Product Review: Things by Cultured Code

Are you looking for a product that will revolutionize the way you organize your day?  Who isn’t?  If you don’t have one already, you should be working with a “to-do” list every day.  To-do lists help even the busiest people keep things in order so that they are able to accomplish their tasks throughout the day.  The to-do list allows you to put everything you need to accomplish down on paper so that it can get done.  Things by Cultured Code brings the pen and paper to-do list into the 21st Century.

What I like best about things is how intuitive it is to use.  Click “New” to add a new task, and there are four things to fill out to add your task.

First, name your task.  Second, create a tag for your task—a category if you will.  You can sort by tags, so if you have a project like “New Website” you can add all of the tasks associated with creating a new website, and check them off as you complete them.  Want to know what is left to do on your project?  Across the top of the screen is a list of all your tags, and clicking on the tab tells you what’s left to do!  The third thing you can enter are notes.  This is where you can write anything you need to know about completing your task.  If you’re adding a task to attend an important meeting, you can add all of the details you need to attend.  The final thing you can add is a due date.  This is where Things shines.  You can add a due date and Things will automatically bring up the task in your “Today” section for the day you need to work on your task.  So if you want to contact someone a month from now, select the due date, and you’ll be reminded when it comes up.

Once you have created your Task, you have some ways you can organize them.  First, things that are due today, or are overdue, will be shown in the “Today” window.  The “Next” shows you what’s up next.  If you haven’t picked a due date, items will be shown in the “Next” category.  The “Scheduled” category shows you items you have set up as repeating, or are scheduled for a later date.  My favorite category is “Someday”  This is great if you have tasks that don’t necessarily have a due date, and are really things that you plan to get to “someday” in the future.  So rather than having a due date that continuously tells you that the item is overdue, this allows you to keep track that you want to complete this task, but the timeframe is flexible.  Finally, there is the section for projects that you are completing.

When you have completed an item, you can mark it complete.  The finished task then goes into the logbook as a completed task.  This is great as the items are not deleted, and you can always go back in and recover any pertinent information you might need in the future.  They are removed from your to-do list, and you can feel the accomplishment.

Things also has a mobile companion application for the iPhone.  Not only is it a companion, it is a full version of the program right in the palm of your hand.  The iPhone version also sync’s with the retail version through your wi-fi connection.  So when your life is busy, and you’re on the go, you can always bring the “Things” you need to be organized on the road with you.

Things is available for the MAC operating system.  It retails for $49.95 at Apple.com, and on Cultured Code’s website- http://culturedcode.com/things/ If you are looking for one technology purchase to simplify and organize your life, Things does the little and big things well.