Like many of you I’ve needed a Getting things done app for my iPhone which also needs to sync with my Macbook and until a few days ago I was left in the dark where I’d be constantly checking the App store and 43folders.com.
However I have found the holy grail EasyTask. EasyTask is available for both Mac (Leopard and Tiger) and also Windows (2000, XP and Vista). They currently have a trial going whereby you can use the product until there has been 20 tasks inputted, for a free trial head over to
Orionbelt.com - Download EasyTask Manager whereby it only costs $19.99 us to purchase.
Orionbelt has also ported an iPhone GTD app obviously called EasyTask, where it uses the same functionality as the Mac and Windows platform. This App is freely available from the iTunes store in the application section under the heading of productivity.
Now I haven’t tried this on my Windows computer, so I can only comment on the Mac version of Easytask. But to get a syncing GTD app on both your computer and iPhone, simply download and install both Easytask for your computer and iPhone.
Once installed, you will need to create an online user account which can be found at
EasyTask Manager Online -- Login.
After creating your user account, go into the iPhone EasyTask app and there should be a settings tab which has an option of ‘Online Sync’. Here you will need to put in your username (your email) and your password that you created on the website.
After doing so, go into your computers EasyTask application and in preferences there should also be an Online Sync tab, whereby you simply click on the table, make sure the ‘Enable Online Sync’ checkbox has been checked and put in the same details.
And voila, thats all you need to do to have a syncing iPhone and Computer GTD app.
To sync the two devices, after creating a new item in either your iPhone or Computer hit the ‘Online Sync’ button where you will obviously need to do it on your other device.
The only downside I have seen in this, is that it sometimes takes several seconds for the sync to occur and it may seem like its not doing anything.
Also, if you’re connected via 3G or Wifi, you will not need to physically connect your iPhone to your computer to update both devices. So if you were at work and put in ‘Send baby pictures to Dave’ on your iPhone, it would sync to your computer without the need to physically connect the device and would be there waiting for you when you got home!
I hope this helps some people in their search for a common GTD and I’m sure that if you had EasyTask on your iPhone, your mac at home and your work computer which runs Windows that they will all sync with no problems! (Although I haven’t tested this just yet)
Using EasyTask on your computer.
The EasyTask application on the Mac OS has a relatively straight forward GUI where the user can quickly create and see various items they need to do.
A user may have several projects running, whether it be uni subjects or business agendas you need to be reminded of. In these projects there can be several contexts, for instance, I’m currently doing a subject called ‘LWB137’, here I can break the project into several context's for different sections, whereby I can have ‘Assignments’ or ‘Tutorial Reminders’.
When adding a task, a pop up will occur whereby you can add the task name, when its due, which project it belongs to and various notes and links. What I’ve found extremely useful is the ability to put a recurrence on a task. For instance, I have to do weekly tutorial work, here I’ll create one task which tells me do such work whereby I want it to remind me on a weekly basis to do such a task where it can remind you via an alarm.
When displaying what you have due today, tomorrow or in the next seven days, EasyTask allows for a person to simply click on the various Categories which will show the user what they have due in that specific time frame.
Using Easy Task on your iPhone
The iPhone app essentially mirrors the computer application, whereby it shows you specific tasks you have to do this morning without having to go into a specific category.
Again, creating a task is straight forward and simplicity where there is a button on the top right hand corner. Here this creation of a task has the same features you would find in the computer version.
What I love about these two apps is the syncing ability whereby I can be away from my Macbook yet with the ability to still add an item to the list which will sync to my account so when I come home there is no need for me to connect my iPhone to my computer and to have both devices synced is one button click away.
Furthermore, the simplistic interface and easy to add do items only adds to the overall reason why this is such a great application set to use.
The only criticism I have is that the syncing may seem like its not working or that I didn’t quite hit the button. However, it may require another tap on the iPhone or just to give it a few added seconds to allow for it to occur.
