My Dream App

Welcome to My Dream App!

The event where 24 finalists compete for a chance to have their dream app made into reality.

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Round 4

Martin Ott (SubEthaEdit) - Development Team:

This idea hasn’t really evolved in my opinion. Sure, the flow of action is centered around the GTD actions but this is not enough. It needs to get fleshed out more thoroughly to get a clearer picture how you would interact with it. At the moment the concept is somewhat vague. But it is necessary to get a better understanding of its interaction styles, i.e. how do you work with iGTD in detail. Especially because of the strong competition with other GTD apps it’s important to show how it would differentiate and would make not only a viable but superior player in this arena.

Jason Harris (ShapeShifter/Chicken of the VNC) - Development Team:

This one’s got a lot of strikes against it. Rumor has it that OmniGroup is doing a competitor. Jeff, the contestant, is having some nasty real-life issues which have prevented him from really fleshing out how the app would work. And, to be honest, I just never really warmed up to the idea in the first place.

To put things in a nice light, I hope that I don’t have to code iGTD if it wins. :)

Leo Laporte (This Week in Tech) - Tech Media:

One of us. One of us. I’m in the cult and I’d kill for a great GTD program on the Mac. I’ve tried every combination that Merlin Mann’s fevered imagination could come up with, and I’m still not satisfied. The idea is great, but it’s all in the implementation. I don’t see anything in Jeff’s blog that makes me think he’s got a handle on how to get this done. This is a program that needs to be written, but the devil’s in the details. Convince me you know how to do this, Jeff, and I’ll add it to my @shopping list.

Austin Sarner (AppZapper) - Development Team:

Still not inspired by the idea of a GTD app. While I appreciate some of the comments the contestant has made regarding simplicity and scalability… I still fail to see how a GTD app can scale well. I’m looking for a good organizer, but I don’t think GTD is the solution.

John Casasanta (iClip) - Development Team:

There’s not much to be said about iGTD at this point. It’s been all smoke and mirrors so far and I’d be very surprised if it didn’t drop this round. Jeff repeatedly tried to convince everyone of it’s feasibility via the Chewbacca Defense but most failed to buy into it.


Round 3

Josh Keay (Monkey Business Labs) - Designers:

There’s always room for more apps within this space, though I think that it’s important to remember that visuals are a great way to distinguish yourself from your competitors. As others have said, this is a crowded space and there are plenty of others who are already looking pretty snazzy. I think it’s interesting to go with a completely different aesthetic like this, the black background could be really sexy, though you have to push it further. As it stands right now, it looks like a webpage. Why not make it look like an Apple Pro app, like Aperture? That’d be pretty hot!

John Casasanta (iClip) - Development Team:

Jeff’s been struggling with iGTD. It had huge support early on but it’s slipping away because the idea hasn’t been refined much. People are wondering what it is and how it’ll help get you organized and Jefff simpoly hasn’t been able to provide much to get more voters behind him. I’m expecting another drop in the rankings for iGTD for this week.

Austin Sarner (AppZapper) - Development Team:

Jason Harris (ShapeShifter/Chicken of the VNC) - Development Team:

Sleepytime for this one. It’s been under attack from all fronts - existing offerings are improving rapidly, new offerings are in the works, and the contestant hasn’t been meeting the challenges very well.


Round 2

Oliver Breidenbach (O’Reilly Mac DevCenter Blog) - Bloggers:

This app seems to have caught the attention of judges already. It is an ambitious project but seeing the mockups made me realise why I failed using iCal, Now UptoDate, a Palm and a dozen other apps and means to create a todo list for myself. I need a todo list organiser for chaotic people, not a todo list app that tries to make me become a less chaotic person.

Dan Hendley (Mac Cubed) - Bloggers:

I’m not big into the whole idea of GTD. To me, the concept of GTD makes you so focused on getting organized on what you need to do, that you don’t have time to actually do any of it. Unless a clear explanation of how the system works and how to use the software were put into place, I could see many people staring at it blankly as they do with, say, Photoshop- it has so much potential and is so complex, but figuring out how to use for even the most basic task it is a giant feat in and of itself.

That being said, I think it has the potential to be a huge killer app. GTD is a vast topic of discussion these days and productivity seems to be more popular than ever with the public. For people that work solely on the computer this could work very well. For people that have to be away from a computer, it could pose a problem. At this point you could either try to integrate it with a PDA or cell phone, but having to navigate on such a tiny screen could be cumbersome.

Martin Ott (SubEthaEdit) - Development Team:

Getting Things Done is huge. The voting results of the first elemination round seem to support this view. I’m not part of the GTD “cult” yet but I’m tempted to give it a try. What’s needed is a dedicated application supporting the GTD methodology. iGTD is the idea for that kind of application. I think a lot of Mac users are looking for a GTD app right now. I’m pretty sure that there are developers out there working on this but competition is great.

Scott McNulty (The Unofficial Apple Weblog) - Bloggers:

I’m sure Merlin will love this idea, but can I ask one favor of the internet? Enough with the Getting Things Done. This is a niche market that is pretty much brimming over with apps (Kinkless, Midnight Inbox, Omnifocus). I’ll never use this, nor will most Mac users. I think effort is better spent on some of the more innovative ideas (Am I turning into the Simon Cowell of My Dream App?).

Merlin Mann (43 Folders) - Bloggers:

It won’t surprise anyone to know that a really powerful and flexible GTD-type app is something folks like me would welcome.

The problem with an all-in-one app is that doing GTD is a wildly blended process that involves — for most of us — physical stuff, computers, and our mind for starters. So, my concern would be that iGTD becomes just another thing I need to deal with each day — it couldn’t replace my physical in-basket or the index cards on my wall for example. One data point.

Paul Stamatiou (PaulStamatiou.com) - Bloggers:

I’m not one to make an calendar entry for every thing that happens in my life, but I can see iGTD helping me tame my school life. As you’ve stated though, there is a ton of competition for a GTD app like this. iGTD will have to be easy to use, easy to figure out after checking it out for the first time and reliable. I like how you said that it should “guide you through how to get started with a GTD app.” That sums it up perfectly. I’m an early adopter too and whenever such a new app comes out, I’ll always download it at least to see what it’s about. During those first 5 minutes, if I don’t get how to use it or fit it into my lifestyle, I’ll be appzapping it immediately.


Round 1

Austin Sarner (AppZapper) - Development Team:

GTD is a buzzword these days, and there are a steady stream of GTD apps coming out. Omni’s, the Midnight Softworks one, and I’m sure plenty others. I think there is potential for an app that can introduce the GTD system to the user in a seamless way — but fully implementing something as complex as GTD makes learning the app as bothersome as actually getting your tasks done.

Gus Mueller (VoodooPad) - Developers:

I think a GTD app would be killer. In fact, I think lots of other programmers think this as well and I can think of 3 different companies off the top of my head that are working on GTD apps right now.

So while it’s a really cool idea, it’s one that is currently being worked on by lots of folks and if you want a “Dream App”, you might as well make something that isn’t already out there. Plus, I’ve got a little insider knowledge and know of a very talented mac company that is working on this problem right now and you’re guaranteed to be happy with whatever they produce.

Cabel Sasser (Panic) - Developers:

I need this application, and it could change a lot of lives, which sounds like ridiculous hyperbole but I think is really quite true. Here are my only suggestion: for people not aware of the GTD concept in detail, such as myself, build in the best, most conversational, most friendly tutorial of all time on first launch, so that basically you’re getting trained by the application. (And please consider another name, because it’s time to officially declare genocide on all iNames from here on out. iCan’t take them seriously!)

Brent Simmons (NetNewsWire) - Developers:

This idea should get done. It hardly matters whether it’s a good idea for an app or not. (I think it is a good idea, but it doesn’t matter.) When a person wants to get organized, step zero is always to *buy something* that will help them get organized. If iGTD is that thing they buy, then you’ll make a mint.

I’ve been saying for a long time that, were I just starting out as a Cocoa developer, I’d do a GTD app, since I think there is the potential to do something super-cool and make a ton of money.

John Casasanta (iClip) - Development Team:

I expect this one to go far in the competition mainly because the Mac is seriously lacking a killer GTD solution and the GTD crowd is a pretty vocal (almost cultish) one.

Can it go all the way to the top 3? I think it has a chance if the concept evolves enough so that it’s understood by the masses who haven’t gotten bitten by the GTD bug yet.

Allan Odgaard (TextMate) - Developers:

I am not into GTD, but I am into to-do lists. The ability to pick from a small list what to do next is a tremendous help when trying to be productive, and being able to check an item as “done” gives a nice feeling.

I use text files myself for this, but if the interface for iGTD was a real pleasure to use (i.e. smooth animations when re-ordering items etc.) then I might be inclined to spend my time in iGTD for to-do list maintenance.

It should of course read/import my current to-do lists, which can be done by scanning files in a folder for lines tagged with TODO.

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Atmosphere
Portal
Cookbook

Contestants

  1. Anders MelinAnders

    Stick-It

    A modernized sticky solution that lets people use virtual stickies just as they do in real life.
  2. Andrew WilsonAndrew

    Desktop Wars

    A real-time strategy game that brings the battlefield to your desktop with network play, voice commands and more.
  3. Bob ConlonBob

    Savant Carde

    Takes the Hypercard concept into the 21st century through direct manipulation. Could this be the next big breakthrough in hyperlinked media?
  4. Bogumil GiertlerBogumil

    Herald

    A modern update to the newspaper, combining the power of RSS, simple newspaper creation and sharing, and an eye-catching user interface.
  5. Cameron WestlandCameron

    Atmosphere

    A virtual window to the outdoors for your desktop. View a virtual representation of your area's weather when too busy to go outside.
  6. Dan LundmarkDan

    Blossom

    A virtual plant that responds to productivity, not sunlight and water. Had a good session in Excel? Your plant will thrive. Play too much Warcraft? Expect some withering.
  7. Dillon KrugDillon

    Bookroom

    Get back into reading, with Bookroom. Presents e-books in a beautiful interface, and supports annotations and Leopard's VoiceOver support.
  8. Farzad SadjadiFarzad

    Portal

    File syncing from the future. Sync folders and documents between Macs effortlessly and watch transfer progress through a cool, highly visual wormhole user interface.
  9. James BadcockJames

    Destinations

    Plan vacations and trips with ease and tie related photos and notes to locations on the map as an interactive travel album.
  10. Jeff GreenbergJeff

    iGTD

    A Mac implementation on the popular "Getting Things Done" productivity system with iCal and Address Book integration, iPod sync, and more.
  11. Joe BatutisJoe

    Puppet Constructor

    Create simple 2D animations with the ease of manipulating puppets. With Puppet Constructor, keyframes are replaced by users manipulating their "puppets" with their mouse.
  12. John BellJohn

    Minerva

    A virtual secretary for your Mac. Minerva can automatically process new contacts, aggregate news, remind you of appointments and more, speaking with Leopard's voiceover.
  13. Josh McGuireJosh

    iGotPets

    Keep track of your pet's well-being with iGotPets, and share your pet's profile through the web.
  14. Kevin CapizziKevin

    Hijack

    A full Cocoa interface for browsing and participating in your favorite discussion forums.
  15. Marshall KucharczykMarshall

    SweepIt

    The solution for messy desktops and download folders. Set folders for automatic cleaning based on user set rules.
  16. Michael WuertheleMichael

    Chatboard

    The virtual, network-enabled whiteboard that adds real-time shared visuals to group collaborations.
  17. Michael YuanMichael

    Cookbook

    The ultimate cookbook application, with online grocery shopping, thousands of recipes, Leopard voiceover technology integration, shopping list sharing, and more.
  18. Mickey WemberMickey

    iVlog

    Photo Booth for videos, with easy to use video logging (or "vlogging") support.
  19. Mike GabouryMike

    iSightSee

    An alternative control method powered by your Mac's iSight. Control your Mac with hand gestures and movements.
  20. Peter PeblerPeter

    Bubble Fish

    Bubble Fish is the friend who knows everything, but without the annoyance factor. Ever curious to learn about a word or phrase beyond a dictionary definition? Wikipedia, Google, Flickr and more would be just a control click away.
  21. Raven ZacharyRaven

    Telepath

    Turns your phone into a Blackberry lite. Push important emails, news items, and more to your phone from your Mac via SMS.
  22. Richard WhitelockRichard

    Whistler

    Ever had the urge to create a song until you realized it was harder than it was worth? With Whistler, just whistle, hum, or tap out your creation into music app importable form.
  23. Russell HeistumanRussell

    Ground Control

    Dashboard done right, with a unified design and modules for your most used apps and important information at your fingertips.
  24. Windy ChenWindy

    iStyleIt

    Bring your wardrobe into your iLife with iStyleIt, a virtual closet on your Mac. Pick your clothes with ease, store and rate your favorite outfits, and share them with your friends.

Developers

  1. Jason HarrisJason

    Jason Harris

    Developer of ShapeShifter and Chicken of the VNC.
  2. Austin SarnerAustin

    Austin Sarner

    Developer of AppZapper.
  3. Martin OttMartin

    Martin Ott

    Developer of SubEthaEdit.
  4. John CasasantaJohn

    John Casasanta

    Developer of iClip.

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