Anyone using OmniFocus?

luckat

Looking for someone to share the pain. Is anyone using this app successfully? I'm having, as they said in the 80s, a bit of a learning curve.

desb

Just started using it on trial this week. Already trying Things on trial which has just come to an end leaving me unsure as to whether it is for me.

While Things is prettier, so far my impression of OmniFocus is that it looks clearer. I also like the way folders can be manipulated easily.

I have yet to use Contexts or due dates.

Some time is needed to learn these task managers, but I guess worth it in the long run. They aren't that cheap and you don't want to buy something that ends up unused after the novelty is gone.

Yes it would be good to share notes on first impressions as we use it.

luckat

Probably a good idea not using Contexts - I'm a little dazzled by the combination of Projects and Contexts.

I've (apparently) installed Growl, which helps a bit, because it throws up notices when things are due. Up to now I've used a paper notebook mostly, just listing what I had to do each day, and moving things forward if they took more than one day.

OmniFocus takes a rather puritan attitude to procrastination, and doesn't encourage being date-centred.

luckat

By the way, what do you mean by "folders can be manipulated easily", please?

talla

I use Notebook myself.
Very easy to use, has a bit of everything.
-To Do lists
-Notes of every type
- Index
- Keywords
-Screen Clippings
- Integration with iCal / Entourage

desb

Luckat - with 7 days to go for trial I'm getting on reasonably ok with OmniFocus. I have used contexts and find them very useful to draw up lists of phonecalls to make, emails to write etc. I even have created a "Long Finger" context which groups the stuff I will do some day.

I find it reasonably date-centred Luckat, and apply dates (except for Long-Finger stuff!

One flaw with OmniFocus that I find almost unforgivable is that to Quit, you must first exit your task list [Red x] and then Quit the programme [Top menu -> OmniFocus->Quit OmniFocus]. Very irritating and if you dont do this it even stops you shutting down your mac. Grrrr!

I followed your link on Notebook talla and it looks interesting - especially the ability to drag in docs and other files. I will explore it more, but I am getting a but task-managered out here so will make a buy decision soon....

luckat

desb, OmniFocus doesn't do that to me, it quits fine; maybe you have a buggy version?

I'm getting on a lot better with it now that I've concentrated on Projects and kind of put Contexts aside to some extent.

One thing I can't get a handle on is the Location business - setting a location for an errand - but then perhaps that's a good thing; it looks as if it might cause you to use the online-y aspect of the iPhone more than I want to.

desb

Thanks Luckat - Must reinstall once I protect the data. Maybe its because its still on trial.

Location? I don't use them. I assume they are part of contexts? I guess the fleibility of the all taskmanager systems is that you can scrap stuff within contexts or whatever that you don't need. In my case I struggled to use People as part of contexts and then just deleted them as descriptors. However like I said, having a list every day of phonecalls to make and emails to write is very useful.

When I decide to buy the damned package, I will wait a while before splashing out more on iPhone version. Have you bought the mac version yet? Are there any discounts available?

luckat

It's not because it was on trial - the trial licence worked fine for me too.

No discounts available - I asked. There were during the beta phase, but we missed that.

It's handy for the iPhone, but perhaps a little more fiddly. But that may be my learning curve.

luckat

desb, reading your post it occurs to me that using Contexts in the way you are, you'd actually be better off using Projects - which is intended for setting up a project and a series of small actions to fulfil it, eg:

Clear attic
Take down 32 boxes of stuff
Triage box contents into Keep, Oxfam, Sell
Triage Oxfam stuff into Actually I Should Sell This in the Flea Market of Dublin Co-Op, Too Awful to Give to Anyone and Really Oxfam
Bring Oxfam stuff to Oxfam and donate it
Email dublinflea at gmail.com address to get a stall in flea market
Save up the €30 for flea market stall
Sell stuff
Subsume other stuff into household goods
Put cardboard boxes outside for a couple of nights to soften up
Bring cardboard boxes to bring-centre

In this Project list, you can give particular items a context - for instance, you can make a context for Co-Op and set its address to Newmarket, Dublin 8; when you're near Newmarket and carrying your iPhone, it will flash up a note to you. (In theory, anyway, haven't tested this out.)

desb

I agree - I am using projects a lot. You suggest making a context and setting and address for it. Interesting. I have tried but cannot understand how you can do that. What steps are involved? I dragged an address to a context but it just added it to the attachment line. Thanks

luckat

I made a context of Lidl, Cork Street, then entered the exact address of the store. I've yet to see if it finds that I'm near there and pops up the list of errands that have it as a context.