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Quote:
Originally Posted by avandelay View Post
Windows don't change size and lose their buttons when you change views. There aren't weird view modes it's hard to figure out how to exit, and so on.
Do you have some specific examples of these behaviors? Maybe I don't know which buttons you are talking about, or what makes for a weird view mode...

I still lose my buttons from OmniFocus for iPhone/iPod on occasion, despite much tinkering intended to fix that specific problem over the last year or two, so I'm not sure OmniFocus for Mac has a lock on the disappearing buttons trick :-)
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by whpalmer4 View Post
Do you have some specific examples of these behaviors? Maybe I don't know which buttons you are talking about, or what makes for a weird view mode...
If you change the window size while viewing in "Planning" mode, then switch to "Contexts" mode, the window will change back to whatever size it was when you last viewed Contexts.

I changed my "Flagged" view to be kind of a small window, maybe 1/4 of my screen. While in that view, I chose "Planning Mode" from the menu, and that window widened to the full width of my screen, while still as short as it was before.

In other words, windows become kind of a moving target instead of being stable frames for what's inside. I get what's happening -- OF has a concept where every "view" can be customized. I guess some people like that, but I know I'd just like one stable window with steady, fixed UI elements, and quickly get irritated trying to manage all these windows.

Last edited by avandelay; 2010-12-08 at 07:15 AM..
 
I'm still laughing at mangoHimself's 'gentlemen prefer Things but marry OF' scenario... Of God... That's so true... Yes OF- PLEASE give the mac UI a makeover.. It is a nightmare.. Bad for the soul.

I have a weird interface issue as well right now... I have two extra perspectives set up on OF for Mac - 'Tickler' and 'Available Now'. I have chosen the Perspectives option on my iPhone so they are visible there too... When i then go to 'perspectives' on my phone I can see my two perspectives PLUS another one called 'perspective' (singular).. If I open that, I'm not sure what I'm seeing... Lots of checked off tasks in the past to start with, then a few random future tasks.. Can't figure out what it's showing me.

It's on my iPad too... But not on my Mac.

I just ignore it... But it's weird and So it bruises my confidence in the Trusted System just a little..
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by avandelay View Post
I don't so much find it "ugly" as bewilderingly complicated. I think right now it's trying to be all things to all people, with endless view options to fiddle with.
In my opinion the reason people find OF unapproachable is not so much the complexity, but that it isn't "ready for GTD" right out of the box. The stock perspectives just aren't quite adequate to be up and running easily, so a lot of fiddling and forum reading is necessary to get all the right views and processes defined. Most people expect software to intuitively perform the basic task it's designed for with advanced customization being for those who see the need and wish to take the time.

Of course the problem with that idea is that many people use OF in different ways and use different perspectives to accomplish that. However, I think if OmniGroup really wanted to reinforce that OF is primarily a GTD tool (with the flexibility to be otherwise) then more effort could be put into the out-of-the-box experience to make it mirror traditional GTD principles. People can then use that as a springboard to a more tailored setup.

Part of the problem with that, though, is that despite being built with GTD in mind OF doesn't match it feature for feature. Many of the GTD concepts are implemented in alternate ways by OF (ticklers etc.). One only need look through all the questions asked and workarounds offered on this forum to see that.

Nobody has yet offered up what an "OmniFocus Lite" product should actually be. I think the only way to accomplish it would be to remove the ability to create custom perspectives and lock users down to a predefined set of hard coded views that strictly match GTD. Then perhaps some restrictions on syncing, either reducing the available methods or limiting the number of clients. Of course, even though this would share most of the code base with the full product it would still take developer time to accomplish which is something Omni appears to be short on. Would it bring in more customers?
 
I also have OF for the iPad and I think that a lot of the work for the user interface for the iPad edition will help shape and mold the desktop version.

I really like the iPad version. Weekly reviews are so much easier on it. So I can only guess that version 1.9 or 2.0 will have an interface that is so much easier.

The current interface has deep roots based on OmniOutliner and it does act like a more streamlined outline program.

I can only suspect that the new OF will definitely blow everything else out of the waters.

I'm so glad I have an iPad with OF. I think I really use the desktop version mostly to sync for a backup.
 
@Wilsonng & @GrumpyDave -...... I too love OF for iPad.. and for me, in many ways, it IS OF lite.. In that I find it easier to use and it is MUCH easier on the eye.

For some reason with OF in general. I fear losing tasks (that are buried under my 'inadequate-to-OF' filing) in a way that I never feared when I was using Things not that log ago. Odd thing is - I haven't lost a task so far, but the fear is there..

Probably I really don't need all of those perspectives etc.. but because they are there, I am afraid that if I don't use them properly, I will lose something. As with others here that I've read, contexts work in a very limited way for me - as most of my work that requires OF is on the PC and it does often seem as though I'm creating contexts or 'hats' for the sake of it; sometimes I will spend too much time trying to think of a new context, just to file one particular task away that doesn't seem to fit any existing contexts - that's plain daft.

I wonder if I should try to pretend OF is Things (with OTA sync :-) and see if that works...

Last edited by Fiona; 2010-12-16 at 02:40 AM..
 
I'm interested in what people have said on this thread, the interesting point being the use of the iPad app on the desktop.

I to swung between Things, Omnifocus, Toodledo and others, but always came back to Omnifocus. I actually find the logic in OF easier to understand than Things, but freely admit that I have lost track of individual tasks in both. Currently I use a complicated sync that puts my tasks into my calendar on both desktop and device so I can see easily what has to be done today. I don't tick anything off the list, or add it outside of OF, I just use it to view the list for the day.

My personal view is that Apple have missed a trick with the app store, why they have not opted for an iOS virtual machine that emulates the iPad on the desktop and mirrors it to your iOS devices is beyond me. This sounds like a killer concept, and the responses on the thread that the iPad app would be ideal on it's own, on the desktop backs this up.
Just making a store for Mac apps, with the restrictions placed on it seems strange when they could have added the existing store to a dashboard like VM, and attracted more devs to one run anywhere platform.

I'm really considering jailbreaking my iPhone just to work this method backwards, VNC into the device from the desktop to access the apps on it, some, including OF, are that good on the device to warrant it, and if anyone could enable the iPad in a Parrallels VM I'd be there like a shot, and would by buying additional apps from the App store straight away.
 
I must confess!

I am working with OF. I absolutely love its sequential mode for tasks. It makes my day.

However, I frequently open Things and notice it's easier to find notes, or any content for that matter. And, upon opening it, I notice how beautiful it is! The design, the colors, the ease of use.

How can I forget about Things? I've uninstalled it a couple of times not caring about my $$$ investment only to reinstall it. Am I destined to live a dramatic love story with my two favorite apps? Am I a man-whore for sharing my love between two? Am I the Sam Malone of electronic GTD? Why can't I commit?

Suggestions are welcome. Please say something that will make me define once and for all!
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandgrounder View Post
the interesting point being the use of the iPad app on the desktop.
I believe the reason so many people prefer the iPad interface right now is simply because it's the most recently designed interface and therefore picks up lessons learned from the other two.

The iPhone interface will never be spectacular because the size of the device greatly limits the functionality. It will always be about as good as it is now, which is quite good IMO for what it does.

The desktop interface is several years old and largely the same as it was at version 1.0. It has a lot of quirks which I personally don't like because it's inconsistent with most of my Mac apps (such as the mouseover stuff, entering edit mode on a single click, and delete moving from field to field). It borrowed heavily from the already existing OmniOutliner for its initial design which was probably good for expediency. However, we know that Omni Group has been working on version 2 for some time now and I'm guessing it's going to include a lot of UI changes based on what they've learned over the past few years including what they've learned from the iPad. Even though I still struggle somewhat with OmniFocus I'm still excited to see what they come up with for version 2. Until then, I don't think an OF Lite is even worth considering.
 
I have not really used OF for Mac ever since I got OF for iPad. Put an iPad together with a bluetooth keyboard and it makes a pretty good replacement for the desktop version.

I peek at Things every now and then but I just can't bring myself to going there. I know Things is a good choice for those who don't want to stick to the GTD metaphor. Maybe an OF lite would be good for that. But there are other capable task list managers like Things that can do that for you.

I know that there is a real problem in the GTD world where people spend so much time tinkering with their GTD setup and researching new task management systems that they really don't get anything done!

So I've quit flip-flopping between Things an OF, hunkered down, and really spent some time watching some OF screencasts to figure it out. The time I invested in watching the screencasts really paid off. I no longer have to worry about switching so much.

But I can understand how some people will feel like they get more done in Things than in OF.

If there was a better way to "import" a Things database file, it would make life easier for those that do flip between the two programs.
 
 


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