The folks at Vito Technology have created Task2Gather, a free web service for online task management. In tradition with their many Windows Mobile apps, it has clean interface and you're Getting Things Done:
You've probably seen a lot of similar websites, all claiming to simplify managing your tasks, todos, projects, deadlines, etc. In addition to the very nice Task2Gather website, Vito has released a client for Windows Mobile and iPhone. Let's have a look at the Windows Mobile version:
As you can see in the screenshots, the client software for Task2Gather has the typical Vito blue/gray interface. It is designed to be operated by touch, you'll probably never need your stylus. The interface uses little animation effects without killing productivity.
So, what do you see when you open Task2Gather on your device? As soon as you log in, you get all the information you've already entered in the website. Since the client app gets all data from the internet, everything you enter is always synchronized.
All major functionality from the website is available on your mobile device: you can create and edit new projects, tasks and subtasks, assign them a color status, enter some comments and add a deadline (due date). You can even add an estimated duration for this (sub)task and then track time progress. Tasks will show the accumulation of time of the subtasks they contain.
The power of Task2Gather comes from the ability to share and discuss projects and tasks with your friends or your team members. Vito used this internall for their software teams: a shared list of bugs and defects is kept up to date by all the members, ticking off whatever bug is fixed (see screenshots).
Another example, you can create a shopping list that you share with your partner. Every time you or your partner adds something to the list, you know that you can go shopping with the most up-to-date list. Every item you buy in the shop can then be easily marked complete and your list stays current for the next shopping trip.
Below every task or subtask is a history of changes, showing exactly who changed what on (with date/time). To discuss tasks with team members, you can use the Comment field: every time you enter a new text, it'll appear in the history list:
So it looks like a real productivity booster, especially since you can use the website in your office and your mobile phone on the go, no matter if it's a Palm Treo Pro, another Windows Mobile Professional device, or even a iPhone/iPod.
Contrary to the Task2Gather website, the client software is not free. However, Vito Technology has made it very affordable though, just 5$ for a solid working productivity app.
There are a few things I would like to see improved in the next version:
- local storage of the data on your device, essentially an offline mode
- indication of amount of data transmitted/received
- black touch interface like their other Windows Mobile apps
- more configuration options
- an Minimize/Close button
- possibility to send a task or project by email
- same functionality as the iPhone client
- a free trial mode (at least on my device I did not see this)
Also, a little problem I found on the Palm Treo Pro (not tested on other devices): when you click the logout button, you just get a black screen. You're not returning to your Today-screen. Pressing the red hangup button solves this, but keep in mind that the app stays in memory. You'll need to close it with the task manager.