OmniFocus on iPad
 

So, now that it's official - do you have any information regarding OmniFocus on the iPad? Please o please?

Yes, any info?
 

I love that my iPhone version will work right out of the box. But I'd gladly pay the $20 again for a version that more closely approximates the Mac version. Especially the ability to view/drag actions into projects in another pane and the ability to use the Review perspective.

Oh, and could you have that ready in 90 days? Thanks ever so much. :)

Maybe we should mail the ninjas but they are probably already working on it.

The iPad is the perfect platform for omnifocus and if they can make it similar to the desktop version it will change my life (literally),

The ipad looks great for GTD in general, I think that I'll opt for the 16GB non-GSM version initially and then wait for the 3rd-gen release before upgrading to whatever is top of the range in two year's time.

iPad & Omnifocus
 

I would echo the posts above! I would love to see an iPad optimized version of Omnifocus (and would be willing to pay for it).

Definitely the perfect platform and if it can be integrated with the new calendar and email app similar to the Macbook, that would be amazing! The size and functionality of the iPad could easily make it the ideal personal planner (and you could even have the GTD book available anytime you need to refer back to a bookmarked section). Can't wait.

Me too
 

FWIW, I would also be willing to fork out another $20 for an iPad optimized version.

The ability to read e-docs (pdf, office etc), and use OmniFocus at the same time on a reasonable screen is my #1 use case for the iPad and would make me virtually paper free.

This is hugely important. Please, please, please make OmniFocus the first app you port to the iPad.

Vote YES to iPad
 

I, too, would love a version of OmniFocus for the iPad. It would be the #1 app and main reason for buying the iPad.

Please consider making a custom iPad version with new UI that takes advantage of the additional screen space.

Terry

Please just don't stall on developing OF for Mac =) You've done some great work on the iPhone App, but I personally can't wait to see some advancements towards 2.0. Can't wait for tagging and all the other new features that so many people have suggested coming to life.

Perfect Application Set
 

Frankly OMNI's tools are exactly what is needed on the iPad. Its almost too perfect. I will be very sad indeed if your products don't make it there. Its exactly whats need in a meeting

+1 OmniFocus for iPad

iPad for OmniFocus.

WE NEED IT! We´ll love it! iPad will be THE personal management device with your app making it!

It is the first app I thought of wanting on my iPad.

BZ

Now
 

Yes, Omnifocus was exactly the app I had in mind for the iPad. I want to go to meetings with an iPad running Omnifocus and OmniOutliner. My hope was that the iPad could run those apps as regular Mac OS X apps and that a whole new app wasn't needed.

Unfortunately, simply running the iPhone version on an iPad doesn't thrill me. I want exactly the same interface that runs on OS X.

-James

What fraction of the standard OS X price are you willing to pay for it?

I would also love to see an iPad version, and would consider paying $10 to upgrade the iPhone version to iPad (I'm hoping that developers will be able to enable in-app purchases for upgrades to iPad versions for existing app owners). I think $20 is a bit much for people who've already shelled out that much for the iPhone version. But, if it had enough polish and was truly made as a wholly new app, I would consider it.

Personally, I like the iPhone version (especially since 1.6) better than the Mac version. It's more intuitive to me, especially for drilling down into project folders, along with the quick link to get back to the top level.

Look forward to seeing what Omni Group can do with this new platform. I'm sure it will be great.

[QUOTE=BwanaZulia;72465]It is the first app I thought of wanting on my iPad.[/QUOTE]

Ditto.

[QUOTE=stmpjmpr;72484]Ditto.[/QUOTE]
Not ditto, but it was second.

Personally I would prefer OmniPlan (or someone else's good PM software) on the iPad first as there isn't a single decent Project Manager on the iPhone OS platform. Not one.

This is a slice of the iPhone OS market that is absolutely begging to be filled by someone, and especially so on the iPad.

OmniGraffle would be third. Fwiw.

Just saw the $49.95 price of OmniGraffle for the iPad which makes it 50% of the OSX price.

That being said, I don't want a version that is JUST for the iPad, I want a unniversal version (which they can do) that works on both iPad and iPhone.

Please don't double dip on this one OmniGroup.

I get charging for something that doesn't exist (OmniGraphSketcher and OmniGraffle) but re-charging for the iPhone version wouldn't be cool.

BZ

Lots of apps out there, but I don't see OmniFocus yet. Big bummer.

BZ

[QUOTE=BwanaZulia;75170]Just saw the $49.95 price of OmniGraffle for the iPad which makes it 50% of the OSX price.

That being said, I don't want a version that is JUST for the iPad, I want a unniversal version (which they can do) that works on both iPad and iPhone.

Please don't double dip on this one OmniGroup.

I get charging for something that doesn't exist (OmniGraphSketcher and OmniGraffle) but re-charging for the iPhone version wouldn't be cool.

BZ[/QUOTE]

Exactly my thoughts, BZ. OG can easily determine who has purchased both versions and offer this for free, or better yet, do what Agile is doing with their 1Password Pro. Update 1PP to INCLUDE the iPad version (making it universal).

I would easily take the iPhone featureset, but utilizing the full res of the device for now... :)

[QUOTE=Lightstorm;75300]OG can easily determine who has purchased both versions [/QUOTE]
Oh, really? How, exactly?

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;75301]Oh, really? How, exactly?[/QUOTE]

I would imagine Apple provides sales figures [from iPhone sales], and hopefully that includes the purchaser's name at the very least. Cross reference that with the invoices they've taken from their site, and I would think you'd have a pretty comprehensive list.

Or, as I said earlier, offer the next OF update as a Universal one.

The great debate over the pricing of the original iPhone version of OmniFocus strongly suggested that in fact, only Apple knows who bought the apps. Perhaps matters have changed since then, but I haven't seen anything to suggest that they have.

[url]http://forums.omnigroup.com/showpost.php?p=55786&postcount=84[/url]

[QUOTE=Lightstorm;75303]I would imagine Apple provides sales figures [from iPhone sales], and hopefully that includes the purchaser's name at the very least.[/QUOTE]

We don't receive customer names or anything like that, sorry.

OmniFocus for iPad
 

Looks like Apple has unveiled the app store for iPad today.

Omni has two products listed - Sketcher for $14.99 and Graffle for $49.99 (ouch!).

However, no OmniFocus yet.

Surprising thing was the Things for iPad was listed for $19.99 with a couple of screenshots. They seem to match closely what their Mac version is.

I am hoping that OF for iPad will be released soon . . .

I just looked on the App Store and saw OmniGraffle and OmniGraphSketcher only. I'm glad those are there, but they're only nice-to-haves for me; OmniFocus is a must-buy. I hope it finds it's way there soon!

+1

What about this; release the iPhone and iPad versions in one app, then make the full iPad version an in-app purchase?

You can always run OmniFocus in double-pixel mode on your iPad. You just use your regular OmniFocus app but it's just resized.

Various interviews with Ken Case has an estimate of end of year 2010 for an OmniFocus app that is redesigned for the iPad.


Remember, CulturedCode only has one app to work on.

OmniGroup has OmniGraphSketcher, OmniOutliner, OmniFocus, OmniPlan, and OmniGraffle. They have their hands full.

[url]http://www.omnigroup.com/blog/entry/iPad_or_Bust[/url]
[url]http://www.omnigroup.com/blog/entry/iPad_or_Bust_two_weeks_later/[/url]

So it looks like Sketcher and Graffle made it out first. OmniOutliner iPad, OmniOutliner 4, and OmniPlan 2 looks to be next in line. Then finally OmniFocus will bring up the rear.....

In the meantime, I'm still happy with OmniFocus on my iPod touch. I can see myself carrying the touch way more than I would be carrying the iPad.

But, yeah, I would love to see OmniFocus on the iPhone/iPod touch earlier....

Yes, I know we all hate double dipping....

But if OmniFocus for iPad is very significantly different beast from OmniFocus for iPhone, I can understand the justification for charging for a separate app.

I just think of it as buying another license to use on another device.

All I know is that whatever I pay will be money well spent. I love carrying my iPod touch with me everywhere and use OmniFocus on it religiously.

However, I usually reserve my brainstorming sessions for my MacBook. I'll enter an outline of projects and ideas into the OmniFocus for iPhone inbox. Then I'll sync to the MacBook and proceed to flesh out my projects. Or I'll just grab a paper pad and pen and do my brainstorming there. I'll transfer it over to OmniFocus on my MacBook later.

If I had the iPad, i can probably do better weekly reviews on it than I would on my iPod touch.

If Omni is really waiting until the end of the year for what I (and I'm sure many) consider to be their flagship product, then they'll have probably lost me by then. I love OmniFocus, but task management on a larger device is a LARGE part of why I'm getting an iPad. If Omni isn't there, someone else will be, and there's a decent chance I'll be migrating to their platform.

A doubled screen version of the iPhone app isn't very appealing.

[QUOTE=Lightstorm;75300]…better yet, do what Agile is doing with their 1Password Pro. Update 1PP to INCLUDE the iPad version (making it universal).[/QUOTE]

Well, I'm not sure that's really what's going to happen… at the moment, "1Password for iPad" is showing as a distinct iPad-only app (selling at $6.99), offered in parallel with "1Password Pro" as an iPhone/iPod Touch-based app (selling at $8.99). What's more, while a bunch of my other apps just triggered an update that bumped them into the "iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad Apps" category, 1Password Pro is still stuck in the "iPhone and iPod Touch Apps" category :-(

We'll just have to wait and see!

A version of OmniFocus customized for the iPad is absolutely coming. The current setup - iPhone app on iPad - is strictly temporary.

We did OmniGraffle and OmniGraphSketcher first because drawing with your finger seemed a really good fit for the strengths of the iPad, and because those products didn't have iPhone OS apps in any form.

I wish we were in a position to develop on all of our projects simultaneously, but until we find that developer-cloning technology we keep hoping for, we will have to make tradeoffs from time to time. :-)

I can't quote you a specifics on when or in what sequence the other three apps will appear, but I can tell you we're working to get them to you as fast as possible, and that we're constantly revising our plans from week to week and even day to day.

The "late 2010" estimate was our best guess at the moment that post was made; I have a feeling that the situation today looks somewhat different. I'm compiling a list of questions that folks are asking to pass along to Ken later today - I'll make sure "OmniFocus for iPad" gets a section on that list. Thanks, guys!

[QUOTE=brianru;75326]What about this; release the iPhone and iPad versions in one app, then make the full iPad version an in-app purchase?[/QUOTE]

I asked about this approach in a conversation with Ken; as far as we can tell, there's no way to unlock the higher-rez iPad interface from an in-app purchase. Universal apps just show the iPad interface on that device, and the iPhone interface on an iPhone.

[QUOTE=stmpjmpr;75324]OmniFocus is a must-buy. I hope it finds it's way there soon![/QUOTE]

We're absolutely going to do this. Check [URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showpost.php?p=75345&postcount=5"]here[/URL] for more info. Hope this helps!

[QUOTE=barrettj;75335]If Omni is really waiting until the end of the year for what I (and I'm sure many) consider to be their flagship product, then they'll have probably lost me by then. I love OmniFocus, but task management on a larger device is a LARGE part of why I'm getting an iPad. If Omni isn't there, someone else will be, and there's a decent chance I'll be migrating to their platform.

A doubled screen version of the iPhone app isn't very appealing.[/QUOTE]

So you still wouldn't use OmniFocus on your iPhone/iPod touch? It still works! That will still be my main tool because I would carry around my iPod touch more than I would carry around an iPad. Don't forget that your existing solutions still work. All that shine and glitz from the iPad is getting into our eyes and blinding us from existing solutions. It's like walking around with your wife and then you see a beautiful supermodel. Would you break up with your wife just because a supermodel walks by? Tempted? Yes. Realistic? Probably not.

I still haven't really found Things for the iPad and desktop to be the answer. I've always liked OmniFocus' workflow and feature set better than Things for both desktop and iPhone app editions.

AppiGo's To Do might be interesting if they ever get to the iPad. But AppiGo's To Do doesn't have a companion desktop application to go with it.

I'm really not interested in disrupting up my GTD workflow. It's just too much headache to transition from one GTD app to another.

Meanwhile my trusty iPod touch with OmniFocus is my faithful companion. Even though everybody is lusting with mouths wide open for the iPad, I know what keeps my life going...

Make iPad version a top priority
 

It seems you are working product-out and not market-in, that is you are not working customer driven. You should set a significant resource on an iPad version. Many businesses are looking at bringing iPad into the business arena, e.g. hospitals, engineering companies etc. Your sketch and omnigraffle, while great apps, are toys on the ipad. A small niche. Engineers will use their workstations etc

On the other hand, a business grade project manager like OmniFocus, will be seen as a serious app and may launch you in the business market via the iPad.

Also, remember, once people buy into an app, like Things, they will be reluctant to switch as they have all their settings done and there is a barrier to exit.

Don't make the mistake to fragment your resources. You need to set priorities and that also means temporary stop-management for some development. now that Things has set a price, you can see the value of a true Omnifocus for iPad.
[INDENT][B]Things will seduce people from iPad into their iPhone and into their laptops/desktops. And in the process replace Omnifocus.[/B] [/INDENT]
This is a dynamic market, don't even think you are safe with your current user base. They will leave you behind quickly if you are not in the market. End of the year, or even middle of the year will not cut it. Better be there by may 1st when the next user base on the iPad with 3G comes on line.

And finally, listen to your customers, they are your bread and butter.



[QUOTE=Brian;75345]A version of OmniFocus customized for the iPad is absolutely coming. The current setup - iPhone app on iPad - is strictly temporary.

We did OmniGraffle and OmniGraphSketcher first because drawing with your finger seemed a really good fit for the strengths of the iPad, and because those products didn't have iPhone OS apps in any form.

I wish we were in a position to develop on all of our projects simultaneously, but until we find that developer-cloning technology we keep hoping for, we will have to make tradeoffs from time to time. :-)

I can't quote you a specifics on when or in what sequence the other three apps will appear, but I can tell you we're working to get them to you as fast as possible, and that we're constantly revising our plans from week to week and even day to day.

The "late 2010" estimate was our best guess at the moment that post was made; I have a feeling that the situation today looks somewhat different. I'm compiling a list of questions that folks are asking to pass along to Ken later today - I'll make sure "OmniFocus for iPad" gets a section on that list. Thanks, guys![/QUOTE]

OF on iPad
 

It works, but it's ugly. Would love an in app purchase to upgrade to something that looks more suitable for the iPad.

My goal is to use OF iPad @Work for planning and review. The split screen setup of most apps is perfect for OF.

Actually, I'm seeing at least 3 of my existing apps have been upgraded to have clear iPad versions. Pandora already includes the split screen.

So, I'll be clear on my expectations, if there are no new significant features on OF iPad, I expect for it to be handled the same way.

If I have to pay just to get clear text, that starts a different relationship heading towards the sour side.

OF iPhone is the most expensive app I've purchased. The $10 calculator I bought has been made to look wonderful on this screen.

Merged threads.

PCalc seems to be my only paid app that got a free iPad update that just showed up as an update on my iPhone and iPad.

Free app updates to iPad include: Zillow, Now Playing, IMdb. All include new functionality.

Free apps that required separate downloads: Ebay, NPR.

Whats this have to do with OF iPad?

I can see devs don't have to recharge for paid apps to upgrade to iPad functionality. However, there must be a reason why other devs are requiring another download even for free apps? Different dev teams, code branches, app store confusion, $ ?

Sorry, I have to play devil's advocate here.

There are people and businesses who rely on Sketcher and Graffle for a living. So no one can exactly dismiss those apps as mere toys.

At the same time, not everybody does GTD. There are some folks who are happy with the Things way of Getting Things Done (GTD). There's certainly a market for that. I think Things is a great introduction to OmniFocus. We've seen a lot of users hit a certain barrier with Things. There are features that OmniFocus has that Things doesn't have. They'll discover OmniFocus in time and gradually switch over.

Things replacing OmniFocus? I don' know about that. There are so many features in OmniFocus that are missing from Things. I couldn't possibly go to Things.

Seriously, would you want to change to Things just because of the iPad? I highly doubt that existing OmniFocus users will want to switch to Things.

It's easy to be an armchair quarterback when we're standing on the sidelines.

The OmniFolks are listening..... They did say their plans and schedules are fluid and subject to change. It's already changed since the January intro of the iPad. They are listening to us. Maybe not fast enough as we want them to be but they are listening.

Remember, there are many forces pulling at the OmniFolks. They still have to put resources into the upcoming OmniFocus 1.8 (and 2.0) as well as OmniOutliner 4.0 desktop and iPad editions. That's at least 4 projects on their plate right there! Then there's OmniPlan 2.0 for desktop and app editions.

In the other forums, some folks are hoping for OmniOutliner 4 desktop first and then telling them to put the iPad edition out later. Damned if they do. Damned if they don't.

No OmniFocus is a great disappointment!
 

One of the main reasons reasons anyone would by an iPad is for productivity purposes. While the iPhone app is great it is a huge disappointment that the iPad version of OmniFocus is missing; great disappointment because omnifocus becomes a [B]necessity'[/B] rather than a luxury. Therefore once again I say "Great Dissapointment!".



Type with my iPad.

[QUOTE=Brian;75359]I asked about this approach in a conversation with Ken; as far as we can tell, there's no way to unlock the higher-rez iPad interface from an in-app purchase. Universal apps just show the iPad interface on that device, and the iPhone interface on an iPhone.[/QUOTE]

What about offering a high version of the existing app as a free update, and an in-app purchase for the newer iPad specific interface?

Do you think developers at Things are doing nothing?
 

You are not getting it and as a user you are giving the wrong management advise to the OmniGroup.
[INDENT][B]This is a dynamic market![/B][/INDENT]
Software developers at Things are hard at work at developing their application. While Omnigroup is fragmenting its developers over a number of apps, Things developers are focused on one application and they will move forward.

I respect the Omnigoup for having a suite of applications. But when you have a larger company than your competitors, setting priorities is a key factor for success. And you ought to do that as a function of the market place.

When a new product like iPad hits the market, and it is in essence a game changer, you need to review and reset priorities. Omnifocus is one of your most profitable products. That should make you think as the wave of iPad is being unleashed upon the market place.

You are underestimating your customers and overestimating your product's success. You must be in the market to play and create the dynamics of the market. Having just the iPhone version is not going to cut it. You are not in the iPad market. Period. And you are disappointing your users. Is that your strategy?

Rethink your priorities and practice some stop management. Be a player in the market. You cannot use the fact that there are so many other products you have for not being there.

[QUOTE=wilsonng;75394]Sorry, I have to play devil's advocate here.

There are people and businesses who rely on Sketcher and Graffle for a living. So no one can exactly dismiss those apps as mere toys.

At the same time, not everybody does GTD. There are some folks who are happy with the Things way of Getting Things Done (GTD). There's certainly a market for that. I think Things is a great introduction to OmniFocus. We've seen a lot of users hit a certain barrier with Things. There are features that OmniFocus has that Things doesn't have. They'll discover OmniFocus in time and gradually switch over.

Things replacing OmniFocus? I don' know about that. There are so many features in OmniFocus that are missing from Things. I couldn't possibly go to Things.

Seriously, would you want to change to Things just because of the iPad? I highly doubt that existing OmniFocus users will want to switch to Things.

It's easy to be an armchair quarterback when we're standing on the sidelines.

The OmniFolks are listening..... They did say their plans and schedules are fluid and subject to change. It's already changed since the January intro of the iPad. They are listening to us. Maybe not fast enough as we want them to be but they are listening.

Remember, there are many forces pulling at the OmniFolks. They still have to put resources into the upcoming OmniFocus 1.8 (and 2.0) as well as OmniOutliner 4.0 desktop and iPad editions. That's at least 4 projects on their plate right there! Then there's OmniPlan 2.0 for desktop and app editions.

In the other forums, some folks are hoping for OmniOutliner 4 desktop first and then telling them to put the iPad edition out later. Damned if they do. Damned if they don't.[/QUOTE]

I can't imagine a serious user of omnifocus giving it up to switch to things for iPad after a day or two of owning an iPad.

Plus, the intersection of iPad owners and omnifocus owners is very small.

If you're a new iPad owner and you're looking for a task manager and find things, that doesn't mean you won't switch at a later date to another app when the time comes, if you're unhappy or just curious.

I find it amusing that anyone would suggest they know better than the owners and managers of this company and I'm likely to dismiss them out of hand unless they have some special insight into this business specifically (and not just "business" generically.

Jason.


[QUOTE=haberjr;75407]You are not getting it and as a user you are giving the wrong management advise to the OmniGroup.
[INDENT][B]This is a dynamic market![/B][/INDENT]
Software developers at Things are hard at work at developing their application. While Omnigroup is fragmenting its developers over a number of apps, Things developers are focused on one application and they will move forward.

I respect the Omnigoup for having a suite of applications. But when you have a larger company than your competitors, setting priorities is a key factor for success. And you ought to do that as a function of the market place.

When a new product like iPad hits the market, and it is in essence a game changer, you need to review and reset priorities. Omnifocus is one of your most profitable products. That should make you think as the wave of iPad is being unleashed upon the market place.

You are underestimating your customers and overestimating your product's success. You must be in the market to play and create the dynamics of the market. Having just the iPhone version is not going to cut it. You are not in the iPad market. Period. And you are disappointing your users. Is that your strategy?

Rethink your priorities and practice some stop management. Be a player in the market. You cannot use the fact that there are so many other products you have for not being there.[/QUOTE]

Hey, I'm all for having OmniFocus on the iPad on launch but it is what it is. For the folks who have iPhones, notebooks, or desktops and don't really get the iPad, they're not going to care at all. Personally I would have preferred OmniOutliner and OmniFocus as the launch products but I'm not at OmniGroup. I think they were already knee deep into developing OmniFocus 1.8 and OmniOutliner 4.0 when the iPad was introduced. They had to re-prioritize based on their current schedule (how far along they were in their product development cycles) and figured out which product(s) they could get out by iPad launch day.

I see Things on the iPad but I definitely am not going in that direction just because it is there.

I know people who still use regular cellphones and don't care one way or another. I think that those who regularly use OmniFocus probably already have an Apple notebook that works as their portable OmniFocus solution.

Serious business organizations will probably go the Apple notebook or desktop route instead of an iPad. The iPad is a head-turner. IT departments are still trying to figure out how to fit the iPad into their current workflow. And most IT departments are rather deliberate and slower to adopt something new like the iPad on day one. I suspect that most businesspeople would be bringing in their own iPad instead of waiting for the organization to get one for them.

iWork (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) on the iPad sounds and looks spiffy but I think most people would rather use iWork on their notebook or desktop computer. It's the same with OmniFocus. I already have an OmniFocus solution and it is residing on my MacBook's dock.

I'm more interested in seeing OmniFocus 2.0 at this stage. IIRC the work on OmniOutliner 4 will directly benefit OmniFocus because they share many similarities (especially since OmniFocus' roots came from the OmniOutliner Kinkless GTD solution). So the more they work on OmniOutliner 4, the closer we get to OmniFocus 2.0 and OmniFocus on the iPad.

I think OG has every right to create a strategy & market their products. As consumers, we can vote with our own pocketbooks as to whether we like their strategy or not as well as provide feedback to them.

I for one didn't care if OG had incorporate new features in OF for iPad right now, but I wish they did what Amazon did - create a universal application that work on both (i.e., designed for native resolutions of both devices).

I will be using my iPad (starting Monday when it gets deliver to my office) a lot around work, home, traveling (as long as I have my briefcase) - it will be my device of choice while iPhone will be when I'm really on the move. I predict I'll be using my iPad a lot more than iPhone. So, it would have been great to have a version that's compatible with iPad.

These debates make me laugh. Thanks for the info Omni. I'm downloading Things.

I hate breaking it to people who seem set on expressing opinions not based on fact, but despite being blown up to double size, omnifocus works on iPad exactly as it does on iPhone.

I'm looking forward to an iPad native version as much as the next person, but my workflow isn't about shift so dramatically that I'm going to dump three years of omnifocus.

And I'm not going to be dumping my desktop computers in the next few weeks or months and completely replace them with an iPad either. And my desktop is where I do most of my omnifocus work.



[QUOTE=ksrhee;75410]I think OG has every right to create a strategy & market their products. As consumers, we can vote with our own pocketbooks as to whether we like their strategy or not as well as provide feedback to them.

I for one didn't care if OG had incorporate new features in OF for iPad right now, but I wish they did what Amazon did - create a universal application that work on both (i.e., designed for native resolutions of both devices).

I will be using my iPad (starting Monday when it gets deliver to my office) a lot around work, home, traveling (as long as I have my briefcase) - it will be my device of choice while iPhone will be when I'm really on the move. I predict I'll be using my iPad a lot more than iPhone. So, it would have been great to have a version that's compatible with iPad.[/QUOTE]

Observations of a potential new customer
 

I am finding this forum to be very informative. I am trailing OmniFocus on the Mac and posted my thoughts on this discussion thread on my blog: Here's the link:

[URL="http://www.financialstoryteller.com/2010/04/omni-groups-surprise-line-up-and-why-it-works.html"]Omni Group's surprise iPad line-up and why I like it![/URL]

[QUOTE=jasong;75429]I hate breaking it to people who seem set on expressing opinions not based on fact, but despite being blown up to double size, omnifocus works on iPad exactly as it does on iPhone.

I'm looking forward to an iPad native version as much as the next person, but my workflow isn't about shift so dramatically that I'm going to dump three years of omnifocus.

And I'm not going to be dumping my desktop computers in the next few weeks or months and completely replace them with an iPad either. And my desktop is where I do most of my omnifocus work.[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure what non-facts you are talking about. I don't think I mention anything that is not based on facts. I don't think anyone says that the iPad application doesn't work as it does in iPhone. In fact, it should work the same since it's the same application. However, others have released their iPhone application to work in iPad's native resolution, and I'm merely saying OG could have done that while waiting to release the exclusive iPad version.

Well, I don't think I said that I'll be dumping my MacBook Pro and iPhone since I've gotten the iPad, but I can foresee using my iPad a lot at my work and at home since I'll be having it with me in meetings (I have tons of meetings during the day) and in my home while doing other things (e.g., reading books in living room, watching TV in our den, and etc.).

For some (perhaps yourself), the iPad perhaps doesn't offer a lot of functionality, for some of us it does, and we are simply stating that we wish OG could have done something different with their current version of OF.

I literally bought the wifi iPad so I could start...
 

I literally bought the wifi iPad so I could start using Omnifocus on iPad 1 month sooner. My firstborn's on the way, and I've much focusing to do (& no, I will not offer him up unto the OMNIscient ones:D).

Keep up the good work, guys, and remember, there's plenty of time to sleep, play with new iPads, etc. AFTER the Omnifocus iPad release!:p

Sincerely,

Ben Jonesin'

I'm considering making the jump from Things to OmniFocus. I just got an iPad yesterday and of course would like to use OF on the iPad.

But, I don't want to buy the iPhone version and then have to pay another $20 (or however much the price is) for an iPad version whenever it comes out. Is there an upgrade route planned?

I would be very satisfied with a universal app with better resolution while we wait for a redesigned iPad specific app.

[QUOTE=Young Daniel;75446]I would be very satisfied with a universal app with better resolution while we wait for a redesigned iPad specific app.[/QUOTE]

Agreed. While a closer to desktop version would be nice - the main thing I'm after is using the iPad keyboard. I'm used omnifocus on the iPad and while it works, it is a pain to type on - the small keyboard shape works great on the iPhone where my thumbs do all the typing, but when it's in the middle of the screen on the iPad it feels really clunky and it sort of feels like a toy.

Larger busineses may be slow to adapt ipads and integrate them into their work flow, but I'm the sole IT guy for a small business and to me the iPad integrates almost seamlessly into my work flow. The work computers are all windows (out of my control unless we can get our main vendor to rewrite their apps for os x, which won't happen). I've been dying to use omnifocus for work instead of just my personal use. I saw the iPad as a way to do this (I'd be doing too much typing for it to be practical on my iPhone) and was very excited at the prospect of using an iPad to do as such (it's really easy tintype on, I've done this whole post on my couch with my iPad it it just feels natural).

I think it should say a lot when someone as invested in the omnifocus platform (desktop app + iPhone app) would consider swapping platforms. That late 2010 thing really scared me as immediately after the iPad was announced I asked about iPad support and it sounded like it was coming (while no time frame was given, I really hoped it would be here for launch or soon after) and that cemented my purchase as I re-imagined a lot of my workflow.

[QUOTE=barrettj;75449]Agreed. While a closer to desktop version would be nice - the main thing I'm after is using the iPad keyboard. I'm used omnifocus on the iPad and while it works, it is a pain to type on - the small keyboard shape works great on the iPhone where my thumbs do all the typing, but when it's in the middle of the screen on the iPad it feels really clunky and it sort of feels like a toy.

[/QUOTE]
Try turning on the pixel doubling feature when typing -- I find that I can go much faster that way than with the keyboard on the iPod/iPhone. YMMV, of course.

my 2 cents
I have to agree with some other people that Things for iPad may lure some people away from OmniFocus. I am tempted myself. I chose OF initially because it was farther along in development and feature set, but Things has a really attractive UI and has caught up to some extent with features. GTD on my iPad is the killer app for me as my iphone is smaller than I would prefer for brainstorming and moving through my projects. I am not patient enough to wait 6 months or even 3 months.

Brian from Omni did state in this thread that the current OmniFocus app is a temporary solution and OmniFocus for iPad is coming....

I'm sure the OmniFolks aren't resting on their laurels right now. They're pretty committed to getting their apps on the iPad.

If we were patient enough for the iPad then we are patient enough for OmniFocus on the iPad. Heck, we had no choice but to be patient for Apple to announce the iPad back in January. And we had no choice but to be patient and wait for it to ship.....

Now we can toss bottles and throw Molotov cocktails all we want. It won't speed things up unless you're gonna roll up your sleeves, brush off your Cocoa programming manuals and pitch in with development.

I'd rather make sure the OmniFolks take their time and prepare a proper OmniFocus for the iPad. Redesigning for the bigger screen is not a cake walk. There is so much room to play with and a new interface has to be designed for it. It's basically a whole new program. Sure the underlying code is the same but the workflow needs to be carefully considered. Leave the coders in their basements and don't bother them until they come out with a brand new baby.....

As for Things, there have been many OF users who had defected to Things only to return right back. Some have stayed with Things. That's their choice and I can only wish them well on the other side. It may be a better fit for them.


OmniFocus on my iPod touch is still running strong for me. I'll be toting around my iPod touch throughout the day. The only reason I'd use OmniFocus on the iPad would most likely be for my daily review and weekly review. But I already do this on my MacBook. I did this before the iPad was announced. And I'm probably gonna keep doing this after the iPad is announced. I'll wait and see if I can justify another version of the same program.

You can always buy Things for iPad, play with it and see if you like it. When OmniFocus iPad comes out, play with that and then settle on a new workflow that best fits you. For some people, Things is the better workflow. For others, OmniFocus is the app of choice.



Heck, I know I'm still waiting for a Core i5/i7 MacBook Pro!

Two apps down... Three more to go.

+ OmniPlan
+ OmniOutliner
+ OmniFocus

Here's another example of another iPhone developer is doing with their iPad plans:

[url]http://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/15/exclusive-webis-plans-for-pocket-informant-on-the-ipad/[/url]

The makers of Pocket Informant are not concerned about having the first or second app out the door in the productivity world. The article mentions that they will try to resize the current Pocket Informant app for the iPhone working on the iPad. Then they'll take their time and work out a brand new version of Pocket Informant for the iPad.

This is the same strategy that OmniGroup is taking. Agree with it or not. I think it's better to make sure OmniFocus for iPad is not a rushed product.

iPad
 

I would like it if Omni didn't put all their efforts into the iPad.

I'm not getting one, and aside from it's novelty, it's going to be subject to further upgrades and revisions. I think most people don't even know what they are using if for yet.

I think a lot of people are expecting the iPad to be like a small laptop, which it's not.

I would love it Omni continued to focus on developing and refining it's current stable of applications for actual computers.

Thanks and keep up the great work Omni.

[QUOTE=blewis;75390] However, there must be a reason why other devs are requiring another download even for free apps?[/QUOTE]

My understanding is that the iPad development kit offers code/options that the iPhone kit doesn't.

Universal applications either need to forgo the extra stuff that's only in the iPad SDK, or they need to try to support both side-by-side throughout the project. The latter means you have to do extra work on each feature and deal with any bugs resulting from that approach down the line.

[QUOTE=oodude;75444]But, I don't want to buy the iPhone version and then have to pay another $20 (or however much the price is) for an iPad version whenever it comes out. Is there an upgrade route planned?[/QUOTE]

You're certainly not alone in feeling this way! At the same time, the App Store only lets us charge one price for an app, regardless of any other purchases the customer may have made.

(We don't have the option of doing the same kind of discounting that we do on our own online store, and we can't send info from our store to theirs, in other words.)

It's a tough nut to crack.

We take all of the above into account while thinking about pricing for our iPad/iPhone apps, but we don't know what we'll ultimately do for OmniFocus. It's hard to make a decision when we haven't built the app yet. :-)

In the meantime, we are listening to the feedback that we get from folks, so keep it coming!

Butter, it's safe to conclude that Omni has concluded on their own whether it's economically important enough for them to produce an iPad version of OmniFocus, in which case it's a bit presumptious to ask them to change their strategy. That said, it's fine to opine on whether one thinks the iPad is or isn't (fill in the blank). I can understand your expectations aren't met. By the same token, it doesn't mean the iPad won't meet mine or others' expectations.

The pricing issue is annoying. That and other constraints Apple puts on iTMS are insane. I imagine at some point Apple will get enough pressure that they will break open the scheme at least somewhat. They're not necessarily being smart about these things.

Personally, it had been my understanding that Omni would at least release a native-resolution update of OmniFocus for the iPad.

I'm more than happy to live with the current functionality and UI in 1.6 until such time as a more iPad-like 2.0 can be developed, but the current pixel-doubled version is just extra-ugly. I would much rather have seen Omni take the approach that Marco Arment took with Instapaper -- get a basic native-resolution version out as soon as possible and then work on the full-fledged iPad version for later.

I don't understand why this is a "tough nut to crack". Can you enlighten us? I'm being sincere.

Another paid app of mine, 1Passwd Pro, upgraded to an iPad native resolution interface today. No additional purchase require. No separate app download required.

How are these devs doing this? It doesn't sound like it's impossible. What are we missing as OF iPhone users?

Pricing iPad and onifocus for Mac request
 

Guys a couple of things

1. I think that people who have invested in omnifocus for Mac should get some kind of break on the pricing for the iPhone or iPad versions.. $19.95 just seems a little to high I would like $9.95 for existing users. Since apple is selling 3 pretty powerful apps for $9.95 it just seems a little high

That said I'll buy it the day you have it

2. I really would like to have omnifocus interact with entourage and not just Mac apps... Some of have to use it for cop orate use and it just is a pain not to be able to use entourage.

What would be really cool is if you could synch with projects within entourage or create automatically new projects under entourage... Especially if it was clever enough to seek all documents and emails associated with that project and keep it in one place.. Now that would be really cool

Thanks :)

[QUOTE=jdh;75537]Personally, it had been my understanding that Omni would at least release a native-resolution update of OmniFocus for the iPad.
[/QUOTE]

Where did you get that idea? Again, I'm being sincere.

Jdh,

if anything I posted led to your impression of what was going to happen, I apologize. I had somehow gotten the same idea, but looking back at what was actually posted by Omni folk, I don't see why.

I'm not as bothered by unrefined text when running pixel-doubled, as the original isn't exactly something I use to demonstrate the graphics possibilities of the iPod, either. I mostly just use the pixel-doubling to get a bigger keyboard footprint. It would be nice to be able to use that extra screen real estate to get more items on the screen, though. If they could provide us with a version of the current app that just used all the real estate without sidetracking the project to make a "real" iPad app, I'd be happy to run it, and it wouldn't reduce the likelihood of collecting some revenue from me for the real deal.

[QUOTE=herefromoz;75539]
1. I think that people who have invested in omnifocus for Mac should get some kind of break on the pricing for the iPhone or iPad versions.. $19.95 just seems a little to high I would like $9.95 for existing users. Since apple is selling 3 pretty powerful apps for $9.95 it just seems a little high
[/quote]
This was hashed out at great length when the iPhone/iPod version initially hit the streets. A couple of relevant points:
[LIST][*]Developers don't know who buys their product through the App Store -- Apple does not provide that information[*]Apple doesn't allow variable pricing for things in the App Store[*]Apple gets to keep 100% of the sales price of its apps, not 70% like other developers[*]Apple gets the profits of selling the iPad itself[/LIST]
Also, buying software from Omni gets you their excellent support. Apple's support in general isn't bad (so long as you are still under warranty) but in my opinion, it isn't as good as Omni's and you almost never get to talk to anyone who actually has any influence over the product.

In my experience, the convenience of having OmniFocus on my iPod quickly made up the cost of purchase by optimizing errands and enabling ubiquitous capture. Flipping it around, what would they have to do to make you think it was worth the extra $10?

[QUOTE=blewis;75540]Where did you get that idea? Again, I'm being sincere.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=whpalmer4;75542]if anything I posted led to your impression of what was going to happen, I apologize. I had somehow gotten the same idea, but looking back at what was actually posted by Omni folk, I don't see why.[/quote]
It was actually [url=http://forums.omnigroup.com/showpost.php?p=75057&postcount=152]this post here[/url] that I mentioned it, over in the 1.8 Sneaky Peek thread.

The key point of confusion came from [url=http://www.macnn.com/articles/10/02/12/four.apps.likely.by.years.end/]this interview with MacNN at Macworld[/url], where they said:

[quote=MacNN]"Case expects OmniFocus for the iPhone to be ported to the iPad at launch, though initially just as a resized iPhone app."[/quote]

Perhaps they misunderstood the meaning of "resized iPhone app" and Ken was actually just indicating that the existing OmniFocus would work with the iPad's native screen-doubling capabilities, but it sure didn't sound like that from the article. It's also equally possible that their plans changed after Macworld and they realized that OmniGraffle and OmniGraphSketcher would consume all of their available developer resources.

(For the record, Omni has done a [i]fantastic[/i] job with both of those apps, and if they're any indication of what we can expect in OmniFocus 2.0 for iPad, I can hardly wait to see it :) ).

[quote=whpalmer4;75542]I'm not as bothered by unrefined text when running pixel-doubled, as the original isn't exactly something I use to demonstrate the graphics possibilities of the iPod, either. I mostly just use the pixel-doubling to get a bigger keyboard footprint.[/quote]
It's something I'm willing to live with as well, although the fact that it uses the iPhone-style keyboard layout rather than the iPad keyboard is an additional annoyance with a non-native iPad app; I'm starting to get quite used to touch-typing on the iPad already, and the iPhone layout is just different enough to throw me off :)

[quote]It would be nice to be able to use that extra screen real estate to get more items on the screen, though. If they could provide us with a version of the current app that just used all the real estate without sidetracking the project to make a "real" iPad app, I'd be happy to run it, and it wouldn't reduce the likelihood of collecting some revenue from me for the real deal.[/QUOTE]
The full screen real estate and a slightly smaller font would both be good. As it stands right now, the text is large to the point of looking a bit silly, and it would be nice to not have longer tasks names or notes needlessly truncated.

[QUOTE=jdh;75546]
The full screen real estate and a slightly smaller font would both be good. As it stands right now, the text is large to the point of looking a bit silly, and it would be nice to not have longer tasks names or notes needlessly truncated.[/QUOTE]

Just to be clear, are you saying the text is large to the point of looking a bit silly when pixel-doubled, or running in the "life-sized" iPhone-in-the-middle mode? The life-sized version is a little bit bigger, but the emulated iPhone screen is a little bit bigger than the original, and it is showing the same text in both places when I compare...

Yes, I mean when it's pixel-doubled. Running in normal size is decent enough, but I don't really see the point of that unless I don't have my iPhone with me (which I pretty much always do).

Leaving aside possible future UI changes, the main advantage for me of running OF on the iPad would be the larger keyboard for data entry and the ability to see more information on a given screen.

[QUOTE=blewis;75538]I don't understand why this is a "tough nut to crack". Can you enlighten us? I'm being sincere. [/QUOTE]

Craig Hockenberry did a great blog post back in 2008 called "Ringtone Apps" that points out some factors at play in the App Store. Extrapolate that blog post to the market for iPhone/iPad productivity applications - more complex than games, ongoing development required, ongoing tech support needs.

Several of those features of the App Store marketplace haven't changed since then - no timed trials, no support for discounts based on purchase history.

We've been successful in the App Store, and we love what we do; we consider ourselves very lucky to be able to do this. But there are several things that we can do in the Mac market which would make things easier on the App Store.

Thanks Brian. I gave it a read. Sounds like a very competitive environment.

I have a couple of thoughts:

1) package deals: most of the comments here talk about getting a discount on the iPhone/iPad apps if the user bought the desktop version. That's stated to be impossible without the current app store structure.

What about the other way around? Example, the PCalc app I bought on the iPhone came with a coupon for the desktop version. Essentially moving the package discount back into the developer's court.

I can't tell if the code is unique however.

2) I expect to pay for OF 2.0 Desktop. I expect to pay for OF 2.0. I expect that both will have new features that merit an upgrade.

2.5) I don't know if I expect that OF iPhone/iPad 2.0 and OF Desktop 2.0 will be linked or perceived to be linked. But I don't want to pay for OF 1.x iPad now and then have to pay for OF 2.0 iPad again at the end of the year.

3) I want OF iPhone to be converted to a universal app on my iPad via free App update. I want the Projects, Contexts, Perspectives to be in the left hand pane and I want the Ipad keyboard. Those are my wants, but not my entitled demands of course. I honestly don't know how much work that is for you guys.

4) I think it would be great if my purchase of OF iPad 2.0 got me a discount/package deal on OF 2.0 Desktop. Not sure if I feel that I should be able to combine my OF 1.0 licenses as an additional discount along with the OF 2.0 iPad discount

Those are some thoughts to add to the discussion. I'm pretty reasonable, but my feelings won't be hurt if someone calls me an entitled brat. I mainly am throwing thoughts out for discussion. I'm a hardware designer and I believe in paying people for good tools.

Oh and I think you probably need to call OF 2.0 iPad/iPhone universal app something like "OF Mobile" cause typing "iPhone/iPad universal "is a pain. :-)

Brandon

[QUOTE=tedhogan;75420]These debates make me laugh. Thanks for the info Omni. I'm downloading Things.[/QUOTE]

That makes two of us. I just made the switch, I now have Things for my Mac, iPhone and iPad, Bye Omni. Maybe when you get OmniFocus for the iPad I'll give it a look.

Well, Apple has changed their app policies a lot since the beginning. Now there are in-app sales. Maybe eventually they'll add the capability to upgrade your app at the upgrade price instead of having to create a new separate app.

The PCalc code does not appear to be unique. I don't think the PCalc creator has found a way to tie the discount to individuals since Apple doesn't release that kind of information.

MarketCircle has found a roundabout way of going about it. They offer Daylite Touch as a free app but to tie it to your calendar/contact database, you have to buy one license for every device. It supposedly authorizes one device (iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad) for each license. Then you pay $50/year for the authorization license.

Or at least that's my understanding of Daylite Touch.

Omnifocus 2.0 for Mac or bust!
 

[I posted this as its own thread, but it was 'born' here, so here we go... and @tedhogan: yes, these debates make me laugh too... Maybe this will be my last contribution to a debate on these forums - takes up so much time, PLUS I just tried out The Hit List! WOW If they only had an iPhone app...]

Omnifocus 2.0 for Mac or bust!

The iPad launch really seems to have shaken up the marketplace. Good software developers are hard to come by and hiring more manpower is expensive. Resource allocation is key. Tradeoffs have to be made, but the right ones!

If you dissect the competitive environment and analyse the situation, you can see where Omnigroup should place its focus. The main key is: listen to your customers. After all, retaining existing customers is, in Marketing circles, the highest priority to be sustainable in the future. And acquiring new ones is costly.

Omni's flagship product seems to be Omnifocus (correct me if I'm wrong, but it is positioned so on the beautifully redesigned website). With the launch of the iPhone App many people (including myself) bought the Mac and iPhone app for efficient organisation and mobility. The amount of apps sold because of mass iPhone AND iPod touch sales were presumably an amazing cash cow for Omnigroup.

Along comes Things... The German based company recognized the high demand and saw room for improvement and went out there to compete. The greatest shortcoming of Omnifocus they saw was the steep learning curve and the fairly unspectacular design, as well as a slowly evolved infrastructure based on Outliners and Kinked (?!) – a bit like Microsoft’s OS evolution - if you ask me – still being backward compatible to DOS. Most Mac users are design conscious and appreciate simplicity, so making an optically appealing, simple to-do-list software with tagging would be enough for Things to get an initial foothold in the market. Underlined by an Apple design award their strategic entry into the marketplace was a full success. The two products now go head to head for dominance in the marketplace.

These two value propositions opposing each other gave consumers a choice, however a poor one. Things looks good, is easy to learn and has great flexibility with tagging. However, for anyone with more than a handful of tasks, you would soon reach your limits. Omnifocus would be the only real alternative, due to simple limitations in the Things for Mac software such as the inability to make ‘child & parent’ tasks. Also the lack of wireless sync on iPhone Things and no multiple tag selection as well as Omnifocus for iPhone’s innovative location aware services and of course the brilliant Perspectives. Last but not least, OF managed to acquire a more sophisticated image by partnering with the David Allen Company and getting Merlin Mann on board, which I fully endorse.

Nevertheless, the Omni forums started to get filled with endless discussions about frustrating shortcomings including priorities, putting items on hold, multiple contexts – mainly features that were given with Things’ new tagging infrastructure. And the management of these forum complaints required time. Time that could have been spent elsewhere actually getting useful things done.

Omni’s light on the horizon were the subtle hints by both Omni employees as well as loyal forum visitors like whpalmer and the likes (you ought to pay them for their loyal duties by the way if you don’t already) that Omnifocus 2.0 would cover all these missing and desired features. 'Early 2010' were the vague promises – and I understand that the future is uncertain, but still no sign of it…

Then came the iPad… Yes, I am a believer in tablet devices changing the face of mobile computing. And yes, Omni needs to be a part of it. But the question is, when and how?

Things, in many ways has it easy. They are focused. They only have one family of products to take care of. And with the iPad they are starting to up their game. Their app and ad is amazing and beyond that they are continuously upgrading their Mac and iPhone app. Mobile synchronization is on the horizon! In the meantime Omnigroup had to rally their efforts to keep all their customers of all their product groups satisfied. You have the professional graphers whose ‘livelihoods’ depend on your software… Yes. But the all-encompassing GTD system dictates many lives too. And what does Omnigroup’s livelihood depend on?

To the average user Omnifocus on the iPad does not add that much value. It is mobile just like an iPhone/iTouch and the critical masses will not need another mobile device. Most people will enter this new computing environment when Apple adds the features that still deter the critical masses (i.e. camera, multitasking, maybe flash). Omni doesn’t need the first mover advantage in this field with their GTD app. So in the short term, a doubled pixel Omnifocus iPhone app is more than enough for the iPad.

To fend off Things’ threat, Omni has to fight back – soon. I believe that if the Omnifocus 2.0 for Mac with a rewritten underlying infrastructure (like Apple always does it with their OSes) and the accompanying features aren’t made highest priority soon, Things will be able to catch up with their missing feature sets and there will be little place for Omnifocus out there at 40,000ft. Yes, you’ll still have your ‘loyals’, but your cashcow will have turned into a dog. And beware, Things just hired Bartek, the Polish software developer, who ran iGTD2 in his own SPARE time!

Pricing seems to be a great issue for customers in the forums now. On both Things' and Omnigroups forums people are calling for group product discounts for all 3 Apps. But until Apple extends its payment infrastructure (and this can take a while), this will be difficult to implement for both. This is not going to sway a consumer in either direction, and once Apple updates its payment policies there is no competitive edge to be gained here. Don't worry about it!

Let me be clear: In this battle I’m with Omni. I am a loyal follower. But my first place is as a consumer. If Things continue with their aggressive advancement strategy and Omnifocus for Mac lets me hanging for too long, they may convince me to switch down the line, unless Omni can up their game sufficiently. After all, as a consumer it costs me to switch – not only in monetary terms, but also a lot of time will be needed to import all the tasks and understand the subtle workings of Things. Like me and presumably many opportunistic customers out there, you still have my attention. Turn us into loyal customers by adding these features. We are after all the largest part of your customer base. Please just don’t make the same mistake as Microsoft did and exceed the number of markets you can feasibly compete in.

This is the tipping point…

Stuff and Things
 

I just had to break down and buy Things, and I'm mad about it. I couldn't go any longer without quasi-functional task management, but I'm five minutes in, and Things is already disappointing me. It's like a task management with a condom. Please hurry, Omni. My iPad just isn't living up to it's potential without you. :)

Real Help
 

I have both Things and Omnifocus. On both the iPhone and the Mac. IPad arrived over the weekend. After three days, I would be totally comfortable giving up my notebook and paper, if I had a decent organizational tool. Things is elegant but too simplistic. Omnifocus iPad would be the answer, if it were available.

Omnifocus for the Mac would be nice, but I am doing less and less on the MBP, and spending more time on the iPad. Especially during the day when I am on the road or moving from meeting to meeting.

So let me be clear, for my evolving use of the iPad, Omnifocus on the iPad is critical. Deliver that and I can leave Things behind on all three platforms!

[QUOTE=Jarrods;75618]I just had to break down and buy Things, I couldn't go any longer without quasi-functional task management[/QUOTE]

I'm picking on you a bit, but it sounds like you moved from a fully functional OF "mobile" app to a Quasi-functional app when you bought things.

OF iPhone is perfectly functional, but unlike the desktop, it's primary function is for remote capture and execution - not planning and review. Of iPhone works exactly the same on the iPad, it justs looks [terrible] when enlarged and feels dumb when sized at 1x.

The iPad certainly blurs the expectations of where the line between the mobile and desktop versions. That is a problem I think because Omni must decide what to do. Do they simply convert OF iPhone to be universal and make it readable on the iPad, or do they wait and release a new OF Mobile version with significantly different functions on the iPad vs iPhone? Further along, OF desktop 2.0 has a real risk of being cannibalized by a fully functional iPad version unless it has some serious feature linkage with it her Omni apps such as Omniplan.

My preference is a useable universal port now and a much more functional OF iPad 2.0 later. 9 months of jaggy text on my iPad is going to wear me thin.

No iPad users that purchase OF are going to be impressed until the graphics are changed. But we forum posters have no idea how many copies of OF Iphone are being sold now so We don't know what kind of urgency they feel.

Someone mentioned "hit list". There's no way in he'll I'm transitioning to a GTD app that doesn't have a mobile syncing client.

[QUOTE=blewis;75636]Of iPhone works exactly the same on the iPad, it justs looks [terrible] when enlarged and feels dumb when sized at 1x.[/QUOTE]

I think the only way OF iPhone wouldn't feel dumb on the iPad is if OS4 comes out with some kind of widget view. I could mentally deal with seeing OF iPhone in reduced size on my iPad in the top left of my screen in widget mode.

For just $24.95, I'll sell you my latest invention, custom designed to fix this problem. It's an attractive piece of cardboard with a photograph of a typical desktop surface on it (several options available, such as leather, frosted glass, wood grain, and my personal favorite, extensive clutter), and a hole in the middle just large enough to show a 480x320 display rendered at 132 pixels per inch. Just put it on top of your iPad when running an iPhone app, and your "iPhone" is instantly accelerated to iPad speed, and aging eyes get a break, too! It's a magical device, maybe even revolutionary, and the price is pretty unbelievable, too -- order yours now! :)

[QUOTE=Jarrods;75618]...Things is already disappointing me. It's like a task management with a condom.[/QUOTE]

LOL!

-Dennis

Wow.

There is a lot of piling on in this thread. I guess it is an indication of how great OF is that people are so passionate about it. I am limping along okay with the OF iPhone on the iPad but also sure would like a native app. I would even be in favor of Omni starting out with a basic version and coming back later to add iPad bells and whistles if it fits in their business plan. Just please don't make OF the last thing on the list.

Keep coding Omni gang!

David
macsparky.com

Fully agree with these last few posts on this topic. At this point, I could certainly deal with a universal app for iPad, as I'm so used to the iPhone version right now. Just give me higher resolution. I actually PREFER using it on the iPad now (even forgiving the aliased text), since the iPad runs apps 2x as fast. I can really fly on the iPhone client on the iPad. Just can't sync over the interwebs...yet. :)

[QUOTE=Brian;75345]The "late 2010" estimate was our best guess at the moment that post was made; I have a feeling that the situation today looks somewhat different.[/QUOTE]

Late 2010 was just me trying to be conservative, it wasn't really my best guess.

I could easily be wrong about this (it's difficult to predict how long it will take to build something nobody has ever built before), but my best guess at the moment is June, 2010.

[QUOTE=Ken Case;75700]my best guess at the moment is June, 2010.[/QUOTE]

June sounds great. Thanks for the update Ken.

Yabadabadoo!

I know all too well that coding isn't as easy as it looks. Schedules change. An OS update mucks something up that used to work in previous OS versions. How many features can we add or need before release. Which features can be postponed for the next incremental update.

Things may have the upper hand at the moment with the iPad version and a "cute" interface, it still gets smoked by OmniFocus in its current incarnation. My OF setup just works.... I love eye candy but substance is something else that is equally as important.


Keep up the good work. Crossing my fingers for June 2010!

After reviewing this thread, as an owner of every Omni product but Omniplan, on every platform (note: my tone = frustrated/disappointed, not surly)

1. I understand, from my perspective of "User," that Omnigroup has to serve their own internal priorities.

2. When I see the "because you can draw with your finger" apps sitting reasonably complete on the iPad I bought to increase my productivity, I feel a little bitter. The benefit of Omnifocus on iPad would easily be 100 times that of Graffle and Graph Sketcher combined, at twice their combined $60 price.

3. I would guess that, for most users, by its nature, Omnifocus is far more essential than ANY other app. For me, it's a lot closer to my daily thoughts & effort than iCal, or Logic, or the filesystem.

This is the difference between being hooked on caffein and hooked on heroin.

4. The response of "you guys don't get it, you CAN use Omnifocus on iPad - pixel-double!" is pretty hollow. Yeah, I KNOW I can pixel-double, since I've been using Omnifocus on iPhone since release, and since I didn't just wake up from a coma with an iPad next to my bed.

Except for a slight speed increase over my 3GS, since both devices sync to my mac, there's no benefit of a pixel-doubled Omnifocus on iPad that I couldn't get from holding my iPhone closer to my face.

5. Does the Omnigroup "owe me" anything, like spending their singular programming resources on an app 100x more important to me than the company profile-raising eyecandy they put in the app store? No. Not morally, and certainly not legally. I consider us square. I paid them, and they gave me software that I use.

But man, when I think of how long the dev kit's been out for iPad, and hear that the most important app I've EVER OWNED will not be native on the most important device I've ever owned (going back to my Duo 280c, or Amiga, or CoCo even) until June-Dec this year, because of the decision to release Graffle first... seems like a [terrible] decision from my perspective.

Not threatening to abandon, as I'm too invested.

Steven,

what do you want? We can't go back and undo the decision they made, even if we might be adamant that it was the wrong one. My guess is that Ken's June 2010 estimate reflects expected intensive work on the app, not just changing a few manifest constants and recompiling sometime in late May.

I also own just about everything they make, though I haven't pulled the trigger yet on the iPad apps, and like with you, OmniFocus is the app that gets the lion's share of the usage. For me, the iPhone app running on the iPad gets me greater performance (more of a big deal for me, given that my database has thousands of actions in it, and my 2G iPod is substantially slower than your 3GS iPhone). It is yet another device on which I can interact with my data, which is helpful because there are two other people competing with me for use of those devices. It isn't going to be a life-changer the way getting the iPhone/iPod app was a year ago, when I was balancing my MacBook in shopping carts and lugging it around every time I left the house.

I [b]am[/b] optimistic that OF built for the iPad will be a very fine tool. It goes without saying that I want it last week. Part of me thinks that maybe it is a good thing that they got their iPad feet wet with two apps that aren't so important to me, rather than having done a crash effort on OF and ending up with something I would feel obligated to buy, even though it might not be ready for prime time. Of course, we might end up with substantially the same experience, just 3 months later! Let's hope not.

We can't go back and make OF available for the iPad last week. We've got Ken's prediction of a native version in June. I'm assuming that's a full-featured iPad app, not just the current iPhone app using the larger screen at appropriate resolution. If it is the full-featured version, it seems unlikely to me that we could realistically hope to see it any sooner, no matter how heart-felt the desire. That seems to leave a universal version of the current app that can make full use of the screen as the only bone that could be thrown our way, and presumably it pushes the "real" iPad app out a bit. Would the stopgap app be of appreciable value to you? Is there some other route from where we stand today toward you being happy that I haven't mentioned? I know I would install and use such a stopgap app (might even pay some money for it, if the wait for the real thing looked long enough), but I don't have a good feel for how much of a delay I'd be willing to accept in exchange.

Short version: what's done is done, is there anything they might do to improve the situation for you, other than giving you a chance to vent your frustration? :)

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;75785]That seems to leave a universal version of the current app that can make full use of the screen as the only bone that could be thrown our way, and presumably it pushes the "real" iPad app out a bit. Would the stopgap app be of appreciable value to you? [/QUOTE]

Yes.

My desire would be:

1) Universal stopgap now. Same functionality as OF iPhone, just formatted with iPad fonts and font sizes. If I can get the "Home" view in the left panel (i.e. my Projects/Contexts/existing Perspectives), then I'm _really_ happy.

Yes, users will probably be miffed/confused that they can't "long tap and drag" Actions from Projects into other Projects.

2) When OF 2.0 is ready to go, I'm ready to dump more cash into upgrading my OF iPad to a more full featured version.

Having said that, I too feel like I've got my $20s worth. I'm just not excited about paying $20 in June for OF iPad and then $20 again in Feb 2011 (my guesstimate) when OF 2.0 comes out. At that rate, I would've spent more on the iPhone/iPad versions than I spent on the Desktop version (I got the original beta pricing).

Some food for thought:

[url]http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/04/from-iphone-to-ipad-firemint-talks-porting-games.ars[/url]

Murray sees iPad development as something that is unique from the iPhone, but the paths of the two devices are going to cross often. "Right now iPad has a much smaller installed base than iPhone and iPod touch, so it makes sense to lead on iPhone and create brand new games there," he says. "The iPad version is then essentially taking the core ideas of what makes the game fun, and adapting them in a way that makes the best use of the iPad's unique features. It's more work to do it that way, but we think this approach gives our games the best chance to shine on each specific platform."

Hey, thanks for replying! I generally feel very positively about Omni; from their products, to their support, to their forum participation, they're just top notch. My beef is with the decision to schedule the two (excellent) drawing apps before Omnifocus.

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;75785]Steven,

what do you want? We can't go back and undo the decision they made, even if we might be adamant that it was the wrong one.
--snip
We can't go back and make OF available for the iPad last week. We've got Ken's prediction of a native version in June. I'm assuming that's a full-featured
--snip
Short version: what's done is done, is there anything they might do to improve the situation for you, other than giving you a chance to vent your frustration? :)[/QUOTE]

re: what's done is done
The liberal sprinkling of disclaimer through my post was intended to indicate that I'm generally pretty pragmatic about that. I get it, and I'm not advocating "ditching OF."

re: what's my real gripe?
I'll bet, based on my own dependence on OF, and the levels of frustration expressed by others, that Omni's decision to expend limited programming resources on any app before OF is the primary source of our dissatisfaction. That's all.

I imagine, from my simplistic user perspective, that postponing the release of Graffle & Sketcher until after the OF release would get OF in users' hands sooner. How much sooner?

If they started working on getting Graffle & Sketcher iPad-ready at about the beginning of Feb and they released them about the beginning of April, then maybe that's a couple month's effort.

If they then turned to OF dev with a (possible) release date of June, that would mean that getting OF out was also possibly 2 or 3 months of effort. (I'm admitting that this is only my general perception, and that the reality could be that the first two apps took 4 days to get onto the iPad, and that OF could have been the priority the whole time)

I consider (my opinion only) OF the flagship product, and putting it on the iPad is the freakin' holy grail of "doing the items." The devs admitted that they wanted to get the two "drawing" apps out first because those apps were more of a natural fit for the platform.

When I first heard their intentions, I assumed OF was a little further along the production line, not waiting serially for the "finger-drawing" apps to come out. Then when some folks started getting ancy in the forums about "wah! give us our OF," one of the Omni responses was "thanks for letting us know your preference, we'll make sure OF is on the list of iPad apps."

At that point I realized that OF was nowhere near an "initial release," and was on the "it's done when it's done, after these other apps" schedule.

Because of Omnifocus' utility _to me_, I don't agree with the release order, so I was just saying so as a respectful & invested customer.

There, feelings vented. :)

also, re: stopgap iPad app:

I'd need some kind of cost/benefit association, i.e. "we could create a version of OF for iPad that is functionally identical to the iPhone version, but it shows twice the rows and isn't pixel-doubled. This release would be free, but would delay the "real" OF for iPad by 6 weeks."

Unfortunately, that would fragment not only the user base, but the product's perception to prospective users, so Omni would never (and probably should never) do that.

I feel that the opportunity for any user input on product direction or priority was a couple months ago, but I'll be following with interest.

[QUOTE=steven;75791]
I consider (my opinion only) OF the flagship product, and putting it on the iPad is the freakin' holy grail of "doing the items." The devs admitted that they wanted to get the two "drawing" apps out first because those apps were more of a natural fit for the platform.
[/QUOTE]


IMHO I personally think that OmniOutliner is the flagship product. There are more people dependent on outlining needs over GTD needs. I could be wrong. But it seems easier to get into outlining than it is to get into GTD.

But, yes, OmniFocus is my key app on my iPod touch. I would rather have had OF out first but I'm not sweating it. OF users will stick with OF despite the lack of an OmniFocus HD app. Things users will stick with Things for iPad. Newbies have the option of buying Things for iPad and then discarding it for OmniFocus HD when it arrives! :p

[Quote=steven]There, feelings vented. [/quote]
Well, this thread is certainly cheaper than a shrink :D

As others in this thread have suggested, I'm too invested in OmniFocus to bother looking at anything else at this point, and this is coming from somebody who hopped between OmniFocus, Things and a couple of other solutions for weeks at a time over the course of a year or so. I've seen how the rest of the world lives and it's not pretty.

Things is all flash and no substance, and if you think that Omni's schedule for getting OF onto the iPad is longer than it should be, consider that Things has been promising features like over-the-air syncing and full repeating task support for a year and a half now. I downloaded Things for the iPad, not because I was interested in switching to it, but simply for research purposes because I write about iPhone and iPad stuff for a living.

Things may [i]look[/i] nice, but it's nothing more than the iPhone version dressed up for the iPad, and the rate of improvements in the iPhone version of Things has been glacial at best. Critical deal-breakers for me would include the requirement for local-network Wi-Fi syncing and the fact that there is NO concept of repeating tasks on the iPad or iPhone side -- you can't create them, and any repeating tasks that are in your library don't exist on your iPhone until they're scheduled by the desktop app and then synced to the device. This basically makes it completely impractical to be away from your "home base" computer for any extended period of time as you basically have to sync up at daily for anything to happen, a problem exacerbated by the fact that Things can't easily be used on more than one computer without resorting to kludges like Dropbox syncing of the database file.

To be fair, the only real issues I have with OmniFocus are due to the fact that I've spent the past week being drawn in by "shiny new toy syndrome" with my iPad, so naturally OmniFocus currently feels out of place. I'm also using my iPhone less as I'm busy fiddling with the iPad, making it seem even more frustrating on the surface. Thinking about it, however, I have to admit that once the novelty wears off and I get down to using the device as an actual productivity tool it's not going to be a serious issue to live with the iPhone version on the iPad as a stop-gap -- it may not be pretty, but it's as functional as it needs to be for now. The reality is that I'm rarely without my iPhone anyway, so having OF on the iPad at all right now is really just a matter of casual convenience -- if the iPad is in my hand and I think of something that needs to be put in OF, I might as well do it there rather than reaching for the iPhone.

[QUOTE=jdh;75838] Thinking about it, however, I have to admit that once the novelty wears off and I get down to using the device as an actual productivity tool it's not going to be a serious issue to live with the iPhone version on the iPad as a stop-gap -- it may not be pretty, but it's as functional as it needs to be for now. The reality is that I'm rarely without my iPhone anyway, so having OF on the iPad at all right now is really just a matter of casual convenience -- if the iPad is in my hand and I think of something that needs to be put in OF, I might as well do it there rather than reaching for the iPhone.[/QUOTE]

Well put, while I am anxiously looking forward to the iPad version all the functionality is there. While it may not be quite as pretty in iphone 2X I'm getting my stuff done which is the point really. :)

Add me to the "please do a quick stopgap" list.

The keyboard on emulated iPhone apps is terrible. Takes up half the screen and is nowhere near as good as the iPad one. Even worse, it's still there if you have an external keyboard.

Personally, I think that the improvements I'd see in a temporary stopgap would be significant enough that I'd be willing to wait two or three weeks longer for the "real" version if I could get a stopgap in 2 or 3 weeks.

So I think I know the answer to what I'm about to ask but here goes:

I recently got my buddy hooked on the GTD methodology and in turn kept asking me what OmniFocus was on my iPhone. He loves OF on my Mac and he got OF for his mac too about a month ago. About a week ago he purchased the iPad and is dying to get OF with him on the go though obviously there is no iPad app yet out. He is really gun Ho in this and was considering purchasing the iPhone omnifocus app but wanted me to ask if there would be another charge for the iPad app when it comes out perhaps in the summer. Or if omnigroup would even offer some sort of discount towards the ppl that already have the iPhone OF app.

He's sitting right here next to me saying he needs to "gtd on the go, on the go."


..god help me.