To-do list application?

September 12, 2006 5:19 PM

Can anyone recommend a floating to-do list widget for my PC?

It seems like such a simple thing: I'm looking for a to-do list application that floats over my windows and will let me add and check off tasks interactively. I poked through Yahoo Widgets and Firefox add-ons but interactive task lists eluded me. Basically, I want something like todalist that's a freestanding desk app. Seems so simple, but my google-fu must be broken.

posted by arielmeadow to computers & internet (18 comments total)

I use Rainlendar -- it may be more than you want but can probably run in just to-do mode. Free.
posted by anadem at 5:23 PM on September 12, 2006

Why not use a text file?
posted by devilsbrigade at 5:26 PM on September 12, 2006

yeah use notepad
posted by thilmony at 5:37 PM on September 12, 2006

Rainlendar was something cool I used under Windows. Alas, I use Linux & GNOME now, so I'm somewhat piggybacking on this thread if anyone knows of open source alternatives to rainlendar. If not, I might end up writing a simple one in python+GTK someday...
posted by a007r at 5:40 PM on September 12, 2006

Rainlendar 2 (currently in beta) is available for Linux.
posted by Doofus Magoo at 5:54 PM on September 12, 2006

A Note?
posted by fire&wings at 5:56 PM on September 12, 2006

I have wanted the same kind of thing over on the Mac side and couldn't find anything that does what I want, but 2Remember has come closest. I don't know of anything for PCs, though.
posted by ancientgower at 6:18 PM on September 12, 2006

I third Notepad.

If not that, then check out ATNotes. I used to use it all the time. (Though, I must admit, it's been years.)

It's a freeware "Post-it note" like program with a few neat features including varying levels of background transparency. And it looks like there's a new version!

As with all freeware, use at your own risk. YMMV.
posted by bodega at 6:24 PM on September 12, 2006 [1 favorite]

If you use Backpack at all (it's from the same people that did TadaLists and has pretty similar checklist functionality), there's a widget for Yahoo Widgets called UbiqMemo that provides access to view, create, reorder, and check off items on your various Backpack pages, in addition to creating notes. I've found it pretty useful.
posted by shinji_ikari at 7:02 PM on September 12, 2006

MoRUN.net Sticker Lite
posted by MrZero at 7:17 PM on September 12, 2006

Perhaps this http://www.tadalist.com/ and Yahoo Widgets RSS reader.
posted by matholio at 7:47 PM on September 12, 2006

I highly recommend To-Do List by htpshareware. This is what the program looks like


posted by petsounds at 8:19 PM on September 12, 2006

If you use Google Desktop, there is a Sidebar Gadget that does just that. (It can, of course, be undocked to float wherever you want it to be.) Very simple: To Do entry box above list items with check boxes. Checking an item strikes it through and moves it to the bottom. Right-clicking allows for adding a new item above or below, editing (also available by double clicking the item), and removing checked and unchecked items. Pressing Shift twice brings the Gadgets (the To Do list, as well as whatever other Gadgets you have) up to the front.
posted by jroybal at 8:52 PM on September 12, 2006

Not exactly what you're looking for, but I use DeskTask, which snags your to-do list and calendar from Outlook and floats it on your desktop.
posted by roomwithaview at 10:18 PM on September 12, 2006

another vote for rainlender here.
posted by juv3nal at 12:50 AM on September 13, 2006

If you do decide to use notepad, you can make it automatically append a time stamp to your list. Open a new notepad doc, make the first line .LOG and save it. Each time you open it, the time and date will appear on a newline.
posted by miniape at 4:25 AM on September 14, 2006 [1 favorite]

My Life Organized
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 4:59 AM on September 14, 2006

Rainlendar here too - with calendar and events visibility unchecked, and Moderna skin. Clean, unobtrusive, efficient. Move items up and down, separate groups of related entries with a line, mark done but leave in list or mark done and remove from list. Calendar and events still accessible from taskbar icon.
posted by Zeedog at 5:01 AM on September 14, 2006