Thanks for an interesting and useful post. As somebody who is just using Windows MLO, I also feel frustrated at the lack of news about Version 4 (I would kill for the ability to open multiple windows on the same outline so I can drag and drop stuff from my inbox to my outline and <whisper> then there is the ‘calendar’ feature </whisper>
But, there are several factors which mean that I won’t be looking anywhere else: · I can see that having good versions for mobile platforms is essential to the long term survival of MLO · I am shortly going to take the plunge and get myself a smartphone (Samsung S3) so that I can start doing the sort of things that you are talking about below – which will be just great (and I suspect that once I get this, then I will want the same features there as I have in the Windows version). · I think Andrey covers an enormous amount of ground with the software he and his small team develop and its all high quality/robust stuff – and I wouldn’t want it any other way · I am confident that Andrey is listening even if he isn’t commenting Richard From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of CTenorman Sent: 07 July 2012 3:45 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [MLO] Re: MLO 4.0 Update I think we need to keep things in perspective here. First, there have been updates and lots of them - for the mobile platforms. And personally, I'm very glad that's where the latest updates have been landing. MLO is my LIFE organized, not just my work at my desk organized. Now, I've got 4 monitors and a monster desktop setup that I use extensively, so it's not as if I'm not someone who uses MLO for windows a lot - I am. But so much of what I do involves me doing other stuff in the world away from my desk. From remembering to ask my fiance about our dance routine for the wedding to ensuring that the boat gets an extra tie-down when I get to the cottage all let me relax and live in the moment. As David Allen would say, I can think about my stuff, not of it. I'm not sure what updates the iOS platform has been getting, but the Android app has been receiving a series of very nice upgrades over the last year or so that really significantly change the way I live, not just work. Yes, work is included there, but now I can bring the power of GTD and MLO into every corner of my life, wherever I need it most. Tomorrow morning I need to take the garbage to the dump before leaving so bears don't break into my cottage. Instead of throwing notes madly around my cabin and hoping I'll remember to do it, I pull out my phone, from the lock screen tap the MLO microphone widget, tell it to bring the garbage and then add a context of @CottageDeparture, all in about 6 or 7 seconds. I always check my context's Departure context when I leave, so I know I won't forget anything. And I did that on the dock. I can't put a price on peace of mind like that. And the entire architecture of a brilliant mobile app, totally reliable sync functionality, and a great desktop client make it all possible. Another example. I'm at the cottage and I want to do research for my Ph.D and and take care of a bunch of random tasks around the cottage. I look at all my active tasks and see the top Ph.D items I want to work on. I star them. Then in outline mode I go to the "Cottage tasks" folder. I then tap "zoom in" on that folder and flip to active tasks. The top tasks for the cottage, and nothing else, are sitting right there in computed order. I star the tasks I want to work on today (maybe that order isn't perfect, but it's more than good enough for me to pick extremely quickly from) and then head over to the star view. I flip on "move" mode and begin dragging the tasks around in the order I intend to do them in, throwing the Ph.D. research right in the middle for a change of pace. I tap done. And because of the fantastic MLO widgets for android and configurable lock screens, the second I turn on my phone the list of tasks I have to do that day is sitting there in the lock screen in perfect order. I can mark a task as done my just tapping on the check box right from the lock screen. And I can know with certainty that I'm doing exactly what I ought to do with no stress, no hassle. I'm doing, I'm not thinking about doing. MLO is really more of a system with various interface mechanisms. The interface mechanism when you're sitting at your desk is pretty potent. The potential in allowing access to that power literally anywhere is mind-blowing. MLO is getting updates. One particular interface mechanism, one which is pretty robust already, isn't getting updated at the moment. But if I had to choose where the development power was going, I'd MUCH rather it stay centred on bringing the power of the desktop platform to the mobile space until the two get closer to feature and user-performance parity. Would an update on the update be good? Absolutely! But as a person who's doing a degree on open community interaction, I know first hand how much energy and time can be spent in hanging around the forums. They are fantastically good and useful, and I love spending time here myself. But when you're a designer and builder, it can be a tricky thing to manage well. Now, there's a medium between the two, and more information would be a good thing, even if it was just a brief update. But I don't think Andrey's sitting up in the clouds throwing software down from on high. :) I genuinely think he cares deeply about his users, but he's probably deeply engaged or even obsessed with creating a brilliant new system and wants to stay in that mode. It takes an element of obsession and total commitment to create something as fantastically usable and rich as MLO. So many other systems look good and seem like they'll work, but when you push them hard when the pressure's on, they're not up to the task. MLO has all the right hooks and functionality to show that someone has tried living by the software and it works because they kept living by it and working on it until it finally worked to fit life. A bold vision and obsession means that in the middle there can be very little to report. If you're trying to work through some obscure display mechanism that no one else understands the importance of, you want to keep hammering away at it until you get it instead of trying to explain some obscure programming problem to people who wouldn't necessarily see how it fits into the big picture. So I think an update would be appropriate, but the very quality and genius of the software sometimes demands periods of deep silence and toil as a new work emerges. I'd love an update as well, but let's keep in mind that it's the brilliance of his creation that inspires such a passionate community. He's earned our trust for a while longer I think. :) On Friday, 6 July 2012 19:10:19 UTC-4, Greg.O wrote: +1 Is the development team really comfortable giving the impression they don't care about their user base? How long does it take to put together a quick update post? It almost feels like Andrey's attitude is something along the lines of "oh, keep talking little people.. you're stuck with my glorious software anyway..". Sad... On Friday, 6 July 2012 11:18:24 UTC+1, pottster wrote: This thread is now up to 337 views and is the most viewed thread in the history of this group. I would respectfully suggest that the need for an update is worth consideration. On Wednesday, 27 June 2012 13:44:05 UTC+1, pottster wrote: The fact that this thread has had 168 views (and counting) and is the most viewed non-pinned thread since the group was formed suggests there is a lot of expectation out there. Whilst there is, quite rightly, a lot of goodwill and respect for Andrey, it's not a static marketplace and it would be a tragedy if people started looking elsewhere for solutions for the want of a short update. As England fans have been saying since they went out of the Euros 2012, the disappointment I can live with it's the hope that kills me. On Wednesday, 27 June 2012 10:45:21 UTC+1, robisme wrote: It's been over 7 months that this version was announced, creating a lot of expectation on the part of customers we all are. It's REALLY time to communicate at least some major features they are working on. That way, I could continue using MLO knowing that the next version will allow me some features I need, instead of looking for another tool that already has this features ... Le jeudi 21 juin 2012 15:48:38 UTC+2, Dwight Arthur a écrit : A small software shop like MLO has to face, daily, the fact that there are many important and worthwhile things that will not get done because resources are needed elsewhere. A huge shop can hire a marketing team to orchestrate and execute a series of briefings, leaks, and disclosures that keep everyone excited and engaged until the product finally reaches market. If MLO were to devote someone to that, it would probably involve some reduced effort going into preparing the next version, which would either come out later, or with fewer features. I think I would like MLO to spend a little more time on disclosing product roadmaps and schedules, but Andrey makes that choice and I will trust him to get it right. If MLO becomes like Blackberry and just abandons its customers, I’ll move on, but I don’t see that happening. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MyLifeOrganized" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/mylifeorganized/-/M36p43DYxxYJ. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/mylifeorganized?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MyLifeOrganized" group. 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