Originally Posted by iNik

As a former Kinkless user, computer guru, etc., I agree 100%. As powerful as OmniFocus is, it is rather opaque to new users. I found it INCREDIBLY intimidating, and didn't even mess with the alpha versions for quite some time, since I just didn't feel like I had the energy to learn such a complex program.

For starters, OmniFocus has a very defined workflow built into it. (I have to disagree with "it's flexible enough to handle [non-GTD]" as it's extremely tightly married to GTD methodology.) This integrated workflow makes OF extremely jargon-heavy, with contexts and projects that mean VERY specific things, perspectives, review dates, two different kinds of repetition, "focusing", the view bar (which continues to convince people that they've lost data), buckets, completed vs. held vs. next vs. available, and more.

Some of its features are probably alien to novice users (quick entry, mail rules, even iCal synchronization), too. And none of this even includes the massive ability to customize the look of it, the options of folders vs. sub-projects vs. sub-contexts, etc.

So, what to do?

Well, firstly, this is without question a "power user" application, and one with a moderately steep learning curve. If you just want to check off items, you'll find lots of alternatives.

Secondly, it needs documentation, and probably two forms of documentation. A reference for all the features, and also a nice hand-holding guide through the methodology, jargon and features of OmniFocus. (Ethan's screencasts are a great step in this direction!)

Since it's in beta, documentation is pretty sparse. This will improve, as Omni has very high standards for documentation.

It also might be possible to generalize some of the jargon (OmniOutliner hardly requires you to understand outlining terms like ancestor, sibling, cousin, etc.), and I think the view bar needs some usability polish (although I couldn't begin to say how, only that it's a bit confusing). But, in the end, this program is ideal for folks who take the time to learn it. It's a very powerful tool, and the time spent getting up to speed pays off handsomely.

I'm sorry you found it so frustrating, but I hope you find some comfort in the fact that many of us found OF intimidating, but got used to it after a few days of monkeying around.