The Omni Group
These forums are now read-only. Please visit our new forums to participate in discussion. A new account will be required to post in the new forums. For more info on the switch, see this post. Thank you!

Go Back   The Omni Group Forums > OmniFocus > OmniFocus 1 for Mac
FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

 
Suggestions of features Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Hello,

I looked at the video presentation of OmniFocus and I would like to make some suggestions. If implemented, I would become right a user.

I have been looking for a task and info manager. I looked at SOHO Notes, Yojimbo, Formation and others. They are all very interesting. But the only one that gives me what I am looking for is Formation, yet it lacks important features.

What I need, which I cannot find in SOHO notes of Yojimbo and which I can find in Formation, for example, is the possibility to add columns. I do not want to manage only task, but also informations about these tasks. If I manage only tasks, it is for me pretty useless since for every task I can have a log of info to manage as well. For me, one without the other is useless.

So, I would like to be able to add columns as I need according to each project I am working on, so that I can enter the info I need for each projet (which would be a folder in OmniFocus). From one project to another, the info I need to enter may greatly differ. So, I think this kind of flexibility would be great and, I am ready to bet that it would be appreciated by many people

In many ways, I get exactly that in Formation, but it had serious limitations, in particular alarms. Will OmniFocus have alarms? If not, then this is a serious limitations. Alarms are important to manage tasks!

If OmniFocus stays as the video presentation, I feel it remains limited. But if it is possible to have the possibility to manage informations alongside the tasks, then it would be a much more interesting software.

The presentation on the video is nice, but... there is still a lot that needs to be done to make it a great piece of software...

My main suggestion is: make it a task AND info manager, links with iCal, with alarms. Its flexibility would be shown by the way we could manage the info we need to enter for each project, i.e. have columns that would manage that info (dates - not only starting and closing dates, numbers, popup lists, texts, files, URL links, contacts, alarms, etc.).

Softwares like SOHO Notes or yojimbo, though interesting in this regards, they impose columns. There is no flexibility in this regards whatsoever.

I hope these friendly suggestions will be of interest...

Keep up the good work!

Bruno
 
I don't think OF will have custom columns for a while if ever. You might look at mori http://apokalypsesoftware.com/products/mori
 
I hope OF will first and foremost be a GTD app, with linked files and URLs. I wouldn't want the OF database to become huge (and slow) because of whole files being stored inside it; just links will do just fine.
 
You might also try Journler: <http://journler.com/> It may not have every feature you seek, but it has many more features than Yojimbo. (I own both.) Also, see David Chartier's great podcast, introducing Journler: <http://www.tuaw.com/2007/05/24/tuaw-podcast-24-journler/>

I do understand what you want: You want a cross between OmniFocus and Yojimbo (or between OmniFocus and Journler). While I understand your desire to have everything in one place, I'm not aware that any apps are doing that, just yet. Journler and Yojimbo help you manage and organize documents and information, while apps like OmniFocus and iGTD (oops, did mention the i-word?) are about managing your projects and your time. (That's an oversimplification, but you get my drift.)

One way to look at it is this: It would be impossible for OmniFocus to incorporate every function that every project requires. While your projects may require documents and custom columns, someone else's projects may require work in iTunes or iPhoto or Word. Well, we can't expect OmniFocus to become a music player, a photo organizer, and a word processor, too, can we? Of course not. I think OmniFocus should do what it does best -- help you decide what to work on next -- and then, as you focus on a particular task, you should switch to the appropriate tools for that task -- whether that means another computer program, or your sewing machine, or your circular saw. OmniFocus isn't meant to replace your *tools*. You'll still need tools to get things done.

For you, perhaps the best tool is Yojimbo, or Journler, or File Maker Pro. Only you can say for sure.

Also consider an app like QuicKeys. I have custome shortcuts for every app I use, so switching to Journler or Safari (or whatever) is no different than switching, within OmniFocus, from Project view to Context view. Control-J puts me instantly in Journler, and Control-O puts me instantly in OmniFocus. Once you've defined your custom shortcuts, switching between programs is so effortless that it's literally no different than switching between two windows within one program. Once the effort has been eliminated, you'll never know the difference. (Well, you'll know, of course -- but it'll be so easy that you'll no longer care.)
 
 


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Few suggestions.. Hybrid0 OmniGraffle for iPad 3 2011-02-20 01:25 AM
Suggestions for and from a non-GTD user Brunosc Applying OmniFocus 4 2010-08-15 09:19 AM
Printing suggestions please malisa OmniFocus 1 for Mac 3 2008-11-01 02:46 PM
Suggestions Nedzb OmniFocus 1 for Mac 0 2006-12-11 12:24 PM
A few suggestions... Stormchild OmniPlan General 1 2006-10-08 08:13 AM


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 04:34 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.