[yurkennis]

As long as for many months there's no official news on future of Bonsai, I think it's fair that community tries to find a decent alternative.

I tried to describe the most viable alternatives to Bonsai [I found so far] for desktop plus either iPhone or Android.
My post is clearly not any complete or precise -- feel free to propose additions/changes (and suggest more alternatives, of course), and I will merge your contribution back to the original post (kinda wiki style using old good forums :-).

If Natara objects, however, I will move this post to other place (Quora? Google Knol?).


=== MyLifeOrganized / MLO (Android, iPhone, Blackberry)
Status: limited-availability Beta (Android), public Beta (iPhone), released (Blackberry, WinMo, Windows desktop)
(all comparison is based on desktop version, as Android beta is still under development and I promised not to comment before it's public; haven't tried iPhone app hands-on)

Advantages over Bonsai:
= unlimited contexts, multiple per item
= sync: cloud or over-WiFi
= computed importance
= advanced rules for auto-formatting and custom filtering, grouping and sorting in tasks plain list (but not for outline tree--see below)
= reminders
= recurring tasks
= dependencies between tasks within one outline
= relative importance of task for a parent project/item
= multiple instances/windows of application allowed

Disadvantages:
= no outline filtering
= somewhat complicated UI, maybe even redundant in features (i.e. same variety of user scenarios could be supported with much simpler UI and less features--see Things for example)

Other:
= no tabbed UI, but each-outline-has-separate window UI
= potential ability to export back to Bonsai with all previously imported metadata preserved (as all Bonsai fields have fields to match in MLO) -- but only if someone create MLO XML > Bonsai XML conversion

How to migrate:
= ask me for full-fields export template (will submit it to MLO team later); or use limited template instead
= with template in hand, invoke in Bonsai: Export > MyLifeOrganized-Bonsai (change Windows Regional Settings: date format to YYYY-MM-DD until this feature request is resolved)


=== Android Outliner (Android)
Status: public Beta

Drawbacks:
= no desktop client
= need manual export-import from-to Bonsai desktop for every sync (planned: normal sync with desktop app)
= no categories/start dates (only due date and completion flag)
= non-ASCII characters are imported from Bonsai incorrectly (but typed in Android app just fine)
= no drag-n-drop moving of items/branches
= no filters whatsoever (even hiding completed/future Start Date)
= poor performance for large outlines (for an outline with 5k items, every edit item dialog ends with 10sec delays)

Potential advantages (planned in the roadmap):
= reminders
= option to sync with could

Advantages:
= pretty simple UI


=== LifeBalance (iPhone)
Advantages:
= also Mac desktop application (in addition to Windows)
= computed importance (sortable by in plain list)
= calculates how efforts are actually balanced between top-level outline items ("goals"); auto-prioritize basing on desired balance (and how actual doesn't match it)
= importance of task for a parent project/item
= sync over wifi

Disadvantages:
= no Android app yet
= somewhart complicated UI (but not as much as MLO)


=== CarbonFin (iPhone)
Disadvantages:
= no categories/tags; filters; start/due date
= no filters whatsoever
= web-only on desktop side (and no Windows application); not available offline
= sync via cloud only


=== Things (iPhone)
Not exactly an outliner, but some users find it a good alternative.

Advantages:
= extremely GTD-friendly: most GTD needs are solved, with extremely simple and elegant user interface
= recurring tasks
= multiple contexts per item
= context hierarchy

Differences:
= sync: cloud, ?over-WiFi

Drawbacks:
= Mac-only desktop application, no Windows desktop app; only iPhone, no Android app
= no unlimited hierarchy, three fixed levels instead: Areas > Projects > Tasks (both Areas and Projects are optional)
= no easy way to convert Task to Project and vice versa
= no import from Bonsai

This post has been edited by yurkennis: 17 February 2011 - 03:15 PM

[slwenglish]

I haven't yet tried any of them, but notice this:

MLO:
Computed importance doesn't suite everyone - people report getting odd prioritisation results. I understand it's optional, though.
No contact link - and if you want to filter on contacts, you have to put the contact names in as categories.
I understand that the complicated UI can be simplified by selecting which features you want to switch on or off?



Anyone tried Astrid for Android? How does it compare with Things on the iPhone?


The other option I'm considering is whether to go for a fixed hierarchy (viz Things' Areas > Projects > Tasks) and creating my own project outliner / task tracker in HanDBase. If I end up doing that over the next few weeks, I'll post the template to the DDH software website and let you know.

[TMDH]

I haven't checked in for quite a while. I am a huge Bonsai fan, but agree that they have moved on. About a year ago, I started using LeaderTask. Desktop only. They have a windows mobile companion, but no iphone or droid yet. They seem to be very active developers and they have many features I was hoping Bonsai would introduce.
I'd still be interested in Bonsai if they resumed development. If not, then thanks guys...it was great software.

[reesd]

I would be using MLO if they would just add outline filtering. I have been asking for it for years.

Another very powerful outliner is InfoQube (http://www.infoqube.biz/Home). I like it a lot, but its confusing to figure out, no mobile, and limited import/export...

d

[skenop]

I am now using Wunderlist (http://www.wunderlist.com). See my new topic (very similar to this one; I should've looked closer :) from a couple days ago.