[HenricF]

Hello,

is it possible to add a contact to a certain action? Say, I have the action "call Anders about ...", could I add the contact to the action so I wouldn't have to open the list of contacts, find him there and then call him?

[whpalmer4]

Can't add the contact, but you can type or paste the phone number into the notes field. Then when you return to that task, you can just tap on the link and the phone will dial the number...or email if you put an email address in there instead of a phone number.

[endoftheQ]

Hi HenricF,

The ability to add contacts has been requested for years, and in July it was the top of Omni's 'most requested' feature list, however it apparently has slipped back badly.

IMHO it's a no-brainer, who wants to have an action such as Call Joe, switch to contacts, and then copy-and-paste the relevant info back to OF? If you haven't decided how you want to communicate (which phone number?, depends on time of day; email?, home or work, etc.) that's a lot of switching back-and-forth, copy-and-pasting to cover all the possibilities! Like a lot of people, if I have Call Paul or Email Steve, I want to add the relevant person by simply hitting Insert Contact from within OmniFocus. It would also save me having to type the surname in, or trying to remember which 'Steve' from the half-a-dozen possibilities!

If you're up to it, email the Support Ninjas, and vote for it. However, I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for it to happen....!

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by endoftheQ

Hi HenricF,

The ability to add contacts has been requested for years, and in July it was the top of Omni's 'most requested' feature list, however it apparently has slipped back badly.

Two observations:

1) it is hard to conclude anything about where it stands now if you are judging by what has been released, as the releases since then have been primarily bug fixes, not new feature vehicles.

2) if it has slipped back in the rankings, it has been because more votes have come in for other features (some features found only in the iPad app are likely candidates, I think). Feature requests aren't "aged out" of the system.

[endoftheQ]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

Two observations:

1) it is hard to conclude anything about where it stands now if you are judging by what has been released, as the releases since then have been primarily bug fixes, not new feature vehicles.

2) if it has slipped back in the rankings, it has been because more votes have come in for other features (some features found only in the iPad app are likely candidates, I think). Feature requests aren't "aged out" of the system.

Huh! I'm relying on info. supplied by the OmniFolk.

In July this year:

Originally Posted by Brian

We may add this at some point - folks have asked for it before. But this request has had fewer than 10 customer votes attached since we launched the app. It looks like the top of the "we need this feature" list (linking to address book contacts in some fashion) has almost 70.

In September:

Originally Posted by Brian

Support for contacts actually got the first customer request in 2006, not 2007. :-)

Contacts were at the top of the list when I originally mentioned it, but there are other requests that are more popular now; contacts are in the #10 slot. The current top item has twice the votes that contacts do, and was entered more recently.

I've always thought it a complete joke that we're supposed to vote on bug fixes, it's up there with Omni's passion for flitting after Apple's latest bright shiny iDea and relegating everything else to the endoftheQ!

If Omni doesn't get that it's an iPhone and that adding contacts is a no-brainer (even though it has never been one of my feature requests), way ahead of flakey location-aware alerts, then all I can say is they must firmly believe in GTDVVS* and inflicting it upon the rest of us.

*Getting Things Done Very Very S-L-O-W-L-Y...!

[whpalmer4]

That all seems quite consistent with what I said. Point #1 said "if you are judging by what has been released", and you aren't. Point #2 said that other requests had surpassed it (as you illustrated) in popularity. I know it is difficult for you to accept, but some of us find the current functionality sufficient, if not perfect, and may have other requests that are more pressing. Someone who wants the Review mode from the iPad or Mac on the iPhone can't really "fake it" in the same way that pasting Joe's phone number into the note field addresses the contact issue, for example.

If I'm in a rush during the entry of the action to call someone, I don't bother putting in the contact info; I'll put it in the next time I review the project.

[savan7]

I guess all the key features is reserved for future payable updates.

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by savan7

I guess all the key features is reserved for future payable updates.

A look at the collected release notes (http://iphone.iusethis.com/app/versions/omnifocus) would suggest that's an overly cynical viewpoint. I also don't think they have anything big in the can yet that would justify a 2.0 release and all the headaches that will bring. I can't rule out the possibility that we won't see anything but bugfixes prior to 2.0. It doesn't strike me as Omni's style to do that, however, and this also doesn't seem like a headline feature for a major release.

[savan7]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

doesn't seem like a headline feature for a major release.

I know OmniFocus is not CRM, but... come on, Project without Contacts? It's disingenuous :)