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Task Management Interfaces: Outlines, "Contexts", Tags, and Areas
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Posted by Ike Washington
Jan 24, 2009 at 02:47 PM
Palm does seem to be history. There is a Bonsai version for Windows Mobile now. And the desktop version has the same feature set as the palm version, is just as well designed.
It does worry me that Palm makes life difficult for developers, isn’t the easiest platform to build on. I’d move to an iPhone, Blackberry etc but I just can’t afford the time or energy needed to switch just now. It’s one thing playing around with photo management software, say. Quite another to mess with my time management routines. Yeah, locked in…
Ike
Randall Shinn wrote:
>When I was using a Palm I thought Bonsai was one of the best
>designed task management programs I had ever seen. I especially liked the option of
>mixing check boxes and progress bars within the same outline.
Posted by Randall Shinn
Jan 24, 2009 at 02:53 PM
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
>The power for any of application of this type is providing flexibility in viewing its
>contents. Outline view is great in many ways, but it is restrictive, as well.
>Tags/contexts can allow smart folders to filter for specific items, but is also, by
>design, restrictive. What I would like to see is an outliner with columns, which can
>have a “flat view”—that is, the hierarchy revmoved—and then be able to sort and sub
>sort on the various columns.
The developers of Things are taking the restrictions of outlining very seriously in considering how to offer “nesting.” If you go to this link http://culturedcode.com/things/wiki/index.php/Future_Features, and then go to the “here” link about halfway down the page, you’ll find a discussion of how they are trying to avoid burying tasks deep in outlines while still providing subprojects and subareas.
Given their already substantial user base and their careful, well-thought-out approach to adding features, I have a lot of respect for the way Cultured Code is operating as a business. By that I partially mean that I suspect they will survive and do high quality work. The way the world is at the moment, for a software company simply to keep developing and offering their product seems a major accomplishment.
Randall
Posted by Jan Rifkinson
Jan 24, 2009 at 05:21 PM
Hmmmm. Wonder about Palm Pre—getting great reviews. Designed by former iPhoner
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/08/palm-pre-in-depth-impressions-video-and-huge-hands-on-gallery/
http://www.palm.com/us/
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aC2I.kb1DIjo&refer=us
With the Best Buy development, it may get a wider play, create more purchases, interest & 3rd part software
—
Jan Rifkinson
Ridgefield CT USA
Ike Washington wrote:
>Palm does seem to be history. There is a Bonsai version for Windows Mobile now. And the
>desktop version has the same feature set as the palm version, is just as well designed.
>
>
>It does worry me that Palm makes life difficult for developers, isn’t the easiest
>platform to build on. I’d move to an iPhone, Blackberry etc but I just can’t afford the
>time or energy needed to switch just now. It’s one thing playing around with photo
>management software, say. Quite another to mess with my time management routines.
>Yeah, locked in…
>Ike
>
>Randall Shinn wrote:
>>When I was using a Palm I thought
>Bonsai was one of the best
>>designed task management programs I had ever seen. I
>especially liked the option of
>>mixing check boxes and progress bars within the same
>outline.
>
Posted by Stephen Zeoli
Jan 24, 2009 at 07:03 PM
Ike Washington wrote:
>I’m surprised at the lack of interest in Bonsai. Doesn’t anybody else use
>it? Doesn’t it fit your requirements, Steve?
I had been a long time user of ListPro, which is very similar to Bonsai, so I mostly have not looked into Bonsai before. Because I no longer use a handheld device—I have had both a Pocket PC and a Palm—I have not really used ListPro much recently. I will look again at Bonsai, and reassess using the ListPro desktop application.
Steve Z.
Posted by Cassius
Jan 25, 2009 at 06:18 AM
Projects and, indeed, much problem solving, requires simultaneous tasks and feedback. I don’t see how a “flat” view supports this. Also, based on what I’ve seen on the “Rationale” Web page, it doesn’t seem to either.
While I am not particularly fond of flow charts, I think a graphical view of processes is often needed. And, while Inspiration is not the easiest to use, its ability to (at least partially) link an outline and a graph can be useful.
-c