Mac 101: Instantly create todos in Mail.app

Have you ever been reading an email in Leopard's Mail.app and thought, "Oh, I need to remember that"? If you can right click, then you can remember anything, quickly and easily, using Todos. When you come across something in an email you want to remember, first highlight the text.

Next, right-click on it and select "New Todo." The current message window will then show a notepad-style view of the selected text. From there, you can change the due date and priority. Finally, assign that todo to the iCal calendar of your choice by clicking the orange arrow/circle beside the item.

Mail displays Todos in the sidebar. To see your tasks in iCal, select "Show To Do List" from the "View" menu.

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Have you ever been reading an email in Leopard's Mail.app and thought, "Oh, I need to remember that"? If you can right click, then you can...

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I'm having trouble getting the to do list I have on my macbook (in mail) to show up in MobileMe. My notes show up, but not the to do list. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

December 17 2008 at 2:24 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Gar

Living with ToDos 'with' my iPhone.
Right next to the 'New ToDo' option for the highlighted text in Mail is the Copy option.
I use the "Remember the Moof" widget (grab it from Apple's site in the Downloads - Widgets area - allows viewing, editing, and adding items) connected to my free RememberTheMilk.com account (well, actually I have upgraded to a pro account, but this still works with the free acct).
On my iPhone I keep my ToDo items synced up (view, edit, add, delete) with Appigo's 'Todo' app.. I preferred the options it had available over RememberTheMilks own iPhone app, but those are quite usable. Appigo's will set you back a couple bucks while RTM is free.
It is also handy using this option since I sync several of my ToDo lists with my wifes notebook and iPhone.

November 22 2008 at 1:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jash Sayani

Nice one.... I have a habit of maintaining and following TODOs.... Just one thing.. Is there a way to Sync the Mail.app ToDo list with RTM (RememberTheMilk)...?

Pls let me know if I can do it. Or if theres a plug-in. It would be the best thing ever...

Thanks.

November 22 2008 at 10:39 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Russ Jones

but whats dumb is that todos never disappear ... even after you check them as completed ... there they are ..... pollution all around.

November 21 2008 at 5:46 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Russ Jones's comment

Maxintech

In iCal Advanced Options you may check "Delete To Do Items XX days after they are completed". Default value for XX is 30 days and this option isn't checked after a fresh installation.

BTW... I prefer write TODO or TO DO with all letters in uppercase.

November 22 2008 at 11:24 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

domino

Seems like it should be such a short step to have To-do's like this an option in Notes on iPhone and sync even. I have a half dozen more complicated apps that try to do this and too much more when all I need is a simple checklist and ability to sync it.

November 21 2008 at 11:28 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Raul Riera

Everything or Everyone, yes.. why?

November 21 2008 at 10:58 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Raul Riera's comment

ThreeBKK

It seems to me that either "To Do" or "To-Do" would be a much better choice of writing style. "Todos" introduces an element of confusion. Maybe it's only an issue for folks who are native Spanish speakers, or for those who have studied Spanish in the past. At the very least, I think following the same spelling found in Mail.app would be more appropriate.

Sorry if I'm splitting hairs.

November 22 2008 at 1:44 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ThreeBKK

Â¿Doesn't "todos" mean "everything" in the Spanish language?

November 21 2008 at 10:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to ThreeBKK's comment

dandaman

sÃ, "todos" is "all" or "everything"
I feel writing it "to-do's" is clearer, even though it isn't entirely grammatically correct.

December 29 2008 at 1:29 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply