This is a follow-up to a blog post I wrote last year, about using GTD with Outlook 2007. (Find out more about me here). That post got a lot of feedback and seemed to generate readership. It was wonderful to have a dialogue with developers working on solutions and with Outlook users looking for a solution.
I recently started using a MacBook Pro at my new job (you can find out more about my background). I absolutely love it!
But one thing is proving to be a difficult task: finding the right GTD application that I can use both with my laptop and with my iPhone. Let me explain what I am looking for:
- Dependent Tasks: I want to use my GTD app to plan multi-step projects in the David Allen methodology. I need a way to see which tasks I have to do next (next actions) and which actions can be undertaken after the next actions are completed.
- Next Actions by Context: This is especially important on my iPhone. I need to be able to see all of the tasks I can complete when I have 20 minutes to make calls, for instance, or what I need to talk about with my boss.
- Location Awareness: Since I have the new iPhone (sorta) with GPS, I would like to have my “trusted system” filter my tasks by my physical location.
- Calendar Interface: Time-specific tasks (“Call Joe at 12:30 on Thursday”) need to be able to easily be transferred from my inbox to my calendar.
- “Web 2.0″ Compatibility: I currently use Remember The Milk, which does a great job of interfacing with apps like Jott (which allows users to call a number and dictate tasks, which are transcribed and put into my RTM system.
- Mind Mapping Interface: My last, and right now least important, desire is to be able to map out a project in a Web-based mind mapping program and then put that into a system like Remember The Milk.
As I said, I am currently using RTM. I am mostly happy with it. My biggest complaint, like many RTM devotees, is the lack of the ability to designate dependent tasks. You can read a lot about this on the RTM blog.
Here is a rundown of the applications I am looking at so far, which I outlined in a GTD/iPhone 2.0 post on David Allen’s site:
- Omnifocus: : This looks nicer than Thinking Rock, but I think for the most part they have the same functionality, except for the iPhone app. It looks great. But this is a pricey option $19.99 for the iPhone app plus $79.95 for the Leopard app.
- Nozbe: There is a nice review of Nozbe here. It appears to have similar functionality as RTM and since RTM is my trusted system, right now, Nozbe does not look like it offers enough more to prompt me to switch (I would love to hear from Nozbe users on that topic).
There are some interesting GTDish apps in the iTunes store (and some are free):
- EasyTask Manager (free): This app has a GTD interface with a dashboard (of actions), projects and contexts. At first glance, it does not appear to offer any system for dealing with multi-step projects, though. It looks too simplistic to satisfy a dedicated GTDer.
- My Lists ($1.99): This also seems too limited to handle projects well.
Several people have responded to the post, which is great.
But I would like to take it further. I have created a spreadsheet on Google Docs, so that people interested in GTD and the iPhone can collaborate. (Maybe we can get one of the “software” companies to listen to and respond to our requests, a la “Groundswell“?).
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been searching for a GTD app with similar capabilities to the ones you list for over a year now. There are a number of them that come close now, but they all lack one important feature or another. I didn’t see a link to your spreadsheet on Google Docs to see your progress, but here are some items from my search in case it will help.
Here are my requirements:
- iPhone/iPod touch app with local data store (i.e. doesn’t require net connectivity)
- sync with network-based or desktop-based data store
- Windows client or internet client for data entry
- standard GTD functionality, with the addition of dependent tasks
OmniFocus – has dependent tasks, expensive, no Windows or internet client
Appigo Todo – one of the better-looking iPhone apps, doesn’t have dependent tasks
mylifeorganized – has dependent tasks, no iPhone app, but it is supposedly being worked on
whattasks – no dependent tasks
things by cultured code – no windows client
Hiveminder – web-based app, has dependent tasks of a sort, doesn’t have local data storage/syncing
Remember the Milk, Toodledo – two other web-based apps, no local syncing, no dependent tasks
tracks – web-based software. A number of sites offer hosting of a Tracks server. No local syncing, no dependent tasks.
I can understand that many apps don’t support iPhone since that’s relatively new. But it’s hard to believe that so few support dependent tasks, since almost every major GTD app has at least one long thread on their forums with requests for this.
HTH,
Jerry
I experimented with Omnifocus and Things in their beta stages but ultimately went with Things and have been using it for 9 months now and love it! I am on a Macbook Pro at home, with an iPhone now and they sync which is wonderful.
But I am working in a PC environment and wish Things could cross over, or had a web interface. The developers at Cultured Code have been great about responding to requests though.
I played around with simplegtd.com but it’s a little too simple. I’ve been using Jello 5 for the last week but again, it lacks features I’d pay for.
In XP w/Outlook 2007 I haven’t found the perfect solution. But I’m sticking with Things on the Mac. Good luck!