I'm just wondering what the differences are between Outliner, Graffle and Focus it seems that they pretty much do the same or similar things so thus my query. I've gone through the website and read through the features and overview but still would like to hear it from those that have used/know the programs well. Thanks!

[troyb]

Hi, I'm going to move your post the our general discussion forum, but you might have more luck asking this question in one of the other application specific forums that you're trying to find out about.

[Lizard]

OmniFocus is specifically for keeping track of things you need to do -- project deadlines, household chores, and everything in between.

OmniOutliner is for outlines -- text in lists, outlining and drafting essays or books, especially things like textbooks that have lots of headings and sub-headings.

OmniGraffle is for pictures, diagrams and flow charts -- a floor plan for rearranging your living room, a flow chart for how calls are routed in a tech support department, and other visual things.

If that's not the info you're looking for, perhaps you could explain what sort of work you're trying to do and we can tell you which Omni products might help.

[Don1]

I have been using Outliner as an idea and task organizer, rather than just creating outlines. Is Focus better at doing this? In what ways?

Then, when is the difference in purpose of Focus and Plan? My basic understanding is Plan is for scheduling (individuals or groups) and Focus is for Organizing (individuals). Could you describe a real life situation where you would use each of these products?

I am looking for something to help keep me on top of what needs to happen next (what things do I need to do today) but I also need something to help me organize projects (project 1 may take one hour while project 7 may take three weeks).

Your help is appreciated.

[troyb]

OmniPlan is geared towards managing multiple people and resources working on a single project. For instance we use OmniPlan here at the office to manage the development of each of our apps. Keeping track of what each person involved needs to do and how much time they need to do their part. This helps us get an idea of how long we have before a milestone is reached (like say OmniPlan 1.5 final).

On the other hand many of us here use OmniFocus to manage our day to day lives, both in the office and out. I use it for instance to make sure I setup my car appointment today and deposit a couple checks as well as to insure I get that email sent out to some other folks in the office.

In OmniFocus Actions are broken down into as much detail as possible so most things will be very specific whereas OmniPlan can act as more of an overview of a project and all of its elements.

You can also use OmniFocus to break down actions you have for several projects so you can work through them based on their context which helps improve your daily efficiency.

I'm sure other people will have their own ideas but hopefully these will help.

[Lizard]

Troy's totally right, but I'll restate it my way, in case it happens to make more sense to someone:

OmniPlan has more of a rigid timeline -- every task has a start date, end date, duration. OmniFocus is more free-form. OmniPlan might be good for planning out your around-the-world tour: plane arrival and departure times, hotel bookings, etc. However, OmniFocus would be better for all the actions required to prepare for said expedition: purchase plane tickets, arrange for dog-sitter, buy new camera.

[Lizard]

Also, Outliner vs. Focus:
Outliner works great for to do lists if you only need to organize them one way. Perhaps they're grouped by what day you'll do them, or which project they're for, or where you need to be to get them done. (You can have all the other information listed for each task, but there's no automatic way to reorganize them.)

In Focus, you can organize and reorganize all your tasks by what project they're in, how soon they're due, etc. with just a couple clicks. This lets me quickly answer questions like "What errands do I need to run on my way home today?" or "How busy am I this week?" or "What do I need to do to keep moving on the Big Project for my boss?"