Can Getting Things Done Be Too Easy On A Mac?

As long time Mac users, we love those indispensable little Mac utilities that become a daily part of the digital life.

After all, we use our Macs to get things done, to manage tasks and projects, and to communicate with the rest of the world.

Regardless of the number of software applications and utilities on your Mac, it’s getting things done that counts. From email, to browsing, to music, to photos, to documents, to work, Getting Things Done is the name of the game.

Is there ever a time when a Mac utility designed to help us do more, actually leaves us wanting more? Yes.

One of Mac360’s all time favorite utilities is iGTD, which may be the single best productivity bargain available on a Mac. Follow the GTD, Getting Things Done method, and you’ll be more efficient, more productive, much happier, and have whiter teeth, a bigger smile, and an improved vocabulary.

It isn’t just a matter of tracking all the things we have to do each day. It’s often a matter of figuring out when to do what, and in what order, right? That’s where the GTD method, and iGTD the free utility, excel.

Is there ever a time when a Mac utility designed to help us do more, actually leaves us wanting more? Yes, but I’m repeating myself. It’s not iGTD. Another of Mac360’s highly recommended utilities to help you track what you do on your Mac is the highly acclaimed Mori, formerly of Hog Bay Software, but sold to Apokalypse Software. Uh oh. I hate it when that happens.

Without having to worry about Mori, Jesse Gosjean, the developer at Hog Bay Software was free to develop something else for beloved Mac users. The end result, or, rather, the beginning result is a new and nifty Mac tool called TaskPaper.

As you might suspect with the word task in the name, TaskPaper is a tool to help you get organized on your Mac-- a digital To-Do List that is actually simple to use. So simple you want to use it right away. So simple you want it to do more than it does right away.

What TaskPaper does is what you expect. List projects, lists tasks and assign them to projects, check them off when they’re done. TaskPaper is typical Hog Bay-- simple, straightforward, effective, and lacking in the GTD methodology because the all-important ”context” is not present. TaskPaper lists projects and tasks. That’s good for To-Do, but only a subset of GTD.

The first thing Wil and I thought of when trying out TaskPaper was, ”Hey, this is cool. Simple. Elegant. Easy to use.” Then, after less than half an hour, we thought, ”Hey, this would be perfect on the iPhone? Is there anything on the iPhone that does this?” The answer to that is an unqualified “no.”

That’s where TaskPaper would really shine; as a synchronized tool between Mac and iPod and Mac and iPhone. As a standalone tool for managing a bunch of disparate personal projects, TaskPaper shines because there’s no learning curve. There’s also not much in the way of features, but then, features increase learning curve, right?

Jesse’s TaskPaper does well what it does. The free download trial will get you started. The $18.95 introductory price tag seems a bit much when compared to the capabilities of iGTD, which is free. But iGTD requires learning and discipline, whereas, TaskPaper does not. If you’ve ever made a list of projects and tasks on a piece of paper, then you can use TaskPaper and save yourself the pencil and paper.

Hog Bay Software has a proven history of developing attractive, useful Mac utilities, and we expect TaskPaper will gain features over time. For now, it’s worth a try but don’t expect TaskPaper to do more than list your projects and tasks.

Check out the daily list of our 9 Word mini-Reviews at NoodleMac, and Kate's daily in-depth Mac software reviews at PixoBebo.

Off Topic #23 - Mac OS X Leopard is now at version 10.5.2 which we’re proclaiming the best yet, though we expect version 10.5.3 soon. If you haven’t upgraded yet, don’t forget that Leopard is on sale at the Mac360 Store, and so are the latest Leopard books. If you plan to order Leopard or a Leopard tips book from Amazon, please consider using the Mac360 Store to place your order (it’s really Amazon). Click Here to look at the latest Leopard books.

Off Topic #58 - Do politicians use personal computers? Of course. We’ve heard Barack Obama prefers a Mac, while Hillary Clinton uses a Dell, though, apparently neither of the candidates can bowl. Does Obama’s potential vice president use a Mac? Even Clinton acknowledges Apple’s brand power but says she can’t afford a Mac. Maybe she’d win if she used a Mac.