Things - RC 1 is out!

I use Things for Mac and iPod Touch to manage my projects and next actions using David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD) system. Things is going to be a real winner and will be presented at MacWorld Expo in January. As a beta tester I get to upgrade to release candidate (RC) 1 today and get 20% off the price of the software when it goes mainstream.

I'm already sold on this elegant, easy to comprehend and use piece of software. Even if you haven't dabbled with GTD you should give it a try. If it gets you to dig deeper into GTD: all the better!

Oh. Just one more thing: I got my MacBook Air today. Finally. I resisted buying it when it came out and bought it used. Seems fine and: it's a dream. That's all I'm going to say about it because I suppose it's that kind of piece of hardware you either love or hate. I don't plan on using it for in-depth graphics or heavy calculations. I just want to be able to work on parts of my book using evernote, surf online while sitting on the couch with this elegant, sleek and light little piece of hardware... I suppose it is all going o happen, now. The macbook air was set up within minutes (minutes!) and is now downloading my notes from evernote. It might take a while, though, because apple is kindly updating from mac os x 10.5.1 to 10.5.6 in the background, I suppose.

mac os x 10.4. tiger on my mac mini

I've got Tiger running on a mac mini (with the iMac running 10.5.6 being my main machine). I've been wondering what implications and limitations running the older OS might have. Today I ran into the first one.

I absolutely love using evernote. I have it running on my mac, my iPod Touch and my PC at the office. And did I already say I love it? I suppose I did. But I'll say it again: I love using evernote. Its goal is to help you "remember everything". I use it to store and find notes about just about everything, too. Especially notes for my book and it is a real help there.

It seemed natural to have it be the first softwar to download onto the "new" mac mini (with the old OS). But - you already gathered as much: evernote requires mac os x 10.5. Leopard. I may yet have to upgrade the OS on the mini after all...

Everything I use requires the net

I just realised once again, while a bigger software update was loading (which basically knocks me off the web due to our very slow internet connection here in BFE Germany), that very little of what I do while at a computer can be done offline.

If I look at the icons on my mac os x 10.5.6 applications dock almost everything is pure web app or at least demands connectivity. A sampling:

mail app - duh (but I mostly use gmail in firefox - agin: connection required)
dashboard widgets - most of which connect to the net
safari and firefox - net only
iChat - online only
Address book - synchs with mobile me online, can be used offline
evernote - works offline but synchs online - probably one of the best tools I have on the mac (and the PC at work, and the iTouch...)
iTunes - works offline ... cooler online with genius etc.
iPhoto - mostly offline, but I upload to flickr, picasa etc.
Cyberduck - pointless offline (ftp client)
TextEdit - okay, purely offline. Most of my notes go into evernote though
twhirl - twitter client purely online
iCal - synchs with google cal online
Adium - online only
MarsEdit - at least I can write the blog posts offline but need to connect to upload
ReadAir - rss reader I don't use (just moved it off the dock)
Analytics Reporting Suite- great if it works (online), isn't working though
Smultron - also good for editing html and viewing offline - before uploading
tweetdeck - online only
last.fm - online only
Things - perhaps another favorite next to evernote. Synchs with iTouch per WiFi
Destroy Flickr - online only. Eye Candy, don't use it much
ComicLife pro - offline use okay, but also uploads to .mac / mobile me site
MindManagaer - offline, cool mind mapping software
skype - duh
NeoOffice - okay that I can use offline but it seems to want to downlaod a new version every 3 days

So I find myself twiddling my thumbs when net connectivity dies or is reduced due to downloads etc. At least I can work on my gtd weekly review in Things, my offline notes in evernote and prepare blog posts in MarsEdit for later upload (which is what I'm doing now).

Perhaps I need to find more programs I can use w/o an internet connection! Any good ideas?

Winter

It is getting cold here in Germany. I prefer perpetual warmth but the cold season has one big benefit: it gets quieter at the castle. At least it promises to. Things are still quite lively right now. The hotel will be closed over Christmas, though. Time for the family. My sisters are visiting, too.

I find myself taking less pictures lately. That is due in part to fewer walks in the cold but also to less things to take pictures of (it seems).

Peace

Isa

Our second daughter's name is Isa. Someone told us that is the name of Jesus in Arabic. Wikipedia says so too. That wasn't intended - but cool. It's a northern German name. But at least now Isa will know how to spell her name in Arabic: عيسى