[ksrhee]

Originally Posted by aliteralmind

You make good points.

Easier import/export/backup/recovery sure would be nice. Dropbox saving/recovery of your database or project-opml export would be sweeeeet.

These workarounds are good for me, but it's only because I'm okay of these limitations (or ignorant of the possibilities :)

Backup and recovery works quite nicely with over the air sync. Now Omni offers a free server, that's is even better.

I would agree that there might be an easier way to import/export items from OF for iPad or iPhone, but I think they are coming in the future version according to KC.

[endoftheQ]

Originally Posted by RiK

Surely that wouldn't make a lot of sense commercially as then Omni would be potentially losing sales of the far superior iPad app.

It's a good point, RiK.

However, the route Omni has followed (apart from OmniFocus) has meant they've lost the revenue stream of my upgrading OG, OGS & OO on the desktop, as well as upgrades for the same programs on my iDevices (if and when the App store permits it!). Likewise, I now won't be buying OO for the iPad when it's launched. For another Member's similar view on this issue, have a look at this post on the OO Forum.

If you accept, as do I, that the majority of Members who have posted to this thread aren't price sensitive, I'm not convinced that launching universal iPhone/iPad versions (prior to an iPad specific one) would have had that much impact on sales whereas jumping straight to the iPad and ignoring the iPhone may well have done.

Also, customers who had an iPad but not an iPhone/iPod and didn't want the full bells-and-whistles of the specific iPad version (see tml00's post) might still have been willing to purchase the cheaper universal version.

It could have even opened up the possibility of Omni offering upgrade pricing this way, by making the iPad specific versions an in-App purchase from the universal Apps. :)

[ntrigue]

What the pricing has done is satisfy those that feel the need to tout their superiority (these same people will respond on their 11.6" MacBook Air). Pricing of $40 in the App Store is tantamount to insulting existing users that have invested over $100 into a todo list.

That said, I think the iPhone/iPad money back arrangement was well-played.

[gopi]

Originally Posted by ntrigue

Pricing of $40 in the App Store is tantamount to insulting existing users that have invested over $100 into a todo list.

$79.95 + $19.99 = $99.94, unless I'm missing something?

Your snarky "$100 into a todo list" seems to imply you believe that this category of software should never cost that much. I would've said the same thing before OF, because I'd never used software in this category that had this many features and, most importantly, this much labor and thought put into it.

[Ken Case]

Originally Posted by endoftheQ

In that case, wouldn't it be a great idea to make the iPhone App universal, insomuch that it could take advantage of the iPad screen estate without pixel-doubling?

We actually experimented with that, but it turned out to be a terrible user experience which we didn't (and don't) want to promote.

I think Omni may have seriously missed a trick in not porting all its desktop programs over to the iPhone first (ok, maybe not OmniDazzle!) and offering this kind of universal solution, then concentrating on developing specific iPad versions.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the lack of iPhone versions is one of the reasons that myself and others have not only abandoned OG and OGS on the iPad but also the desktop programs. The fact the OO is only a strong possibility on the iPhone has led some of us to already abandon OO for Mac and seek other solutions, which means we won't be buying OO for the iPad either.

Designing a productivity app to leverage the strengths of an iPhone is a rather different problem than designing one which leverages the strengths of an iPad. We've already bitten off a huge amount of work in committing to bring five apps to iPad, we need to finish that work before we commit to building even more apps. (Designing and building a quality productivity app typically takes a team at least two years—and we've already built three so far this year! I'm incredibly proud of what our teams have managed to accomplish in such a short time.)

Unfortunately, it feels like I've ended up with half finished scenarios with completion pushed back every time Apple yells "hop!".

The Mac App Store anyone?

Oh, maybe this wasn't obvious, but the Mac App Store is simply an alternate distribution channel for our products, it shouldn't require significant design or engineering resources. (In fact, the biggest short-term effect is that it will let us retire our retail distribution channel, freeing up administrative resources.)

[policarpo]

Originally Posted by Ken Case

We actually experimented with that, but it turned out to be a terrible user experience which we didn't (and don't) want to promote.

Have you guys checked out the Universal version of 2Do on the iPad and on the iPhone? They managed to get a rather rich UI to work great on both platforms.*

The devs are able to leverage the Universal framework to focus on features and quick turn arounds on updates. They've already updated the app twice with some major features and are soon bringing MobileME syncing to the next update. Their Delegation, Sorting, Editing and Deferral tools are fantastic.

Thinking about the design from a Universal perspective might be a better strategy in the near future, since it will allow your team to focus on a single release and maintain a unified User Experience as well as Feature set on the iOS platform. It just makes sense from a Design, Engineering and Implementation standpoint, and really allows your team to focus focus focus and not think about 3 different problems when it comes to development.

If I were thinking about the future of OmniFocus, I'd look out about 3 years to really envision where it should go and focus on integrating that vision into a unified Desktop and Mobile experience.

Some core tennets of the vision could be things like:

. Unified Delegation Tools
- allow users to email Full Projects or N# of Tasks to one another and allow the back and forth transmissions to maintain the history of the Project (allow users to view completed tasks @ any point in the transaction)
- Allow the emailed Tasks to have a "Sent From" and "Version & Date" trail.
. Cloud Based syncing
- you guys do a good job of this already but I would keep pushing this to make sure you focused on a system which is extensible and highly portable
- maybe a Client managed Server Solution like Daylite offers for Teams wanting tighter security around their content
. Unified Look & Feel across the Product Line
- OmniFocus should look like OmniFocus from a mile away and should maintain some core design principles which unify it as a family
. Robust Note Taking Tools
- Imagine having something with the power of NoteBooks or Awesome Note be native on the iOS versions of OF. We already have a nice Note Feature on the desktop, and I see no reason not to make the iOS versions as robust
. Integration with Evernote
- This is just smart since a lot of people use Evernote for their centralized Reference system (a key element of GTD) and having this integration would attract a lot of Evernote users to OF
. Nicely formatted Email Task view
- You touch on this with the iPad, and I like it, but it should be a standard Layout on all devices so it is seen as an OmniFocus Task regardless of which device or platform it came from.
- The layout could offer a beautifully designed template option for users to select so that it emotionally communicates Tasks as: Business, Personal, or High Priority, etc.
. Multi Object Sorting and Editing Functionality
- Allow me to move, delete, defer, share, tag multiple items @ a single time from within any list view on iOS. Moving 30 items on iOS isn't fun nor very functional (really look @ how Taska and 2Do manage this simple function)
. Smart Functions
- Allow users to set up rules on Projects so that specifically Tagged items automatically show up in them. This could allow users to have Tasks appear in Multiple Projects if need be.
. Nicer Layouts for Projects & Areas of Focus
- Things does a nice job of visualizing this distinction, but totally misses the boat on making the user have to manage these features.
. Team Member Classifications
- I use Contexts to get my Team Member Views via a Perspective, so I'd think about shipping custom Perspective Views which account for certain types of workflows in order to get people up and running quickly in OmniFocus.
- You could offer 3-5 Perspective Bundles to the end user: Team Work, Projects & Areas of Focus, Now, SomeDay & Forecast.

I could go on and on, and I am sure you guys already are thinking about this stuff. I love GTD, and I just want it to get better and more fluid and enjoyable for all of us.

I think GTD Apps are now a dime a dozen, but there are a few keys apps out there which are really making waves and trying to help the user in Processing this Philosophy into their daily work and life flow. OmniFocus sits @ the top of the heap of GTD Apps currently, and you guys should remain there provided the current and near term vision is about taking us GTD Geeks to new levels of Focus and Horizons we didn't think were attainable with software. :^)

Cheers,
-policarpo

*note: Taska isn't a Universal app, but they've managed to create a rather compelling and unified design language to both of their products which really brings them into line as a family of apps on iOS (but the app is too buggy to be worth using on a daily basis).

[Ken Case]

Originally Posted by ntrigue

What the pricing has done is satisfy those that feel the need to tout their superiority (these same people will respond on their 11.6" MacBook Air). Pricing of $40 in the App Store is tantamount to insulting existing users that have invested over $100 into a todo list.

I'm sorry to hear you feel that way; it's certainly not our intent to insult anyone!

OmniFocus isn't for everyone. If your needs would be met just as well by a $5 to-do list app, then OmniFocus might not be giving you the value we're trying to provide—which means it might not be the right app for you. If you've already bought an edition and decided it wasn't worth the money, I'd strongly encourage you to take advantage of our money-back guarantee. We want each of our customers to feel enthusiastic about the great value they've received for their purchase, knowing exactly what they paid for it—rather than feeling like they overpaid for what they received.

Most people who have tried OmniFocus for iPad feel that it's really a different experience which lets them connect better than ever before with their tasks, particularly with its new Review and Forecast modes. I see many many tweets like these:

@hotdogsladies: Props to my OmniGroup pals for the stunning OmniFocus for iPad. GTD reviews made sane and--yes--FUN.
@stevensokulski: Just completed my first-ever GTD review because of how fun and easy the new @OmniFocus for iPad makes it.
@IrvTheSwirv: The Omnifocus iPad Review feature is a work of complete and utter genius. I'd say the desktop needs it, but why bother?... iPad is more fun!
@psyton: Have never been able to get a handle on GTD weekly reviews... until @Omnifocus for iPad. Now incredibly simple and useful. Thanks, Omni!
@drewmccormack: One aspect of OmniFocus for iPad that is better than on iPhone/Mac editions is the Review functionality. I was a lapsed reviewer. Not now.
@tonypiper: @OmniFocus have made GTD weekly reviews pleasurable thanks to the iPad app... Bravo!
@tchaten: @kcase Wow OF for iPad is beautiful from icon to interface -finally a GTD app that makes me want to have it open all day!-Forecast (amazing)
@gizmometer: . @OmniFocus for iPad was well worth the wait. Finally: relaxed work planning from my couch. (p.s. forecast view is top notch!)
@gvtmtom: The more I use it the more I like @omnifocus on the iPad. Overall it's quite good and the Forecast view is awesome.
@fakeMacFusion: Forecast view in @omnifocus for iPad is the bomb. Hope they integrate it w/ iPhone and Desktop version.
@chartier: OmniFocus for iPad is exemplary of what full iPad apps should aspire for. Lots of clever UI that solves unique needs. Hats off @kcase.

Now, obviously, just because a bunch of random people really like the iPad app doesn't mean that it will meet your needs. But if you haven't looked at what is actually new about the iPad edition, it's definitely worth taking a closer look.

As for the total cost to people who are already invested…

We'd love to offer an App Store discount to our current Mac customers. Unfortunately, our options are limited on the App Store: it doesn't support discounts on the basis of purchase history—or anything else for that matter; we can't even offer discounts to our own employees! We did take this issue into account when pricing the app, though—that's part of why we chose a price that's just half the price of the desktop app.

We've tried very hard to make sure anyone who has paid $140 for all three editions of OmniFocus continues to feel that they're receiving good value for their purchases individually and collectively, providing major updates like our recent release of OmniFocus 1.8 for Mac. Fortunately, I think the value equation works in everyone's favor, as the total package is worth more than the sum of its parts: OmniFocus for Mac actually gains more than $20 in useful value when you add the iPhone app to the picture and are able to bring the Mac app's tasks with you everywhere. And I think the Mac app easily gains another $40 in useful value when you add to it the Forecast and Review modes from the iPad app.

But whether you're using all three editions or just one, we're committed to making sure that each edition of the app pulls its own weight and gives you great value for what you've paid.

[gopi]

Originally Posted by Ken Case

We actually experimented with that, but it turned out to be a terrible user experience which we didn't (and don't) want to promote.

One of the other problems with making the iPhone app universal is that there would be no way to tell people, "Hey, this is not really the best way to make this work on the iPad. You will be a lot happier on the iPad native version..."

The App Store will make it appear as if the iPhone/iPad universal version is fully supported on the iPad.

My wife tried the "hacked" iPad full screen version of the iPhone app. She preferred it to pixel doubling, but when she tried the native iPad version she commented that it would be tough to convince people how much better the iPad version was without letting them use it. In other words: Give somebody a full screen iPhone version on their iPad, and they're going to be asking, "The iPad version can't be worth another $40, can it?" We both share the opinion that it *is* worth another $40.

[wilsonng]

Originally Posted by gopi

One of the other problems with making the iPhone app universal is that there would be no way to tell people, "Hey, this is not really the best way to make this work on the iPad. You will be a lot happier on the iPad native version..."

The App Store will make it appear as if the iPhone/iPad universal version is fully supported on the iPad.

My wife tried the "hacked" iPad full screen version of the iPhone app. She preferred it to pixel doubling, but when she tried the native iPad version she commented that it would be tough to convince people how much better the iPad version was without letting them use it. In other words: Give somebody a full screen iPhone version on their iPad, and they're going to be asking, "The iPad version can't be worth another $40, can it?" We both share the opinion that it *is* worth another $40.

A lot of iPhone app developers have created "Lite" versions of an app which are free. They have limited capabilities such as the number of tasks and/or projects. But it allows someone a free way to try out a program before putting down $40.00 on a program like OmniFocus for iPad. I just test drove Pocket Informant Lite for GTD recently. OmniFocus still kept my vote on my iPod touch and my iPad. But I can easily recommend others to try out Pocket Informant Lite.

The only other way I can convince others to try OmniFocus for iPad would be to lend them my iPad. But I really don't want them seeing my task lists so it's a little difficult.

I think an OmniFocus lite for iPad with limited capabilities would really win over a lot of new customers who are hesitant to plop down $40.00.

I remember reading somewhere that Apple is/was considering a separate section in the iTunes store for trial versions of programs.


With that being said, I am very happy with OmniFocus for iPad. Some programs lend themselves to a universal version and other times, it's best done as a completely separate edition.

I know I've gotten way more than forty bucks worth of value from my trio of the desktop, iPhone, and iPad versions of OmniFocus.

[Treo]

I bought OF for iPad two days ago and have already reported four bugs. One of which is a silly design problem. Create a top level folder, then a project inside it and add some tasks to the project to see what I mean. It's the sort of thing you would have expected someone to try before release. Coupled with problems related to background operation where I have to keep quitting and restarting and I am left disappointed, my disappointment being in direct relation to the price i paid after putting it off for so long. Yes, support are wonderful and always tell you how grateful they are that you wrote to them, but I shouldn't have to be firing off emails twice a day. I've never once reported a bug to Toodledo developers (a cheap app I might add) or Things (another cheaper app) which trumps OF in terms of UI design if not functionality.

The only redeeming feature is the sync, but then I had that with Toodledo so why the hell did I switch? The thing is, perversely, I'll stick it out for a bit because I've paid so much for it. I think Omni have dabbled in the dark arts of pricing psychology. Their Mac apps can't be faulted, but I'm not sure what's happened here.