*Still* Best of the Bunch (and I’ve tested many)

**Thoughts on 2do on the Apple Watch added at the bottom!**

Over the years, I’ve tried too many productivity apps like 2do:
• The Hit List – MIA for years, still first version with really only bug fixes since 2012
• Things – no subtasks, no location-based tasks, odd information hierarchy presentation
• OmniFocus – OVER PRICE, overly complicated, iPhone app takes too many taps to get to a list of items that are both due and overdue
• Wunderlist – list folders don’t actually show task and notes are not visible in task
• Todo Cloud – inconsistent experience between devices, opens separate window for notes
• and other that have since disappeared from existence

All of them left me feeling like I was settling for an “OK” version of what I wanted—a solid task management application that I could use (primarily) on my desktop, with a solid iPhone counterpart to allow me to act on items. Even those that had both didn’t integrate with each other seamlessly, and that was incredibly frustrating.

Any time I settled on one, I always felt like I still wanted to try others, constantly looking for a better experience.

Don’t get me wrong, for a while there, 2do was powerful but not consistent between devices either. However, with 2do 3.0 for iOS and 2do 1.5 for OS X, it changed everything. And with the 2.0 upgrade to OS X, it’s was virtually perfect, and only getting better since:
• a “Today” list with due and overdue tasks
• solid subtask support
• lists and list groups that show you its full contents by clicking on it
• notes visible in the list view
• a calendar onto which you drag/drop tasks to create due dates
• a consistent experience between ALL of their apps
• solid and speedy sync though Dropbox
• and much more

After a number of years I finally don’t feel like I need to search for a better product. And I am strangely relieved by that. :)

UPDATE (2015-12): I just got the Apple Watch for Christmas and was eager to see how certain apps would translate to the smaller screen—2do being one of them.

While the smaller display can feel limiting at first, I had to remind myself that the watch is not a replacement device for my iPhone and its apps, but a companion device. And with that in mind, the 2do app on the Apple Watch is pretty great. I can quickly peek at “Today’s” tasks, scheduled tasks, starred tasks and a custom list you can add through the iOS app—I chose the “Inbox” list to see newly added tasks.

The only real thing keeping me from completely enjoying 2do on the Apple Watch was not being able to add tasks/reminders using Siri. Thankfully, this was merely a known limitation when syncing through Dropbox and was easily remedied by syncing through CalDAV instead, using your iCloud username and password. Now, I can lift my wrist, ask Siri to remind me of a specific task at a specific time, and it automatically gets added to 2do. LOVE IT!

stephenesc about 2Do, v2.1