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OmniFocus slow, crashes, & loads - very poor usability [SOLVED: Email Attachments] Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Hi,

unfortunately my OmniFocus does not sync any more with the mobileme-Server. I run Omnifocus on three Macs (iMac, MacBook Air and Mac Mini) without any problem.

The iPhone-app is a very unstable though. I won't sync since a couple of days. Before that I had a couple of other very annoying problems:
- It takes a very long time for the app to open on the iPhone. It is either always loading or updating.
- The application crashes within 5 minutes of usage 2 times.

I am actively thinking of using something else and more reliable on the iPhone. Why don't you use the resources you put in the Mac-software when updating the software almost daily (which is great) for iPhone-updates. The improvements are truly needed there.

I am looking forward to an answer from you.

Best regards from Germany

Martin Seibert
//SEIBERT/MEDIA/CONSULTING
 
Hi Martin. I don't have an answer for the issues you are seeing. All I can say is that the problem is not universal. I've been using OmniFocus on my iPhone and on my Mac since the beginning and have had virtually no problems. While there's still room for performance improvements on the iPhone app, I really have no big complaints; it's been very reliable, is reasonably quick, and I haven't seen a crash in months. So don't give up hope! The system does work quite well!

It seems like your problems are specific to your system and you shouldn't have to live with that. You should get in touch with OmniFocus support and get some help from the ninjas.

- Dennis

Last edited by Toadling; 2008-09-20 at 09:48 AM..
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mseibert View Post
I am actively thinking of using something else and more reliable on the iPhone. Why don't you use the resources you put in the Mac-software when updating the software almost daily (which is great) for iPhone-updates. The improvements are truly needed there.
Martin,

sorry to hear of your problems, especially as I can offer no solutions, not being an iPhone user. I'm sure Omni wishes they could send out new releases for the iPhone software at the drop of a hat like they can with the desktop software, but it simply isn't possible. The software has to be approved by Apple first, and apparently they discourage frequent small bug-fix releases, not to mention that the approval process took a week or two for the most recent one.
 
I did not know about the problems with updates on the iPhone app store. I have version 1.0.3 from 08th August. In a post here Ken Case talks of a version of "OmniFocus v1.0.3 - released August 13, 2008". See here:
http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=9366

Is there a difference?
 
By the way, I managed to get the iPhone working again by reducing the size of the databased with "archiving", resetting the iPhone app and a restart. Thanks to all the forum users, who explained how to do that.

But fast is still something else. :-)
 
I just sent this to the support ninjas, and then stumbled accross this thread. I thought I might post it here for reference. I am currently waiting for the iPhone version to synchronise, and it is about 2/3rds of the way through after 17 minutes. But I think it will just crash again, like it has been doing for a while, and not actually sync. :mad:


Quote:
Dear OmniFocus Team,

I have purchased both OmniFocus and OmniFocus for iPhone. Unfortunately, whilst I am very impressed with the general interface and layout of the iPhone version, it is reduced to completely unusable by two letdowns: Slow launching and slow syncing. I have been careful to ensure that old items are archived, and that all registered computers have synced recently, however launch still takes over a minute, and sync takes at least 10-15 minutes during which it normally gets interrupted by having to use some other feature of the phone or the phone sleeping, that is if it doesn't just crash and return to the homescreen after a while. I mean, at a high estimate the amount of data that's changed can't be more that a few KB - how on earth does it take so long to synchronise? A checkbox is one bit for heaven's sake! Are there any plans to improve the synchronisation method on the iPhone version?

If there are solid technical reasons that these improvements cannot be made, may I suggest an app that will actually be usable on the iPhone "OmniFocus Lite" - a clone of the quick entry panel on the OSX version. The ideal use of the iPhone version would be to quickly jot down tasks whilst on the go, which due to the aforementioned problems is just ridiculously impractical. I need to be able to open the OmniFocus app, enter my task quickly, and then close down and move on to making a call or whatever, and be sure that the entry has really gone to my inbox and isn't just languishing on the iPhone waiting for the next sync. Currently, I have become hesitant to even bother using the iPhone version, because due to the syncing problems tasks just end up forgotten and not where I need them to be. Again, I'd like to reiterate that I really do like the user interface on the iPhone version, if only it worked! Obviously, a total of at least eleven minutes to be sure that a task is in my OmniFocus inbox everywhere is kind of a joke, I might as well just email it to myself!

I sincerely hope that these problems can be resolved, as I have been looking forward to the dream combination of iPhone OmniFocus and OS X OmniFocus ever since the iPhone came out, and it is such a waste considering what you have already is so well done except for these small hiccups.

Very Best Regards,
Alex Speller
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by alexspeller View Post
I just sent this to the support ninjas, and then stumbled accross this thread. I thought I might post it here for reference
You definitely did the right thing contacting the ninjas, Alex. Your experience is not typical of OmniFocus, at least not on my system. So take heart in knowing that the software does (or can) work correctly. There must be something specifically wrong with your setup, and the ninjas are best-suited to help you track down and resolve any problems particular to your circumstances.

As I wrote above, I've been using OmniFocus on my Mac and my iPhone since the very beginning, and I've had virtually no problems. Yes, there have been minor hiccups here and there, but nothing like you're seeing.

I hope they can get things sorted out for you! Good luck!

-Dennis
 
My problems have reduced to constant software crashes on the iphone now. The sync and the loading time is still fairly slow 10-20 seconds. But it works at least.

The crashes are very problematic, as I tend to lose data often. :-(
 
Have you tried rebuilding your database in OmniFocus on the mac ?
 
Just posting to confirm poster's claim: OF iPhone crashes constantly (on sync attempt) for me too.

System: Latest SneakyPeek, 1.0.3 iphone app, syncing via mobile me. Pretty big dbase (yeah, I know that's vague; don't have time to learn how to find size right now. over 1000 items total)

Fix attempt: rebuilt OF dbase on mac, deleted dbase on phone, reconnected & re-sync'd.

Result of deleting & resyncing was that instead of OF iP crashing while attempting to open and sync, it would (eventually) load and be accessible.

But... I would then add a single item from the iPhone app (with just a title; no other info), go to the OF iP home screen, then touch the "sync" button in OF iP. Spinning gear icon would spin for 20 secs or so, then app would crash out to the home screen.

It was working better for me a SneakyPeek or two ago, but the amount of variables (app & dbase on phone, app & dbase on mac, mobile me mojo, etc.) prohibit me from swearing that the new alpha is to blame.

I just quit using OF iP for now. :-(

gonna try restarting the phone...

(haven't contacted support yet, the OmniDudes are moving forward so fast, I just figure it will be fixed in a version or two - I loves me some OmniFocus!)
 
 


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