Things for iOS Now Free as Apple's Featured 'Free App of the Week'

Thanks for the suggestions of 2Do on here. I must have bought it a while ago as I just had to download it but this latest version is so much more powerful than Things, although the Dropbox sync can be slow and there's no Windows client as yet (for either).

I can't decide between 2DO and Wunderlist. I much prefer the more powerful features in 2Do but then the comments and sharing features of Wunderlist are excellent.

Menopause said:

It took them 2 years to update their damn app for iOS 7 / 8.

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Given that iOS 7 was released on September 18, 2013, did I miss a year or something?

MalcolmJID said:

Thanks for the suggestions of 2Do on here. I must have bought it a while ago as I just had to download it but this latest version is so much more powerful than Things, although the Dropbox sync can be slow and there's no Windows client as yet (for either).

I can't decide between 2DO and Wunderlist. I much prefer the more powerful features in 2Do but then the comments and sharing features of Wunderlist are excellent.

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2Do's Dropbox sync should work quicker and automatically after the first sync.

2do app and sync to Reminders app

I'm also quite interested in the 2do app. I'd like to use it with syncing to the Reminders app enabled so that I can use Siri to create reminders. If enabled, will this duplicate my reminders and I will get notifications from both 2do and the Reminders app? That would be quite annoying. Do I need to manage both?

I actually like the way Things is handling that. I can use Siri to add a reminder but then Things will also show it in the inbox (GTD approach) and I can import it from there, which will remove it from the Reminders app, thus avoiding duplicates. But since Things insist on its own "Cloud" thing, I don't want to use it.

I'm actually just looking at the prices of some of the Mac counterpart apps of some other 'todo' products, and they are absolutely extortionate!

OmniFocus 2 - £27.99
2Do - £27.99
Things - £24.49 currently
Firetask - £27.99

How do these apps justify these prices? This is even before £20+ for iPad apps and £10+ for iPhone apps.

Even Clear is £6.99 on Mac whilst offering less functionality than the free Wunderlist. How do people justify spending so much money?

MalcolmJID said:

I'm actually just looking at the prices of some of the Mac counterpart apps of some other 'todo' products, and they are absolutely extortionate!

OmniFocus 2 - £27.99
2Do - £27.99
Things - £24.49 currently
Firetask - £27.99

How do these apps justify these prices? This is even before £20+ for iPad apps and £10+ for iPhone apps.

Even Clear is £6.99 on Mac whilst offering less functionality than the free Wunderlist. How do people justify spending so much money?

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I've paid much more for PC games, back in the day when I was a gamer. These prices seem cheap to me.

MalcolmJID said:

How do these apps justify these prices?

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lol because they're marketed to super business-types who buy time management books and click links about that G Mail secret you'll kick yourself for not using

Great back in the day (i.e. 3-4 years ago).

Now it's useless, outdated and massively overpriced (before the offer).

Wunderlist is so much better and offers great collaboration features.

Tough to say ...

I just downloaded this on my iPhone to take a look. After reading their getting started guide, I can see how the app could be really useful for some people. But it's one of these programs that requires a real commitment. Essentially, you've got to create a new habit of inputting every single thought you have about something new you'd like to do or should do, followed by regularly taking out time to organize those thoughts in the software into proper categories.

If you're disciplined enough to use it constantly? Then yeah, I can see why you'd pay the money for it. (EG. You shell out the $10 for it on the iPhone and start using it, but quickly realize you need access to all of this data, and ability to immediately input more, even while you're at your desktop Mac. So then the $50 is cost-justified, because it's a small price to pay to keep your life this organized.)

The problem I have with it is that it competes with a lot of other apps out there for my time and energy. For example, I used to use Evernote to keep track of my random notes and thoughts. It didn't really have the ability to pop up reminders based on deadlines - but it still worked well as a place to store and organize a collection of info, and cost nothing to see it in multiple places (Mac vs. iOS devices vs. Windows PC).

People using Apple's own Reminders app can do *some* of this, too, without spending a dime. It just won't allow data input in the same organizational system they came up with for "Things".

taxiapple said:

Dang, that was expensive before, $10 for phone, $20 for iPad and $50 for desktop.
(still will cost $35 for desktop)

Is it really that good?

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Yes

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I got both iOS apps, and the Mac app on sale. Really like them. I like the idea of having a Today list that is only what's due today, but also what you want to get done today. I like how projects can be hidden once they are completed. I like the Widget on Mac and looking forward to it on iOS.

I think it's a good deal, considering how the iPhone app costs $9.99, iPad $19.99 and Mac $50 ($80 total), and you get all three for $35. Great deal. Anyone else really like this app?

Menopause said:

Things is App of the Week? Apple please.

Cultured Code is the laziest bunch of developers I've ever seen. It took them 2 years to update their damn app for iOS 7 / 8. Refused to provide ETA for anything upcoming and asked people to "use whatever suits them" when they complained about having paid premium cash for their suit (in other words: "F.O. and don't bother us.") Their apps are half baked at best and made only with compromises. A to-do app that doesn't even have time based reminders! LMFAO, no, thank you.

I used Things for a long time before shifting to OmniFocus. Although OF was somewhat complicated to begin with, I never had to look back again.

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Sounds like Tapbots. Lagging behind so far with Tweetbot 3.0 for iPad. Only saying it's "coming soon" or "being worked on." Then they start talking about updated their other apps which haven't seen the light of day for at least a year! I would switch to a different Twitter app, but Tweetbot is still the best Twitter app for iOS, IMO.

beanbaguk said:

Great back in the day (i.e. 3-4 years ago).

Now it's useless, outdated and massively overpriced (before the offer).

Wunderlist is so much better and offers great collaboration features.

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Wunderlist costs $50 a year for those features and they nag you constantly to rate it. Asana is a nice cross platform alternative and take it a step further with planning plug ins like Instagantt

sflomenb said:

I got both iOS apps, and the Mac app on sale. Really like them. I like the idea of having a Today list that is only what's due today, but also what you want to get done today. I like how projects can be hidden once they are completed. I like the Widget on Mac and looking forward to it on iOS.

I think it's a good deal, considering how the iPhone app costs $9.99, iPad $19.99 and Mac $50 ($80 total), and you get all three for $35. Great deal. Anyone else really like this app?

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I was using Apple Reminders to implement GTD but its not the best way to do it, so I decided to try out the iOS apps once they became free. So far so good so I just bought the discounted Mac version, too. How are you using the "areas" feature?

DaveTheRave said:

I was using Apple Reminders to implement GTD but its not the best way to do it, so I decided to try out the iOS apps once they became free. So far so good so I just bought the discounted Mac version, too. How are you using the "areas" feature?

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Maybe not the correct way but I group my customers as an 'Area' and then their individual projects under that. Another tip, avoid assigning due dates to tasks and just use the 'Scheduled' and 'Today' features.

DaveTheRave said:

I was using Apple Reminders to implement GTD but its not the best way to do it, so I decided to try out the iOS apps once they became free. So far so good so I just bought the discounted Mac version, too. How are you using the "areas" feature?

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I'm a college student. Made one area called "College" for my college work and another called "Career" for stuff regarding job applications.

sflomenb said:

I'm a college student. Made one area called "College" for my college work and another called "Career" for stuff regarding job applications.

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I see. I'm a former Blue Hen, too. Are you adding Projects into Areas? My projects are separate, so far using Area for only simple lists: grocery list, gift idea list, etc.

DaveTheRave said:

I see. I'm a former Blue Hen, too. Are you adding Projects into Areas? My projects are separate, so far using Area for only simple lists: grocery list, gift idea list, etc.

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Wow, small world!

Yeah, actually I have put my projects into Areas of Responsibility. Currently have two projects, one for a paper and another for a job application. Have them each in their respective Areas.

Ok. I just noticed that on iOS you can't do much Area management other than create/delete. I think the Mac version has more features.

DaveTheRave said:

Ok. I just noticed that on iOS you can't do much Area management other than create/delete. I think the Mac version has more features.

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I have both, what are you referring to? I might be missing something.

sflomenb said:

I have both, what are you referring to? I might be missing something.

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I created an Area called "Gift List". Its a simple list and is synced across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. On the Mac, under File/Manage Areas of Responsibility, I can Suspend an Area to make it temporarily hidden. I don't have that option in iOS.

Seeing "2Do" reminded me of a very old app call TODO (by Labgency). It created graphic screens that displayed items by size (larger is more important and urgent) and color. It was really cool for just sorting and prioritizing things.

It went poof three or four years ago but I still have it on my iPad.

FWIW
DLM

MalcolmJID said:

I'm actually just looking at the prices of some of the Mac counterpart apps of some other 'todo' products, and they are absolutely extortionate!

OmniFocus 2 - £27.99
2Do - £27.99
Things - £24.49 currently
Firetask - £27.99

How do these apps justify these prices? This is even before £20+ for iPad apps and £10+ for iPhone apps.

Even Clear is £6.99 on Mac whilst offering less functionality than the free Wunderlist. How do people justify spending so much money?

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Enhancing productivity is probably very valuable to people.

It doesn't have to be expensive though:
Todoist: free for both Mac & iOS (and other platforms)
an in app premium upgrade is available, but even without it it can do more than most of those expensive apps.

I absolutely love the Todoist feature that you can share lists (projects) with others and they can install the free app and join. (Wunderlist has that too)

Todoist compared to Wunderlist:
- Todoist lets you assign unlimited tasks in the free version, Wunderlist 25 per list
- Todoist doesn't allow you to add files / set reminders / add comments in the free version, Wunderlist does
- Todoist premium costs about half of Wunderlist premium

cheers

rvinny said:

Wunderlist costs $50 a year for those features and they nag you constantly to rate it. Asana is a nice cross platform alternative and take it a step further with planning plug ins like Instagantt

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My partner and I use Wunderlist for shopping lists and todo lists around the house. Neither of us pay for it and it works just fine.

I've also never received a nagging notice to rate it.

Sygic on the other hand is a pain in the ********** arse when it comes to pushing you to rate it. Once my traffic subscription ends, I plan to dump it in exchange for TomTom. Their original app was fantastic and worked brilliant. Their new app is a pile of crap and you have to pay extra for every feature even though you had all the features included in the original version. Pile of crap.

ValSalva said:

I prefer OmniFocus but this is much simpler and easier to recommend for 'normals'

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Same here. I can see maybe using Things to collect reference material or some kind of secondary stuff that isn't OmniFocus-worthy?

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MalcolmJID said:

I'm actually just looking at the prices of some of the Mac counterpart apps of some other 'todo' products, and they are absolutely extortionate!

OmniFocus 2 - £27.99
2Do - £27.99
Things - £24.49 currently
Firetask - £27.99

How do these apps justify these prices? This is even before £20+ for iPad apps and £10+ for iPhone apps.

Even Clear is £6.99 on Mac whilst offering less functionality than the free Wunderlist. How do people justify spending so much money?

Click to expand...

Can't speak for the others, but I use OmniFocus multiple times a day, 365 days a year and it tracks absolutely every project I am working on. If a 99¢ or free app floats your boat, more power to you, but I think the quality of the product, reliability of the sync service and helpfulness of the support humans (yes, humans who answer your emails promptly), more than justifies the price. And for the record I paid an *additional* $60 or so for the desktop version. Again, I expect to use the whole package for several years before another paid update, so that's not very much money.

If you're after a "to do list", then you probably don't need all this. They're a dime a dozen and frankly the Reminders app in iOS/OS X is quite capable and syncs beautifully. But if you're running a GTD system you probably need more, and probably aren't afraid to pay for it.