adding folders hasn't been implemented yet in the iPhone version of The Hit List.

Okay, so just a few days ago I completed or moved the last items in The Hit List and made the final transitation to Things. But today The Hit List was updated, and now folders can be created. And not only that, you can create sub-folders as well, to any depth, which isn't possible in Things (a project within an area is the deepest you get). Now it's also possible to bundle tags with a collapse/expand functionality (Things have tags in hierarchy but no collapse/expand, so you get a long list). Plus the small things I already liked better in The Hit List (but Things got a few wins too).

Looks like I have to switch back, which is heart-wrenching because I love Things too and I just want us all to live happily together. Sigh. Lol.

[mrbobbo]

Before you start thinking about configuring your software, whatever it is, I think you should reflect on the point of GTD. I say this because Omnifocus, for example, will take up a lot of your time as you endlessly tweak it, trying to optimize, optimize, optimize. Trust me. Things has a simpler presentation and I have found it much less distracting. And I use it to manage several concurrent business projects: I'm a software project manager. It's not a replacement for project management software (and neither is Omnifocus). GTD is about not having to think. Omnifocus makes you think too much, IMHO.

A feature Omnifocus has that Things does not is the ability to use and present sequential actions in a project. Sounds great, but in reality I've found that most of what seem like sequential things are not really that sequential: they overlap and can be begun in parallel. Also, in real life, projects have multiple dependencies and a single line sequence doesn't capture the work. So you wind up ignoring sequential most of the time.

A feature Things has that Omnifocus doesn't is tagging. After two years of use, this has emerged as a key benefit. Omnifocus lets you categorize an item with two variables: its Project and its Context. But there is at least one more variable for many items: Person. And an item can relate to several people. Things has Projects and Tags. In Things if I have a Phone item for Project X and I need to call Bob and report the results to Bill, I put the item in Project X and tag it with tags Phone, Bill, and Bob. Now, if I run into Bob in the hallway, I search for the tag Bob and I know what to ask him. In Omnifocus the question would be buried in the Phone context and I'd lose the opportunity.

[mcogilvie]

. I want something electronic, preferably online.

Other ideas welcome. Tx

Toodledo or Remember the Milk, in that order.

[Noel]

I'm a little biased caused I developed it. But I got tired of trying to mold GTD into general purpose to-do apps like OmniFocus and Things so I made Purpose. Any program will have it's strength and weakness. It's all about the many design choices we make when we're making these programs. I made a decision right up front to not worry about making something that would have general mass appeal but instead focus like a laser beam on making something that works for GTD as seamless as possible. Nothing is going to be perfect. For example, I preferred the way Things does tagging (for Contexts) over OmniFocus's contexts.

It's true that you can do GTD with anything (such as pencil and paper) but the problem is that when you're starting out you're still learning a lot of what GTD is and the subtleties of all it's parts. In this early stage I think the wrong tool can make GTD harder to pickup if you'e not clear on it's concepts and how they inter-relate. In many ways, paper and pencil are better when you're starting out because they're less constricting and make you think more about the GTD methodology which is more important than any particular tool.

Anyway, don't want to get banned by the forum gods for mentioning my product so I'll stop there. Just throwing my two cents out there cause it was asked.

[Barb]

I'm a little biased caused I developed it. But I got tired of trying to mold GTD into general purpose to-do apps like OmniFocus and Things so I made Purpose. Any program will have it's strength and weakness. It's all about the many design choices we make when we're making these programs. I made a decision right up front to not worry about making something that would have general mass appeal but instead focus like a laser beam on making something that works for GTD as seamless as possible. Nothing is going to be perfect. For example, I preferred the way Things does tagging (for Contexts) over OmniFocus's contexts.

It's true that you can do GTD with anything (such as pencil and paper) but the problem is that when you're starting out you're still learning a lot of what GTD is and the subtleties of all it's parts. In this early stage I think the wrong tool can make GTD harder to pickup if you'e not clear on it's concepts and how they inter-relate. In many ways, paper and pencil are better when you're starting out because they're less constricting and make you think more about the GTD methodology which is more important than any particular tool.

Anyway, don't want to get banned by the forum gods for mentioning my product so I'll stop there. Just throwing my two cents out there cause it was asked.

I'm surprised to see anyone refer to Omnifocus as a "general purpose to-do app" when it so obviously was created by an expert GTD-er. I'm sure that's why it is one of only a few programs endorsed by the David Allen Co.