Monday, July 21, 2008

ONLINE PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS

My brain is a bit muddied from the billion options I have just read about. After looking at these for a while, it becomes difficult to remember which had which features. I chose to use i-Google just because that is the search engine I use most and I figured I would access it more. I probably also liked the features - surely. Of all of the tools I read about, I think I like the Jott the best. I am such a slow text-er that I tend to avoid it. I answered an incoming call from my phone the other day before I had finished a text message and was quite put out when I returned to a not saved blank message screen. I just gave up and decided to wait and hoped to remember to call later. How cool is it to be able to send the text message without any alpha strokes? I love that all I have to do is call a number (It's a 866 number - I sure hope it's toll free!) and speak into the phone with my message. As far as I could tell, you can only have five contacts, but maybe that's per group. Well, at any rate, that will be so awesome!
I am a list maker, so Remember the Milk and Ta-da-list are right up my alley. I made a list on Ta-da-list and looked around for great ways to use it and I was a little disappointed. Perhaps with a little more exploration, there would be more to be found. But Remember the Milk did a better job of selling the features on the home page and therefore, I'll probably be utilizing that one. Plus, there is a mapping feature. Might help the time line. As I see it, the pros versus the cons of using digital lists are....
Advantages:
You'll never lose the list.
Can prioritize the list on an ongoing basis.
Can keep the window open to add or edit the list as you think of things.
Can access from any computer.
Good for long-term project planning and implementing.
Can keep multiple lists at the fingertip.

Disadvantages:
You have to have a computer to use it.
It might be more work than it's worth for short projects.
You would have to print it out in order to take it with you or leave your computer.

I guess the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Here's what I'm thinking after a day in front of the computer. Which of these really amazing tools will I really learn to use and become productive consistently? It seems that I will have to narrow my initial thrust of energy and time. One application at a time. However, it just may be this one.

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