[djm2]

Originally Posted by bostonnerd

Agreed...it will be interesting to see which Task fields get sync'd between the two. I use Outlook tasks to assign work to various Engineers which they in turn update (Start/End dates, comments, % complete mostly) prior to the status meeting. Makes it very easy to track status and is much easier then setting up an MS Project server. If Rex can maintain those fields I'd be ecstatic.

In my mind you have identified the beauty of TMX -- it nicely plugs a hole between medium-complexity task management and complex (Project) task management. I suspect that MS wants us to use Project [$$], but for most of my work it just doesn't make sense!

If this requires a separate plug-in with its own db to integrate TMX onto the desktop then cool -- it would become like DataVault in some respects. And I do suspect that they could sell just the desktop version to some users and make some $$. I'd even give up the wireless sync if necessary and do USB sync, but I would prefer to stay wireless.

[hinky]

LOL. I don't think NextAction compares in any way with ToDo or Idea Matrix. One doesn't even have to read - it's a slightly better alternative (to some) than using the built in "ToDo" list which is quite limited although adequate for some. It does not provide any desktop entry client or tool either.

[slinky]

Here's one more good idea guys at REX - my trial period just expired. It would have been a good idea to have an alert telling you that your trial is expiring in a day! After all, nobody wants to be locked out of their trial at a very inconvenient time and it IS a To Do program! :D

[jorgeledesmadds]

I'm just looking forward to the Outlook connector, guys RW is a solid company,its by far the best Task Management application on the BB platform, I don't understand why some complain and bickers but again everybody is entitled to their opinion but in my book their #1 keep up the good work RW guys

[squeff]

Originally Posted by slinky

Here's one more good idea guys at REX - my trial period just expired. It would have been a good idea to have an alert telling you that your trial is expiring in a day! After all, nobody wants to be locked out of their trial at a very inconvenient time and it IS a To Do program! :D

I suppose one could just manually create a task within TDM that's due at expiration, with an alert before to remind the user to either pay for the software or to copy out (using the built-in e-mail functionality) everything before uninstalling.

[hinky]

Originally Posted by squeff

I suppose one could just manually create a task within TDM that's due at expiration, with an alert before to remind the user to either pay for the software or to copy out (using the built-in e-mail functionality) everything before uninstalling.

This is not something a user would be thinking about doing, especially when trying to learn how the darn thing works. ;)

[squeff]

In case anyone is curious about the "tasks sync" release, Rex posted on their forums that the next release is bouncing between the development team and the QA team. The tone of the message suggests that the quality isn't there, yet, so that they didn't want to release too quickly (a good idea IMHO) and they didn't want to give a date when they thought it'd be finished.

[chillspace]

It's still a few weeks off, unfortunately.

[bostonnerd]

Originally Posted by chillspace

It's still a few weeks off, unfortunately.

I'd rather have a solid, stable release when the integrity of my data is potentially at risk. Coding sync logic is not for the faint of heart, especially with the underwhelming Rim SDK.

With that said though, I hope it's sooner then later !

[djm2]

Originally Posted by bostonnerd

I'd rather have a solid, stable release when the integrity of my data is potentially at risk. Coding sync logic is not for the faint of heart, especially with the underwhelming Rim SDK.

With that said though, I hope it's sooner then later !

I share your opinion regarding speed vs. stability. Give me a solid app. every time.

[jorgeledesmadds]

RexWireless is a very solid company and when the Outlook converter comes out, I'm sure it will be solid as a rock, give them time, I estimated within 60 days

[Soxfan04]

Any updates on when Outlook integration will be available?

[rexguys]

Originally Posted by Soxfan04

Any updates on when Outlook integration will be available?

REXwireless clearly missed the mark on time estimates for the release of the ToDoMatrix TAS version. Just in case the terminology doesn't ring a bell, TAS stands for Task Applet Sync. This is the version that synchronizes with the native BlackBerry tasks applet, which in turn uses existing BlackBerry data conduits to sync with PC programs such as Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, and Groupwise. Other third parties also interface to the BlackBerry tasks applet such as PocketMac and Missing Sync for the Mac, and onboard applications that strive to offer a "today" view. We had thought TAS would be out early this summer but it is more than four months late.

While we won't belabor the dozens of reasons TAS is tardy, it will suffice to say that we struggled unexpectedly on a number of fronts. Noteworthy surprises included issues with BlackBerry OS 4.3 and 4.5, changes to support high-resolution devices like the BlackBerry Bold, a complete rewrite of our database upgrade logic to make the upgrade painless, and significant improvements to the REXwireless database engine to better accommodate the stresses of staying in sync. We can say with certainty that Murphy's Law is alive and well in 2008.

We are releasing our private / smaller scale Beta release of ToDoMatrix TAS next week to about 100 users. Depending on how that goes, we hope that we can offer a public Release Candidate version of ToDoMatrix TAS before the end of the month. A word of caution - Beta and Release Candidates are not the final release of a software application and pose greater than average risks. If you are not willing to accept those risks, please wait until the full release of TAS.

The ToDoMatrix TAS release includes some significant changes that many customers have been hoping for. While there are over thirty enhancements, the top ten highlights include:

1. Onboard task applet synchronization with the BlackBerry tasks applet (TAS) which facilitates synchronization with Microsoft Outlook (tasks), Lotus Notes, Novell Groupwise, PocketMac and so forth.
2. Multi-language support for English, French, German, and Spanish languages
3. Multi-language REXdesktop
4. Cross-injection between ToDoMatrix and IdeaMatrix
5. Large task record support without the current 512 character limit
6. HTML email injection support for 4.5 OS
7. REXconnect BlackBerry application integration support and menu awareness
8. Filtering enhancements to include "OR" filter logic, and filter subgroup support
9. The ability to dynamically add folders from injection dialogs
10. Hot keys on the ToDoMatrix alert dialog

One area that we have been asked about is how ToDoMatrix TAS will work with Outlook, and in particular categories in Outlook. The core of the issue is that Outlook supports multiple categories per item, while ToDoMatrix is a one folder per item system, with four additional dimensions that are user definable for alternate grouping. After a lot of conversations with various customers, we found that there simply was no solution that came close to accommodating the majority of people. People use Outlook in many different ways. Categories and folders are really apples and oranges and they don't mix well. In the end, this first version of TAS is adding ToDoMatrix specific information as user readable / user editable tags at the end of the Outlook task notes and there is no link between categories and folders. We will let it run as is for some number of months, monitor and discuss with a focus group of users, and then decide if version two of TAS needs adjustments on this Outlook-category front.

Note that REXwireless does not have testing environments for Lotus Notes and Groupwise. We are keenly interested in how well the TAS version will work in these environments and plan to fine tune our features for these environments, as needed, in TAS version two.

TAS Beta:

If you are interested in participating in the Beta, please including the following in an email to our support center:

1. Number of years and months as an "active" ToDoMatrix user?
2. Which desktop application do you sync with?
3. Do you sync via USB wire or wirelessly?
4. Your experience level with beta software testing
5. Your preferred user language (English, French, German, Spanish)
6. A copy paste of your BlackBerry Options / About screen

Regards,

--the REXguys--

ToDoMatrix Professional for BlackBerry

[jnyost]

I am a Lotus Notes user and am willing to test for you.

Jared

[fkjr2]

Originally Posted by hinky

No doubt it's a far better application than PocketDay. To be perfectly frank, Pocket Lists was a mistake and an application that is half done, half thought out and with a number of bugs. I've seen worse but it's amazing that there are very few developers for the BB that really provide a great, comprehensive product. The Rex stuff is missing some polish (can't change fonts and appearance, just doesn't look right) and feels a lot like a "programmer's" application. That said, it's still way more functional.

I'll probably get it but I MUST get local PC/USB based backups too. The missing desktop application is horrible. I wish I could just open my desktop and launch Outlook and the desktop tool to get all my appointments and ToDos.

I disagree. I think P Lists is better. It can be viewed within Pocket Day and has nice look. To each his own.

[kiteboarder]

For what its worth, my customer service experience with REX has been nothing short of fantastic. I contacted them three times and each time, they responded quicker and more meaningfully than expected. I now own AlertMatrix but am thinking about trying ToDoMatrix now.