Will MS ever merge it's multiple To-Do Apps?

[stewardrose]

MS is all about productivity. One of my tools I use daily is MS To-Do. An I am frustrated that there is such a bad integration of this app (and wunderlist) into MS other products. Especially into the arrow launcher in Android which has its very own todo-solution.
So, will MS ever merge the various todo-approaches? And why did this not happen already?

Would like to hear your opinion on that

Best regards

Trixster

 

[ryanlrobinson]

I would definitely support the "merge everything under the Wunderlist brand" strategy. Doing the same under the MS To-Do brand is also fine and seems more likely, but Wunderlist has the best brand name. Get Cortana's reminder to go into Wunderlist instead of being its own list. Kill off To-Do after merging any features in it not already in Wunderlist back into Wunderlist. Tasks associated with your email account is already tied into To-Do (don't know about Wunderlist) and that needs to remain flawless when looking at your tasks in places like desktop Outlook.

I understand keeping Planner separate. Planner is a group project planning tool while the rest are for individuals. That just needs some way of showing the Wunderlist/To-Do apps on the Planner screen so we can see them in the same place, but doesn't need to treat them as the same.

 

[MsftMan]

MS is all about productivity. One of my tools I use daily is MS To-Do. An I am frustrated that there is such a bad integration of this app (and wunderlist) into MS other products. Especially into the arrow launcher in Android which has its very own todo-solution.
So, will MS ever merge the various todo-approaches? And why did this not happen already?

Would like to hear your opinion on that

Best regards

Trixster

I started to get frustrated with Microsoft efforts in this field when they decided not to integrate Outlook "Tasks" on the Window Phone. Why use Tasks in Outlook when you can't get to them. For the past two years I have used the premium version of Todoist. My journey of ToDo apps can seen here: https://msftman.wordpress.com/2017/05/28/wunderlist-project-cheshire-todoist-more

Microsoft ToDo does look promising, but until it does what I need it to, I'll stick with Todoist.

 

[pwgc]

For many years I have used the todo section of Outlook using exchange. I think many people in business do this. So the plus about the new todo app is that it works with that database but it gives a more user and mobile friendly interface. The problem with wunderlist (which I also had a premium sub for) was that it had better functionality but the database was totally separate from anything else. So for me, the optimum would be to keep the current to do app with its options to use the office 365 exchange todo database (or create your own using a microsoft account if you want) but then to import the functionality of wunderlist. It seems that Microsoft is reluctant to do this as (I'm guessing) they don't want to build all of the wunderlist functionality if nobody wants it all as it would be a cost to develop and maintain. What I absolutely wouldn't want is just a stand alone todo app which didn't link to exchange, as there are already gazillions of those out there and Microsoft's version would be lost in the forest.

 

[Vandrey Trindade]

MS is all about productivity. One of my tools I use daily is MS To-Do. An I am frustrated that there is such a bad integration of this app (and wunderlist) into MS other products. Especially into the arrow launcher in Android which has its very own todo-solution.
So, will MS ever merge the various todo-approaches? And why did this not happen already?

Would like to hear your opinion on that

Best regards

Trixster

Yes, I think they should end up this mess of apps.
Arrow Launcher must use To-Do by default and Wunderlist should dissapear at once.

 

[wotsit1982]

It sure is a mess - you also have Outlook desktop and Outlook.com as separate task platforms. Add in the fact that you can't access Outlook.com tasks in the iOS app and you see the seriousness of the muddle this space is in.

Outlook's task system is very powerful but hasn't seen any meaningful update for years and is arguably over complex; it certainly doesn't offer the visual simplicity of To-Do.

Indeed I've moved from using Outlook tasks at work on Windows 7 to using the web version of Microsoft To-Do.

It's a mess that sure needs sorting - but one thing we can all agree: this is typical Microsoft.

 

[rmark66]

I think Microsoft is just starting to figure out what they want to do with tasks. My thought would be:

1) take the app that has the best/newest technical infrastructure and finish integrating it into Office 365 (if more is needed). This is the one they should take into the future.
2) look at the functionality in other task applications (MS's and competitors) and design those into the app they picked in 1)
3) integrate into a lot of Microsoft products (Outlook, Planner, Online calendar and email, Visual Studio, Project, etc.)
4) create API's for third party apps and services.

Tasks are an important part of productivity and for "the" productivity company, this is a must to do and they should be able to get it right!

 

[Cuhulin AmHairghin]

MS is all about productivity. One of my tools I use daily is MS To-Do. An I am frustrated that there is such a bad integration of this app (and wunderlist) into MS other products. Especially into the arrow launcher in Android which has its very own todo-solution.
So, will MS ever merge the various todo-approaches? And why did this not happen already?

Would like to hear your opinion on that

Best regards

Trixster

The problem is that Microsoft's different teams each seem to pursue approaches that fit their own desires.

This would not be so bad if the underlying databases were compatible - like OneNote 2016 and Outlook are. That was supposed to happen with Microsoft ToDo when MS acquired Wunderlist, but ToDo development has been largely stagnant, so Wunderlist still has features that are not in ToDo.

If the various task programs were different interfaces on a common database, MS could save a lot of basic development time, but that would require management to sit the teams down together and get that done.

 

[Great deal]

Get rid of them all and buy the best one out there since sliced bread...Todoist. Job done.

 

[j0shy81]

It is possible to connect Wunderlist or To-Do to the MS Launcher, so this can eliminate at least one redundant solution. I find that To-Do is the more elegant one in its execution.

 

[Wevenhuis]

Yes. Merge all the nest features of most to do apps into one to do app and integrate it with windows 10 and other microsoft apps and services. The biggest thing I'm missing is integration with the native mail and and calendar app and onenote. If these were here today my work were a lot easier. Its not rocket science and this idea was here 10 years ago too. From and end user perspective he experience is highly fragmented with a sense that there is little holistic view at msft on this matter.