ForumsGetting Things Done®The results of my exhaustive search for a GTD system/app
The results of my exhaustive search for a GTD system/app
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christinarosetti |
Hello All,
I've spent a number of months researching, testing and comparing GTD systems and I've FINALLY come to a conclusion. First, let me explain a little bit about my general profile and needs. I use an Android HTC Desire Z smartphone and a Windows PC. I want a service that is also Cloud-Based so I can use it at work and while travelling without having to rely on my smartphone. I'm what you might describe as a "List Person". I have many different kinds of lists (shopping, travel, music, films, etc) along with an incredibly long "To Do" list. In this context I'm only talking about using this system for my "To Do" stuff. For my non-task lists I use a Palm+Desktop app called "ListPro" but they aren't on Android, so I'm currently looking for a replacement which has customisable multi-select fields as ListPro had. (any suggestions on this would be very appreciated ) For managing my 2,000 personal contacts I use a combination of CardScan's Desktop App and Outlook, and for my 40,000 business contacts I use a combination of CardScan and Maximizer. I reviewed and trialled the following GTD Systems and Android Apps: - Google Tasks + Google Sync - Web - Toodledo - Web - Pocket Informant - Mobile App - Due Today - Mobile App - Nozbe - Mobile App + Web - Get It Done - Mobile App + Web - MyLifeOrganized - Mobile App + Web - DGT GTD To-Do - Mobile App - Ultimate To-Do List - Mobile App (Desktop App available, but not trialed) I decided on Toodledo's web service plus the final three Android app contenders below. The rest had SO many shortcomings on missing funtionality that it would be a waste of time and space to list them all here. - Due Today - Pocket Informant - Ultimate To-Do List Pocket Informant Negatives: - Status limited to 4 choices - No Negative (-1) or Top (4) Priorities - Can only filter by Category - Can't save filters - No Link to Contact Due Today Negatives: - Can only filter by Context or Tag - Can't save filters - No Negative (-1) or Top (4) Priorities - No Link to Contact So my final decision is to purchase Ultimate To-Do List's Android app to use with Toodledo's web service (I'm currently using the free service, but may consider upgrading eventually). UTD does all of the above, plus the view settings are *extremely* customisable. Kind regards, Christina |
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Disorganised |
Hi christinarosetti
"(any suggestions on this would be very appreciated )" Some good list apps that i know of are Mobisle Notes and Gnote. Both of them allow either plain text and checklists, and a particularly useful part is that they can be easily switched between the 2. Both are very clean and quick to jot down notes. They're very basic, and are most ideal for quick spur of the moment jotting down of lists. For more complex lists and apps that act as a kind of general repository of ideas, then Evernote (as Dave, below, suggests) or Springpad may be ideal. I also went through a ton of ToDo lists apps. I actually started off about 2 years ago with Got To Do, but that's now abandoned. 5 billion apps and about 30 quid later, and i've finally arrived at Ultimate To Do list because 1) Fair price. 2) Excellent custiomisation for my every changing needs 3) Most importantly, good support (a dev that listens to their users and takes on board their suggests is a massive plus. I don't care if an app is perfect - if the support is less than excellent, it won't get my money. Period) Pocket Informant is WAYYYYY too expensive for what it offers. Due Today is not too bad, but there was something that put me off of it and there also was some feature missing (i can't remember what). This message was edited Feb 23, 2012. |
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Dave |
I am a huge fan of Listpro too and wish they had an Android app. Most folks whom I have spoken to have jumped to Listmaster as the closest thing to ListPro. They have iOS and Android apps. http://www.onlinelistmaster.com/screenshots.aspx
As much as I like Toodledo, it can't replace that app. I have been using Evernote for my info/lists, but it isn't a replacement at all. |
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mhm802 |
I am also Android based and use Ultimate Todo list. In my experience, it syncs seamlessly with Toodledo. I also used Toodledo free version for a year or so, and then upgraded. The two together make a wonderful system.
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Disorganised |
Regarding the lists, i think i've found 2 perfect list apps that allow you to select lists with virtually any data type (eg integer, text, rating, audio, image, map coordinates, contact in phonebook, etc)
. They are MyLists and Memento |
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Joyce |
The only positive thing I can say about Pocket Informant is that it lead me here.
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Dave |
Thanks for suggesting mylists (its called mylists and databases in the android market). This looks like it will be a great tool for reference lists.
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nathanb131 |
Thanks for the post Christina. I'm a tinkerer too but keep coming back to Toodledo/UTD.
Responses to your post: -40,000 business contacts.... oh. my. god. -Do you REALLY still use a Palm for lists? I still have my old beloved orange treo 680 and have often considered knocking the dust off it just to use listpro again for certain things. Then I come to my senses and try to get my 'droid to do that...then I get sad because there isn't an alternative. Dave and I are on a quest to find one, thanks for the pointers Dave! I actually LOVE MS OneNote and use that for my business notes. When at a PC (I have a tablet PC :-)), it's the perfect personal note wiki. This alone has tempted me to go to Windows Phone...just for the native one-note integration. I was very excited that MS FINALLY came out with the Android client. It's good for reference, but isn't quick. Something like that at least needs shortcuts to get to individual pages. It doesn't, yet. In my trials I have found that I need customization with a limit. Like you CAN use evernote for a complete, bulletproof gtd. Read their message boards, there are some very rock solid systems! But to do that you need discipline to set up your system and work it and trust yourself to be disciplined about it. I'm not disciplined enough for that. That's why I'm drawn to things like Toodledo, which gives be structure so that I don't go down too many tangents but the freedom to tweak as much as I want. UTD is the perfect sync for that. So for high level thinking, life plans, long term reference type stuff (and client notes for work). I prefer OneNote. For mid-level GTD stuff, it's Toodledo/UTD. By the way, I didn't realize UTD had a desktop sync, I may need to check that out... For 'working lists' like movies, books, groceries, packing lists, routines etc etc... I'm still looking. This needs to be quick, ubiquitously synced, structured, and enable outline nesting. Dave's got me tempted to try Evernote for this again. But for those of us that were spoiled by listpro on palm, everything just feels inferior in some way. I was really excited about Wunderlist/Wunderkit as a low level lister...but it's set up as a to-do thing, not a list thing, and doesn't allow indenting. I use it now for a few lists just because I like it, but in the long run it won't do. This message was edited Mar 02, 2012. |
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Nerva |
I use Pocket Informant because it has integrated calendar and tasks -- which seems obvious to me and was on the Palm Pilot, but is for some reason hard to find with Android apps.
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Salgud |
Posted by Eric.Knops:
I use Pocket Informant because it has integrated calendar and tasks -- which seems obvious to me and was on the Palm Pilot, but is for some reason hard to find with Android apps. Just curious. I took a look at PI recently, but found a lot of problems syncing with GCal. Do you sync w/ Gcal, and if so, does it work? |
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Nerva |
Yes, I use it to display Google Calendar appointments, but the actual sync is done via my Google account the same as Gmail -- PI accesses the local data. PI is one of only five icons on my Android home screen -- I use PI for both calendar and tasks functions.
I particularly like the "target" view (the one that's to the right of day/week/month/agenda and to the left of the task list), since I have set it up to show today's appointments and all the tasks that have start dates today or earlier, sorted by priority and start date -- everything I need to be concerned with today is right there. I also like the user interface of PI -- it is both easy to read and I can quickly move tasks to future dates, change priorities, or check them off done. It's actually a lot easier for me to manage my day in PI than on the Toodledo and Google Calendar webpages. I use Toodledo's website for planning out projects and other large-scale management, but PI on my Epic 4G is what I depend on hour-to-hour. |
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daveymoyers |
You might try Wunderlist for your @calls, @computer, @errands, @home, @office, @waiting for, Projects, and Someday/Maybe (I also maintain a Read/Review list). Use the Inbox as a place to capture everything since changing the list to house any task is easy. You could then use Google Calendar for all of your hard landscape stuff. Let me know what you think at [email protected].
This message was edited May 25, 2012. |
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zamir.javer |
I use Toodledo App in iphone , along with GTD paid app from Net Centrics on multiple PCs.
They all synch together and create a seamless task list which is accessible from anywhere. works well. |
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Dave |
Posted by zamir.javer:
I use Toodledo App in iphone , along with GTD paid app from Net Centrics on multiple PCs. They all synch together and create a seamless task list which is accessible from anywhere. works well. How do you sync Toodledo and Outlook in your setup? |
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susan_1326654027 |
I have the same question. I was using outlook but then added ;a laptop and a tablet to my desktop - and couldn't replicate my tasks lists.
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David G |
I'm also using Outlook with the GTD add-on from NetCentrics on my desktop and laptop, gSyncit to sync Outlook tasks to Toodledo, and use the Toodledo app on my iPhone and iPad. Right now I have gSyncit on one computer, but I usually leave it on so that isn't a big deal for now.
The only drawback is I can't process everything (at least in an automated fashion that the NetCentrics add-on does) unless I'm at home (on my desktop computer) or using my laptop. I could move the email to the @Action folder and create the task, say in Outlook Web Access, but the custom fields the NetCentrics add-on uses would be missing on certain items. I guess I could simply set up VPN access to my home and RDP to to the desktop.... |
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VBruceEvans |
David G -
Do you use Folders and Subtasks in Toodledo. How is your sync setup? |
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David G |
I am not using Folders or Subtasks. I was hoping to use Folders for projects, but couldn't get the sync to work the way I wanted to. So for now I'm just mapping the 'Action' field in Outlook (the user-defined field created by the Netcentrics add-in) to the 'Context' Toodledo field.
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fho |
I can recommend Thinking Rock. Its an Java desktop application and has every GTD feature I need.
But the big problem is that there is no real smartphone support, only syncing over wifi with connection to a Thinking Rock instance. I'm trying to use toodledo currently but I'm missing support for projects. :/ I also tried nirvanahq which is great but lacks the very important feature of repeat a task from completion date. This message was edited Nov 07, 2012. |
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