Google To Do List Imminent?

It looks like an oft-rumoured/requested Google Task List is on the cards, which can only be good news. For one, I hope it will establish a ‘standard’ UI for task/calendar integration that we can adapt with GTDInbox.

It also clearly defines the role of GTDInbox. Common tasks can be handled by Google Tasks or RTM (RememberTheMilk), and inbox tasks (and general inbox management) can become the main role of GTDInbox.

The latest coverage (and the reason for this post), is TechCrunch’s blog post, http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/11/google-launching-todo-list-product/. I’m not sure if it’s regular TC negative commenters, but I find it quite interesting that people are declaring task management in Gmail to be a forgotten problem. It’s probably more RTM’s issue than ours, but I still see value in Google doing this; because they make ubiqituous tools. A pure task management tool is only useful if you can access it wherever you go. It’ll be even better if it has an API that we can easily manipulate (hint hint) :)

This entry was posted on Friday, April 11th, 2008 at 6:43 am and is filed under Misc. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • http://peterc.org/ Peter Cooper

    The only thing they have to watch out for are gangs of blathering idiots complaining they’ve ripped 37signals off. That kinda rules out a to-do list app, a project management app, a chat app and a contact manager ;-)

  • bob

    Andy, can you elaborate on what you mean about using one product for “common tasks” and another for “inbox tasks / management”?

  • Andy

    Pete – lol :)

    Bob – I’ve not yet mastered explaining what I mean in a sentence or less. But, basically, GTDInbox’s real strength lies in making sense of your emails, especially deep into your inbox. GTDInbox means you don’t have to pull tasks out of an email and store it somewhere seperate (costly/ineffective exercise); it means you can treat your inbox like a huge collection of resources, grouped into projects and contexts and prioritised. _And_ you can use it for tasks. But, I know many people would be happy maintaining a task list of non-inbox items (house chores, work to do, etc.) in a system that focuses entirely on optimising that process. Certainly GTDInbox can do tasks; but it can also do so much more.

    Is that any clearer?!

  • john

    For me personally, I want one database of stuff. IMHO, while there are important distinctions between tasks, appointments, emails, chats, and reminders, they all belong in *one* place. For me, I don’t want to use GTDInbox for my emails and Google To Do (GTD???? or whatever it will be called, if it really is coming) for mowing the lawn and buying a gift for Aunt Nelly. GTDInbox is the closest thing I’ve found to one-database heaven. (I hate to say it but Outlook really is slick in this respect. I suppose even Microsoft can’t do *everything* wrong.)

  • http://www.betadaily.com/2008/04/12/blogging-madness-powered-by-techcrunch-and-the-end-of-google-to-do-list/ Blogging Madness Powered By TechCrunch And The End of Google To-Do List | B.E.T.A. Daily

    [...] The other calling the to-do list an imminent product from Google. [...]

  • Leopoldo

    Certainly I’m using GTDInbox RTM at the same time, without any integration (only google/gmail interface).

    By the same way you are talking about, Andy, GTDInbox is a very friendly add-on for managing inbox and non-inbox items, however, some “inbox items” has two o more task inside but the email subject is only one! I mean it would be very powerful is GTDInbox can incorporates a “Turn on/off highlighting pencil” for highlight the different tasks inside our emails and better visualize them.

    And other thing: Isn’t there GTDCalendar? :-)

  • .jon

    Apparently false alarm, it was ;-) http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2008/04/posting-to-blog-is-bit-too-easy.html

    But I thought often, that Google should enhance their offer. Google Docs, however, is still not solid and Google Notebook (and Bookmarks) are not really either. What would be needed would be some cleanup and streamline as well as implementing a full blown project-manager, or, at least, offer some additions to their services (and API) so others can implement it on top of it.

    What about Google Inbox ;-)

  • Cal Katz

    I was poking around and found what seems to be a task list in Google. What’s this am\nd does it integrate in any way with calendar/gmail/gtdinbox?
    https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=ah&continue=http://tasklist.googlemashups.com/_ah/login%3Fcontinue%3Dhttp://tasklist.googlemashups.com/&ltmpl=ah&ahname=Task+List&sig=26ef87c557e30244c54ab6e86847b87f

  • VFT

    I know the Gmail to do list is rather old news, but as a new Active Inbox user (it’s great so far), the  only main functionality missing, for me, is the ability to export my “actionable” list of emails to a task list that I can share with a team, based on a project. Is there any way to do that now?

    Thanks!

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