14 DAY TRIAL // How about remembering everything you have to do? Sounds impossible? Not at all, with a little technology help and a little software, you will be able to remember all the little stuff. Whenever I sit in front of the computer I become detached from the surrounding world and I usually forget I have something in the sandwich-maker or in the microwave. It is useless to describe in words the feeling when eating microwaved soup that has gotten cold. Or the ashes in the sandwich maker.
But now I have an ally. And it is not the lecithin or some other kind of memory pills, because they are useless. My memory fades away only when I am in front of the computer. So I searched the Internet for a tool designed to alert me at a certain time and display a message with the task. What do you know, the Internet is crawling with such softwares, but none of them is as pretty and reliable as Task List. Well, I realize my exaggeration, but this is the only one I really liked.
The software is developed by Desklabs, and the version is 1.0. This task remembering software comes with a price, I realize that most of you suddenly don't like the application too much. And the cost for your remembering stuff is $9.99.
The interface of the software is almost inexistent. All it consists of are taskbars, depending on the number of tasks you have to remember. The main taskbar menus are Add Task, Priority High, Priority Low, Print and Help.
Right clicking on the application task bar will result in displaying a drop-down menu containing the following options: Unlock (the program's task bar will move only in this mode), Zero All (choosing this option will delete all the tasks), Minimize, Start with Windows and Exit.
Let's say you want to add a task and you want to be audio alerted at a certain hour and minute, and on a certain day of the calendar. All you have to do is click that plus icon (Add Task) in the main taskbar of the application and a menu making available all the above mentioned options. Here you get to set the priority for the task, which can be either High or Low.
The first thing that you notice when opening the task dialog is the text window. You can fill it up without making any settings (alarm, time, day or sound on/off) and click OK. The software will accept the task and this will be displayed for as long as you want.
Once you enable the alarm, then it is absolutely necessary to set a time and a day. The user can choose between sound on or off. Choosing Sound On will result in a little ringing when the specified alarm time comes. If you give up the sound, the software will visually alert you by displaying itself on top of all the applications you have opened at that time and by making the task window tremble.
Next to the Use Alarm check box there is the current computer time displayed. The user can also specify a certain day of the week, month and year. If you have any questions whatsoever (I can't imagine what the user could possibly be troubled by with this software) you can access the online Help file by clicking on the question mark under the task text window.
The difference between the priorities is that, when choosing the high one, the little "led" of the task bar will change its color from green to red. So, green for Low priority task and red for High priority task.
The Good
The tasks can be re-edited by simply double-clicking the task bar. Deleting a task is easy, all you have to do is close it.
What I particularly liked about this software is that it keeps on ringing or trembling until you close the task bar. Thus it makes sure that you have noticed it.
The priority swap is also easy to do, as it is enough to press the little up and down arrows in the main application taskbar. The software is small and does not take much of your desktop space.
The Bad
Maybe I am a "scrooge", but I think the software is a little more than I can afford to pay. I have seen softwares that did the same thing and they were freeware.
I wish I had the option of changing the alarm sound.
The Truth
I cannot imagine myself paying for such a program. To be frank, EssentialPIM is a much more complex software that includes the functions of TaskList and is also free of charge. On the other hand, the application is small and extremely easy to use and it will not disturb you with anything than the alarm set by yourself.
The interface of the software is indeed to be appreciated as the gradient used in that little taskbar is quite pleasant.
Maybe the software will grow up with the future versions.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
