Palm/iPhone & OmniFocus

[BwanaZulia]

It looks like the ability to integrate OmniFocus (and GTD) into the iPhone/Treo is not going to happen on an application level, but I would like to see the current kGTD functionality expanded.

Currently:
- You enter a task in Treo and it syncs back to kGTD through iCal with context (if put in the right calendar) when you enter it.

- You enter a task in Treo with ">" and it will try to match it to the project when it syncs from iCal to kGTD ("Call Jones > Big Project @ Calls") will get it into your inbox with the right context and project as will ("Call Jones > big proj @ Calls"). But if there are more than one project with "big proj" in it, it doesn't work well.

Suggestions:

- Add the ability to create a new project in the task with "<" ("Call Bob < Huge Project @ Calls") would sync to OmniFocus though iCal and create a new project called "Huge Project" add "Call Bob" as the first task with a context of "Calls".

- Add the ability to give projects tags or acronyms to easily associate with. If I have a project called "Big Project" and another called "Really Big Project" and yet another called "Super Really Big Project" that takes a lot of typing on your Treo/iPhone. I suggest that OmniFocus all for keywords or tags either manually or automatically for project association.

So.. ("Call Jones > srbp @ Calls") would sync back to the "Super Really Big Project" and ("Email Jones > rbp @ Email") would sync back to the "Really Big Project" by recognizing the auto-acronym. They could also allow the user to give the projects keywords like "fpr" or "bigp" as meta data so when the user puts in ("Write proposal > bigp @ Computer") that would sync back to the "Big Project" that was tagged with "bigp".

This was the user could create projects and tasks associated with projects without having to actually have the application on the device and using the current functionality.

To extent his they could add another symbol to associate with folders ("Call Bob > Really Big Project @ Calls % Folder Name").

Thoughts?

BZ

[BwanaZulia]

Not one thought or comment?

Jeez.

BZ

[JKT]

My one thought would be why you don't think that integration is going to happen at the app level (eventually), or have I missed something?

[BwanaZulia]

Honestly, I don't see OmniGroup ever writing a Palm application and the reality is that the iPhone most likely won't have that functionality for a year or so.

Even if the iPhone did have it, I think it is much better to go through existing channels (tasks, calendars, etc) than try to create your own.

BZ

[Nevir]

I'd much rather see a WAP/HTML method of input. (potentially more expensive for phone users, but at the same time, far more reaching than writing either an app for each device, or syncing methods that are probably better suited for another product)

I would absolutely love to see a simple web interface where I can focus on a specific context (Errands, for example) - easily checking lists off my shopping list, via my iPhone.

Or, using Safari's ability to make dashboard widgets out of any web page, have a dashboard widget (perhaps on a second computer, maybe at work) for another context.

After watching Ethan's overview video, this seems like a very logical next step for OmniFocus (hell, assuming the API is there, I would most likely hack together such a web service for my personal use if it's not included, and allowable)

[yucca]

A web interface would be great for mobile users and those of us in Mac-hostile workplaces.

Of course, I had also given up on integrating Microsoft Project files into my GTD workflow . . . I'm giving Omni's Project a second look to see if this might be possible after all. So who knows?

[kioneo]

One thing I'd be happy with, and it would be very simple, is to allow any task created in an Inbox category on the Palm (or OF: Inbox) to simply pass right into the Inbox in OmniFocus. From there I can worry about adding the right context and project during a mini daily-review.

I find that typing on my Treo is hard enough, and most times I just want to quickly capture a task. I don't have the time to fully assign it a context and/or project. Plus, even if I did (using a tagging method), it wouldn't show up in my categories (contexts) list properly on the Palm anyway (until it was synced, processed, and resynced).

Just a thought.

[JKT]

Currently, that is how the Web Interface for OF works - you can't actually assign a context (at least not the last time I checked... maybe its changed in a more recent build) and therefore all entries go straight to the inbox on your Mac serving the data. Personally, I hope that we can get to assign contexts as well.