Which solution for me?

[gr8ful2GTD]

I've tried paper based solutions and they just don't work for me. I'm alsways on the go and hate carrying stuff in my pockets. The only thing I always have with me is my beloved iPhone. I have a Mac laptop at home AND a PC that rarely gets turned on. But I have a PC at work with Outlook. Outlook is currently synched to my iPhone and I receive calendar updates, emails and contacts pushed to my phone.

I've looked into using OmniFocus. It looks really robust and easy to use. Plus I have heard good things about the iPhone client. I'm wondering what problems I might encounter using OmniFocus with my current configuration (PC at work, Mac at home, and iPhone on the road). I email myself constantly from the road but hate needing to go back and process those emails again.

To further complicate things, I'm involved in several start up projects that will require the adoption of a web based (preferably) project management tool. I'm considering Basecamp if that helps. Is there anyway to sync tasks from Basecamp with OmniFocus or some other tool? This isn't a must but would be really nice.

I'm not dead set on any specifc technology so if there are other recommendations that would work better for me, please let me know.

 

[mickmel]

As I tend to do, I recommend Nozbe (link is in my signature). It's web based, so you can get to it from any PC/Mac. They also have an iPhone app, so close that loop.

Another one to consider would be ToodleDo. I personally like Nozbe better, but others are the opposite. I'd suggest you try them both and see what you find.

Nozbe has excellent collaboration tools, but not nearly as robust as Basecamp. They primarily allow you to share projects with others, then assign tasks within each project to various people. It works great for projects I'm involved with, but might not have enough features for larger endeavours.

 

[Oogiem]

I'm wondering what problems I might encounter using OmniFocus with my current configuration (PC at work, Mac at home, and iPhone on the road)....

Is there anyway to sync tasks from Basecamp with OmniFocus or some other tool?

Biggest issue is that you will not have a pC client at all. Omnifocus is Mac and iPhone only. I haven't used the iPhone version so I can't comment. But if you can live w/o the PC having access to or changing your lists the Mac OF app is really robust and powerful. Takes a while to get it set for your way of working but is really nice.

No idea on the basecamp sync at all, sorry.

 

[gr8ful2GTD]

I found out that OmniFocus can synch with Basecamp via Spootnik.net for like $9/month. My concern is that I spend a significant ammount of time at my PC at work. Much of the tasks I need to manage are work related. Can someone describe from a practical standpoint how I would manage my tasks? How would I process email? I don't mind sending calendar invites from my iPhone when setting meetings though that can be a pain. Just trying to wrap my head around how this would work.

OmniFocus did tell me that they are working on a web hosted solution AND Outlook support but couldn't give me a definitive release date.

 

[mcogilvie]

I've looked into using OmniFocus. It looks really robust and easy to use. Plus I have heard good things about the iPhone client. I'm wondering what problems I might encounter using OmniFocus with my current configuration (PC at work, Mac at home, and iPhone on the road). I email myself constantly from the road but hate needing to go back and process those emails again.

Try a web-based solution. I use Toodledo (and Evernote), but Remember the Milk may appeal. Both will let you email stuff in, which you will like. My experience is that Omnifocus and I do not do all that well together. It's not bad for me, just too much friction under pressure.

 

[gr8ful2GTD]

Too much friction under pressure? Please explain.

 

[humblepie]

the problem with paper based to do list is that they are not really good for:

1. showing focus items
2. recurring tasks notification
3. amendments to task details or corrections

thats where computerize come in.

One thing i should note is that although you should pay a price for it, i don't think you should pay too much for services like remember the milk,toodledo and nozbe.

You can try Ultimate ToDo which cost 0.99 cents on the app store for now to see if computerized todo list work for you.

I use mainly a combination of iPod Touch 2G + Appigo ToDo List which i feel is a good choice. at 9.99 fix cost with no monthly cost.

 

[mcogilvie]

Too much friction under pressure? Please explain.

As I wanted to do more, and work faster, I felt that nothing came easy. There are many constraints on what you can see when, and what goes where. The more I put in, the harder it was to work with, so the workflow did not scale up. Many features is not the same as flexible. In the end, I felt that the decisions that went into designing OF are not the ones I would have made. A lot of people find it works for them, though.

 

[MJR]

Pocket Informant?

You might look at Pocket Informant for the iPhone. It currently syncs with Google Calendar and Toodledo, so you can access it from any machine. It combines to-do management with calendar management, and has a GTD setting for the to-dos that accurately reflects the GTD methodology.

 

[Claudia Volkman]

my vote

I'm on a Mac, so can only speak to that... but for me, while I've really enjoyed Omnifocus in many ways, I have found Things to be simple, elegant, and I haven't gone numb to it yet! Works great with the iPhone too. I'm actually enjoying my lists!