(Archived) Feature Request: Comprehensive Task- / Todo Management

[radi8 1]

I like Evernote much but do also use Springpad because I need the Task Manager / ToDo Manager functionality with due dates and reminders.

Springpads is not perfect because of the lack of OCR.

Evernote needs the Task Manager functionality in order to be a valid alternative for me (at least as long as I pay for the account). :shock:

[megsaint 441]

I believe that Evernote has stated that, other than enabling a Due Date field, they are not planning on adding any additional task management features as they don't see that as the purpose of Evernote. If I understand correctly, the vision of Evernote is as a rapidly accessible repository for information, an external memory, if you will. A search of these forums will, no doubt, turn up a number of other threads debating this view.

Best of luck.

[Metrodon 2,162]

Megsaint is correct - based on what Evernote have said in public, a Due Date field that is coming 'soon' is the only To Do feature that they are going to add. This should open the door for 3rd party developers to build apps that are more To Do focused.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

Megsaint is correct. Per Dave Engberg, CTO of Evernote:

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=16130#p64175

[moodwrench 3]

Although probably not what your looking for, I wrote a script the other day that imports my tasks from Evernote into Remember the Milk (http://www.rememberthemilk.com). Remember the milk has a feature called smart add: http://www.rememberthemilk.com/services/smartadd/. I haven't played with it, but it should let you set due dates in the name of the task within Evernote then have the alerts in RTM. You can then have the RTM android widget remind you (or something like that). Just note:

1- This script uses my task list dashboard generator http://forum.evernote.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=26844 to get its data, so you would need to have that running as well

2- I built it on linux.. but just like the generator script, there is nothing linux specific and there should be no reason with a little tinkering you could not get it to run on windows within Cygwin or something, but I don't have Windows to test.

3- Its a one way sync.. Evernote to RTM.. not the other way around. No editing the tasks in RTM, only display.

4- Ive put less then 2 hours of work into this (mostly because I could not sleep), so don't expect too much.

If there is any interest in this, I would be happy to clean it up a little and post it to the forum some time next week. Let me know.

-J

[radi8 1]

I think that it is odd to integrate a due date but refuse task management features.

This is a wishy washy policy which has no real direction and for me the combination of notes, bookmarks and task management is what I want.

Spingpad has it but Springpad is missing the OCR feature - It will be interesting who will make it for me Evernote (where I'm at this moment are a paying user), Springpad (which does a lot right but runs in second around half a point behind for me) or a new third appp...

[radi8 1]

Although probably not what your looking for, I wrote a script

Thank you - but you are right - its not what I'm looking for - I want the combined Bookmark, Note Taking and Task Manager Tool. 8)

[Metrodon 2,162]

I think that it is odd to integrate a due date but refuse task management features.

This is a wishy washy policy which has no real direction and for me the combination of notes, bookmarks and task management is what I want.

Spingpad has it but Springpad is missing the OCR feature - It will be interesting who will make it for me Evernote (where I'm at this moment are a paying user), Springpad (which does a lot right but runs in second around half a point behind for me) or a new third appp...

It's far from 'wishy washy' - they have been very clear indeed.

Evernote is not and doesn't want to be a ToDo app, seems like a real direction to me.

I'm guessing the addition of Reminders to iOS5 (and I'm guessing all other operating systems in the not too distant future) that this makes even more sense.

[jbenson2 2,138]

It's far from 'wishy washy' - they have been very clear indeed.

Yes, Evernote has been very clear on this issue.

Year after year they repeat the same comment over and over. They are very consistent in saying that sometime in the future they definitely plan to offer the Due Date column. I'm confident you will see this comment repeated in this forum again later this year.

[jefito 5,586]

One aspect of this is that for at least some of us there is an existing "Subject" date field that will eventually, I'm guessing, morph into the proposed "Due Date" (or maybe keep the same name); as far as I know, this is the intended extra extra date field that can be used for due dates or whatever else the user wants to use it for. Right now there is no way to change it in the UI, though I can add it to the viewed columns in the Note list in the Windows 4 client and display any that have values.

[qot 23]

Remember The Milk is planning on doing Evernote integration, so maybe there's your answer. http://www.rememberthemilk.com/forums/ideas/5887/

I personally am very happy that Evernote is not going down the task management path, I'd prefer them to continue focusing on being the best information repository. There are hundreds of task management apps, Evernote doesn't need to be another one.

[jbenson2 2,138]

Remember The Milk is planning on doing Evernote integration, so maybe there's your answer. http://www.rememberthemilk.com/forums/ideas/5887/

Similar to Evernote's previous comments on a Due Date column, the R.T.M. suggestion is 2.5 years old.

R.T.M. and all other 3rd party developers are effectively blocked from any Evernote ToDo link until the Due Date column is enabled.

[Metrodon 2,162]

I'm guessing that given the amount of new features that have been released lately and are currently in either beta or RC format, and that Due Date is not included on this list that it is not seen by Evernote as being particularly important (added to fact that they have been promising it 'soon' for quite a while...).

Still something they want to do, but not something they are rushing towards.

[jbenson2 2,138]

This year, Evernote came through with "note links"; won a "webby"; released "peek"; and the awesome "snippets". So there is still hope for the Due Date column. I believe the Due Date column will be released sometime this year.

The two most visible proponents of the Due Date column were the Evernote CTO Dave Engberg and CEO Phil Libin.

Unfortunately, both of them have taken a far less visible position in the forum recently. With 10+ million users, they are probably busy with more important tasks, like delegating and hiring an employee (to take over what they used to do on the forum) and like McDuck sitting in the vault counting and recounting the gold.

[Metrodon 2,162]

This year, Evernote came through with "note links"; won a "webby"; released "peek"; and the awesome "snippets". So there is still hope for the Due Date column. I believe the Due Date column will be released sometime this year.

I certainly hope so.