The Omni Mouth » OmniFocus, our work in progress

OmniFocus, our work in progress

posted by Linda on 09.25.06 @ 3:41 pm

We just got an email from our esteemed pal Wrong Size Glass, who wrote:

Hey Gals & Guys,

I was just wondering what ever happened to the search for a good ‘code name’ for the Omni “GTD app�??

Well, WSG, therein lies a tale! Yes indeed, a long and convoluted tale with mighty dragons and heroic journeys and a scrappy little dog and –

You know what, never mind all that. I’ll just cut to the chase and tell you the name we’ve decided on, for now at least, is OmniFocus. I see that commenter Cameron suggested that very same name just two days ago in response to this entry, so I will take that as a Positive Sign that “OmniFocus” is an okay name.

(Especially since no one liked my idea: OmniFu. What? It’s a perfectly cromulent word.)

OmniQuest was a big contender, although some of us felt it was a little too gamey. Not in the sense that it smelled weird, but…oh, you know, the dragons and heroic journeys and so on.

So: OmniFocus. It has a name. It has a team of engineers working on it, a user interface guru mocking up modes and widgets for it, and a product manager whose Herculean job it is to herd this whole mess towards an elusive ship date.

Now for your participation! Many of you have already sent us some really, really useful feedback on what you’re looking for in this type of personal organization application. What we wanted to ask this time is, what are you currently using for this purpose? Index cards? Kinkless and OmniOutliner? Other apps/other analog methods?

If you wouldn’t mind sharing, we’d love to know. Hit us up in the comments section or by email.

I’m currently implementing GTD using Kinkless and OmniOutliner Pro w/ iCal sync enabled.

Without the iCal sync, I would probably not be using this combination, as I’m on the road quite a bit, and need to have easy access to my action lists (I sync with my Treo 650). So I’m hoping OmniFocus integrates well with iCal and syncs like Kinkless currently does.

Though ‘OmniFocus’ sounds pretty good, I’m voting for ‘OmniFu’ as soon as I get my Deibold Voting Machine to boot Linux.

I don’t follow the GTD system really strictly, because I don’t have that many tasks. So a complete GTD system would be a bit of an overkill.
I use index cards to write down tasks I need to do today/this week. I use iCal for simple recurring tasks (ie get a haircut every 2 months) and let it notify me through e-mail.

I agree - the need to sync with iCal for tasks is important. I would like to see something a little more elegant than a calendar for each context though. And a little more detail in the sync would be nice (kGTD does not reference the project in the iCal task, so multiple projects with similar tasks can be a problem). Obviously, compatibility with OmniPlan/OmniOutliner is key. Since iCal doesn’t support Growl elegantly I would like to see an optional agent that can run in the background and give growl notifications (coupled with an ability to NOT sync alarms to iCal).

I can’t believe I missed a Simpson’s reference! Yes, Linda, it is a perfectly cromulent word.

I am really looking forward to an Omni GTD app. I’m currently implementing GTD using Kinkless and OmniOutliner Pro with iCal sync . I works fine, but not well enough. As much as I prefer to work on my Mac all the time, my problem is that I can’t use my Mac while I am at work and sometimes when I am on the road. My key demand for a GTD app is “ubiquitiousness”. Create an app, which I can use on the web and on my Mac (and maybe with a mobile device) and it would really establish a new standard in GTD productivity. I imagine that’s a huge challenge but this would really be a unique feature!

I’m currently using EasyTask Manager.

http://www.orionbelt.com/

Using Kinkless; so long as OmniFocus (great name!) has similar functionality, and you take care to sync with PDAs (Palm for me), it’s going to be a terrific system. Good luck!

I use kGTD/OO. I have but one feature request for OmniFocus: pleasepleaseplease make it scriptable. Very, very scriptable.

I’m currently using kGTD/OO. Is there any chance of being able to import the tasks from our current kGTD/OO files? I’m sold if that’s the case!

omnioutliner + kgtd is what i use right now, but it’s not perfect.

Kinkless + OOP

Was using OOP&kGTD; switched to Tracks a few months ago as it felt less jerry-rigged, and seemed to have responsive developers and interesting plans. It works well for me.

Index cards all the way BABY! There like so fats and slick, I us eth blank sides of them Lets you draw and detail ideas without the useless lines.

I thought maybe you were stealing the idea from my free ideas list: http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/192/ten-free-ideas (search for focus)

but I’m happily looking forward to the GTD app, too

I’m currently maintaining Projects and Next Actions lists in iCal, which works reasonably well for a simple set of lists. But it slows down at high volume. Syncing to Palm (absolute necessity for me!). Also using .Mac syncing, so I can add to and review my lists from any of my Macs. Using OmniOutliner to develop project plans.

Currently using Kinkless + OO. I’d love to be able to import my list from the current system! I also like being able to see my To-dos chronologically and categorically in iCal using calendar groups (as suggested by 43folders), but I don’t actually use iCal’s calendaring functionality so that’s a bit of wasted system resources. I’d love to see that kind of thing built into the program.

Used index cards for years. Just switched to Kinkless with OOP. iCal integration does not work well…. iCal is hosed — please do right. Also… kinkless does not sort by due date — problematic. Would completely love to have to do’s replicate to my blackberry to do’s via PMBlackberry. That would be fantastic. Looking very forward to your app. Please get it out in beta soon!

Also using OO + Kinkless. I agree with the crowd, good iSync support is a must – I using iSync daily to synchronize with iCal and my mobile phone.
One particular request would be better support for referencing external stuff: files (to act upon), url (forms to fill out for instance). One idea to explore would be to use Growl for notifications.

Very excited for this. I will have to send a list of hopes and dreams by email. But I’m a member of the addicted kGTD club. It’s a love/hate relationship, and I have high hopes for OmniFocus (also love the name). Thanks for this, good luck! Can’t wait to hear more.

From the look of things, the first thing you should do is simply hire the guy who made Kinkless.

iCal, GCal support a plus. Bonus points if you can sync contacts with address book.

Like many others have stated here I use kGTD and OO with syncing to iCal and my Palm. I’m interested in www.midnightbeep.com and their Inbox. It looks wonderful but, since its early beta, I haven’t really been able to try out all the features. I’m really looking forward to what you at Omnigroup can come up with as an amazing GTD app!

Currently I’m using DayLite. Powerful, but unwieldly.

If you want to hit a homerun, create a companion Palm OS app that syncs with OmniFocus. Also, it should have the ability to sync with Google calendar and iCal.

I use Kinkless GTD along with scripts to export it to my iPod and exporting it to my website (for viewing anywhere that there’s a ‘net connection).

I have a strong need to share a file between work and home as well. Currently I fake this through iCal sync so I subscribe to my home calendars at work and vise-versa, so I’m never far from a read-only list of my tasks. Something a bit syncier would be better, tho.

I also INPUT data through mail (custom rules create KGTD tasks so I can send tasks from my cell phone), voice memos and my Clie N710 (old but still kickin’).

So I hope OmniFocus has big support for Applescript (I assume it will, as an Omni app) and that it also can sync in some fashion with other computers and/or iCal.

I’m excited you’re working on this! I can’t wait to see what you come up with! I urge you to remember one thing as you try to do GTDness: All that’s different about GTD from other task managers is that tasks are organized on two axes (projects and context), instead of one (category/calendar). Other than that, it’s a task manager, plain and simple.

I use tiddlywiki d^3, and have started to use tiddlyspot for sharing.

some good offline integration to blackberry or exchange (sorry!) is essential

Currently using OOP+kGTD. being able to sync info to a palm is essential for me to get stuff done while away from the computer. Hopefully there will be a way to sidestep Missing Sync’s inability to update the times that the status of a to-do list item was changed. it sucks having to go through and manually toggle off ->on the ical to-do items that I checked on the palm.

I’m so looking forward to this app. it can’t come soon enough.

I’m using kGTD and OmniOutlinerPro. I only bought OOP so I could run kGTD, so you Omni guys owe the kinkless huge thanks. It would be great if you would just place all the GTD stuff into the next version of OutlinerPro; it seems to work pretty well right now with kGTD, and a new app seems un-necessary, if OOP can be expanded. You already have most of the codebase written…

I currently use iCal (sync’d to my cell phone) and OmniOutiner Pro. What I would love to see in a GTD app is the ability to somehow link into iCal. That could be as basic as syncing todo lists with iCal, but i think there’s potential for the scheduling features of iCal to tie in as well.

- Mustafa Hirji

Matthew, check out this thread: http://kinkless.com/node/1028

It includes a link to this addition to the Sync applescript: http://www.studio-blend.com/dropzone/new_sync_script.txt

This fixes the completed bug and includes a work-around for when you edit tasks. Works great, and removes the one problem I had.

You guys probably have this new app work with 10.5 and later, since Apple supplies the ToDo and Calender API with that, that way we can have our tasks even pop up in our webmail, and mail.app.

I’ll put focus on OmniFocus on my actions list, and mail you the outcome soon.

OmniFu got rejected? You have my sincerest contrafibularities, Linda. But hearty pericombopulations to the whole team! </blackadder>

I use kGTD/OO/iCal while on my Mac; GTDGmail/GMail/GoogleCalendar while I’m on any other computer (mac,win,*nix); en-route my cell and paper does the job. For me syncing is a hustle, but it works more or less, but it needs to much hacks and manual labor. I’m looking forward to see what Omnigroup will offer. Good luck
–pat

Make it übereasy to link to reference material for a project. I always have NovaMind mindmaps, Curio books and/or folders with other background material associated to projects. It should be really easy to link these to a project (and also every task connected to that project). Like dragging and dropping the reference files on the project name in a list or similar.

[…] The Omni group is planning a GTD app, which will be called OmniFocus: It has a name. It has a team of engineers working on it, a user interface guru mocking up modes and widgets for it, and a product manager whose Herculean job it is to herd this whole mess towards an elusive ship date. […]

OO+kGTD+QuickSilver

Currently use iCal, Address-book, OOP and now OmniPlan.

The ability to sync data to my phone (a Sony-Ericsson P900) via iSync is fairly crucial.

IMHO iSync is still a missed opportunity (compared to what Palm desktop could do), possibly because of the closed nature of the API (at least initially).

It is great that iSync supports some many devices and connection methods but I really need to synch larger notes (even simple docs) etc (perhaps this will be addressed in 10.5 to some extent.) and this will probably need a suitable universal client app to run at the phone/PDA end….

In the meantime this OmniFocus comments list includes a great set of resources to investigate whilst we all wait for that initial Beta.

BTW: “OmniFocus” wouldn’t that be a competitor to Aperture.

I’m a rabid kGTD/OOP fan. (Come to think of it – sorry guys! – but kGTD is the only thing I use OOP for really.)

To me kGTD works fantastically, although I always love to tinker and there’s certainly something about version updates that makes me tickled pink. Immediately I can see how you’d make such a program – eliminate the need to Sync, create more distinct operating ‘modes’, and just generally increase function and stability. I’d definitely say you should be in touch with Merlin and the Kinkless, if you haven’t been already.

I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of Midnight Inbox. It’s a gorgeous looking app and there’s some things like the automated reviews that I really love about it, but it just doesn’t come across as something that’s going to replace kGTD anytime soon. Perhaps *because* kGTD is so… erm… “fragile” I guess, means that it’s flexible and, thus, adaptable to my own workflow. I’m not a pure GTD-er, and I don’t think most people are. kGTD is fantastic because after the initial getting-to-know-it period, I feel like it’s completely mine – I own it.

Anyway, for reference: I have iCal syncing enabled, but don’t find myself using it that much. I’m more the type of guy who looks at my projects list once or twice a day and picks a “direction” in which to steer – my work doesn’t particularly dictate that I keep a close reign on my NAs. I also ocassionally like printing index cards out, to nestle within the pages of my Moleskine pocket planner.

So there you go!

Perhaps OmniFu could be mistaken for “omni, FU”, as it were.

Features I would like to see :
- A quick way to input data from the outside of the application : Thats the key in GTD idea of “inboxing”. It coud be done with a service like Yojimbo’s one (which is excellent).
- An excellent Quicksilver plug-in. kGTD and general Yojimbo users know that this feature makes the difference.
- A flexible approach : like Daniel said, I think that flexibility is a good part of the succes of a GTD app. I mean with that, that OmniFocus shoudnt be oriented only to GTD, but it could be designed as a general bucket, to track actions and items, and to organize it threedimensionally (I mean, by three kinds of abstraction, or in GTD terms, planning/projects, reviewing/next-actions, and acting/contexts.
- Integration with iCal and gCal.
- Maybe syncing between Macs.
- And strong scriptability.

Congratulations and good work OmniGroup!

Definitely needs syncing between Macs. *WITHOUT* having to subscribe to .Mac. I have FTP servers, WebDAV servers I can use - don’t make me fork out piles of cash per annum just to be able to sync

I’m using kGTD with iCal sync on. To deal with two computers, I sync iCal with MySync (works great), and the kGTD document with Unison (the file synchronizer, http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/index.html ). I also use QuickSilver a lot for rapid input of ideas, which get sorted later.

For reference storage, I use KIT (which I find more flexible than Yojimbo) for temporary storage of things to read or to organize better, and VoodooPad for long term storage.

I also have a really quick and dirty tickler system, described here http://alan.petitepomme.net/blog/files/5e244cd20a732b57b13144d73e25ed0f-48.html . It’s basically a shell script run every night that looks at some files (01.txt to 31.txt, january.txt to december.txt) and email me the contents of the file. I use the QS text append functionality to add things to them, and it just works perfectly.

What I’m missing right now is a better way to do GTD on my palm. I can review my needs to be done, but dealing with current projects (adding ideas or references) is tricky as they get discarded through kGTD sync.

Sorry for the long post

OmniGroup’s noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.

1 - Quicksilver plugin support is a MUST.

Maybe have a plugin that allows you to quickly browse your inbox, tasks, task by tags etc in a similar interface to the iTunes browser in Quicksilver. The ability to quickly mark items complete, or add tasks etc from any application would be superb.

2 - Get Ethan (i think his name is) from kGTD to do the design. kGTD looks beautiful with its use of bolds, purples and transparency.

“Index cards all the way BABY! There like so fats and slick, I us eth blank sides of them Lets you draw and detail ideas without the useless lines.”

Yes I also think that a graphical interface is a very good idea. The possibility to move things around and setup categories and areas of interest/action as if you where operating in your mind. Also be able to throw things around a graphical calendar.

I can always dream I suppose

moleskin. the best GTD. Use no electricity. Flexible. personal. Add pages and customize (hacks). Cool. Cheaper.
Hard to do a back up though.

[…] Wird mal wieder Zeit für ein GTD-Post. Midnight Beep Softworks entwickelt gerade mit die erste explizite GTD-Applikation namens Midnight Inbox für den Mac, also eine Software die sich nicht nur GTD-mäßig nutzen lässt, sondern explizit auf das Selbstorganisationssystem ausgerichtet ist. Bisher sind zwei Betas erschienen, die schon sehr vielversprechend sind. Lustigerweise hilft die Applikation auch ganz gut dabei zu verstehen, wie GTD eigentlich funktioniert. Beta meint hier übrigens tatsächlich Beta, so dass die Applikation derzeit noch nicht wirklich im Alltag verwendbar ist. Aber ich bin gespannt, ob sie es im ersten offiziellen Release schafft, mein Kinklesssystem abzulösen. Aber vielleicht macht auch am Ende Omnigroup das Rennen, die gerade ebenfalls eine explizite GTD-Applikation angekündigt haben. […]

I use a combination of Omni Outliner Pro + KGTD, but rely heavily on index cards for daily and weekly tasks. Personally, I try to keep KGTD as simple as possible, otherwise I find myself either not constantly updating my system or spending too much time organizing instead of getting things done. I hope that their is a way for people to get out as much as they put in so to speak.

Omni- Foucs is a great name. I would like to see i have some cool representation of what you hav accomplished with a moving bar, or circle, or some other clever means, Nothing I have to do manualy, check out the Process App at
http://www.jumsoft.com/process/

I’m using iCal for dates and tasks; and I track projects in OO, but without Pro and hence without kGTD. Focus would do well to allow for viewing by project, or by tasks by context (ie, all @computer tasks, sort of a “hoist by context) irrespective of project. I think Palm sync is somewhat important, but if you could manage to sync it with iCal and let Missing Sync or iSync and iCal handle that heavy lifting, you could stay away from the complications that come with syncing and focus on a good standalone app. Also, a way to “glue” support materials by project would be important (Entourage does this pretty well), similar to the way that OO supports file linking. Another idea would be a kind of custom viewing system, whereby users could sort and view tasks by information or keyword, such as due date, person(s) or teams involved, agendas by person, etc.

I work in a Windows world, and relax at home with my Mac. I would love some sort of way to be able to at minimum, view my projects/actions from my PC, or at best, be able to manage my details from a PC.

I know, I know, you’re a Mac shop. But spare a moment for us forced to use a PC. Until I can find a good, cross-platform solution, I’m forced to use two entirely different GTD solutions!

Tracks server side - for projects
http://www.rousette.org.uk/projects/

An excel file that looks like Joes Goals - for habits
http://www.joesgoals.com

A text file with weekly, monthly, and years - for goals

And… a text file (to-day list) where I type out what I want to do today after looking at all of my other tools/lists/stuff - for daily agenda

Sync with multiple Macs.

1.sync with ical
2.quicksilver support of course
3. export to ftp version (like exporting dynamic html with OO but with upload)

not having to press sync to see updated actions like in kinkless is a MUST

how about integration with OmniPalm?

I second (third? fourth?) integration with a PDA…either through iCal or through a tailor-made solution. But the PDA route is ever-so-important.

I’ve been using Omni Outliner for quite a while. I’ve had a hot-and-cold relationship with kGTD, so I’ve recently shifted to using OOP for planning and Journler for the rest of GTD functionality. See these links for details:

http://journler.phildow.net/

http://scarfone.blogspot.com/2006/07/journler-perfect-program-for-gtd-on.html

Looking forward to seeing OF.

Tim

I am currently using my hipster PDA (a stack of high-tech index cards).

I can’t wait =D .

Maybe some sort of collaboration with a few web-based/PDA-based GTD app developers on some sort of GTD sync?

Failing that, a way to export a few days of tasks, so someone can write a J2ME app that can at least read the export file.

I am still trying to decide whether to go for kGTD (and suffer less than perfect iCal->iSync->Nokia E61 translation) or whether to just use Tracks - http://www.rousette.org.uk/projects/ - and fiddle with the views so as to make a QVGA-scale interface.

Sounds great!
1. Sync with iCal.
2. Sync with Palm.

I’m using DateBk6. Solid program.

I’m using Kinkless with OO Pro. I really like the simplicity and low overhead nature of this combination, so I’m hoping OmniFocus will follow the same principle.

Using Kinkless & OOP.
You probably thought of this, but it’ll be nice if this thing interfaces to both OOP & OmniPlan

Currently not using anything as I haven’t found a solution I like. I have great hope for OmniFocus and I’m confident you will release a great product. One of the most important features for me is being able to Sync with a Treo as I need access while on the road. Ideally, I would like to sync directly to the Treo without having to run it through iCal as I’m not a big fan of iCal.

Until now I use a homegrown solution based on filemaker8. Kinkless has to many bugs and man/timetraps.Please keep your application as simple as possible. iCal, Mail integration and sync with external devices are important for me.
While Quicksiler plugins, a hurd of scripts and scriptability are NOT my first priorities.

1. FTP sync
2. No dependency on .Mac

Since you asked so nicely…

I’m a “pure” GTD-er, in that I run my entire life in one trusted system. Until very recently, that system was a set of index cards, as documented on Flickr. This turns out not to be very portable (although I tried), but does serve as an excellent tool for teaching you how to think in terms of GTD as a system. It also has some advantages that are barely covered by Kinkless GTD:

1. Ubiquitous Modeless Capture - you can grab a thought anywhere (provided you’re carrying note cards) and it’s in the right format to drop directly into the right “place” in your system.

2. Sketches and notes together - you don’t need to change modes to jot a quick image of what you’re trying to accomplish, if that’s the simplest way to describe the project you’re doing.

3. Spread and shuffle - you can pick up a stack of cards and quickly shuffle through them to review your lists. There’s something quite tactile and important about that interaction.

4. Data Integrity - it’s hard to corrupt an index card.

I still use the cards as a sketchbook and notebook, and I plan things out with them before inputting into Kinkless. It’s still how I recommend newbies to GTD “sort out their head.” Your card-pile lists are easily copied into any more sophisticated tool later, if you so choose.

Most importantly, I print my action list and project summary onto cards. iCal and Palm sync are a horrible hack, and in my view there is no good way to fix it. I know I’m not alone in this: “sync to index cards” is a hugely useful way to take your GTD system with you.

After all, the index card is the sacred totem of the GTD geek. (Moleskines are another sacred object, but I’ve yet to fit one into my inkjet printer. :))

Anyway, that’s my two cents.

Cheers,
JoshD

I use three systems, mainly.

For the “Big Picture” of what I have to do, the one-time projects, the oddball repeating events, one-time Internet shopping lists, etc. I use Kinkless, with numerous attachments to other outlines, text and Nisus Writer Express files.

In my front pants pocket* I keep my Palm. It is used mostly as a calendar and alarm system (DateBook 5), grocery list manager (HandyShopper), and home cleaning outline (ShadowPlan, though I’d love an OmniPDA). I occasionally jot down items for my KGTD file, but not often.

Third, newest, and also in my pocket is a stack of binder-clipped index cards. I’ve used DIY Planner to print some reference cards and forms, but most cards are blank for hand-outs, quick notes, etc.

What I want in OmniFu …
- Palm synching
- ability to print to my index cards
- good integration with other Mac apps: Mail, address, iCal, Quicksilver
- the ability to attach files to action items

–Liz
Housewife Extraordinaire

* Oh, the footnote from my last post … LLBean is the only manufacturer I know who makes woman’s pants with truly useful front pockets. I can keep my Palm, Hipster PDA, Swiss Army knife, and a mini-pen in my right pocket.
Try that in your low-rise skin tight jeans, fashionistas!

I vote for OmniFu too.

I use Kinkless+OOP+ a A4 Notebook for the notes. I am a project manager and have, accoriding to David Allens Def. at last count 87 active projects that I am working on during the week.

I also work on my PhD thesis and a number of private projects.

My big wish for OmniFu would be: Having a way to easily switch between “modes”, i.e.: I want to go from “work” straight to “private work” or “thesis” without having to put in 5 more contexts or create another private file, or, worst: having to look at all the stuff i am waiting for to arrive in my inbox at work while working on my thesis at university.

Hope its clear what I am talking about.

Thanks, pat

I use what works best, which always seem to change. The one standby for me is a hipster - it’s just a question of how the hell to process the data. I’d love to see a kinkless-like thing with the ability to capture extra information ala Yojimbo or Devon. That way I can keep all my notes, data, ideas, lists and GTD stuff in one handy place.

Of throw in the kitchen sync, and do it .macless. Scripting and services make me happy.

And I like OmniFu - just saying it makes me feel embiggened.

Brad

I´d really love to see you guys consider Ethan Schoonover´s thoughts in your application! With KGTD he diverted OmniOutliner from its intended use in such a brilliant way, although it´s quite bulky.

For me GTD is about and accessing and storing tasks and ideas as soon as they come up.

Personally I would appreciate a GTD application most which go´s out of my way while I´m working but is accessible from everywhere within the system at the same time. At the same time I would love an easy way to output (publish and print) and input data (like syncing with other devices and apps).

Example: for storing useful Information in DevonThink I use that simple Bookmarklet in my Browser which fits perfect for me since this is the place where my “info gathering” actually happens most likely. Another really useful thing is 37signal´s Backpack, where I can add tasks via SMS directly to a list.

Anyway… I´m quite optimistic that you guys will amaze me with an excellent application like you always do

i’m using kinkless, but would gladly pay for a dedicated program that had omni’s great looks and ease of use. would prefer to have all of the GTD principles built right in, and then users through preferences can pick and choose which GTD aspects to use or not use. would love .Mac, mail, ical and address book communication and interaction, and ability to access the program through the web. check out “Inbox” from Midnight Beep, they’re doing a similar GTD-like program, probably your main competitor…

I’m currently using Kinkless as my workhorse for action lists, and I really like the way it does things. I do wish, however, that I could easily print up a set of index cards (or a four-up index card layout that I could cut out of 8×11) that already had my action lists sorted by context on them. For a while, I was printing up DIY hipster templates and writing my tasks by hand for mobile referencing. I’ve since started using my Palm again now that a workaround exists for the iCal syncing bugs in Kinkless, but I still think the idea of easily printing index cards has legs.

It would be super if the same system could import iCal data for printing as well.

Maybe simpler than any of that (and trying to please every user with the perfect printing format) is just to have some kind of template-based printing system. Let users contribute XML or Webkit documents that describe popular templates, then you wouldn’t have to bear the entire burden of designing how things should print.

I guess, just make printing flexible enough that I can conceivably do whatever I need to with it.

kGTD + QuickSilver +.Mac sync …

… then we’re cooking on gas with all the ssential functionality. OmnniFocus is a bit crap as a name. Why not just go for the simple “OmniGTD” … says it all without sounding like a bad corporate away trip.

Pretty much jumped up & down when I saw an GTD Omni app was on it’s way! I use Omni Outliner Pro for most projects, love the ability to attach files so I always have in one place whatever I need for any specific project (very web, file & image driven). Started using Kinkless, missing an easy way to see what needs to be done next independently from the context. Also missing ability to sort by whatever extra column I add (I use an A1-C3 column for labelling importance of projects, but doesn’t help if I can’t sort). Killer feature will be ability to use on multiple macs & sync w/ Treo (or w/ Apple PDA:-) OmniFocus: Great name by the way!

I used Kinkless with OOP, but am a bit unsatisfied with the “sync” procedure. Obviously if you designed an app ground-up you could avoid the AppleScript mess (though it is quite clever).

FOR OMNIFOCUS:
iCal integration would be KEY,
and I’d also like to have some integration with Mail.app and Address Book (an “Email John with detals of meeting” task would be much more elegent this way, for example).

Also, a Palm conduit would be nice, but I’m sure you’ve got other things to worry about.

I’m using OmniOutliner, Mori, Tinderbox, and Inspiration.

For me, Spotlight integration is a MUST. I’d also like to be able to create projects (like Curio), so that I can see at a glance what I’ve accomplished in a paricular project.

Also an archiver, so I can remove Done work easily.

Many thanks! Sounds great, can’t wait to see what you produce.

Cheers

Angela

blackberry syncing. due dates automatically sorted, show up on that day in iCal.

Well I use kGTD with OmniOutliner Pro and sync to iCal. Most important, however, is that I use Growal and the SendtoKGTD Advanced script to send my tasks kGTD. Also important for me is the integration with Mail. There I use MailActOn and SenttogGTD scripts again. Having a single Inbox is crucial to me, but is not yet quiet achieved with the combination of all these apps and scripts, but it gets close.

Well, for a personal organiser I use Dossier and VoodooPad Pro to capture my notes off meetings and notes that shall go to a sort of permanent knowledge base. Unfortunately those are not linked to neither iCal nor kGTD today, nor are they linked to mails that come in and shall be stored. I tried to improve this process by useing MailTags. That is though only partially successful. The main reason is that the notes put into MailTags are not properly synced with kGTD. Otherwise that would be of great help. So I use some home made scripts to extract email attachements and store them in central places that related to projects. I then grab them once a week during the weekly review to relate them back to kGTD.

So enough for the moment

Cheers

Mario

It would be really great if support for entourage syncing could be added. That would seal the deal for me.

Thanks
Sukaina

Using kGTD + OO. Use excellent scripts from Niks Crappy Software website as well. In particular, I use Send to kGTD Advanced, kGTD2Go, OmniOutliner List Manager, and I’m trying to implement Mail to kGTD. I recommend you consult with Nik. The man has ideas!

Desires:
1) Be able to export to notes in iPod, as in kGTD2Go
2) GTD is about lists and actions to get things out of one’s head. I would like to be able to keep multiple pages of lists in a single GTD document of which the front page is the kGTD like taskmaster. Ideally, there would be tabs at the bottom of the page like in Excel for viewing other pages of lists - career goals, shopping lists, etc.
3) I would like small links to relavant documents or e-mail messages. An extreme example will illustrate this.

I’ve been getting large numbers of e-mail messages advertising opportunities for our undergaduates. Goal - Make a webpage describing these for student access. Action #1 might be create a single list in a LaTex or other text document. Action # 2 might be organize these by types - scholarships, talks, international travel, etc. Ideally, under the first action I have a string of couple dozen small yellow circles (buttons links), each linking to an e-mail message that opens when the button is pressed. An option might allow assigning titles to each circle (link.) When I take action, I begin by opening all these links. After creating the file with this list, I create a small yellow button link below the second action to this list. The point is, simple and small links to e-mail messages, documents and iCal items.
3) Although you likely wish the product to be widely useable, not just a GTD app, it would be nice if the GTD options are the default settings.
4) Speaking of list pages, and particularly of shopping lists, how about a way to create a master list of groceries available with check boxes, from which checks are made before a sync gives an actions list with the only the checked groceries listed in categories of like items for easier shopping (produce, canned vegetables, meat, cereal, etc.) Then I can export to iPod notes!
5) Option to limit import to iCal to “next tasks.”

Yet another user of the Kinkless GTD > OmniOutliner stack, syncing to iCal and Palm Tungsten T3.

Reading some of the comments reminded me that it should support Quicksilver (I assume that’s what Mario Batz means by “Growal and the SendtoKGTD Advanced script”) at least as well as kGTD does, and preferably better. It’d be nice to direct a task to a specific category and/or project if you know it at capture time. I know this violates pure kGTD by mixing the collection and processing phases, but if you already have the context in mind, why postpone the processing?

I am currently pulling my hair out with Entourage.

I WANT - task templates! I have a workflow, that I repeat to make a money. I need a master template that I can customize the name of, and dates to. But in setting up this template I need to be able to set a master date, to which the pre-timed tasks and the post event timed tasks will fall in relation to the event. This would give me reminders to do such things as ‘check to see if customer x has paid their account in full’. Whereas now, I would have to spend 3 months entering task, reminder and event information into my calendar and such.

Of course I need the whole shebang to be sync’d to my palm and laptop at any point….

Please please please, include .Mac synchronization. I want to be able to sync between work and home.

As to what I’m using at the moment: VoodooPad Pro. Something more customized would be preferable though…

I was using two text files and copy pasting between them and more recently between two omnioutliner files. However, this becomes very quickly too combersome when the number of tasks and size of projects increases.

So such an app would be a goood idea as no planning application I have come uppon really answers my need. KGTD was missing one major feature for me; to be able to answer quickly the question “When can you do this for me?”. I tried to add myself the feature to KGTD but I was bogged down by Applescript.
it would be great if such an application would allow automatic display of an alternate view displaying the tasks in a calendar form to allow to see if one is overbooking his days (always been my problem). This view would also allow to change the start date of a task just by dragging a task under another day. For example, based on start date, due date and time estimate; the tasks could be showed in this form(could also include the context):

Monday
pr 1 task 1 3h
pr 2 task 2 15 mins.
pr 1 task 3 4 h
pr 2 task 3 3h
total 10h15

I started out using kGTD, but now use Tracks. I really wanted to be able to access my GTD list from anywhere and the development trunk version even has the beginnings of a mobile version accessible using a Palm or cell phone.

[…] I don’t have much to add to Ethan’s (typically entertaining and gracious) post about OmniFocus — an under-development OmniGroup app that will bring Kinkless‘ functionality to a stable and powerful Cocoa application. But, first off: Yay! The Kinkless is dead! Long live the Kinkless! […]

I use KGTD+OOP+iCal. I’d like better iCal and Mail.app integration, and support for sync’ing URLs between my GTD app and iCal. I spend a lot of time offfline and record URLs for later checking, and right now OOP puts URLs into a format that does not sync with iCal. As for better iCal integration, the sync’ing between KGTD and iCal is not reliable for me - I’ve had To Do’s disappear and checked items off that never get checked off in the sync. And I’d like built-in integration with Mail.app, instead of 3rd-party scripts.

Despite my deep down best of intentions, and many minor life-hack rubber band solution implementations, I still haven’t been able to settle on athe right GTD system for me.
I was kind of hoping “Inbox.app” might be my dream solution.
Don’t know if my user-class is a target of yours, but I’d love to give it a whirl.

Another OO/Kinkless/iCal sync user. If it could sync to an online calendar as well, such as Google Calendar, I would truly be in GTD nirvana.

Can’t wait either. Been using kinkless GTD for a few months now and it’s great but have been getting a few script errors. As an integrated app, I’m sure they can give it a lot of stability and lots of features.

A few wishes would be to have it integrated with the upcoming Leopard Mail ToDo feature.

And a companion app on the Palm so you see your GTD list in the same way as on your desktop (instead of it being synched with Palm’s “Tasks” app)

Go Omni!

I am currently using Life Balance on my Mac and Palm TX, along with a separate OmniOutliner Pro file that just keeps track of projects.

What I like about Life Balance:
-top-level entries allow me to keep broad categories straight (e.g., research, teaching, leisure, home maintenance, “small tasks”)
-syncs with the Palm
-great support for contexts (places)
-support for one-time tasks, dated tasks, scheduled tasks (i.e. repeating on a fixed schedule) and routine tasks (i.e. “every 5 days” but not on a fixed schedule)
-tasks for a project can be set so they appear in sequence (step 2 doesn’t appear until step 1 is checked off) or all at once

What I don’t like about Life Balance:
-impossible to edit multiple entries at once
-user interface on the Mac still has too much Palm legacy, e.g., separate tabs for setting context, time, and notes
-calendar integration on the Palm side but not the Mac side

Llamagraphics is preparing a major upgrade that might address some of these issues, but I’d certainly give OmniFocus a try, especially if it offered a Palm version.

I use Journler for my next actions, references, and journaling.

I use OOP for project planning and vertical planning, because of the handy sections as well as folded editing.

I would love for an app to have a mix of the two.

I’m stuck with Entourage b/c of Exchange support. Sync to that and I’ll buy it! Oh, and Quicksilver support.

I’m using kGTD like a madman. I can no longer live without it. I will definitely be shelling out cold hard cash for OmniFocus (or whatever it’s called eventually)! Woo!

Using OOPro & Kinkless right now, but am very excited and ready to shell out cash for OmniFocusFu.

What do I want to see? Simple way to filter and review projects and desired outcomes based on realm (50,000 foot>Runway to use GTD terminology).

That being said, don’t even waste time considering my suggestion right now — show me the beta!

llamagraphics’ lifebalance, which is ok, but certainly lacking in the visual design and UI touches that I know you guys will do well with. (I agree with Brian Ogilvie above.)

Requirements:

FLEXIBILITY
- don’t force me to fill in every little piece of data for the system to work
- let me implement customize how I use the GTD principals

SYNCHRONIZATION
- def with iCal, both ways. From there I can get most places I’d want to.
- careful about using the Location field in iCal, though — it doesn’t sync to iPods. (Dumb Apple!)

REPORTING/CALENDAR VIEWS of Done an unDone tasks.

Multi-user/ability to assign tasks to a team would be great, too.

This is the best news ever! Can’t wait to get my hands on the beta. Is it possible to give us a rough idea of when to expect the first beta?

[quote]Unfortunately those are not linked to neither iCal nor kGTD today, nor are they linked to mails that come in and shall be stored. I tried to improve this process by useing MailTags. That is though only partially successful. The main reason is that the notes put into MailTags are not properly synced with kGTD.[/quote]

This should change soon as I am adding Applescripting to MailTags. So hopefully some applescript processes (such as kGTD) will start working with metadata such as project, keywords and due dates.

I’ve just switched from OOP/kGTD to using FreeMind to give me a sexy little mindmap of all my tasks, cos kGTD has been playing funny recently, and I missed a meeting because of it. I would go back to it if I could trust it again, but I have just started really, REALLY liking using mindmaps, so how about some sort of integrated mindmapper?(and not that Omnigraffle semi-effort either)

God, I do love Omni products though, although I still say that charities should get a discount, cos we need it more than students ever will…

Some method of displaying your current action list (or just a specific context) really quickly on the desktop, similar to using remind in combination with Geektool. This way I can get a quick glimpse of my tasks anytime from anywhere. Maybe a dashboard widget would work too.

Hi there! I’m using a similar system as has been suggested - onminioutliner Pro / Kinkless , syncing to ical then onto missing sync so my tasks sync with entourage at work and my PocketPC (roll on the iphone). Task management & implementing GTD and prioritising my messy life! Good luck sounds exciting!

A few thoughts on the omni-app in production…

I suspect a number of users here will agree with the concept of being an app that does its main purpose very well, with the ability to link to other apps with flexibility. So, a specific calendar inside this app may not be something that’s worth doing. iCal does many things quite well, and is widely used with kGTD. Extending Syncing ability to iCal is a useful thing- especially when coupled to online iCal webdav support (like gCalendar).

I think the ability to link to reference materials inside the app, or even the ability to use the same file add-in system that OOp uses (control-adds or adds into the files) may be quite useful for reference materials being on-hand quickly for tasks.

As well, I think there’s an easy-breakdown when it comes to actual “next actions” and parent/sibling actions. It would be wonderful if the option to list only the actions currently doable in the context lists were available. This is the key to paring down long lists. These long lists often have actions which are inter-related and need to be completed in a specific order. No need to clutter next-action lists with actions that can’t currently be done because its parent/sibling is not complete. This is the one current failing in the latest version of kGTD that hurts my ability to complete my work efficiently. [Ethan is awesome, however! please forgive the sacriledge!]

Also- btw, a linkup with Addressbook may also solve collaboration issues- should be easily done, use what apple has done to save you time- don’t recode everything. No matter what you do, there’ll be people who don’t like it… but if you stick with Apple-isms, you’re less likely to have as many issues, I think.

BTW, I think there’s some sort of synergy possible here between OminPlan and OmniFocus… many tasks are actually linked as in Gantt projects, but we rarely see these links in task-lists/to-do lists. The option to go back and forth between project and focus may be quite an interesting aspect… just a thought…

I’m excited about OmniGroup’s work here! If this is done right, I’m sure it will garner a huge following.

My best!!

Mail integration is what’s missing from kGTD. My inbox is where a majority of tasks start and many task end. I use Mail Tags but there is a huge cravas between the two systems. I need a fluid way to make the round trip between the inbox to actions / iCal and back again.

Apple should really pull ya’ll in to get kGTD fully intagrated to the OS ( Mail iCal Finder iSync iPhone).

Keep the code flowing.

Whew! Finally I see some other people using LifeBalance. Me too, although it’s near-unscriptability is what drives me the most crazy. I know you guys generally do a good job with that, but let me specificallly encourage hook a la AddressBook. Let me add a scripted handler when a new task/item is added, when an alarm goes off, when something’s completed, when something’s deleted, and so forth. I don’t mind flaws (which are sometimes merely design decisions I don’t agree with, after all) or missing features if you give me a way to add them. And a rich selection of hooks means more users creating more 3rd party doodads and generally improving your app w/o you having to pay for the work. Heh heh.

What’s really hard to add-on after the fact is synching. I’ve written sync systems for Entourage (with itself, laptop to desktop), and, well, don’t make me have to do that again. I also don’t use .Mac, but have my own WebDAV-capable server.

I actually had completed designing the logic core of my own task management system before finding LifeBalance. I really *don’t* want to have to write my own.

Also, how about an item-entry system as frictionless as possible? With scripting, I can compile my own, but I thought I’d mention it anyway. Not only do I want to be able to hot-key open a “new task” window, but it should have as many task parameters as possible all right in front of me, with fast keyboard shortcuts for access (even if it’s just tabbing over), cleverized defaults, and hopefully some kind of intelligence for figuring out where I might want to file it. Y’know, as in, if I type “Call Brenda about picnic” it guesses that this is a “contact person”-type event, maybe linking to an AddressBook entry, and/or checking for a picnic-related project under which to file this.

As long as I’m wishing, maybe user-definable datafields? Or some way, even if only through scripting, to add customized key/value data to an item other than by having to embed weird stuff in the “comments” field.

Finally, if anybody at Omni reading this was with the company back in 1993: I never got a chance to thank you guys for the NeXT Pizzabox with the SLIP connection you’d set up at WotC. It totally rocked.

I would really like the ability to easily pivot tasks between projects, urgency, and contexts.

Tasks need to be super-easy to get in and process.

Also, I would love to be able to print to-do lists or maybe individual tasks to index cards.

Currently, I use OOP for parts of my GTD system that don’t change as often (like project lists) and loose leaf or index cards for the rest.

I am using MyLifeOrganized because of its simplicity as an outliner and its power of presenting the intersection of a next action, the project it belongs to and the context it can be done in, all in a single line item on a list.

For example, if I am looking at my @office context, I’d see a line like

Do this { Project Name }

Deceptively simple and ridiculously powerful for how I think.

The most glaring flaw in every single system I have looked at is the unwillingness or inability to implement this cross-correlation.

Please do not make the mistake of NOT including this in the first version.

It would be great if this were a Mac-and-Windows app so I could use it at home and work. I know I am dreaming on that one though.

I completely agree with the concept of hooks etc., here. If you build it, the scripters will use it. It would be wonderful if hooks could handle both *input* and *output*… then things like outputting files to text and use with geektool cli commands etc., become a possibility. The more tools everyone has to work with, the more they’ll be able to expand upon your work… just like Ethan’s excellent work on kGTD with OOp.

Excited about this project guys!

I think you have to take some cues from Tracks. Some people like the firm structure Kinkless gives, but you should definitely look at planner.el for Emacs and a long look at Tracks. Key things from Tracks that are probably important are the ability to get data in and out of things easily, the key thing from Planner is the tie to all areas of Emacs (gnus, bbdb, etc) as well as planner-multi, which gives you flexible tags which collate multiple contexts.

I use a vanilla, by-the-book GTD implementation using kGTD and printed notecards for lists. I only print new cards when I do a weekly review (unless they get too marked up) and instead make the changes on paper. Because, even if the system is cool, it is about getting the stuff done, not about the system. Right?

The problem with virtually every GTD app I’ve ever seen is that they’re much, much, much too complex. The beauty of a good GTD implementation is that the lists take care of themselves naturally with daily inbox cleaning, and the weekly review provides the automation and maintenance to keep things clean. If OmniFocus isn’t measurably simpler to use than kGTD, I don’t think I’ll upgrade. Bells and whistles or no bells and whistles, what I need is a tool, not a geegaw.

A Circa notebook from Levenger and Notebook http://www.circusponies.com/

Was using kGTD and OOP, but I like the feel of paper and having more flexibility in setting up things closer to my way of thinking.

Looking forward to your application, sounds like you have all of the key players on board.

I have to say I am about sick of searching for the perfect GTD application (PGTDA). It is like the Holy Grail! If I had just taken the time I used searching for the PGTDA to actually get things done I’d be way ahead by now! Is there a 43Folders Anonymous yet?

Using Action Tracker. It is a FileMaker DB that I reconfigured to work on my Palm using FMMobile. Syncs relatively easy. Also use Fuhgeddaboutit for adding to dos from Mail.

Currently use:
—
+ OOP+kGTD
+ VoodooPad for notes
+ Quicksilver
+ Palm OS built-in calendar for scheduling time-sensitive events for myself
+ MeetingMaker for group events scheduled by my employer
+ iCal for work project time tracking down to the 1/4 hour
+ Google Calendar for work project planning in the “big picture” view

Yes, I use 4 separate calendar apps!

Considering: Yojimbo, Life Balance

Desired Features:
—
+ sync with palm and network based store that doesn’t require .mac (sftp, webdav, etc)
+ decouple from ical (gets too easily bogged down with significant quantity of calendars)
+ integration with web-based calendar like Google Calendar would be nice
+ linking to external resources (text files, VoodooPads, URLs, etc) maybe similar to Yojimbo
+ easy/clever ways to input data: service menu, keystroke, Quicksilver, SMS, etc

please consider lifebalance-style contexts that allow time-based context blocking and overlapping.

I use kGTD+OmniOutliner+iCal w/ HighPriority (http://www.kudurshian.net/highpriority/)

I have two separate GTD documents, one for school and one for other projects. I usually have them both open at the same time, but I never need both at the same time. For me it would be useful to have a tabbed interface, so both documents could be open without hogging as much screen real estate.

I use Tracks, via Zenlist (http://www.zenlist.com/), with calendering in iCal, synced to the mobile and the Palm. And Tiddlywiki for note-taking.

OmniFocus sounds good but make the data exportable in XML or RDF.

Wow - I can’t believe there are so many posts over 2 days. Me? I use OO + Kinkless and print the whole list onto A4 whenever I do a review (+/- weekly). Good sync to a palm would be a welcome addition to this, though I know that Omni have been reluctant in the past. Failing that some way to access and update via a Windows-at-Work scenario would be a great bonus - even if web-based. I end up doing all reviews and GTD updates at home, which I can resent as I spend enough time at work…
B.J Abernathy’s comment re ‘Simple way to filter and review projects and desired outcomes based on realm (50,000 foot>Runway to use GTD terminology).’ is attractive as well as ability to link to project files etc.

If it looks and feels right, then I’d buy.

I have recently started using a Mac. I like it. But I also have to live in the other world - Windows. I like others have posted would like to have something that could work between both worlds. I use an application on Windows called Bonsai that syncs the outline directly with my desktop … somthing like that with the ability to sync with a Palm would be excellent. Or something that I could use via an internet application would be nifty too.

I’m glad to hear that you folks at OmniGroup are working on this. I can’t wait to see how OmniFocus shapes up.

I’m still searching for the GTD tool that works for me, so the news of OmniFocus comes at a good time.

I’ve tried kGTD, and I found it too convoluted for my taste.

I’ve checked out Midnight Inbox (http://www.midnightbeep.com) and I find it a bit confusing.

Probably the tool that I’ve tried that makes the most sense to me is EasyTask Manager (http://www.orionbelt.com). It’s definitely got room for improvement, but it does a very straightforward job of breaking GTD down to its bare essentials. You can view by project, by context, or by calendar. It also syncs with iCal, although the synching seems to be too one-way for me.

I’d like to see OmniFocus incorporate the features that make kGTD so powerful, but with the straightforwardness that OmniGroup does so well. Something like EasyTask Manager, but executed by OmniGroup, would be great.

I am voting for scriptability too. If we could self-tune this puppy to be the digital organization hub, that would be nirvana!! (Does that sentence really mean anything? Don’t think so, but I am hoping you sense my drift.)

Yeah, well, don’t laugh, but I use a Newton. With MoreInfo, I can link Names, Dates (Tasks, Meetings, Events), and Notes. A link is two taps away, and I can edit things on the fly. I have an archive of information, spread out without the use of folders, AND I have relevant folders that I use to give a second sorting hierarchy for classes of things I do in my life. It’s a fabulous mixture and nothing on the desktop has ever come close to it.

As a result, what I want from any desktop app is:

1. seamless integration with Mail (which the Newton can’t do), iCal, and Address Book.

2. Easy linking between all these data sources, so that I can change data in one location and have that data be updated in all my other lists.

3. A simple user interface which works from the get-go, totally consistent with OS X.

See, I don’t doubt that you can do this. You guys rock on #3, doing #2 should be doable with the appropriate database system (on a Newton, the data “soups” are open to all programs, and the interface of a program is merely calling up specific bits of information from a given soup), and #1 is bizarrely missing from the OS X world these days.

Thanks for working on this. I look forward to using it…

An addition to my previous post:

On the Newton, the assistant lets me say things like “Lunch Friday John” and it will automatically populate Friday, 12 to noon, with a John in my calendar (okay, so you pick the last name instead, to be unique) and put it in my date book.

I’d like to see smart linking like that. If I have a task that involves someone’s name, I want to be able to find that task when I am viewing my tasks in relation to a given person. Even if it wasn’t the person or the project originally associated with the task.

Hope that makes sense.

Since you say this is going to be a personal organizer, I want to say you need to look at going beyond tasks and GTD. There are a couple of interesting programs that try to integrate AddressBook, iCal and mail. They are CRM4Mac and OD4Contact to be called Contactizer. These are good programs, but there is room for a killer app.

An organizer should be synced with Addressbook and iCal. There needs to be a means of taking notes. With a note, you should be able to attach any type of document or web url or photo or audio, etc.

One of the key elements for me is to be able to link notes, events, and tasks to an address record. The other key element is to have a view where I can see all of these linked elements along with all of the email I have received or sent to the contact.

It is late, so I hope I am coherent. SOHO Organizer has tried to do some of these, but not very well. I am always looking for a better method. I have tried using kGTD with OOP, but not being able to view the tasks that are linked to a contact is a big problem for me.

Looking forward to your new product. Saving my money!
Terry Hatmaker

I use the Kinkless program but find it flimsy. II’s got the righ idea though.

I really need Palm integration. Although perhaps you could use the new game interface to get it running on the iPod (can you save/sync state?) Of course either way it’s a new (to you guys) cruftier (especially in the PalmOS case — ewww) environment.

Another important feature is links, which OO can’t get right: I would like to stick a message into the tickler list for, say, the 30th of next week. You can’t do that in O-O.

HTH

Was using kGTD+iCal, but currently using Entourage (blech) because of two things: 1) Palm sync 2) project sharing with hubby.

Having blech’ed all over Entourage a lot, there are still things I like about it, especially the project center and its ability to auto-associate incoming emails with projects based on the contact in the address book.

Currently with OOP/Kinkless nearly meets all i want, but heres some thoughts:

+Integrate with everything, not just mac/palm
+Keep an eye out for the new stuff and integrate (Leopard’s system-wide notes/todo), New Palm OS, Widows Mobile 5 and later, symbian os
+Steal best bits from everywhere and include
+Price it accordingly to provide good support, fast bugfixes and development

Do it….yesterday ! Lang may yer lum reek…or JFDI

I am a profoundly visually-oriented person. I need highly customizable visual interfaces or I can’t get past the interface to get my work done. I’m also love technology, but I’m so non-linear I can barely use most programs. OmniOutliner is a God in my inner universe. Without GTD, there is no life; but how to implement is my holy grail. www.organzingtheself.com details my travails. OmniFocus is my last hope.

Use/non-use:

my mind loves the idea, but can’t handle the reality of:
Kinkless GTD: too much to do to enter an item, syncing didn’t seem to work
iCal: visual interface not customizable enough, item entry not easy enough
Tungsten palm pilot: after 10 hours, I gave up on ever syncing this
Journier, MacJournal: GREAT options for linking to other programs, but, no OO style lists. I need collapsing, indentation, movability, etc!
Circus Ponies Notebook: too linear, tough interface for me. Great vibe though.
Inbox: interface overwhelming on first look, couldn’t jump right in like OO; seems too big for me
EasyTask: simple, quick start interface, good, but too small for me
Delicious Library: too small for cataloguing stuff
Process: visual interface not customizable enough. I love OO’s massive visual flexibility, can’t live without it.

my current system:
OOP for all tasks
Quicksilver, of course
paper wall calendar for dates at home
back page of checkbook for dates on the road
written index cards for things to buy/do on the road
unikeep binders (www.unikeep.com) for projects paperwork, I worship these clear plastic boxes!
DVDpedia for cataloguing movies I want to see/have seen
palm pilot with thinkoutside bluetooth keyboard for long written notes/journal entries on the road (bluetooth sync, notes only, to iMac)
I’m thinking about trying out Yojimbo, awesome intro demo movie

What I could use in OmniFocus:

I really don’t give a rat’s rear end about Palm syncing, I gave up on that
I have 3 computers, this system must sync!
super-easy, integrated linking to other programs (I think this is done well by Yojimbo, MacJournal, Journier)
links to address book, iPod, .mac sync, Leopard mail to do
the ‘framework’ of the program works like Yojimbo, MacJournal, or Journier
inside the ‘framework’ is a fully functional OmniOutliner document
You can take or leave GTD functions & can make this your own– I do not want to have to assign a date to everything

Omni, you rule my universe. I have confidence in this product! I spend hard cash on family packs o’ Omni products, and I have confidence you will turn out an Omni-riffic GTD organizational delight. It is highly likely that I will lay down $ for OmniFocus! Hope this helped!

I am truly exited by this teameffort. Omni+Ethan+Merlin! There could be no better dreamteam for the task. Please bring in some of the beauty of Midnight Inbox.

Some pieces of software that have something excellent about them that could inspire your approach:
Thinking Rock (OS X software)
Hiveminder (web app)
Mindcad Incubator or OmniGraffle mindmapping for the graphical bit
GTDGMail (FireFox plugin)
30Boxes (web calendar; far more flexible than Google Calendar)
I’ve little doubt that you’ll somehow manage to cook up something that blends some of these elements into something really special.

i bought OO Pro just to use with kGTD. i bought the GTD book and started reading it, but like most things i got bored and quit reading before i figured things out. i tried multiple times to use OO/kTGD. i lasted about a week each time. i didn’t like that i’d sync with iCal and then it would create 30 calendars (or thereabouts). that’s just too much to follow. in the end, i’ve switched to TextMate for to do lists and google calendars. i use 2 computers and this is an easy way to keep them synced.

one of the things i didn’t like about the full GTD process was that i end up with a lot of tasks that are pretty small, but important (i teach). with OO/kGTD, i felt like i was sometimes spending more time trying to document the things to do than i was actually doing them. perhaps if i’d read the book better, i would have a better sense of how to organize overall and the small pieces would have fallen more easily into place??? in any regard, i’d like a way to add simple to do items quickly without a lot of razzmatazz!

Here is the thing. Think through the entire process if you want folks to use it. Remember, not everyone carries around a “device” (laptop, palm, phone) so find a way to print out a page that allows one to see what’s important, and add some new notes to it. That’s simple enough isn’t it?

Wow - 130+ comments. Think there’s interest in this app?

Considering that Omni met with Ethan and Merlin a few months ago, and they’re tantalizing us with this post, well — that means they’ve got to be close to beta. Right? Right.

i use omnioutliner and kGTD. i used to sync with ical but now i prefer keyboard navigating the todo lists from OO.

quickly printing a next actions index card summary would be great (for selected contexts).

also, i use OO on my kGTD file for keeping track of other GTD-like things. (in particular, i keep a daily strategy which helps me focus.) keeping that flexibility would be nice.

Looking forward to OmniFocus. I’m currently using Mail.app + Mail Act On + iCal + Missing Sync + Palm Pilot.

[…] Gosh, I just can’t tell if there’s enough interest in OmniFocus…maybe we should scuttle it in favor of OmniCrashDoubler 1.0, the app that crashes when you try and enter descriptive text about why your original app crashed in the first place! But only after you hit the only button available, which is helpfully labeled “crash”. […]

• “Publish to web” functionality (.Mac or otherwise) which allows you to snag a view (and maybe enter data as well) from semi-smart phones…

• Or perhaps that feature could be simplified with “Sync with Backpack” or some other already established Web productivity suite.

• Connectivity to the other PIM apps in OS X: AddressBook, iCal, Mail, etc.

A 1,000th OO/kGTD user.

- MUST MUST MUST sync to iCal -> Palm (both ways)
- Must be easy to use, back itself up, and work great.
- Working with Quicksilver is also a must

OmniFocus sounds great, but please make sure it conforms to GTD and also works with the new version of Mail and Todos in OSX Leopard.

Thanks,
BZ

[…] My biggest change has been a move back to Voodoo-Pad from OmniOutliner, because I feel like I wasn’t getting the most out of the program (I never did get how to use columns, and I always felt like the formating, an aesthetic concern I’ll grant you, would never behave,) this I think is mostly a problem with my brain and how it works in combination with the kind of tasks that I seem to be focusing on. I learned from 43Folders that there’s going to be some sort of Omni kGTD program (a productivity methodology/application) on the heels of being released. Sweet. […]

[…] Wer den letzten Eintrag zu Yojimbo gelesen und weiterverfolgt hat, stieß sicherlich auf den Hinweis von Merlin über kGTDOO. Der wies auf The Omni Mouth, das Weblog der Omni Group und dort auf OmniFocus. […]

kGTD/OOP. I’m really, REALLY happy you’ve decided to take up the challenge. Just involve Ethan and Merlin as much as they’ll tolerate. I absolutely live inside OOP.

Oh yeah. Pretty please with sugar on top. I love buying products from you guys. Now I’ll have an application that will help me keep track of buying them. oh yeah.

i tried using kinkless gtd on omni outliner, but i tend to have lots of date specific tasks. i set up tinderbox to view actions by task, project, or timeframe. i made agents to color tasks based on whether it’s overdue, due today, in the coming week, or past that. so far it’s working pretty well, but i’m interested to see what you guys come up with for omni focus.

1. ability to specify whether tasks should be done “in order given” or “in any order” (which kGTD sorta kinda handles if you add “*” to the project name).

2. Handy “format for index card” option when printing

3. The name makes me think of photography. The first thing that came to mind was “OmniAction”, since it’s all about the Next Action.

Omni,

I would recommend purchasing and installing the actually Outlook plugin offered by David Allen ( http://gtdsupport.netcentrics.com/home/ ). One thing that is missing in all the various solutions: Directly processing your email (Mail or Entourage). This is where 80% of all my projects, actions, etc. start.

Help me proess my inbox :-).

Stuart

[…] No sooner do I write about getting back to basics with Getting Things Done and Kinkless GTD, then the Omni Group announces that they are developing a GTD app called OmniFocus. For those not familiar with the Omni products, they are all extremely well done: high functionality, smooth and effective user interface and extraordinary though put into how it will actually work. […]

Named views which filter records on field values - like the old Lotus Agenda

I use kGTD (bought OmniOutliner for that reason).
Palm sync is the vital thing for me.

My paper setup before having a laptop always with me used to be a table with: task - time needed to perform this task - priority. Then I’d add up the times for today’s tasks, and see how I stand against time available. Then I’d schedule tasks into events (task A 9:35-10:10 and so forth). IMO, this integration between tasks and events, including needed time, is what is really missing from all apps I’ve seen up to now. I can’t really understand why - all tasks will have to be scheduled into my calendar to be performed at some point, and they do require a certain amount of time! If you promise to do this…

My wish list for OmniFocus:

- release early, release often
- build half a product, not a half-ass product

I hope you know what i mean…

“My key demand for a GTD app is ‘ubiquitiousness’.”

That sums it up for me. That’s my top request for any app these days. Yojimbo is my resources catch-all for that reason. I use MailTags with IMAP for that reason. Now, if I could only find a ubiquitous GTD app…

Oh, and one more thing…

The option to use it without touching the mouse and with as few keystrokes as possible and from any app at any time. As David Allen says, the only thing that works is what you’re willing to use at the most stressful or busy times.

Oh, one more thing: for actions with a time allocated - have a one-button access to a timer pre-defined with the time allocated to the task. This could be taken further with creating ‘dash’ actions that will translate into the relevant timer series.

As someone else said, don’t forget to make our OO files importable into OmniFocus!

I bought OO to use Kinkless. Crucial parts of my use are iCal and MailTags. Looking forward to see the outcome!

Kinkless does so much of what I like. It’s close to perfect, never quite perfect since we can all improve. I think if OmniFocus can get it’s feature set in as a foundation great things can emerge. I’ll list the features of Kinkless which I really like.
1. Flexibility.
Kinkless allows you to follow the GTD approach yet with the ability to customise how strict (pedantic) you want to be.
2. Implements all needs of GTD
3. iCal Integration
At the begining this feature ‘wowed’ me. However over time I found myself using it less and less. It’s probably just me that’s at fault.
4. Mail Integration
No Kinkless doesn’t have it now but a few tools/scripts out there fill in the gap. It would be cool if OmniFocus could integrate Mail in an intelligent and useful way. Maybe I could tag a mail message so that it was linked to an action in OmniFocus. That way the mail message would be quickly available as a reference and would lead to less time in creating descriptive notes for an action.

I’m looking forward to what you guys come up with, good times ahead!

I’d love to have something along the lines of omnigraffle/ novamind/ mindmanger. meets omnioutliner with thinkingrock and Inbox type processing. Web archiving and file tagging in a devonthink type database. Currently I use universal village collaboration suite. Problem is it’s ugly and Java-ity . One feature I’d really love is to be able to select a file in the finder and create a task for that file from a contextual menu.

I upgraded to OO Pro to use Kinkless. What I find most helpful is its integration w/ Quicksilver so that I can quickly get ideas into my virtual inbox.

Don’t know if theis was already mentioned (didn’t see it in the comments feed), but the ability to import/export from OmniPlan would be great as well. That way I can reduce a project plan to just my next actions or I can convert a series of related next actions into a formal project.

Was using Kinkless + OO, but the iCal + thence Palm syncing was frustrating, so switched to a home-brew Basecamp setup (http://www.basecamphq.com) for ubiquity.

Would love a desktop/web/PDA amalgam that synced smoothly, and was flexible enough to hold stray thoughts, ideas, snippets of websites, URLs etc, as well as the more immediate project/next action stuff.

Two things I would really like to see:

Task dependencies — seems like many of the tools assume that your tasks can be completed in any old order, whereas I often find myself working on projects that depend on other projects (that depend on other projects, …, but let’s not go there).

Repeating tasks — some tasks occur over and over again, and it would be useful to be able to enter them once and have them reappear on schedule (for example, paying the guy that mows our lawn (monthly), changing backup tapes (daily/weekly), etc.)

I would also recommend taking a look at Tom Limoncelli’s _Time Management for System Administrators_ (or bringing Tom in the way you brought in Merlin and Ethan). Tom’s cycle-system isn’t quite GTD, but is pretty close, and there may be some ideas in there that would be worth incorporating.

I’m definitely looking forward to the beta — thus far, everything I’ve tried hasn’t quite worked for me.

Full .Mac Syncing across multiple machines!!
that would be AMAZING

Kinkless, what else !!

Fairly new to GTD, and am so far sticking to paper, because I’m not happy with any of the apps I’ve tried– so am REALLY looking forward to OmniFocus! The most important thing to me would be ability to tweak views. I’d like to be able to view my next actions by context, OR by project, and I’d like to be able to choose how many (or few) next actions I see.

For example, most apps show you a humongous to-do list, with several next actions for each project displayed. I’d really like the ability to decide how many next actions per project I want to see– so that if I’m feeling overwhelmed, I can cut the “next actions shown per project” down to one, thus allowing me to see a list of projects and what the *single* next action/to-do is for each one. I don’t always want to see twenty next actions for every project, scattered over various contexts– that makes my to-do list a million miles long, and depressing!

As I check off one to-do, I’d like the next one for that project to slide into its place. That way I’m looking at only one to-do per project at any given time. Right now I’m doing this manually, on paper. I’d love love LOVE to have it automated in an app I can trust (which is where kGTD falls short for me).

Also, to echo the comment by Terrence above, it’s really important to me to be able to see context + project + next action all hooked together. Otherwise, I lose track of what action is for what project.

It’s all been said, but I vote for in order of preference:

1) quicksilver integration
2) email integration
3) built in FTP– (I am also fed up with .mac)
4) collaboration– assign tasks to a partner, etc.