One of the great things about using a Mac is that I can use the best software out there, regardless of which platform it is used for. After all, sometimes Windows software just does the best. Other times, the best option is only on the Mac. One of the things I went looking for when I switched over to OS X was a decent todo list manager. After all, I have a lot going on at any one time. Quite frankly, if I tried to keep it all in my head, I would soon find myself in the fetal position in the corner mumbling uncontrollably.

After finding some really nice applications for OS X, I finally settled on TaskPaper. TaskPaper, by Hogbay Software, is a simple todo list manager. It might not have all the bells and whistles of some other products, but sometimes power comes in sheer simplicity.

Getting Things Done

There is a system of task management called Getting Things Done, or GTD. It was created by David Allen and the system is a real hit among many in the technology circles. One reason why it is so popular among techies is because we, as a group, deal with the most volume of incoming information particles. The tasks that I do end up coming in from various incoming sources, whether it be my own head, an email, an idea I get from an RSS feed, a phone call, etc. This all leads to complete information overload. One of the principles of GTD is the sorting of your tasks by context.

If I am in the mode to answer emails, then I can assign any email-related task to that context. If I put something into the category to be done when I am just goofing off, then I may assign a task to that context. Whenever I am in a certain mode, I can easily pull up tasks for that single context and see what I wanted to get done.

Tasks, of course, can be assigned to projects. Each project, then, would have a myriad of sub-tasks.

Enter TaskPaper

TaskPaper is a simple todo list manager which has innate ability to group tasks by project and/or context. Otherwise, though, the task list resembles a piece of paper – hence the name. And, from the main TaskPaper site:

TaskPaper makes it easy to create lists of tasks and group them by project. All of your information is stored in a simple text file that is easy to take with you on the go, and edit when TaskPaper isn’t available. Even on Windows. When TaskPaper opens your file, it auto formats the content to look good and provides lots of enhancements for quickly editing and viewing the content.

When you type in a task, TaskPaper will provide a little checkable box next to it so you can check it off when you’re done. Projects are displayed in larger, bold text. Creating a context is as simple as entering an “@” sign and the name of the context. That syntax will be very familiar to GTD followers.

At the top of the program, you can use the project and context dropdowns to easily filter your task list by either. The task list is also searchable, should you have a very long and involved list.

The Simplicity of Paper

TaskPaper certainly does not complete in a feature comparison to some of the more involved software out there. In fact, you can find more feature-packed software for either Windows or OS X and get it for free in many cases. But, what I like about TaskPaper is how it is really as simple as a piece of paper. So many people keep their todo lists on a piece of paper simply because they find using the computer to be an unnecessary complexity. And when you introduce too much complexity, you’re not very liable to use the tool.

If you can use a piece of paper and a pen, you can keep your task list on TaskPaper just as easily. So, lots of features? No. Simplicity, absolutely.

If you want to check it out, you can download the trial version and see if it is for you. As of the time of this writing, it costs $18.95 to register. You can get more info at http://hogbaysoftware.com/products/taskpaper.