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A plea to smartphone & web 2.0 developers
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Posted by Ken
May 11, 2011 at 08:05 PM
As I have an out of town trip coming up later this month, I remembered that I did not move my packing and preparation lists off of my Sony Clie before it lost charge on me and did a hard reset on me several months ago. Granted, I do have most of this information on the old PC that this machine synched with, but it too is on its last legs. While it will be less than fun extracting this data, the bigger question for me is where these lists should now live. I am currently using an Android smartphone, and it has been carrying a number of task list apps that I have yet to really find useful. As each one seemed a bit lacking, I never bothered to try and put one into use on a regular basis. However, with my trip looming, I spent some time last night critically looking at these apps to try and see if one, or possibly two, would work for my needs. As the apps began to blur in my eyes and my mind, my requirements started to become clearer. It seemed that each of the half dozen or so apps had a piece of the puzzle, but none of them held enough pieces to be declared a winner. So, since I imagine that some app developers may be lurking here, I am going to list four key features that, combined, I think would make the ideal task list application. As I stated, all of these features exist in current applications, but I have yet to find an application that has them all. If you happen to know of one that meets my needs, please let me know.
—Web-based companion app for synching (and possibly a PC and/or Mac client)
Let’s face it, nobody likes to enter large amounts of data on a smartphone. Having access to a task manager on the web (or PC) is, IMHO, essential if you are doing lots of typing, or copying/moving data. I know that some apps allow you to use USB to allow access of files on the phone’s memory card, but this is not a substitute for a web-based application.
—Subtasks
While many can live without them, I find at least two levels essential. For instance, if I am packing clothes, I may need to bring several types of pants or shirts for a combined business/pleasure trip. I do not want a flat list of all of my items. I can imagine needing two levels of tasks for much of my life. And, if it is not needed, I do not have to use it.
—Durable lists
I would appreciate either/or both the ability to use a template to easily create a one-off list and the ability to globally uncheck all items. Good lists are used and re-used, and need to be durable and easily accessible for the next time they are needed.
—Reminders
While I many not need reminders when packing my clothes, I do need reminders to stop the newspaper in advance of my trips, as well as many other mundane tasks. My phone is a productivity tool, and it needs to be my “administrative assistant”. Looking at a list of tasks after they need to be handled is not productive.
I am sure that with more time and thought I could add to this list. But, I am hoping that soon I can find a well-built app that meets all of these criteria. This combination could probably be mimicked with two apps, as that was how it was handled on my Clie, but I do not think that I have raised the bar too high for developers.
—Ken
Posted by MadaboutDana
May 12, 2011 at 08:11 AM
What about:
Ultimate To-Do List (http://www.todolist.co/), syncs with Toodledo, supports subtasks etc. Works on either smartphone or tablet (with special tablet view).
MLO sounds perfect, too, except that it currently doesn’t do web (does do desktop client, though). There’s an Android Beta available.
Cheers,
Bill
Posted by MontrealFan
May 12, 2011 at 02:35 PM
I’ve been lurking on this list for a while, but finally had to post to add my two cents worth about My Life Organized.
I am really pleased by this program - I had tried many of the other packages recommended on this forum, and this is the one that finally meets most of my needs. The outline view allows me to create project folders; each folder includes my tasks (and subtasks) as well as other information about the project. The ToDo view displays my tasks organized by date, by priority, etc. (The user can force a sort-by-context in the Todo view by using a context-specific symbol at the beginning of each task.)
I have added specific days of the week as contexts, which allows me to plan my week. I can quickly filter to see all my tasks for a particular day, and I can see when I have too much on my plate by looking at the the number of tasks for each context (day). I would love to see a second context field or a user-defined field that allows me to separate GTD contexts from day-of-the-week contexts, but right now I just attach two contexts for each task.
I have access to my tasks on-the-go by syncing to the iphone/ipad version of the software (cloud based synchronization; a wi-fi sync is also available now). The mobile versions are not as powerful as the desktop version, but they allow me to reference my lists when I need them. Printing filtered todo lists is also easy, although there are few options for changing the formatting of the printout.
In response to Ken’s other requests, there is a reminder function. I believe you can also have durable lists; checked-off todo items are still available in the outline view (they are usually filtered out in the to-do view). If you set an advanced option for do-not-archive this branch, the items will remain accessible. When you need to reactivate the list, uncheck the completed box to make the tasks active.
I also synchronize my MLO tasks with Outlook (desktop-based synchronization). I have just started using MLO with some of Michael Linenberger’s strategies for using Outlook (Master your workday now!) and the ClearContext Outlook add-in. MLO’s Outlook sync makes the integration pretty easy and the system seems to be working. I feel more on top of things now that everything is in one system (MLO) rather than having emails piling up in my inbox with implicit tasks hidden throughout, plus a separate task list.
MLO’s interface is not as slick as some of newer programs, there is no direct access to your database from the web, you can’t embed links or browse files or web pages (as far as I know),and I would love to see a real integrated calendar view that shows appointments and tasks (similar to the view in Outlook 2010). But I am quite willing to live without these in order to have a stable, reliable system with great functionality.
Best,
Lisette
Posted by Ken
May 12, 2011 at 09:24 PM
MadaboutDana wrote:
>What about:
>
>Ultimate To-Do List (http://www.todolist.co/), syncs with
>Toodledo, supports subtasks etc. Works on either smartphone or tablet (with special
>tablet view).
Bill,
I am a Toodledo user, and am using it in conjunction with GotToDo as well as Pocket Informant. UTD is very similar in concept to GotToDo, and I looked at it some time ago, but decided not to switch. As I am beginning to pack for my trip, I will give it consideration. GotToDo is not exactly what I want for packing, but it is a great for many other uses.
Thanks,
—Ken
Posted by Ken
May 12, 2011 at 09:25 PM
Lisette,
Thanks for the hearty recommendation. I was hoping for a web-based app, but will give MLO’s Android app a look.
—Ken