What's a good desktop project/to-do manager?

8

I'm looking for a Windows desktop application with the following features:

  • Under active development
  • Definitely a desktop application. I don't want a web-based solution such as Remember The Milk etc.
  • Primarily meant to handle projects and to-do's, so it's closer to MS Project than MS Outlook
  • Tasks can be divided into sub-tasks so as to provide a hierarchial view of a task
  • If a task is assigned a date (+ time), it should show up in the Calendar
  • Also includes a Calendar and Contacts; Second best is a way to sync with Outlook or Google so that all items in Calendar and Contacts (and possibly, projects as well) should somehow end up synced on a BlackBerry
  • Fast, easy-to-use interface (à la EccoPro)

If you've researched this type of applications recently, what did you end up using?

Thank you for any recommendation.

OverTheRainbow

Posted 2010-02-16T11:04:31.413

Reputation: 5 153

Question was closed 2012-07-12T19:06:53.523

Answers

3

I haven't searched for exactly the same thing as you, but I did recently look for a new to-do/calendar app. After testing half a dozen programs out, I chose EssentialPIM, and can report that it meets most of your requirements.

  • Yes: it is a living project.
  • Yes: it is a desktop app.
  • Maybe: I've never used MS Project or other project software, but there are to-dos.
  • Sort of: tasks can't be divided into sub-tasks, but you can make notes hierarchically.
  • Yes: tasks with time/date are displayed on the calendar page.
  • Yes: calendar and contacts features are both present.
  • Yes: I found the interface to be completely intuitive.

If EssentialPIM doesn't work for you, well, most of the other apps I tried out are listed at this SU question. Hopefully one of them fits your needs better.

Pops

Posted 2010-02-16T11:04:31.413

Reputation: 7 353

EssentialPIM is the desktop to-do app that I see most people refer to. In my case, the fact that it looks identical to Outlook is a complete turn-off, but I'm far too picky about looks. – Will Eddins – 2010-02-16T20:03:00.087

Thanks for the tip. At this point, it seems like the good solutions are: TodoList, MyLifeOrganized, and EssentialPIM. However, I don't know if they can sync with a BlackBerry (at least, with Calendar for date-related items), either directly or through Outlook – OverTheRainbow – 2010-02-17T10:57:52.227

@overtherainbow: I have no experience with BlackBerry products either. But EssentialPIM's website states that it provides "Synchronization with Outlook, Windows Mobile devices, Palm..." and "quick export of your data into the most useful formats (iCal, vCard, HTML)" on its main page. – Pops – 2010-02-17T15:07:06.117

Yes, it looks like EssentialPIM is the closest solution, although it currently requires Outlook to sync Schedule/Contacts with a BlackBerry, and I find its To-Do not as good as Ecco, ToDoList, or MyLifeOrganized. – OverTheRainbow – 2010-02-18T11:38:06.400