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DESCRIPTION
Things is task management solution that helps to organize your tasks in an elegant and intuitive way. Things combines powerful features with simplicity through the use of tags and its intelligent filter bar. A Leopard style source list allows for quick and easy focusing. Together with a beautiful user interface, Things aims at the seemingly impossible: making task management both easy and fun.
Our screencast is a great introduction. Learn from our users why Things is different ? either on i use this or Newsvine.
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The big picture. A Leopard style source list lets you easily focus without ever switching view modes or wrapping your head around filter criteria.
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A magical tag bar automatically appears when needed and adapts to the currently displayed list. It lets you drill down even the longest list of To-Dos. Hierarchical tags? We got you covered!
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Teamwork. Things offers convenient collaboration features. Easily delegate tasks to members of your team. (This is work in progress.)
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No columns! Whether it's multiple tags, dates or notes, To-Do items display their information on an as needed basis. No more space wasted by empty or irrelevant column cells!
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Out of your head, out of your way. A quick entry HUD lets you enter any idea the moment it hits you. Never let the thought of an unfinished business distract you again.
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Yours forever. We won't lock you in. Things will use an open XML file format to store your data. (Not yet activated.)
- Things even supports GTD, so if you're familiar and comfortable with GTD concepts, you'll feel right at home.
WHAT'S NEW
Version 1.1.3: - Added Japanese localization
- Fixed an issue with repeating to-dos where repeating dates were calculated incorrectly when specifying, ”Repeat yearly every 2nd Sunday in May“, etc.
- Fixed problem that in some rare situations could result in repeating task templates to loose their repeating status and show a due date of 4000 or 4001.
- Email links in project notes are now saved.
- Fixed an issue where dragging a to-do from the Next list was not possible when view was filtered by due date.
- Due items now remain in the Today list if you detach their project from an area.
- Fixed an issue in the Quick Entry dialog where values entered in “Show in Today” were not saved.
- Regression in Quick Entry dialog. Added button (again) to select tags from drop-down list.
- Project notes are now included in the print view.
- Fixed an issue where the menu item “Move to Next” was not disabled for repeating to-dos.
- AppleScript. Fixed a bug where Things crashes when in edit mode while launching an AppleScript.
- Fixed an issue where area and project headers would show up multiple times in the Next list.
- Preferences. The hotkey option for the Quick Entry dialog is now disabled when unchecked.
- Fixed crash when syncing after deleting the library on the Mac (only when tags in areas were present on the iPhone).
- Help Book. Updated index and keyboard shortcuts.
- AppleScript. Fixed an issue where “delete every area” did not delete the last area.
REQUIREMENTS
Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later.
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| Things User Reviews (56 posts) | Write A Review |
 | May 25 2009 |
SOULBARN I don't quite get all the four and five star reviews. Things is really good. It might be the best complex, GTD-oriented task manager out there. But that's because most of them are awful. Yes, the Things creators have done their homework and are on the way to something great. But they aren't there yet. They aren't even close. The software has plenty of unimplemented features - I won't go into all of them, because even the rave reviews mention them. For my purposes, the worst among them is machine-to-machine sync. Essential for power users who carry more than once machine. (And if that's not available, then iPhone sync - and not the kludgy iPhone wifi sync. It needs to be seamless, as it is with other iPhone task managers.) (I'm revealing my biases here - a genuine five-star task manager MUST, in my view, be universally available; that means on my iPhone and at least on my travel and home machines. I believe this is a reasonable expectation, both because it is fairly standard in the category's feature set, and because the Things folks have more or less said so.) Right now, the best alternatives are a Remember The Milk or ToodleDo account, plus the ToDo, RTM, or ToodleDo native iPhone app. Neither RTM nor ToodleDo are as pretty or intuitive as Things, but both offer extraordinary feature sets, including RSS feeds, text message reminders, Google gadgets, and open APIs that may (for many users) compensate for the lack of beauty in the interface, since the feature sets - especially with ToodleDo, which allows folder-based project management - are pretty close (too bad that ToodleDo is shamefully ugly.) ToodleDo's iPhone app is $3.95, and it works quite well; ToDo is $9.95, the same as the Things app, and it syncs with both RTM or ToodleDo, or via Wifi with your desktop. I'm not saying that these are necessarily better than Things in all ways - but I do assert that they're more mature, and that it is Things' lack of maturity that is the reason it does not yet merit the accolades it is being given, and that merits a "buyer beware" at this point. I'd add that at the price for Things and the iPhone app, the bar is set very, very high. I'm not saying the product is too expensive - in fact, I'm all in favor of charging as much as the market will bear. But I believe that there's a disconnect between what people think they're getting and what they actually are. I'm also dismayed that Things recently removed their user forums from their website; again, at the price, offering such an area for comments and help - even if critical - seems near-obligatory, and it makes me suspicious. I like Things. A lot. It has the potential to be the best task manager available. But it has yet to live up to that potential, and with so many missing features at the premium we're being asked to pay, I can't possibly see it as anything more than a three-star app. Those fourth and fifth stars need to be -earned-, not offered for future promises and potential, which Things may or may not - and I hope it does - deliver. I urge anyone considering buying this to give the demo a hard, hard look.
(Version 1.1.2) | |
| [ 3 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
 | Jun 30 2009 |
JAZZADDICT Good review. I have to agree with everything said. I actually gave a 4 or 5 star review back in beta (because I thought they were doing great), but I haven't been impressed with how the app has matured; including the iPhone App which I think is mediocre. There is still no good Mac GTD software in my opinion. I use toodledo and 'Todo' for the iPhone. The tandem is quite impressive. I want there to be a great desktop GTD app. I would love to be using some of the features of Things like the tag implementation and what not. But to much functionality is missing for me. For instance, last I checked there wasn't a way to promote a task to a project. This annoys me. It means I have to copy and paste into and re-enter all the meta-data. If someone knows how to do this let me know. :-) Anyway I hope this App improves. The interface is very nice.
(Version 1.1.2) | |
| Jul 1 2009 |
SLEAV I'll second both the review and the other comment about it... I like Things. I wanted to LOVE things. But I can't. Things has amazing potential, but the overview for me is it isn't there yet. I bought all the apps, and now have it shelved until it's truly cloud-capable. Trying to do mac-to-mac syncs results in crazy-making duplicates - I've tried several ways to solve this. And I'll also concur about the desolate state of GTD implementation on Mac. This just simply amazes me. And hey - nevermind GTD! Let's say you just want a really good, reliable to-do list that'll sync across several Macs and iPhone or cellphone - you're flat out of luck. I know - I have them all. RemembertheMilk, ToodleDo, ToDo, ToDo's, iCal+Apple Mail (whose bright idea was that - putting tasks in with the mail?). Heck, I'd settle for the functionality that came with my old Palm. At this point, I've settled into OmniFocus - which cost a boodle to do both the Mac version and the iPhone as well - but it's the best (so far) at solving the problem for me. Steep learning curve, and it's like using a steam roller to make pie crust, but at least it works.
(Version 1.1.3) | |
| Jul 1 2009 |
BENR I agree with all the above. I bought the Desktop app as soon as it left Beta – with the promise of multiple Mac sync hanging in the air – and the iPhone app as soon as it was available. Half-a-year later and still no sync, which really makes it a non-starter for me. Like the other commenters, I really hope they make good on their early promise (and promises), but the disappearing forum makes me somewhat nervous...
(Version 1.1.3) | |
| May 12 2009 |
MARUKO DRINKING TEAM Putting your database on a network volume does not work. It *almost* works. It sorta kinda works--except when it doesn't. It will work if you have rigorous self-discipline and a perfect memory and never accidentally have Things open on two different Macs at the same time (like, going to work with Things open in the background on your home Mac). This is because each copy will periodically save the database and the other copy/copies won't see the changes. Info can get lost. The only fix is for the Things guys to implement real MobileMe (or equivalent) sync support. Luckily, that is their number one priority, according to their user forum. I personally can't wait. This app looks great. So now it's a race: will Things get sync working as well as OmniFocus, or will OmniFocus get as pretty as Things?
(Version 1.1.2) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Jul 2 2009 |
XPLICIT I hope The Hit List makes it, OmniFocus is too complicated.
(Version 1.1.3) | |
| May 12 2009 |
ADAM PETTIT Things is an excellent task management application for Mac and iPhone. It has a very refined interfaced that is easily to learn. The organization of tasks is very intuitive. The development company, Cultured Code does an excellent job of pushing new updates. There are very little bugs with this app. Out of all of the task managers I have seen, this is definitely at the top of the list. The iPhone app is also very good. There are several things I would like to see: • Complete sharing of tasks between "teammates" (although this feature is advertised, it is not currently fully functional) • Syncing between multiple Macs (the database is store in ~/Library/Application Support/Cultured Code/Things/) I have tested mapping a second computer to the tasks database (by holding down option upon startup and selecting the network Library of the tasks database). There seem to be no problems with this route. May 12, 2009
(Version 1.1.2) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 12 2009 |
MARUKO DRINKING TEAM Wow, the recent reviews here are much harsher and different from those elsewhere on the internet tubes... My main comment is that it is practically heartbreaking that Things got sync so wrong. OmniFocus, which I own on Mac and Phone, got it right. Things looks and feels way better, though, and I sure wanted to try it. But they just got the sync fundamentally wrong, and sync is more important for this type of app that just about any other. Syncing only over WiFi, and only when you manually do it, and only between one Mac and your phone is just not correct. With OmniFocus, as with apps like Address Book and iCal, you might enter a task at home, complete a few out with your phone, and enter/complete some others at work, whatever... all the devices see all the changes. That's how you do sync. (Of course, with the option to use your own WebDAV server so you don't have to pay for MobileMe if you don't want to.) Things looks awesome as an app, but is primitive like a Palm Pilot when it comes to sync. I really hope they fix this, as I look forward to trying it.
(Version 1.1.2) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 11 2009 |
JAN13 I have purchased version for iPhone 3g not knowing that i have spend another $50.00 ... Regardless, that this software is grossly overpriced, it is also very HARD to USE ! Confusing interface which make files complete mess.
(Version 1.1.2) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 11 2009 |
KAIDOH On the three last postings: The rating function of this site should be used to rate products not companies. While the support of a company IS an important part of a review the rating system should not be abused to punish a company for something you dislike. Your points may be valid and of interest for others but posting a comment would have been a fairer way of expressing your points. The Things forum became a shoutbox for trolls whining about the absence of their beloved can't-live-without-feature xy on every corner. While it was totally unwise to hide the forums away, by reading these "reviews" the measure seems comprehensive. Please keep the discussion on topic at least at this place
(Version 1.1.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 10 2009 |
MSWFUJOWDFFYC Note: This, and the other review by MSWFUJOWDFFYC are written by TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. I guess we're just using the same BugMeNot login? Cultured Code's supposed "Community Forums" have become a totally hostile environment where almost every thread is either locked or deleted by the moderator (travisll) based simply on whether he thinks the discussion is "on-topic" enough. And complaining about how bad the forums are or offering suggestions on how to improve them? Forget about it -- that's "off-topic" and will get you deleted. On top of that, you'll never find this out because CC deleted the link to their own forums, presumably to hide the fact that their customer/community support has gone in the toilet. You have to Google "Things Forum" to find them. Not only are they not trying to nurture a community around their product -- they're going out of their way to destory it. Things _was_ good once, but a company that craps on its most passionate users so badly is to be avoided.
(Version 1.1.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 10 2009 |
MSWFUJOWDFFYC Nice look, nice feel, but extremely slow development and developers don't care about/respond to requests of (registered) users. Very annoying after charging that kind of money. To keep an eye on, but currently not recommended. Google for the Things user forums if you want to know more (the developers decided to take the official link down after critical voices were gaining momentum in their forums).
(Version 1.1.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 9 2009 |
PROSPERO After months of waiting for signifiacant improvements I finally gave up and throwed the towel. Things on the surface looks really good but when I compare it to OF I must say that it´s only eyecandy. I would have given Cultured Code the time to improve their product if they would have communicated to their customers. Instead of this there was a big silence from their side on their so called support (!!!) forum. Now they have killed the forums on their site in total. This is more than I can stand. I am (was) their customer and I want to have bit more of respect *after* they got my money. Thank you Cultured Code for showing me the difference between a customer driven ethics and yours ... NEVER AGAIN!!!
(Version 1.1.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 7 2009 |
MJKPHOTO I was having trouble with a "manually updated" version of another Mac developer's software. During our email exchange the developer asked me what version I was running. When I told him, he responded with this: "Unfortunately, MacUpdate seems to scour the net and post any new version they find of any software without ever checking with developers. This means that they end up posting beta software and even pre-release software as if it were the official version." I had a version that he hadn't released yet. I reinstalled the previous "official" version. Since then, I never update manually if the developer's site or software doesn't show the updated version.
(Version 1.1.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
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