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

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

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

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

Lisette,

Thanks for the hearty recommendation. I was hoping for a web-based app, but will give MLO's Android app a look.

--Ken

Ken wrote:

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.

Well, I spoke a bit too soon. I found out today that the developer of GTD has abandoned his app. So, I have downloaded UTD and am testing it out. It does not have an easy method of creating durable checklists, but I can probably create a template in TD to handle that. Easy come, easy go!

--Ken

Hi Ken,

I have just adopted a Samsung Galaxy S Android phone (am very satisfied, BTW), and I have tried at least 10 of the 'to do list' apps those can be found on the Android Market.

Firstly I chose Astrid (which is popular), before I noticed Wunderlist has a Android version which I finally have chosen. Reasons:

Most importantly, it allows me group tasks into lists (that's two level organization, as you mentioned), with a very beautiful and neat interface. Although it would have been perfect if it supports subtasks.

On the other hand, there are other Android apps that supports subtasks, but the implementation is not OK - the design is faulty in that they don't take into account the small screen size on a smartphone as compared to a desktop computer screen, this is the same error Microsoft has made when designing Windows Mobile (at least prior to Windows Phone 7, I have used a Windows Mobile 6.5 HTC phones for years, and I must say, my current Samsung Galaxy S is 100 times better!)

Second, it has a web version, the UI and UX is also great.

And it has reminders (unfortunately, it only send email notifications, not directly alarms you on the phone (which is what I want)).

Hope it helps.

Personal rant: In the past years I've been waiting for a 'small project management tool' for Windows like OmniFocus for Mac, and actually I've tried over 50 including the desktop programs and web-based ones, none is OK to me. If I still can't find one until I have more resources to make my own, I'll develop my own one. As a matter of fact, I've put up a site collecting ideas at:

http://ProjectOutliner.com (If you know OmniFocus, you might noticed that it can be developed base on Writing Outliner)

---
Edwin Yip
Turn MS Word into a full-featured outliner software
http://WritingOutliner.com

Ken wrote:

--Web-based companion app for synching (and possibly a PC and/or Mac client)
--Subtasks
--Durable lists
--Reminders

I believe that GQueues covers all that and more; the offline version is not a native Android app, it's an HTML5 mobile version of the web service, which is very powerful.

In the meantime, Google Tasks got an API http://code.google.com/apis/tasks/index.html which means that you can expect many programs to sync with it in the future.

P.S. For reference, the improvements most sought after by users for Google Tasks were:

- Ability to create repeating tasks
- Reminders and notifications
- Sharable task lists
- Tasks API and synchronization [DONE]
- Visual distinction for overdue tasks

( see http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/top-tasks-for-google-tasks.html )

Edwin wrote:

Personal rant: In the past
years I've been waiting for a 'small project management tool' for Windows like
OmniFocus for Mac, and actually I've tried over 50 including the desktop programs and
web-based ones, none is OK to me.

Edwin, I'd be curious for your list of try-outs.

For myself, I now need to focus on sharing tasks with my collaborators, so personal tools won't do anymore. Prior to this I had tested many tools like the powerful Achieve Planner http://www.effexis.com/ but ended up working with regular outliners.

Alexander Deliyannis wrote:

I believe that GQueues
covers all that and more; the offline version is not a native Android app, it's an HTML5
mobile version of the web service, which is very powerful.

In the meantime, Google
Tasks got an API http://code.google.com/apis/tasks/index.html which means that
you can expect many programs to sync with it in the future.

Alexander,

This is great news on both issues. I remember you mentioning GQueues previously, and it is nice to see they are continuing development, especially for mobile use. Better yet, it is great that Google Tasks finally got an API!

Thanks,

--Ken

Edwin wrote:

Firstly I chose Astrid (which is popular), before I noticed
Wunderlist has a Android version which I finally have chosen. Reasons:

Most
importantly, it allows me group tasks into lists (that's two level organization, as
you mentioned), with a very beautiful and neat interface. Although it would have been
perfect if it supports subtasks.

Second, it has a web version, the UI and UX is also great.

And it has
reminders (unfortunately, it only send email notifications, not directly alarms
you on the phone (which is what I want)).

Edwin,

I recently downloaded Wunderslit, but was not initially impressed with it on my Motorola Droid. It seemed very slow to load up and to respond to any input. I will give it some additional consideration, but I find that UTD has a nice layout for subtasks. I had not considered Astrid, but will also look at it. I guess that I have grown used to Toodledo from its web version, and while it is not perfect, it has served me well for other uses. Thanks for the suggestions.

--Ken

Alexander,

It's all about the way the projects/tasks are organzed, UI/UX and productivity. For me, I want the project/subprojects to be organized on the left pane, with features such as ' to add a new line', ' to indent a line', etc, and the middle pane should work in the similar way for tasks/subtasks'.

Todo.ly is closest to what I want, except that:
1. (most importantly) When a project is selected on the left, the tasks/subtasks of subprojects of that project is not shown on the right pane. This is what OmniFocus for Mac works, and it gives me the overview of that selected project.

2. I need better UX - You know, when an idea/task occurs in my mind, I want to be quickly add it to my projects/tasks repository without interrupting my current workflow.

3. I want to access my tasks of a set of selected projects on my android mobile phone.


Alexander Deliyannis wrote:

Edwin wrote:
>Personal rant: In the past
>years I've been waiting for a 'small
project management tool' for Windows like
>OmniFocus for Mac, and actually I've
tried over 50 including the desktop programs and
>web-based ones, none is OK to me.


Edwin, I'd be curious for your list of try-outs.

For myself, I now need to focus on
sharing tasks with my collaborators, so personal tools won't do anymore. Prior to
this I had tested many tools like the powerful Achieve Planner
http://www.effexis.com/ but ended up working with regular outliners.

Wow! Just have spended hours evaluating gqueues, AWESOME!

1 - it supports subtasks, and it supports project/Subproject (two levels only, however).

2 - it support keyboard shortcuts.

3 - with the bookmarklet, it allows me to create tasks in Gmail with links back to the specific email from the created task! Great!

4 - its UI is very clean and easy to use, similar to gmail.

But unfortunately, it doesn't have a native android app.... Too bad.

---
Edwin Yip
Turn MS Word into a full-featured outliner software
http://WritingOutliner.com

Glad you liked it; comments below:

Edwin wrote:

1 - it supports
subtasks, and it supports project/Subproject (two levels only, however).

Two levels in project/Subproject (Category/Queue) but unlimited levels in the subtasks themselves. That was the reason I went for Google Tasks originally (even though

But unfortunately, it doesn't have a
native android app.... Too bad.

This is something I don't miss, and I am more than grateful for HTML5 that provides a usable interface for mobile devices. Indeed, I don't expect lone developers to be able to provide native apps for iPhones, Androids and Blackberries --I much rather have them focus on their main application.

Hi All,

I've just browsed the whole of this thread, and haven't seen anyone mentioning iRT GTasks Outliner for Android ( http://www.irtgtasksoutliner.com/ ) . It's still in Beta, now version 0.0.12, but it have been very stable the last month or so I've been using it daily for my ToDo list.

It also have all the main features I looked for in an outliner ...
(1) Multi levels outlining
(2) Collapsible tree views
(3) Easy touchscreen interface
(4) Sync with Google Tasks

BTW, I just found this place via Daly's recent post in GTD Yahoo Groups. ;-)

Alexander Deliyannis wrote:

>But unfortunately, it doesn't have a
>native android app.... Too
bad.

This is something I don't miss, and I am more than grateful for HTML5 that
provides a usable interface for mobile devices. Indeed, I don't expect lone
developers to be able to provide native apps for iPhones, Androids and Blackberries
--I much rather have them focus on their main application.

Alexander,

I noticed in a recent GQueues video tutorial that they are now supporting off-line use on mobile devices. Have you tried this yet? And, are you still happy with the program?

--Ken

Ken wrote:

I noticed in a recent GQueues video tutorial that they
are now supporting off-line use on mobile devices. Have you tried this yet? And, are
you still happy with the program?

Yes, this is the HTML5 version I wrote about sometime ago here http://www.outlinersoftware.com/topics/viewt/2108/10

(Though I think it's about time GQueues gets its own thread :-)

I'm quite happy indeed; it still has some rough edges, but I have found nothing better and Cameron keeps improving it based on user feedback, without succumbing to bloatware-ising it. I should note that two important reason for my choosing such a web-based solutions are:
- to be able to access my lists from various devices
- to share tasks with my collaborators