Astrid TASK / TODO List Android App Review

My husband's birthday is a few days before Christmas and my son's birthday is a few weeks after. This Christmas my son drank hot chocolate and my dog ate a pig nose for breakfast. Santa Claus came and filled both my husband and my stockings with whiskey and chocolate. What could possibly induce massive stress during this joyous moment? I was making a mental to do list of who needed thank you cards.

This Holiday season I am looking to my Google Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, to find the perfect Android App solution. My criterion for the perfect To-Do List Android Application are as follows:

Cost: The To-Do List Android App must be free.

Ease of Use: The To-Do List Android App must be organized in a logical manner and be user friendly.

Effectiveness: The Android Application's To-Do List Reminder function cannot be too annoying but at the same time it must not allow me to forget my tasks.

Random Loki Morgan points: Random things that impress or annoy me.

Review Number One for the Perfect To-Do List Android Application:
Astrid Task / ToDo List Android Application

The first To-Do List Android App that I evaluated was the Astrid TASK / TODO List application. I have had Astrid installed for months and used it in the past to organize and keep track of my things to do list.

Perfect To-Do List Android App Criteria Number One - Cost

The Astrid Task / ToDo List Android Application is free.

Cost Score Card: Astrid Android App receives 5 out of 5 in the cost category for providing free software and updates.

Perfect To-Do List Android App Criteria Number Two - Ease of Use

When I first started using Astrid I found it very cumbersome to enter a task. They have since released an upgrade that makes entering tasks much easier. To enter a task you simply need to start typing. Click on the task and select Edit to see the task options. There are three sections of the Astrid task options - Basic, Dates, and Alerts. Set task priority, include tags and notes, as well as set deadlines from the Basic screen. The Basic screen is where you save, delete, and discard a task.

In the Dates and Alarms sections you have the option of configuring intricate schedules for your tasks. My first few experiences with Astrid's reminders were annoying. I knew I was behind on my tasks so I was already on edge. My new phone kept making a strange noise every few hours. I work in Information Technology so there was no way I was going to read the manual. I was determined to find the source of the mystery noise. When I discovered the source of the noise, instead of feeling the success of my discovery, I was reminded that I was two weeks late on sending out thank you cards from my birthday.

Astrid's reminder system has improved in combination from the free updates to the Astrid Android Application software and the time I spent figuring out and configuring a better schedule.

Ease of Use Score Card: Astrid Task / ToDo List Android Application receives a 2 out of 5 in the Ease of Use category. Although Astrid has continually improved it is still a bit cumbersome to use.

Perfect To-Do List Android App Criteria Number Three - Effectiveness

What the Astrid Android App lacks in ease of use it makes up in effectiveness. You can configure Astrid with an absolute deadline, goal deadline, add the task to your calendar, and synchronize your tasks with www.rememberthemilk.com. You can input the time it will take to complete a task and set a timer to keep track of your progress. Your task prioritizes are color coded and indicated by the number of exclamation marks. Four red exclamation marks indicate the highest priority whereas one blue exclamation mark indicates a low priority task.

You can configure Astrid's reminders to notify you as the deadline approaches, at the deadlines, after the absolute deadline passes or as frequently as you desire.

Effectiveness Score Card: The Astrid Android App receives 5 out of 5 in the category of Effectiveness due to the many configuration options.

Perfect To-Do List Android App Criteria Number Four - Random Things

Random Things Score Card: I love the Astrid Task / ToDo List icon. It looks like a smiling pink cephalopod. For that reason I give the Astrid Android App 5 out of 5 points in the random category.

Overall Score Card for the Astrid Task / ToDo List Android App: 17 out of 20

The Astrid Task / ToDo List Android Application is great for people who are very task oriented and comfortable with technology. Astrid has improved through many free software updates and is completely free to download and use. If you are looking for a simple and easy to use to-do list you might struggle with the complexity of Astrid.

Stay tuned for more To-Do List Android Application Reviews as I continue my quest to find the perfect task management solution.

Sources:

Personal Experience

http://www.androlib.com