Multiple selection and changes of tasks
There are numerous aspects and techniques that are unique to the desktop such as making multiple selections and changes, duplications of projects, folders, and multiple selected items, and the general capacity to make adjustments to large swaths of projects and tasks.
For example, let us say there is a group of 10 tasks sitting in an Online context. Later, it becomes apparent that they would all fit better on a Laptop context.
On the desktop, one selects all the tasks, control-clicks, and chooses Laptop. All tasks would be changed. Meanwhile, the iPad and iPhone versions would require individual adjustments to each task.
Time, flag, repeat, etc. types of adjustments would involve the same difference of individual adjustment vs group adjustments. Being able to select multiple tasks also allows for rapid sub-grouping on the desktop whereas the iPad or iPhone requires a repeated move of each individual task into a parent task.
Multiple Windows
The desktop can have any number of windows open at once. As noted in Part 2, the ability to use multiple windows may be a detriment for some users’ workflows. Personally, however, I find it can be very beneficial for several situations such as comparing projects, moving misplaced tasks, using an adjustment project to modify another, having a central branching projects, among other uses. There are times where multiple windows are handy and times when a single window focus is more useful.
Many techniques can only be done, or at least practically done, on the desktop version of the software. Setting conditional tasks, creating templates, creating if/then projects, among other methods of using the software are simply impossible or impractical to do without a mouse, keyboard, and access to multiple windows.
Processing Power
iPhone processing is slowest, followed by iPad, followed by the desktop. (Though the later versions of the iPhone may tie that of the iPad). At large project numbers, this can become a significant issue. Especially when the number of projects one has gets large, the desktop will likely beat the other clients in terms of speed in processing tasks and projects.
Filter settings
All clients offer some capacity for adjusting filter settings. The iPad’s settings are easily reached from the top right of the interface and offer Next Available, Available, Remaining, and All (which includes Remaining and Completed tasks). The iPhone similarly has Available, Remaining, and All, though these are more remotely located in the preferences area and are out of the way in the moments of work and function.
The desktop client includes the capacities to sort, group, and filter by way of all of the above and completed states, Flagged, Due, time estimated, Added, Changed, and nearly any combination thereof. They can be set differently for context or project views. These are readily used by way of the spectacles on the tool bar or Shift-Command-v. Filters, by offering an increased array of choices, provide both power and the associated learning curve to wield that power.
Combinations of Clients
As noted earlier, perspectives can be synced across clients. There are additional aspects of preference adjustment that can also be synced. Two examples are the “Show/Hide Parent Items in Context Mode” and the ability to toggle “Mark complete when completing last item” for either individual or all new groupings and projects. These are the sorts of items that can have a significant impact on one’s workflow once learned.
To Be Concluded …
In the last post, I’ll summarize the findings and maybe give suggestions as to who may benefit from one client versus another.
