App Smackdown: Best Productivity App
July 01, 2009
OmniFocus vs Things... which will win?
Comments
Please note that you need to be logged in to O'Reilly to leave a comment.
Showing messages 1 through 10 of 10.
-
Well Here's My Take
2009-08-08 13:18:37 j.hall [View]
-
Well Here's My Take
2009-08-08 13:18:23 j.hall [View]
I'm very conflicted about this poll.
I have been using Things for a month or two now and it's very well done in my opinion. I was using OmniFocus since it was Kinkless (Those who used Kinkless know exactly how long that was).
My problem came down to this. As a desktop application, OmniFocus wins HANDS DOWN. As an iPhone app, OmniFocus is a disaster. When I am wanting to put something in my task management, I don't want to wait 4 minutes (Yes, I've timed it) to open my application. So I quit using it and switched to Things because it's much lighter in the sense that I can get to work with it much faster.
-
complete BS, Omnifocus is far better
2009-08-07 10:26:40 kbs1138 [View]
If I had known about this vote, I would have voted for Omnifocus.
Things is very pretty, but it is rotten at the core. I first started with Things when it was in beta and used it for many months, but left after it was released in January when it was clear that the company was creating an all too common track record of broken promises to customers, lousy service, not fixing bugs and getting things right before adding questionable features, etc. I just visited the site after many months to find that surprise, surprise, the user forums have disappeared and only fanboys propaganda is left posed.
Glad I made the right decision to switch to Omnifocus. Never looked back.
-
Things for the win
2009-07-23 20:20:37 danobrien [View]
doubt that very many people have invested in both apps on both the desktop and iPhone and used them long enough to make a fair comparison.
I have, and I think more people have than you're giving credit for. A task manager basically runs my life, so of course I'm going to try everything before making a decision.
Things is GTD-lite in comparison
So since paper and pen is fine for GTD what do you call that? GTD-super lite? Ironic that Allen suggest the simplest tool available, and yet you're calling Omnifocus a better GTD app because it's loaded with features.
Things is not GTD-lite. I use a Strict GTD system and Things works great. It's gorgeous, it stays out of the way, and it's very flexible. If there wasn't Things, I'd be using Omnifocus. Thank god I don't have too. Much more than I need, and a UI that makes me want to scratch my eyes out.
Anyone that tells you Things is too lightweight to use with GTD simply has no idea what they're talking about. They would do well to sit down and read 'Getting Things Done' again, if they ever read it to begin with.
The one advantage Omnifocus has is more robust syncing. I expect that will change soon. -
Things for the win
2009-07-27 08:25:11 JKT123 [View]
Anyone that tells you Things is too lightweight to use with GTD
Which is not what I said at all. Thank you very much. -
Things for the win
2009-07-27 08:22:04 JKT123 [View]
Yes, pen and paper is GTD-super lite. If it weren't why would we even be using these two apps? The two apps improve greatly over the pen and paper method for actually getting things done with GTD. In my opinion, OmniFocus offers a far greater ability to get things done than Things. The toolset is there for doing basic GTD, just as it is with Things, but it is also there to do much, much more.
The one advantage Omnifocus has is more robust syncing. I expect that will change soon.
There are many more advantages than that. Some that OmniFocus for the iPhone has are (and I'm not even mentioning the desktop apps here):
1. Time based notifications on the iPhone that do not require you to be connected to the net or the phone network (so it works for iPod Touch owners too).
2. The ability to create and set recurring tasks from the iPhone.
3. Map or list based display of your contexts to show you what you can get done at your location and nearby; in other words, something that greatly helps to put your location-based contexts into context.
4. Voice and picture notes for your tasks on your iPhone.
5. An in-app web browser so that you aren't forced to quit the app whenever you click a link in your notes.
6. The ability to use the iPhone app without ever owning or using a Mac or the desktop version, and to preserve your data with back-ups to a server.
7. More robust synching ... I've included this again because Cultured Code have failed to deliver it for more than 6 months and have even gone to the extent of censoring their forums to remove reference to their promise to deliver it at the start of this year. Keep holding your breath for that one, along with repeating tasks, if you wish but it hasn't happened for a very, very long time now; they are evidently having a certain amount of trouble getting things done.
8. Great and responsive support from the developers. In contrast to Cultured Code, ask a question or make a feature suggestion at the OmniGroup forums (they actually have them) and the developers are likely to respond there. Send them an e-mail and they will respond.
I'll repeat it again. In comparison, Things is GTD-lite relative to OmniFocus . I'll also say it again, Things is good if it works for you as what it does, it does pretty well. However, that does not stop it from being very limiting if it doesn't.
-
Loaded poll
2009-07-21 02:23:56 JKT123 [View]
Surely all this poll measures is how much one app has been downloaded more than the other? I doubt that very many people have invested in both apps on both the desktop and iPhone and used them long enough to make a fair comparison. Fwiw, Things is OK as far as it goes but if you are a GTD'er there simply isn't any competition - OmniFocus just offers a much more advanced and powerful toolset, has far superior synching with the iPhone version and kicks Things butt featurewise on the iPhone as well as the desktop. Things is GTD-lite in comparison, which is good if that is all you need as its learning curve is less steep, so I'm not knocking it - what it does, it does well. However, its iPhone client is very dissappointing in comparison to OmniFocus. Limited (and limiting) synching, no recurring tasks the last I looked, nothing equivalent to the location awareness of OmniFocus which dramatically helps put your Contexts into context, etc.
Quote: "We have to pick between two Apple Mac applications?? Sorry, I use PCs and web apps, so neither rates in my book. How about ToodleDo.com + Appigo's Todo iPhone App?"
Well, they are rating the best GTD apps and, sorry if it rankles, but they are Mac ones but there isn't anything on the PC that comes remotely close to either Things or OmniFocus. If you do GTD then you do it on a Mac or you suffer. -
Loaded poll
2009-07-21 02:26:51 JKT123 [View]
Btw, I should have mentioned that OmniFocus for the iPhone also works well without a Mac or PC as it can back-up to a WebDAV server, which is another plus it has over Things.
-
Mac only?
2009-07-20 22:13:09 aierfalomn [View]
We have to pick between two Apple Mac applications?? Sorry, I use PCs and web apps, so neither rates in my book. How about ToodleDo.com + Appigo's Todo iPhone App?
-
Out of focus.
2009-07-20 15:09:12 djrayon [View]
Things Touch + Things Mac is the best GTD combination - ever. Omnifocus is too - hmm - out of focus.
| Showing messages 1 through 10 of 10. |
I have been using Things for a month or two now and it's very well done in my opinion. I was using OmniFocus since it was Kinkless (Those who used Kinkless know exactly how long that was).
My problem came down to this. As a desktop application, OmniFocus wins HANDS DOWN. As an iPhone app, OmniFocus is a disaster. When I am wanting to put something in my task management, I don't want to wait 4 minutes (Yes, I've timed it) to open my application. So I quit using it and switched to Things because it's much lighter in the sense that I can get to work with it much faster.