Comments on: GTD projects with Entourage

By: Hawk Wings » Blog Archive » Ten Mac tools for Getting Things Done

Hawk Wings » Blog Archive » Ten Mac tools for Getting Things Done — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 12:02:11 +0000

[...] With its integrated calendar, contacts and other bits and pieces, Entourage is well placed to offer the grunt for GTD app. Jorge Arango has posted his Entourage-GTD system, based in part of the GTD Projects with Entourage article at Slacker Manager. You can find an AppleScript to create GTD projects within Entourage on the 43 Folders Discussion Board. [...]

By: Andrew J. Cowell

Andrew J. Cowell — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 23:05:55 +0000

I echo the comments of one gentleman above – I’ve also spent a small fortune of apps and once again find myself coming back to Entourage. OmniOutliner is just that, an outliner, that can be extended through scripting (as Kinkless has very successfully done). I tried it, but found myself really needing the address book and calendar links. So here I am, will give Entourage another go for a few months and see where it takes me. I for one don’t think the Project Center is particularly ugly (Kinkless kGTD isn’t all that sexy either (icons), unlike their website which is kinda cool). On to syncing tools for PDA’s, I used Missing Sync when I had a Clie and found it just okay. I’ve been using PocketMac Pro for a while and it works fine for me, syncing via bluetooth. I’ve found the support to be pretty decent (although, please get your website cleaned up, uuuuugly). My main pain at the moment is that I’m waiting for them to provide support for Windows Mobile 5 – although so are Missing Sync and the other sync companies (everyone is behind the curve on this).

By: tuqqer

tuqqer — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 14:48:29 +0000

Adam, many thanks for this article. I’ve read it a couple of times, because I’m right in the middle of decision-making time, getting ready to start the largest project of my career. I’ve been an Entourage user since day one (pre OSX days), and E’rage 2004 is the center of my business life. I’m an at-home entrepreneur. I live and breathe my tweaked version of GTD. But I have yet to find anyone who is actually using its Project Center successfully. I mean not in theory, or occasionally, or for tracking something small. I’m talking about a good-size project that requires brainstorming, coming up with packaging ideas, emails from 6 or more members of a team, tracking to-dos, and so forth.

I learn well by modeling; i.e., watching someone else do it, and then me repeating what they did. Most of my colleagues are Mac users, and most use Entourage. But none of them have successfully integrated Project Center into their business.

I don’t need Gantt charts. I don’t even know what they are. So MS Project-type apps aren’t the right thing for me. I don’t even need to track bids, money, overall financing, since that’s all covered by QuickBooks.

I would pay good money to either 1. buy a very detailed, step-by-step PDF of someone outlining their every move through a project, using Entourage’s Project Center. Or, 2. take a 1-day class on “GTD’ing your business with Project Center”.

Until then, my next step is to do what poster Joel is using: a combo of OmniOutliner Pro and the free kGTD. I haven’t been able to wrap my brain around OOP to date (it’s not really clear how to use it, more a blank slate kind of app), but I am extremely intrigued by some GTD/Mac users who are excited about the kGTD add-on.

By: Bren

Bren — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 02:10:35 +0000

Otis: yeah, I’m a relative newcomer to these Mac lands too, and I’m finding Entourage to be quite a useful GTD tool.

By: Otis

Otis — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 01:42:56 +0000

That was great info. I recently move from Outlook operating on a PC7 to Entourage X. Painful conversion but finallly got it done. Having used both Outlook and Entourage, I find Entourage more compatiable with GTD. I use a BB also and had to buy some s/w to sync with Entourage. I am thinking of switching to the new Motorla or Nokia PDA’s when they come out in 2006/Q1. You have given me some really good ideas.

By: Bren

Bren — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 04:49:18 +0000

Great tip, thanks Preben!

PocketMac lovers/haters: I’m disinclined to use PocketMac because I’m so spoiled by ‘over the air’ synching right now. I just don’t think I’d take the time to hook up a cable and synch the thing.

Joel, yeah, I saw the kinkless meme blossom. I’m not getting sucked into that time sink. I’d need to buy OmniOutliner Pro and then learn to use it while also learning the intricacies of kinkless. I’m not tempted. I’m also not much of a design geek, so Entourage doesn’t hurt my eyes. I’m happy.

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 22:45:26 +0000

Sorry, Kinkless GTD using OmniOutliner is the newest and IMO the best way to implement GTD on the Mac. I tried Entourage and most of what you have described, but the fact is Entourage is the ugliest piece of software ever! If I’m going to use it on a Mac, it must be elegant.

Kinkless GTD is the way to go!

http://www.kinkless.com/

By: Curtis James

Curtis James — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 12:16:23 +0000

hi,

I have used pocketmac for over a year. I have had lots of problems with it, the worst being when they updated for tiger, but didnt think to test the tiger version on os 10.3 nor did they have a seperate version for 10.3. this messed up my whole machine, and the customer support was appaling. but, they did sort it out after a week or so.

every now and then I seem to have a glitch, but only a small one, and i back up everyday just in case.

it’s certainly useful to have everything on the bb though.

By: Steve Jamieson

Steve Jamieson — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 11:53:12 +0000

Good to see someone else come out of the closet!

I have personally spent a fortune on multiple applications trying to implement GTD, from the Omni products to NovaMind, DEVONthink, Tinderbox, OD4, and the list goes on and on and on. I constantly come back to Entourage. It works. In the olden days it used to crash/burn regularly and had to be rebuilt losing all its internal links in the process – something which drove me crazy and made me leave it. But now it seems to be rock-solid. Hasn’t crashed in ages. And really works well. Still use Tinderbox for flow-charts of my bigger projects though.

Syncs really well with PocketPC – much better than with my Treo 650. And yes, avoid PocketMac like the plague. Dreadful program. Missing Sync for PocketPC works perfectly.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 08:59:18 +0000

Forget Pocketmac, I bought a licence but do not use. Worst software I ever bought, does no work, messes up your system to the point you have to do a reinstall of Mac OS X !!!