Filed under: Macworld, Software, iPhone
Macworld Expo: Big things for Things
It was a heck of a coming-out party for Cultured Code's Things, the task organizer and GTD platform for Mac and iPhone. With a passel of awards for the product (including a Macworld Best in Show) and a shipping 1.0 version of the desktop app, the CC gang had plenty to celebrate.I stopped by the Cultured Code booth for a chat with Michael Simmons and a look at some of the late-breaking features in the desktop release. I don't have the evolved and tweaked GTD workflow that some of my colleagues bring to bear, but I can say that Things is one of the few task managers I've found myself "moving into" naturally and easily, and I'm still using it after a couple of months. Now, if it only synchronized with my favorite cloud-side task manager ... but hopefully that's just around the corner.
Owners of the iPhone version of Things should check the new "gear" icon for a 20% discount off the US$49.95 cost of Things for Mac, good through 1/15/09.
Video in the 2nd half of the post.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Joid said 7:00PM on 1-13-2009
I totally agree; Things is the perfect GTD for the rest of us. I can truly say that it made my life a lot more organized.
The flawless sync with the Mac is also great. And that made me convinced that I had to buy the desktop app as well.
BTW there is a little bit hidden "Go to the Education Store" link on the bottom of the store page. And as a student or teacher you even get a bigger discount then the 20%!
Reply
darthfera said 7:03PM on 1-13-2009
It's not that I'm a hater, because I love Things for my iPhone syncing with my v0.9 desktop client. But does anyone else think that $50 is a ridiculous amount of money to pay for this?
And I already know I can get a 20% discount, but even still- $25 and I'd buy this no problem, but no more than that- I'll stay with my slightly gimped beta version.
Reply
Odineye said 7:14PM on 1-13-2009
Well... No
I don't think that $50 is a ridiculous amount of money for this app. It does a very nice job of organizing what you have to do, syncs and coordinates both with the iPhone and iCal, and does so more or less flawlessly.
It's a mistake, IMHO, to presume that people should just *give* you things at a low price. to put together what the Cultured Code folks have done here - a straightforward, simple to use app that will help keep your life organized - is a deceptively complicated thing to do. It's worth what they are asking.
And frankly, it's quite consistent with why I use Macs - I want the thing to work, work well, and work for a long time. That's why I use them, and why I'm willing to pay for them.
donnacha said 8:23PM on 1-13-2009
@darthfera
Your plan to keep using your beta version may be complicated by the fact that all Things betas expire tomorrow, the same day that the 20% discount expires.
Personally, I think the $39 would be worth IF it had proper syncing, but that will only arrive later this quarter, see my post further down, and by then they will be asking for the full $49.
Big John said 9:48PM on 1-13-2009
It's obscenely expensive, especially with the charge for the iPhone version. $60 for a task solution? Pass.
macfan777 said 7:46PM on 1-13-2009
I've been using Things for Mac for 3 days now, and it's definitely my top app for when I go to college in the Fall. It just makes organizing tasks so easy. I've used iGTD2 and a slew of other task managers, but none work as easy as Things. Definitely a must-have.
Reply
Joe said 8:02PM on 1-13-2009
Things is swell, but it's all about syncing for me. The way it syncs over wi-fi is not a great solution. Once they develop a truly wireless sync I'll go back to it, but until then it's Remember the Milk for me. (which pales as far as interface goes, but have the live sync!)
Quine said 7:56PM on 1-13-2009
I know a lot of people really like things, but it seems to be missing a lot of features I use regularly, hence why I use omnifocus still. For example, setting start times in the quick entry, estimated time an action will take, perspectives, and I'm not sure how good its sync is but omnifocus' is amazing (it can merge multiple databases that are out of sync based on when the task was last edited in each, automatically) for someone who has 2 computers and an iPod all synced together.
Reply
Oomu said 7:59PM on 1-13-2009
I do think it's a fine price.
Reply
Oomu said 8:00PM on 1-13-2009
the point is : things is a lot simpler than omnifocus. it's why I use it. I did not want many features who complicates my life.
for sync, I would like it uses mobileme
Reply
Carlos Fonseca said 8:03PM on 1-13-2009
I tryed Things today but I couldn't make it to work the way I wanted it... maybe it's just me. It seemed nice at the beggining but then I accidentaly converted a tast to a project and I couldn't reverse it, had to remove it and create another. Then I wanted to add a task to a project but I wanted it to go to the "someday"-like folder, not sure the name, but keeping the association to the project... Found no way to do it because it just kept moving it... I got frustrated and I trashed the app. I'm trying The Hit List and I think it's nice. Not perfect, but is still in beta, and has some nice features like outlining and keyboard voodoo and smart folders... Maybe I can use one of this apps for real this time...
Reply
donnacha said 8:17PM on 1-13-2009
WARNING: no WebDav or MobileMe syncing yet. They have promised that it will appear this quarter but it is important people understand that, because their grand launch was tied to Macworld, booked months ahead, they had to launch without this important feature.
Things is a good app but having to remember to open Things on your iPhone while within wifi range of your desktop Things is not proper syncing; it is too easy to forget, resulting in a system you cannot trust. Having a trustable system is one of the core tenants of GTD.
Cultured Code are creating the perfect storm for themselves by using this 20% code to rush users into a purchase tomorrow, before the product is actually ready. They should be honest that they miscalculated and extend the 20% discount until people have had at least 2 weeks to asses Things with proper syncing.
I understand that Mac media outlets such as TUAW have to keep tight with the development community but turning a blind eye to a pretty major omission is only going to hurt Cultured Code in the long-run.
Reply
Michael Rose said 10:11PM on 1-13-2009
Also, for what it's worth, Macworld's best in show isn't an "easy get." No matter what you think of our coverage of Things or the holes in its feature set, you don't win BIS just for showing up.
Adam Schoales said 8:20PM on 1-13-2009
My personal favourite of all the GTD systems out there. I tried OmniFocus many times, and just couldn't get into it because it was too gosh darned complicated.
Things is perfect for an unorganized student like me, and the iPhone app is the singularly greatest to-do list for the iPhone that I've found. Totally worth the $9.99 price tag.
Sadly, I cannot afford to buy the desktop Things app even WITH the discount (after the canadian exchange rate it's still quite pricey, especially for a student with a $40 a week budget) but it was great while it lasted.
Highly, HIGHLY recommend this app!
Reply
reclark said 8:40PM on 1-13-2009
I preferred my half-baked solution and decided to take another look at this when it matures a bit. Seemed to be weak in areas.
Reply
Big John said 9:54PM on 1-13-2009
No thanks. The iPhone version is leagues behind the desktop app, which isn't exactly stellar, see Carlos Fonseca's comment earlier for the little things that don't quite make sense. I use Remember the Milk (rmilk.com) now with the iPhone app and while it does cost $25/year, works much better for me out of the box.
Reply
paul said 11:09PM on 1-13-2009
You don't need to own the iPhone version to get the discount on the desktop app. Simply enter the coupon code, "thingspresale20", on the website and you'll get 20% off. It expires Jan. 15th.
On the subject of price, Omnifocus (biggest Things competitor) is $79.95, and their iPhone app is $19.99. I personally think Things is better, and it's still cheaper even at full price.
Reply
alnyden said 11:37PM on 1-13-2009
$50? Way too much.
Personally, I recommend Toodledo. It's an online application, and as a result, not as pretty. But it's FREE, and has a ton of features. The iphone Toodledo application is only $3.95, works great, and syncs flawlessly. Not to mention, the sync is automatic. You do not have to be on the same network to sync. This is huge! Total cost for both applications with mobile-me type sync capabilities: $3.95.
Reply
dolce said 2:09AM on 1-14-2009
I'm using Things for half a year. The time before I used OmniFocus and RTM. Things is more easier, less waisting time to order you tasks, best iCal integration and I love the implementation of tags. I like it beause the software has a reduced feature set. The only actual negative point is that I often forget to sync the iPhone app. It should be integrated with in the standard sync.
Reply
Kuba Bogaczewicz said 7:06AM on 1-14-2009
The price is fair in my opinion, yet I will not buy it just yet. Two days ago I started testing The Hit List, and for now there is at least tie if not a slight advantage for THL. But on the other hand THL is more expensive when is comes out of beta - something like $69 if I remember correctly :(
Reply