Next Actions

by Ed Eubanks Jr.

Article Line-up

I’ve been working on a couple of pieces for Next Actions, and I have a few more in mind. I thought I would take this opportunity, the first-issue-of-the-year column, to run through my tentative plan for the next few articles and get your feedback about it.

Returning to Inboxes

My next feature piece will be about digital inboxes again. I’ve written three pieces dealing with inboxes and their content, and some might think I’ve said enough. In the next piece, though, I want to touch on the concept of “filling” your inboxes—how do you get ideas, materials, etc. into them quickly, efficiently, and without interrupting your workflow.

When it comes to GTD, it can be easy (for me, at least) to consider it mainly as a system for managing how I handle tasks and “to-do” lists. GTD encompasses much more than this, of course, and it’s important to think through all of the different sorts of data that pass before my eyes daily—as well as the data that don’t—and consider if my processes and workflows best serve my use of these data to their fullest.

Another facet of inboxes I want to focus on is how to automate them, at least as much as possible. I use a number of utilities, tricks, and “hacks” for shifting content from my digital desktop (and my physical desktop) into the various buckets that I have on my Mac and elsewhere. I’m sure readers will have others to share—and I hope you will do so, in the comments.

Mindmapping as Brain-Dump

“Get it out of your head” is a key GTD principle. If you can’t keep this practice sustained in your workflows, your efficiency and productivity will plummet.

There are different ways to empty the contents of your thoughts: some take notes, others doodle. My father worked best with a legal pad and a black fine-pointed pen; I prefer the speed and ease of typing. Some will outline their thoughts, others working out something closer to stream of consciousness writing.

Mindmapping is a great way to develop ideas—particularly ideas in the very earliest stages—into something useful and meaningful. Because it avoids the constrictions of outlines and prose writing, it allows the ideas to flow unfettered; yet, it also maintains enough order and connection that you don’t get distracted or sidetracked.

Mindmapping can be done by hand; indeed, the practice has been in place for centuries (long before it was called “Mindmapping”). Still, as one might expect, there are a number of digital tools available to allow you to mindmap on your Mac. We’ll take a look as many of these as we also discuss how mindmapping serves a larger GTD schema.

Project Planning

Often, tasks beget sub-tasks, which in turn become complex. Before you know it, what started as a couple of related tasks has become a full-blown project.

Many of the GTD applications (and other task-management applications) listed below offer a fair amount of help for planning projects and connecting tasks to one another. It is worth some time discussing how this can work well, which applications are especially strong in this area, and some tips for how to do it well.

Project management sometimes requires more planning muscle—and depending on the nature and structure of projects, often it demands tools for elaborate delegation management, file management, charting progress, and other features that are not common to most task management applications but definitely need a GTD approach. I’ll do a brief survey of some of the more popular and common project management applications, particularly discussing how they might fit into a GTD workflow.

This concept will bridge at least two articles, since project management tends to be a fairly substantial subject.

Task Tracking

How do you actually get your tasks accomplished? I don’t mean what is the actual work involved in the task—rather, I mean this: as you finish your work, how do you track your progress and know what to move to next? How do you check off your lists? How present is your task management software on your screen real estate?

In this article, I’ll talk about meta-practices: not how we get stuff done in the doing of the stuff, but how we get it done in the managing of the doing. It’s likely that, for every reader of this column, there are as many or more ways to deal with this level of task management and tracking. I’ll try to coagulate them into a few different approaches and offer some comments about each.

This will naturally involve discussion of how the different tools offer support (or lack thereof) for this sort of ongoing management—and I’ll comment about this, as well.

The above articles are not necessarily in the order that they’ll appear, but that order does generally approximate, in order, which of these topics have received the most attention and thought in my mind, at least in terms of thinking through articles about them. This list will easily carry us through 2009, so this is probably a close preview to what is to come later this year—unless Apple or the Mac community does something huge that merits an aside from the main focus, as Leopard and the iPhone have done in the last 12–14 months or so.

New Additions

It has been a while since the “Master List” received some new additions—largely, because I was simply unaware of them. But there are some new items now, each worthy of a look-see:

FlexCal from flexgames is a basic utility that offers on-the-fly entry of events and tasks into iCal without requiring that iCal be open. Very similar to ZooDo, which we’ve featured here for a while.

NoteBook from Circus Ponies offers a lot of promise to those of us who utilize a collection of tools to organize a lot of data. NoteBook thoroughly exploits the metaphor from which it takes its name, offering a retro feel to a very capable data manager. What’s useful about NoteBook as a data collection and management tool is that it allows users to build their data management (or use existing templates) around a concept—say, organizing an event or planning for homeschooling—while still giving flexibility to content and the way the data is stored. In other words, it isn’t a rigid database in the way that Address Book is, with a limited set of fields and data storage; neither, however, is it a freeform database with no pre-defined structure (in the way that DEVONthink is). It’s somewhere in-between, with task management tools built-in as a predefined template. I’ll be reviewing NoteBook in greater detail in a future issue of ATPM, but I’m surprised I missed this one until recently. Anyone using NoteBook as a task manager for GTD?

TaskMate might be the most bare-bones task list manager I’ve seen—ultra-simplified. Maybe perfect for the totally uncluttered, simplified, zen lifestyle.

Task Writer is a new Web application that offers a lot of promise. It has a nicely simple interface, a good set of task-management tools, and is designed well enough that it could be a full-time user for some. It’s still in development, and some will find that it lacks a few key features, but overall it has a lot of promise.

More About the List

Someone mentioned in a recent comment that it would be a good idea to link the iPhone applications to their Web sites, not their App Store pages. That is now done. (Thanks to Michael Tsai for handling this.)

As usual, I welcome any feedback on my list, or suggestions for additions. I won’t always add every suggestion, but I’ll look at them and evaluate whether they fit with what I’m trying to cover.

Locally Installed GTD Applications

Action Tracker

Developer: Mac Productive

Current Version: 1.3.1

Price: Free

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: FileMaker Pro (free Runtime version available)

Distinguishing Features: Also organizes notes, contacts, and other information related to projects.

News: None

ActionTastic

Developer: Jon Crosby

Current Version: 0.9.3

Price: Free, open-source

Development Status: Beta

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: Yes

Web-app Sync: Yes

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: Processing engine; iPod sync; Mail and MailTags compatibility.

News: None.

EasyTask Manager

Developer: Orionbelt.com

Current Version: 2.1

Price: $20

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: Yes

Web-app Sync: Yes

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: App (free); Web App (free)

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: Windows version available; automatic advance of uncompleted due tasks to today.

News: Tags are promised as a high priority in the next upgrade.

Frictionless

Developer: Twin Forces

Current Version: 2.0d18

Price: Free, open-source

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: No

QuickSilver Plug-in: Yes

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: Quick-entry box; fuzzy repeated actions.

News: None

Ghost Action

Developer: Ghost Park Software

Current Version: 1.1

Price: $20

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: .Mac syncing (without iCal running); PDA/iPod syncing.

News: None

iGTD

Developer: Bartek

Current Version: 1.4.5.6

Price: Free

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: Yes

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: Compatible with Address Book, Mail, iSync, and MailTags, as well as Web browser support, Path Finder, Yojimbo, MacJournal, and others; quick-entry feature; simple yet powerful interface.

News: None.

iCog

Developer: HensPace

Current Version: 1.90

Price: Free

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: No

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: Python 2.4 or later

Distinguishing Features: Compatible with any OS running Python (including Windows); very simple text-only utility.

News: A recent jump to version 1.9 includes a date bug fix and a Python maintenance issue, plus it adds support for plug-ins, thereby opening the door to user modifications.

mGTD

Developer: Jeff Fisher

Current Version: 1.3

Price: Free

Development Status: Pre-final

iCal Sync: No

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: Mori 1.6.11

Distinguishing Features: Expands Mori (digital notebook) functions to include GTD principles.

News: None

Midnight Inbox

Developer: Midnight Beep Softworks

Current Version: 1.3.1

Price: $35

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: Action timer; quick-note and quick-action hot keys; Mail compatible; automatic data collection.

News: The latest OS version (10.5.6) causes a crash under certain circumstances; a bug-fix is promised.

OmniFocus

Developer: Omni Group

Current Version: 1.5

Price: $80

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: Yes

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: App ($20)

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: Mail- and Spotlight-compatible; simple interface with powerful view features.

News: Version 1.5 is now in full release, bringing interface improvements, Bonjour syncing, better archiving, and an improved ability for the database to self-maintain and repair.

Ready, Set, Do!

Developer: Todd Vasquez

Current Version: 1.3f

Price: $20

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: Yes

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: A very different approach using a set of AppleScript routines to impose organization and communication across a computer’s entire file system; multiple language support.

News: The last 1.3 release, according to the developer—version 1.4 is on the way. 1.3f brings “speed and performance” improvement and some bug fixes.

TaskPaper

Developer: Hog Bay Software

Current Version: 2.0

Price: $19

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: No

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: Simple, text-based system; no-frills, intentionally designed as an alternative to more fully featured systems.

News: New version 2.0 brings a system-wide quick entry window, AppleScript support, improved search, and a handful of other improvements.

Things

Developer: Cultured Code

Current Version: 0.9.4

Price: $50 (pre-release price of $40 with sign-up for newsletter)

Development Status: Alpha

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: App ($10)

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: Features will include: iCal sync; repeating tasks; Mail compatibility; network and multi-computer operation; and import/export options.

News: Cultured Code has announced that Things 1.0 will be released at Macworld Expo on January 6, 2009.

Thinking Rock

Developer: Avente Pty Ltd

Current Version: 2.0.1

Price: Free, open-source

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: No

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: Cross-platform compatibility through Java; interactive collection and processing; can be run off of a flash-drive.

News: The developers have a new Web site, including “membership,” which apparently offers, at least, member-only modules for Thinking Rock.

What To Do

Developer: Objective Satisfaction

Current Version: 1.3.2

Price: $29

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: No

QuickSilver Plug-in: Yes

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Required Applications: None

Distinguishing Features: Drag-and-drop intensive for easy reorganization; .Mac syncing for multiple computers; XML export.

News: None

Locally Installed General Task Managers

Anxiety

Developer: Tom Stoelwinder, Model Concept

Current Version: 1.0

Price: Free/Donationware

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes (through iCal)

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: A menu-bar utility that gives a HUD-like interface to iCal tasks; sorts by calendar; Mac OS X 10.5 only.

News: None

Check Off

Developer: Second Gear

Current Version: 3.8

Price: Free/Donationware

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: No

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: A menu-bar utility that manages basic task lists; syncs with iPods; a .Mac Backup QuickPick is provided.

News: None

Dejumble

Developer: Thinking Code Software, Inc.

Current Version: 1.2.b19

Price: $19

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes (through iCal)

iPhone Presence: App ($8)

Distinguishing Features: A simple yet powerful menu-bar style task list manager, with tags, groups, notes, and a handful of other options.

News: Beta development continues for the new version 1.2.

Docket

Developer: Surprise Software

Current Version: 1.3

Price: $20

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: No

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: A neat basic list management application. A Windows version is also available.

News: None

DoIt

Developer: Jim McGowan

Current Version: 2.6

Price: Donationware

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: Yes

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: No

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: .Mac support and AppleScriptability. Also supports file attachments and categories for lists.

News: None

FlexCal

Developer: flexgames

Current Version: 1.10

Price: Free/Donationware

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes (through iCal)

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: A task and event creator for iCal—something of a collection bucket for GTD users.

News: None

High Priority

Developer: Aram Kudurshian

Current Version: 1.11 (Mac OS X 10.4 only)

Price: $6 (personal); $12 (family); $60 (business)

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes (through iCal)

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: A system preference pane, creates a menu in the menu bar that lets you create and update your iCal tasks.

News: None

Hot Plan

Developer: Intuiware

Current Version: 1.4.1

Price: $20

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: No

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: No

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: Tracks a substantial amount of information about a given task, including completion status, priority, time remaining; supports tagging, color-coding, and locking of tasks. Also allows collection of URLs and files.

News: None

iClock

Developer: Script Software

Current Version: 3.0.5

Price: $20

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: No

Distinguishing Features: Offers a menu bar–based method of managing task lists; includes .Mac syncing.

News: None

Life Balance

Developer: Llamagraphics

Current Version: 5.0.2

Price: $65 ($80 bundled with Palm version)

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes (through iCal)

Distinguishing Features: Gives “meta-feedback” about tasks: how much time are you spending in different areas of your life (i.e., work, family, hobbies, etc.), and are you keeping it balanced? Palm and Windows versions available.

News: A Life Balance iPhone app is now available through the App Store for $20.

NoteBook

Developer: Circus Ponies

Current Version: 3.0

Price: $50 (academic and family pack pricing available)

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: Yes

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

Distinguishing Features:

News:

Organized

Developer: iSlayer

Current Version: 1.11

Price: Donationware

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: No

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: Dashboard widget with calendar events, tasks, notes, and world clock.

News: None

Stapler

Developer: The Blue Technologies Group

Current Version: 1.1

Price: €7.50 (about $10)

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: No

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: Is a combination notepad and to-do list manager, with creation date, notes, and a check-box for completed items. Tasks can be color-coded based on a low-level preference set-up.

News: None

TaskMate

Developer: Ryan Conway

Current Version: 1.1.0

Price: Free

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: No

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: No

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: Ultra-simple task list: remaining tasks in a simple list, completed tasks in a drawer (which can be hidden). Tasks are just single-line descriptions with a checkbox. Could be right for the super-simplified life.

News: None

ToDo X

Developer: Omicron Software Systems, Inc.

Current Version: 2.2

Price: $15

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Import from iCal only

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: No

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: Offers categories, priorities, and attached notes.

News: None

ZooDo

Developer: InterfaceThis

Current Version: 1.0

Price: Free

Development Status: Release

iCal Sync: Yes

QuickSilver Plug-in: No

Web-app Sync: No

Print Lists: Yes (through iCal)

iPhone Presence: None

Distinguishing Features: A basic task creator for iCal, serving as a collection bucket.

News: None

Browser and Web-based GTD Applications

30 Boxes

Price: Free

Description: Lean and fast, including a calendar, task list, and limited Gmail interaction. Also RSS and iCal feeds, SMS, and sharing. Nice interface, too.

43 Actions

Price: Free (donations get extra features)

Description: Specifically designed as an iPhone web-app, it’s light and lean for EDGE network optimization. Submit inbox items via e-mail, Twitter (with donation), Jott (with donation), and the usual features.

GTDAgenda

Price: Free

Description: Another Web version of a GTD tool, with the standard features, plus addition of Goals, check-lists for recurring tasks, schedule management, and an iCal-compatible calendar. A mobile version is also available.

GTDInbox

Price: Free

Description: A Firefox extension for GTD integration with Gmail. Prepackaged labels, a Review process, specialized searches within Gmail, quick-entry for tasks, and printable. Works well in conjunction with RememberTheMilk. Current version, 2.0.8.4, is open-source; requires Firefox.

GTD-PHP

Price: Free

Description: A PHP solution designed to be locally installed. A simple tabbed interface, capture, and process stages; weekly review. Currently at version 0.8.

Neptune

Price: $10/year

Description: Includes a collection inbox and context or project task viewing panes, as well as inactive projects and tasks. Daily e-mail reminders of tasks; new tasks can be added by e-mail; data export.

Next Action

Price: Free

Description: Uses Google Gears and Firefox; has a lean, basic interface with multiple-list management capability. Works with or without a network connection.

Nexty

Price: Free

Description: PHP-based, so it installs locally and runs in your browser; supports contexts and reminders.

Nozbe

Price: Free

Description: Has markers for which action will be next and a time estimation for tasks. Contexts are visible and identifiable. And it is easy to collect and process quickly. iPhone-ready.

SimpleGTD

Price: Free

Description: Tabs for next actions, contexts, projects, and done actions; drag-and-drop organization; easy un-doing of tasks.

Task Writer

Price: Free

Description: Easy keyboard navigation, good use of calendaring for tasks, and a useful set of attributes for tasks, as well as the ability to auto-hide unneeded list views, help Task Writer to stand out a bit.

Toodledo

Price: Free

Description: Has a Firefox plugin and a Google gadget for easy collection; also supports e-mail, voice mail, and traditional entry for collection. Includes a good overview of GTD in co-operation with its tools, as well. iPhone-optimized.

Tracks

Price: Free

Description: A Web server that runs locally, or hosted through tracks.tra.in. Fast, lean, and pretty, it offers calendaring and a multi-user component. Currently at version 1.6.

Vitalist

Price: $5/month (premium)

Description: Is a wide-scale GTD system: collection, project management, recurring actions, and tickler files. Includes a mobile edition, iCal and RSS feeds, and e-mail and SMS reminders. An iPhone-specific version is available. A premium (paid) version also includes security encryption, collaboration, file attachments, and calendaring.

Other Browser/Web-based Task Managers

GTD and Task Management Wikis

iPhone Applications (not Web Apps)

Also in This Series

The Last Action · May 2012
Master List, April 2011 · April 2011
GTD for iOS/iPad · February 2011
E-mail Tricks and Tools · August 2010
Master List, May 2010 · May 2010
Inbox Overload · April 2010
Master List, February 2010 · February 2010
Getting Back on the GTD Wagon · December 2009
Master List, June 2009 · June 2009
Complete Archive

Reader Comments (9)

Durbrow · January 1, 2009 - 20:26 EST #1: Ed: Thank you for this article. Two comments: (1) Check out XMind. It is the best free mind-mapping application on the market. The Pro version allows for task GTD-like management. (2) Despite all my previous gripes about Circus Ponies NoteBook I am using it to manage my tasks using a system that is very GTD like. It is important to remember that NoteBook can clip email or websites and append it to the user's Inbox list for later sorting OR it can clip to a particular GTD category (e.g. Someday/Maybe). It is certainly one of the most attractive applications on the market.

John Gordon · January 1, 2009 - 21:27 EST #2: Ed. Thanks for continuing to write on these topics. For 2009 I'd love to see more of a focus on moving structured data in and out of these applications. Please focus more on issues of importing data, exporting data, and to what extent data is "locked" into these apps and therefore binds users to an application.

Patrick Jones · January 2, 2009 - 07:22 EST #3: Ed. Great article. You touch on one of the big challenges for me -- creative idea management -->simple ongoing planning/necessary idea refinement -->fruition of idea into reality.

The system I've developed is this:
Curio: My digital white board with mindmaps, lists, drawing tools, shapes, arrows all working together to help me see my own mind. It is the quinticential creative mind tool (I've tried outliners, NoteBook -- Curio stands out for me)

Evernote: As they say, my brain in my pocket. Call logs, details, idea capture and much more. Wherever I am. Beautiful.

Things: It's as yet incomplete. But Culture Code do depth with elegant simplicity -- so I'm happy to wait for their excellence vs. other's premature answers (Yes, I've tried them all).

Here's what's missing: a protocol for helping them all work together. Along with contacts and email. It's a cobbled together system, with some integration, but no seamless flow. It's improved a lot in the last year or two and will continue to do so, but the system that works for me, doesn't work for you. what is needed is a way for these programs to share this data in a life link and update way, with thumbnails etc. so there can be an ongoing dashboard auto updated. That's what I'm looking for.

Michael Wittmann · January 2, 2009 - 12:30 EST #4: Hi, and thanks for these lists. There's a program called CalToDo which allows one (for a $1) to synch iCal tasks and a barebones todo list on the iPhone/iPod Touch. So, any program with iCal synch can have an iPhone presence.

The URL is http://web.me.com/dominik.pich/EN/CalTodo.html and the program is easy enough to use. I have used iGTD for years now, and this lets me use it on my iPod Touch, for which I am incredibly thankful.

George Garrett · January 2, 2009 - 21:35 EST #5: Great series of articles. Still, your description of Life Balance's Distinguishing Features is incomplete. Yes, it "gives “meta-feedback” about tasks: how much time are you spending in different areas of your life...," but the main feature that stands out is that it combines an outline view (of all your various nested projects and tasks)with a to-do list view that is sorted for you--combining the importance of the overall project with the urgency of the specific task. So you always see the most important tasks at the top, and you don't have to always scan your whole list. It seamlessly connects actions in contexts with their projects. I'm just a user, and there are many features that it doesn't have that others like OmniFocus have, but it is an excellent application for making quick decisions about what to do, especially if you want the synchronization to the Palm and iPhone.

lonto · January 2, 2009 - 23:46 EST #6: Why isn't Chandler on this list? http://chandlerproject.org/

Sam Gechter · January 4, 2009 - 23:25 EST #7: Thanks for maintaining such a great reference list. I've been reading through comments from the last few months as I get ready to change to a system that lets my wife and I share projects and have things synced on our iPhones. To that end, I've noticed that toodledo has a native iphone application now.
http://www.toodledo.com/info/iphone.php

Thanks again and keep up the good work.

Sam

Wade Staddon · January 7, 2009 - 10:24 EST #8: I hope that Jumsoft's Process 3 is included in your overview. I have just downloaded a free copy of this app through MacHeist and it does look promising (for my needs).

Many thanks for this excellent series of articles.

Ed Eubanks Jr. (ATPM Staff) · January 7, 2009 - 11:58 EST #9: Durbrow:
Thanks for the rec about XMind-- I will check it out. And good tips on using Circus Ponies NoteBook for GTD.

John:
By "structured data" and what you go on to say, I assume you mean something like an open standard?

It would be nifty if all of the GTD app developers all agreed to use XML or OPML, or some other existing standard. The trouble is, even with just XML or OPML, which do you use? It would depend on what application(s) you want to share that data with. That was, in a sense, one of the great advantages of the original KinklessGTD, which-- because it was based on OmniOutliner with its inherent power-- could export the data in a scad of formats.

I'm not entirely sure about the nature of your question, though: is it your wish to use multiple GTD-style apps, and move data regularly between them? Or is it simply to have the flexibility to export and import a variety of data types?

Patrick:
Good summary-- and you're right, a clear protocol, as you call it, is the hinge-pin, isn't it? I want to begin to work on that idea with the "Task Tracking" article-- but I think such a topic is bigger than one or even several articles. Maybe my thoughts will, at least, provide a petri dish in which your workflow might emerge.

Michael:
Thanks for the liink for CalToDo. And good tip on using this with the (defunct?) iGTD.

George:
I realize my coverage of Life Balance is spotty. Thanks for pointing out the advantage of the outline view-- I can see how that would be an asset to many users for sorting and planning. I'll include it in my summary next time.

Ionto:
It will be now! (I noted it a while back-- personally-- but at that point it wasn't even available as beta. I'll take another look...)

Sam:
A friend mentioned the ToodleDo app as well-- I'll add it to the list. Thanks!

Wade:
I got Process from MacHeist as well, and agree that it will make a nice addition to the list.

ATPM 15.01January 2009

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Article Line-up

Returning to Inboxes

Mindmapping as Brain-Dump

Project Planning

Task Tracking

New Additions

More About the List

Locally Installed GTD Applications

Locally Installed General Task Managers

Browser and Web-based GTD Applications

Other Browser/Web-based Task Managers

GTD and Task Management Wikis

iPhone Applications (not Web Apps)

Also in This Series

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ATPM 15.01
January 2009