I'm a highly organized person and I'm constantly making lists of things I need to do. Although I like to have my To Do lists in iCal, I find that adding them directly to iCal is too time consuming. Also, I prefer to not open iCal every time I want to add a new item to my list. In the past, I've used a Widget called DoBeDo (see my review in the Reviews section of this site), but opening Widgets on my old PPC Mini is too slow. So I tested a few other options for this blog and here's the short list of applications I like for creating and managing quick To Do lists.

1.  SoCal

Developer: Gilles Montminy
License: Donationware

SoCal is a menu bar item for managing and viewing To Dos that are already in iCal. All of your To Dos are listed in the SoCal menu and you have a few options for changing the tasks. If you select to edit a task, iCal will launch and the pane for the task will be opened and ready for quick editing. Although you can't edit or create new To Dos from SoCal, you can change the priority of any task or mark it as completed.

2.  Today

Developer: Second Gear LLC
License: Shareware

Today is a shareware application that lets you add events and To Dos that automatically sync with iCal. You can also add notes and alarms to events and To Dos. If you double-click on an event or task in Today's window, iCal will open. One nice feature of Today is that you can keep the application open above other apps, so that it is always visible and easily accessible. This can be useful, especially if you set the application's window to its smallest size. If you prefer, you can access Today from the menu bar.

3.  TaskMate

Developer: Ryan Conway
License: Freeware

TaskMate is a totally no-frills To Do application. It is a simple, small application that can be used for creating quick lists. You can add, delete or mark tasks as completed and that's it. The application doesn't sync with iCal but it is good for quick reminders that you want to keep on your Desktop. Like, Today, you can keep TaskMate open above all other applications so that it is always visible. The TaskMate pane can be reduced to a small size so that it doesn't interfere with your workspace.

4.  To Do Widget

Developer: Philipe Fatio
License: Donationware

The To Do Widget is a simple widget that lets you add To Dos that will automatically sync with iCal. You can also label and mark tasks as completed. You can select a specific iCal calendar for each task you create in the widget or you can have the task applied to all calendars. The To Do Widget also lets you adjust the font style and size you want for the text of your To Dos.


   

5.  DoBeDo Widget

Developer: Ron Morrison / Blue Henley
License: Freeware

With the DoBeDo widget, you can create To Dos in DoBeDo that will sync automatically to iCal. Preferences that you can set include changing the appearance of the Widget, setting the order of sorting tasks and selecting a default printer for the Widget. In addition to adding new tasks, you can also edit tasks that are already in iCal without leaving the Dashboard environment. You can read more about DoBeDo in the Reviews section of this website.

6.  Mail

Developer: Apple, Inc.
License: Included in Mac OS X 10.5

Although Apple's Mail program is not a To Do application, the latest version has a nice To Do feature that syncs with iCal. You can create To Do notes in Mail and assign a due date and priority level to each task. If you want to be reminded before a task is due, you can set an alarm for it. You can also assign any To Do item to one of your calendars in iCal. As soon as you create a To Do note in Mail and assign it to an iCal calendar, the information is synchronized immediately between the two programs. All of your To Dos from iCal will also appear in Mail after you create your first To Do in Mail.