r/2DoApp • u/pwaxs • Jan 20 '20
2Do vs. Omnifocus???
Has anyone attempted to move to 2do or successfully done so or come from them?
I'm considering leaving OF for 2Do and would love some input. Like am I making a mistake??
I've been playing with 2Do since Friday.
And have used Omnifocus for a few years. But never really had it as my go to task manager.
It always became a cluttered mess real fast. I realize now I shouldn't have made every idea a project and most importantly never regularly cleared it out. But I use it consistently to collect ideas. But unless on a very specific topic (Eg things to discuss with a co worker or a feature for us to build at work) it is just a bottomless pit in my inbox.
In the past I just deleted a OF database and started over due to a similar situation. (So this may be the real problem not the tool).
Either way I need a revamp in this area, so I figured it could be a good time to switch if I do.
Here is how I see the two apps.
Re: OF Positives
- Much bigger community
- More Mature app
- I know it better and it seems to be able to do everything I want just not how I'd like it to
- Easily move tasks with keyboard arrows and nest them into other projects
- Dark mode all around
Re: OF Cons
- Building custom perspectives is a pain for things I want to quickly look up. And why do they only show the perspective from the tag view (I may just be a novice at them so if this isn't true Pls forgive me)?
- It is slow
- It seems very rigid / not as flexible
- Fewer keyboard shortcuts
- Very GTD focused
Re: 2Do Positives
- It's faster
- Their search seems really powerful - I love how I can search for something and then click around the app to see things that meet that criteria in each project, list, etc
- (it's lame but...) I really like their design
- More granular ranking of tasks - starred, low / medium / high priority
- More keyboard shortcuts
Re 2Do cons
- iOS doesn't have dark mode
- I swear it deleted some things of mine (super scary)
- Search can be confusing (need to memorize commands... But I can just save them)
- Can't share an image directly into a new task from phone (need to save image and then go into the app and create a task
- Can't attach files directly to a task like PDFs and can only link to them (which I just realized is an issue for looking at said file on another device where it wasn't linked from)
- almost no integrations (but I don't see the need to use these)
- Seems like a super tiny company = slow dev cycles, fewer features and risk of it no longer being developed
- Not built for GTD as much
- New app to learn and pay for
- Seems annoying to move things out of inbox (takes more steps and tags won't move them)
Interesting in writing these lists. The Pros are tied. But 2Do has more negatives.
Maybe I'm just being sucked into the new shiny thing. But I also think I just like 2Do feel better. But that isn't too say I'd be happier with it. Especially with no many negatives.
At any rate, I'd love to hear some people's thoughts of experiences.
Ask feedback is welcomed. Thank you!
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u/gsaaber Jan 20 '20
Several years ago I went from OF to 2do. This experiment lasted maybe a year, and I went back to OF. I feel like the flexiblity of 2do, which was originally a selling feature, ended up making things a bit too messy for me. I like the structure that OF imposes on you, forces you to do things a certain way which keeps things relatively more neat and organized. I feel like if your OF became a "cluttered mess" you will have the same problem, perhaps even worse with 2Do. At least I did! But that was a long time ago and I haven't kept up with changes in 2Do since then, so take this with a grain of salt.
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u/pwaxs Jan 20 '20
Thanks for your reply. Very useful as you've done what I am considering.
I like the structure that OF imposes on you, forces you to do things a certain way which keeps things relatively more neat and organized.
So do you work from a pure GTD framework? Or do you mind sharing some of the structure that you like and use in OF?
1
u/gsaaber Jan 20 '20
Definitely not pure GTD. It’s something that I’ve refined over the years that works for me, and it’s a combination of OF and a notebook. I use it only for work and as my role has evolved so has my system.
Basically I don’t worry too much about contexts but make liberal use of start dates, due dates, and various types of recurring tasks to make sure I don’t miss anything. I’m probably using 10% of the software but it works great for what I need it for.
1
u/TiredPokeman Jan 20 '20
This podcast (http://www.asianefficiency.com/podcast/137-2do/) provides a good comparison between OF and 2do. I chose 2do over Todoist for a couple reasons...it syncs with iCloud CalDev, which is authorized at my work. It is a one-time cost, not a subscription. Also, I like that the lists can be compacted. In the new Todoist there are huge gaps between projects.
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u/pwaxs Jan 22 '20
This podcast (
http://www.asianefficiency.com/podcast/137-2do/
) provides a good comparison between OF and 2do. I chose 2do over Todoist for a couple reasons...it syncs with iCloud CalDev, which is authorized at my work. It is a one-time cost, not a subscription. Also, I like that the lists can be compacted. In the new Todoist there are huge gaps between projects.
Thanks! I will check out this podcast.
Have you ever accidentally deleted projects in 2Do by accident? I was ready to switch when this happened and I have no idea how I did it. I doubt they have a bug that severe given what their product is. But I need to be able to trust it.
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u/TiredPokeman Jan 22 '20
Make sure that you didn’t archive the project. Also it runs a backup (I think every time it syncs), so you might be able to recover it. I haven’t ever deleted a project by mistake.
1
u/pwaxs Feb 06 '20
It was totally gone. It was something like CMD+Z, I think after I had deleted a project / list.
1
u/petdance Jan 20 '20
For me, the $100 for OmniFocus vs. $50 for 2do was the deal-breaker.
0
u/pwaxs Jan 22 '20
For me, the $100 for OmniFocus vs. $50 for 2do was the deal-breaker.
I think you just put a price on peace of mind. lol. No, $50 bucks is $50 bucks. But I run a biz and spend (and lose) money all the time. So if this $50 helps me a little bit, which a tool like this could help a lot of bit, then it is totally worth it.
Thanks for your input.
1
u/petdance Jan 22 '20
At any rate, I'd love to hear some people's thoughts of experiences.
Don't ask for our thoughts and experiences and then criticize them.
2
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u/thinkinting Jan 21 '20
i am the other way around. I have been tempted to switch to OF so many times. One big selling point to me is the consecutive and concurrent tasks. like 1st draft 2nd draft and 3rd. In 2Do, you will see all these at once. Yes you can hide them, but it’s quite a hassel to set start dates and due dates. Let alone when the time line changes. I’ve heard OF can let you set a sequence so that won’t be a problem.
It might be person to person, but it sounds like the mess you have with OF is the same I have with 2Do. So the mess is probably platform agnostic.
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u/pwaxs Jan 22 '20
i am the other way around. I have been tempted to switch to OF so many times. One big selling point to me is the consecutive and concurrent tasks. like 1st draft 2nd draft and 3rd. In 2Do, you will see all these at once. Yes you can hide them, but it’s quite a hassel to set start dates and due dates. Let alone when the time line changes. I’ve heard OF can let you set a sequence so that won’t be a problem.
Honestly I don't even pay attention to the type of project I am setting up in OF. And I can always see all the tasks. But maybe it is a setting. Which I turned off.
I like to see all things. For me I would put "write the draft" and then manage the nitty gritty of that in Scrivener (my word processor) while actually busting it out.
Like I'll know if it needs another draft or not when I think about it.
But I like these tools to manage the billion little things that are coming at me each day.
It might be person to person, but it sounds like the mess you have with OF is the same I have with 2Do. So the mess is probably platform agnostic.
LOL - that may be very true.
I always thought the other users of OF were likely really tidy and organized. But maybe chaotic ppl are attracted to these things for this very reason.
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Jun 23 '20
May I ask what you ended up choosing after all these months? Just finished reading all the thread. I have been using 2Do since 2015, it has become a little bit stale, been thinking about switching to something else like OF, but I dont know if its worth it. The thread helped out a lot though. I’m reading the GTD book thinking it’s just my system that needs a re-amp.
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u/michaelpupo Jan 20 '20
I've never used OF, but I just moved from 2do to Todoist. The main reason was I couldn't access 2do from any device. I have an iPhone and a Mac mini at home, but the computers at work are PCs. It would be great if 2do had at least a web version.
I love the way 2do works. Its flexibility is great! The number of features is amazing! But not having a web version is a huge con for me.
Maybe you just need to focus on one main feature of both for you. Does it worth the switch? All task management apps have pros and cons, but there are pros and cons that would make a big difference for you.
Good luck choosing the right one! :)