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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

iPad and GTD

 

Ok, so I bought an iPad yesterday.  I spent the day adding and removing apps in order to make the thing usable in my GTD set up. 

My Calendar and Contact list sync’s through iTunes, which is always running on my PC.  Of course there is no native task app that will sync with Outlook so a little set up was required to get things up and running.

A quick web search led me to Daniel B. Curran Jr.’s blog, in specific to this page, where he details how to sync Outlook tasks with an iPhone using Toodledo. What I found to be the real PITA remover for me was the link to Chromatic Dragon’s Toodledo Sync application.  Awesome application for what I want it to do.  The application translates Outlook’s categories into contexts automatically.  Almost no set up required, well maybe a little, but Daniel covers it so well, that I will not repeat his work.  Go read his blog, and then come back.  I will wait.

Back? Good.  Wasn’t that easy?

The only thing I changed was to set the Mappings tab in Toodledo Outlook Sync to look like this:

image

 

I then added the Toodledo app onto my iPad rather then use the mobile site that Daniel recommends.  I am still exploring all the in and outs of the application, so as I become more fluent in it’s use I will report back.

I have now, however, found myself back in a similar situation as I had with my Blackberry, no automatic sync.  I will try out this system for a while and see if that lack will be a deal breaker in my iPad use in a business setting.  I also may be going back to Evernote if I continue to use the iPad, as the interface is really well done. 

My only complaint , so far, about the iPad is that it will not charge very well while plugged into my PC.  This apparently is due to the power usage of the iPad which is a fair bit more than what a current usb port will provide.  The new Macs can do it but the older ones and most Windows or Linux based PCs need to have the iPad in standby mode without the screen on in order to be able to charge it up.  Most powered usb hubs do not have the power requirements yet either, but I am sure that will change soon.

So there it is.  Drop me a note in the comments if you have any favourite apps.  I have have a feeling the iPad will be used mainly as a media consumption device, but am open to any other uses you may come up with.  Let me know.

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