July 24th, 2024

Things 3, Maybe the Pinnacle in App Design

I've tried a variety of task manager apps over the years: Omnifocus, 2Do, Evernote, Apple Reminders, Remember the Milk, ToodleDo, Wunderlist/Microsoft To Do, Google Tasks. I've also tried managing things personally and professionally without a task manager and just trying really hard to remember everything, LOL. Sob.

I spent the most time and money on Omnifocus. Not only did I purchase the Mac, iPad and iOS versions, I also bought books, online courses and training videos. I was managing the computer networks and workstation inventory of five large high schools with multiple work orders per site along with outsourced repairs, AV equipment, supporting the cafeteria POS systems and the front office student information system. My point is my job generated a lot of work for me to keep track of. Unfortunately, Omnifocus was not the right tool. It was too rigid, too technical and just too, too much.

I retired from public education in 2020 and now work in a low stress environment at a private university smaller than some of the high schools I used to manage. I'm not in charge of anything, I just provide end user support. It is glorious. I use Things 3 as a task manager these days. I have it on my personal Mac, my work machine, my iPhone and my iPad. Things 3 is a two-time Apple design award winner. One of the best parts about using a Mac is visually appealing, well-designed software. Reviews for Things 3 are universally positive from respected tech outlets like Mac Stories, The Verge, Wirecutter, The Sweet Setup, Wired, iMore, The Brooks Review and the App Store Editor's Choice.

Things 3 does everything I need:

Import from Apple Reminders where I use voice commands and Siri to create to dos,
Let me create areas of responsibility (e.g., work home, errands)
Extensive tagging of tasks and projects
Different dates for starting and completing tasks
Repeating Tasks
Workday/Evening tasks for the same day
Easy to view upcoming tasks
Integration with other productivity apps like Obsidian, Drafts, Raycast and Shortcuts
Keyboard driven
Easy to use quick find function
Private cloud syncing

There are three areas to consider about Things 3 that don't cause big smiley faces:

It does not have location-based reminders via geofencing
It has not had a major version update in several years
Each app must be bought separately per OS: macOS- $49.99. iPadOS - $19.99, iOS.Apple Watch - $9.99

And, of course, there is that one guy on Reddit who really doesn't like it. There is a whole community there of folks devoted to it.

But, the Reddit guy is easy to ignore. The lack of geofencing is bothersome but there are work arounds. The product has had numerous incremental upgrades and is in a mature design stage. As far as the cost, well, it is on par with other professional level apps. Omnifocus Pro is $149.99 to cover every platform.

If you want to use technology to manage your life's task and you want to use one of the best designed Mac programs in existence, get Things 3.