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Task managers
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Posted by Graham Rhind
Apr 19, 2007 at 06:07 PM
I’ll try ToDoList2 and Priorganizer.
Taskline isn’t much good for me because it assumes equal value to all projects. You raised some good points, Hugh! My tasks have different values - some require thought and inspiration and therefore need constant replanning; others are mind-numbing and repetitive. Some you can only work on for an hour at a time for various reasons, others could be all day jobs. Taskline couldn’t distinguish between them, and just tended to get in the way.
I actually don’t have a problem getting things done (though procrastination can sometimes rear its head) - I never deliver late and never overplan. What I do do, though, is have task information in too many different places - piles of paper, programs, jottings - and I want to bring things together to allow me to work more efficiently. So, it should not be GTD-orientated, does not need to include other people, tends to be for short and repetitive tasks rather than long and complex projects
What is must have is:
- EASY access and data entry (otherwise, like Stephen, I’d end up not using it)
- Outlook integration
- Recurrence of tasks
- Task nesting and sorting
- a clear “today” view
Graham
Posted by Dominik Holenstein
Apr 19, 2007 at 06:44 PM
Graham,
Achieve Planner may be worth to look at:
http://www.effexis.com/achieve/feature-comparison.htm
Dominik
Posted by Jan Rifkinson
Apr 19, 2007 at 08:03 PM
Graham Rhind wrote: [snip]
>I’ve been searching for a good task manager.[snip]
> Against this is its awkwardness in use when trying to
>quickly add, edit and list tasks, its poor handling of recurring tasks, its large
>footprint and its sluggishmness.[/snip]
Can’t comment about footprint or sluggishness but, if you feel like it, could you be a bit more specific about not being able to quickly add, edit & list tasks. For example, I assume you know any item can become a desktop shortcut, etc. Do you think it might be a matter of use, i.e. familiarity w UR? It does have a rather steep learning curve & is awkward is some areas for sure.
I also have a feeling Kinook is working on some of these things including a better way to input data along the lines of ADM or Zoot. Although they don’t make a habit of commenting on these things, they did mention that while I was testing v3 beta, now v3.06
Likewise I’m a little confused by what you mean about its poor handling of recurring tasks. After setting it up, it’s one click to re-set the recurrence.
I, too, am in search of the holy grail but so far I haven’t found anything better than URp.
—
Jan Rifkinson
Ridgefield, CT USA
Posted by Stephen Zeoli
Apr 19, 2007 at 08:46 PM
Graham Rhind wrote:
>I’ll try ToDoList2 and Priorganizer.
>What is must have is:
>- EASY access and data entry (otherwise, like Stephen, I’d end up not using it)
>- Outlook integration
>- Recurrence of tasks
>- Task nesting and sorting
>- a clear “today” view
Graham,
I don’t believe Priorganizer has Outlook integration or recurrence of taks, so it probably won’t work for you. I just redownloaded and installed it again, and I have to say that I’m still impressed with Priorganizer. It isn’t a heavy duty project manager, but it is a straitforward database for managing tasks. I see that the developer has added a calendar view and a contact list (at least I don’t remember these being in place last time I tried the program). Documentation is weak, but I find Priorganizer fairly intuitive, so I still think it is work looking into.
Steve Z.
Posted by Stephen R. Diamond
Apr 19, 2007 at 09:31 PM
I use two task organizers: Achieve Planner and GoalEnforcer. Achieve Planner is an ambitious program that includes comprehensive task and project planning features. I use it form more global planning, projects and broad tasks rather than for the details of task planning, although if you like a straight up outliner for this purpose, Achieve’s outliner is the best I’ve seen in this genre, having all of the “modern outlining features” I have previously dwelled on. In fact, apart from the mind mappers I’ll get to in a minute, Achieve seems the only task planner with a solid outlining infrastructure.
Achieve Planner is under continuous development, sometimes very rapid, sometimes only fast. It allows three levels of meta-outlining (tasks, projects, and result areas); includes a comprehensive master outline; allows different approaches to allocating tasks to time, from an MLO style “task chooser” to a systematic daily and weekly planning module.
In addition to tasks at all levels of molarity, AP has vehicles for setting and organizing goals. In a few months, the developer (Effexis) will release a further innovation, where Goals and Projects are tightly integrated.
For the molecular task analysis I use GoalEnforcer, a graphical outliner with BrainStorm like continuous hoist specially adapted for task analysis. I’m quite taken with the basic design, and I think the developers are smart and ambitious, but it may still lack sufficient features for advanced users who aren’t entranced by the vision. However, it is on fast track development, and released of rc versions are anticipated every month. So far the first two of the eight have been released. The Hyperfocus is actually preparatory for a very interesting multiple cloning feature; at its present development, you might not find much use for it. However, a rapid entry/brainstorming feature has increased the usability in rc2, and most importantly in my judgment, multiple selection will be implemented sometime in the upcoming rounds of upgrades.
Everyone is probably aware of the task manager capabilities of Mind Manager. I don’t favor it, but those who like to do task analysis in a traditional mindmapping application, reinforced specifically for task analysis and planning, should probably take a look at a new one, Open Mind (Bus. edition). Pricey though.