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Omnifocus for college coursework is it worth $40?? Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
thanx gopi and endoftheq. v. helpful. Ive now got outliner and and it works well. Im also interested in gtd / omnifocus so would like to know more about "flaws" if iPad only user if your willing to expand.

Thanx Kim

Quote:
Originally Posted by endoftheQ View Post
Hi Kimaira

I never recommend OmniFocus as a standalone App, because without the desktop version (which is Mac only), it currently suffers IMHO from some very serious flaws.

I'd also second Gopi's point that it is probably over-complicated for your requirements. I'd recommend you take a look at CarbonFin's Outliner (click this link). I use this regularly on my iPad, often to create a set of actions that I'll later move over to OmniFocus.

Also if you intend to use OmniFocus on the iPad to jot down extensive notes you'll probably find it a frustrating experience. CarbonFin's Outliner also benefits from being significantly cheaper ($5), your entries are accessible from any web browser and if, at a later stage, you decide to upgrade to something more complex, you'll be able to move your data over to any App that supports import of the OPML data format.

Hope this is helpful.
 
I have found the core problem with school obligations to be most apps do NOT remind you about missed assignments, or only give a single push reminder. I am a procrastinator just starting GTD, and need the "past due" ability to stay on top of things.

I test-drove OmniFocus yesterday (on a pal's iPad) and have decided to get it, however in addition to my coursework I am a business consultant and do volunteering and shadowing. Unless you have a similar number of commitments/similar missed assignment issue to juggle, a less elaborate program would be better.

Before I was convinced to go for OmniFocus I was debating between Pocket Informant HD (shows overdue) and iHomework (couldn't tell if it shows overdue, but does have repeating assignments). However, I do not recommend iStudiez Pro, because it is more of a "when do i have class" app, and the "view all assignments" button opens a small sidebar, instead of its own view, limiting effectiveness. Of course, if you're good about doing assignments when you mark them due and only need one push reminder, then iStudiez Pro would be perfect for you. :)
 
Hi Kimaira

As you can see from posts such as Aliteralmind's, other Members disagree with me about OmniFocus being unsuitable for use as a standalone App on an iDevice. I have OF on all three platforms and to be frank those using OF solely on the iPhone or iPad are in a much better position to advise you.

That said, here are a few of the reasons why I don't currently recommend OmniFocus as a standalone App.

If your iPad gets broken, lost or stolen you won't have any access to your data until you replace it. Although you can back-up your data via Omni's server, until you buy a new iPad that data is inaccessible as currently there is no web interface.

Likewise anything you capture within OmniFocus (such as pictures or audio on the iPhone) are locked into the App, there isn't an easy way to get them out.

At the moment OF doesn't support Print-to-PDF which means that if you, say, wanted to assemble an essay from the contents of OF you will have the laborious task of copying-and-pasting each field into another App.

Also, without Print-to-PDF or a web interface, there isn't a way to get a hard copy of the contents of your database. You mentioned above that you've already purchased CarbonFin's Outliner (good choice, by the way! :)) so you'll appreciate that with that App if you lost your iPad you could go to the nearest internet cafe and print out everything you've entered.

The ability to create Perspectives is only available from within the desktop OF program, although after syncing they then appear on iDevices in the Perspectives list.

Another issue might be that OF at the moment lacks any form of import/export (such as the ubiquitous OPML format) which makes adding large quantities of data and subsequently utilising it in another App a bit of a time consuming process, it's a chore even if you have the full desktop program!

It may be that the above isn't of any great concern to you so YMMV, and much of the above will undoubtedly change over time, with new releases of OF and with iOS4.2 (ie. AirPrint) making life easier for App only users.

Hope the above is helpful. Good luck!

Last edited by endoftheQ; 2010-09-24 at 06:07 AM..
 
I've got OF for iPad, iPhone and Mac but as I'm now in a PC/Windows work environment, getting data into the iPad is a matter of typing them into the on-screen keyboard which I find painfully slow. As there is not PC version I have to stop what I'm doing to create a task on the iPad rather than just being able to 'send to OF' via mail or a web interface.

Being rubbish at GTD and an expert at procrastination, I spend most of my life looking at the 'Past' list in the Forecast view.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by endoftheQ View Post

If your iPad gets broken, lost or stolen you won't have any access to your data until you replace it. Although you can back-up your data via Omni's server, until you buy a new iPad that data is inaccessible as currently there is no web interface.
Thanx endftheq that is a big "NO NO" then as I cant afford a new iPad if anything happens. The one Ive got was a prezzie. Im suprised that outliner has better features when omnifocus is costs so much money.
Kim
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kimaira View Post
Thanx endftheq that is a big "NO NO" then as I cant afford a new iPad if anything happens. The one Ive got was a prezzie. Im suprised that outliner has better features when omnifocus is costs so much money.
OmniFocus has far more complex data structures. A web interface to a checklist is easy to do moderately well. An editor for OmniFocus style data would be very difficult to do well.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by endoftheQ View Post
If your iPad gets broken, lost or stolen you won't have any access to your data until you replace it. Although you can back-up your data via Omni's server, until you buy a new iPad that data is inaccessible as currently there is no web interface.
If you're ever stuck without the ability to run OmniFocus, our tech support ninjas (omnifocus@omnigroup.com) would be happy to help you recover your data and export it to a format you can use on whatever devices you still have available. OmniFocus for Mac has built-in support for exporting lists of tasks as HTML (for viewing in a web browser), CSV (for spreadsheets), and plain text (for anything else).

Another approach might be to use Spootnik. It was designed to sync OmniFocus with BaseCamp, but you can also use it to simply access your synced OmniFocus database from a web browser.

Quote:
Likewise anything you capture within OmniFocus (such as pictures or audio on the iPhone) are locked into the App, there isn't an easy way to get them out.
Actually, there is an easy way to get them out: you can email a task from OmniFocus 1.0 for iPad, and the email message will include all of the task's attachments.

Additionally, OmniFocus 1.1 for iPad will let you copy and paste attachments directly. (It was submitted to the App Store last week and is currently waiting for review.)

Quote:
Also, without Print-to-PDF or a web interface, there isn't a way to get a hard copy of the contents of your database.
Even without OmniFocus for Mac, you could use Spootnik (as noted above) to print out a hard copy of your task lists.

Quote:
Another issue might be that OF at the moment lacks any form of import/export (such as the ubiquitous OPML format) which makes adding large quantities of data and subsequently utilising it in another App a bit of a time consuming process, …
It's true that there isn't an easy way to import large quantities of data on the iPad at the moment.

However, you can quickly and easily capture individual tasks into OmniFocus using the "Send to OmniFocus" bookmarklet—which you can install yourself in Safari, and which is built into some third-party apps such as Twittelator.

As noted above, you can export individual tasks from OmniFocus by sending tasks as email. Also, a list of tasks with upcoming due dates can be automatically exported to a reminder calendar which you can access using any tool which understands the standard calendar format (including the iPad's built-in Calendar app).

(And, again, there's always Spootnik.)

Quote:
…it's a chore even if you have the full desktop program!
I'm not quite sure what endoftheQ might be hoping for here, but in addition to the built-in export formats already noted (HTML, CSV, and plain text), the desktop app is also completely scriptable, which means people can write their own custom scripts to import and export from other formats on whatever schedule they wish.

Hope this helps!

Last edited by Ken Case; 2010-09-27 at 09:59 PM..
 
Hi Ken

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Case View Post
If you're ever stuck without the ability to run OmniFocus, our tech support ninjas (omnifocus@omnigroup.com) would be happy to help you recover your data and export it to a format you can use on whatever devices you still have available. OmniFocus for Mac has built-in support for exporting lists of tasks as HTML (for viewing in a web browser), CSV (for spreadsheets), and plain text (for anything else).
I'm wondering if anything ever came of Brian's suggestion about automating this process on the OmniSyncServer? That would mean iDevice only users wouldn't have to be extra-vigilant overnight, during the holidays and at weekends!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Case View Post
Another approach might be to use Spootnik. It was designed to sync OmniFocus with BaseCamp, but you can also use it to simply access your synced OmniFocus database from a web browser.
I didn't mention Spootnik as it's a paid for subscription service. As Kimaira was already expressing concerns over OmniFocus's $40 price tag, I felt it might seem a bit grandiose of me to suggest forking out another $36-a-year for a third-party web interface when other Apps (ie. CarbonFin's $5 Outliner) manage to provide this service themselves and for free.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Case View Post
Actually, there is an easy way to get them out: you can email a task from OmniFocus 1.0 for iPad, and the email message will include all of the task's attachments.
This works if the file sizes are small enough to be accepted by an email server. The recording of anything over a few minutes however means that the audio file then becomes 'stuck' in OF as it becomes too large to email.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Case View Post
Additionally, OmniFocus 1.1 for iPad will let you copy and paste attachments directly. (It was submitted to the App Store last week and is currently waiting for review.)
Great! Hopefully this will be coming to the iPhone sometime soon?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Case View Post
Even without OmniFocus for Mac, you could use Spootnik (as noted above) to print out a hard copy of your task lists.
OK, Spootnik is a fine solution if Kimaira is willing to spend $100+ over what I imagine is a 3-year course just to be able to access OF from a web interface and get a print-out. Seeing as Omnifocus is such a premium-priced product perhaps licensing Spootnik from Buzzard and providing it free on the OmniSyncServer would be the way to go until such time as Print-to-PDF garners sufficient votes to warrant it being incorporated into OF?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Case View Post
As noted above, you can export individual tasks from OmniFocus by sending tasks as email. Also, a list of tasks with upcoming due dates can be automatically exported to a reminder calendar which you can access using any tool which understands the standard calendar format (including the iPad's built-in Calendar app).
I'd think just copying-and-pasting to another App that has an export function would be way quicker.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Case View Post
(And, again, there's always Spootnik.)
Ah yes, Spootnik again. OK, "qu'ils mangent de la brioche" then. :)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Case View Post
I'm not quite sure what endoftheQ might be hoping for here...
Um... the ability to import and export OPML across all three versions of OmniFocus?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Case View Post
...but in addition to the built-in export formats already noted (HTML, CSV, and plain text), the desktop app is also completely scriptable, which means people can write their own custom scripts to import and export from other formats on whatever schedule they wish.
Sorry Ken, I don't want (nor have the ability) to write scripts and it's nothing but clunky to have to bugger about in OmniOutliner to convert OPML so that it can then be imported into OF on the desktop and then sync'd to an iDevice or have to pull OF into OO to get OPML that another App can accept. I don't have this problem with interchanging data directly between many other (non-premium-priced) Apps let alone having to use an intermediary program (OO) and a desktop Mac to achieve it.

As always, YMMV.

Last edited by endoftheQ; 2010-09-28 at 06:45 AM..
 
Thanx ken and endofq, helps a lot.
Ill look at omnifocus again maybe when its caught up with outliner and by then it might go on sale :)
kim
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by endoftheQ View Post
If your iPad gets broken, lost or stolen you won't have any access to your data until you replace it. Although you can back-up your data via Omni's server, until you buy a new iPad that data is inaccessible as currently there is no web interface.
If you backup your files via iTunes sharing, I BELIEVE you should be able to overwrite your existing files (after a crash) with a backup, via iTunes sharing. Even if not, the ninjas will certainly help.

Quote:
Originally Posted by endoftheQ View Post
The ability to create Perspectives is only available from within the desktop OF program, although after syncing they then appear on iDevices in the Perspectives list.
I asked the ninjas VERY NICELY, and they gave me the new 'completed' perspective. Not sure what other perspectives would be desirable, as I don't--can't--really know their power.

Quote:
Originally Posted by endoftheQ View Post
Another issue might be that OF at the moment lacks any form of import/export (such as the ubiquitous OPML format) which makes adding large quantities of data and subsequently utilising it in another App a bit of a time consuming process, it's a chore even if you have the full desktop program!
As I've written elsewhere on this forum:

I have created an online tool that allows me to quickly enter in many items into OmniFocus at once (or rapid fire). You need to be careful to escape special characters, such as ampersands and apostrophes, but it has saved me countless hours, and makes it possible to use OmniFocus ONLY on my Touch.

Give it a try:

http://www.jeffyepstein.com/docs/com...e_mass_import/
 
 


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