Macbook users all know the pinch they felt from having to buy that pricey Microsoft Office suite. But as Microsoft works to release its Office 2016, they are offering you a peek — free of charge.

This is the first time Microsoft Office suite has had a new release since 2011. To get the Preview, all you have to do is go to the website right now. The preview version of this suite will come fully packed with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook to every desktop OS user. Sure, it doesn’t have the final version, and there’re sure to be some updates, but this is the chance to get your paws on Microsoft Office for free while you still can. You will need Snow Leopard or higher to run the suite, but with the, that shouldn’t remain a problem for long. The biggest update from this most recent version of Office is all in the design.

Microsoft Office for Mac has had a problem of looking too dated when it comes to the Mac version, while its preferred Windows partner has that squeaky-clean, new feeling. Some people have stated that this latest version is now on par, or perhaps similar, to the Office 365 for Windows, with new flat design icons that were introduced in OS X Yosemite. The Outlook included in the bundle is already available as a stand-alone app, while OneNote is not included in the bundle and will continue to operate as a separate download (for free). Even if it’s not the full version, it’s very well worth the look-see, because it’s definitely time to chuck that Microsoft Office 2011 as far as you can.

Life is busy. We have commitments to juggle, meetings to attend, and tasks to complete. Keeping track of everything can leave you feeling like your brain is about to explode. So write it all down!

Or better still, install an app. To do lists have been around for hundreds of years. They help you manage your tasks, time and sanity. Software task managers take things further by popping up reminders, drilling down to what's important, and syncing to your smartphone. And are two of the most powerful to do managers for the Mac offering useful features in easy-to-use packages. They come at a cost but promise to repay you many times over in gained productivity. But they're not for everyone.

Is both free and unpretentious. It doesn't have as many features — and some would see that as a benefit — but it does allow you to share your tasks with others, which is something Things or OmniFocus don't do. These aren't your only options. In fact, the Mac App Store is crowded with list managers and to do list apps. Many of them aren't worth the time it takes to download them. In this review, we'll cover highly-rated apps that are worthy of your time and attention, and help you find one that suits you best. After moving to the Mac, I fell in love with Cultured Code's, and I've used it successfully for the last decade.

But I do love to play, so I keep five or ten of these apps installed on my Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Some I use, and others I play with from time to time. I have a keen interest in and used it as my main task manager for a few years. I also use Apple Reminders and to share tasks with my family. I'll share some of my experiences throughout the review. What You Need to Know Up-Front about Task Management Before we look at the individual apps, here are a few things you should know first. Just Installing a New App Won't Make You More Productive Apps are tools, and they will be of more use to you if you know how to use them effectively.

Right now, there's a lot of advice out there about how to become more productive and get more out of your apps. You can't read it all, but some study will yield a great return on your investment. Start by reading the material that comes with your task management software. Many have found value reading and practicing David Allen's book '. In it, he covers a range of useful techniques, including capturing tasks and ideas as they occur to you, keeping project lists where you identify the next action to be done, considering higher horizons of focus like your vision and goals, and reviewing all of your lists each week. I recommend it.

There's Room for Personal Preference We're not all alike. We have different tasks to manage, and different approaches to the way we organize them. There's a lot of room for personal preference, and the app that best suits me might not suit you. Look for the app that works the way you do. Lists Aren't Just for To-Dos Are you a list keeper?

They're helpful for a lot of things in life. Don't just use your app to list your daily to-dos — you can use it to track so much more!

Here are some ideas:. Keep a list of the books you want to read and movies you want to see.

Record the places you'd like to go and people you'd like to visit. Keep track of the bills that need to be paid and the dates they're due. Create a bucket list of achievements you'd like to accomplish while you're still breathing. Other Types of Apps that Help with Task Management In this review we'll cover list managers, but keep in mind there are other types of apps that can help you to be productive, and supplement your to-do list:.

calendars to manage your time (Apple Calendar, ),. timers and Pomodoro apps to keep you focused and accountable (, ),. project management apps (, ),. notes apps to keep track of reference material (Apple Notes, ),. outliners to structure your life and information (, ), Kanban boards to track your team's progress (, ). Who Should (& Should Not) Get This?

Years ago my friend Daniel told me, 'I thought only disorganized people used to do lists.' I disagreed, but that experience helped clarify to me that not everyone values using a to-do list. He's certainly not the sort of person who'd spend $80 on an app! Perhaps you feel the same. I encourage you to give a task management app a serious try anyway. At the time I was editing several blogs, managing a few dozen writers, and having to meet deadlines most days. I couldn't have survived without the getting the most out of the best task management software I could afford.

If you're the same, then you're sold on the idea of using a to-do list, and just need to identify the right app for you. In ', David Allen explains that trying to remember all of the things you need to do just adds stress to your life. Once you write them down and get them out of your head you can relax and focus on the task at hand, and become more productive.

Free Download Software For Mac

Almost everyone will be better organized by using a to-do list app. Once you've listed everything you need to do you can become objective. You'll find it easier to get an idea of how long it will all take, which tasks are most important, and which don't need to be done at all. You can start to put what you need to do in some sort of order. How We Tested and Picked Comparing apps that can manage your to do list is tricky. Each has its own strengths, and there's a wide range of prices, features, and techniques. Here's what we were looking for when evaluating.

How Easy Is It to Capture Tasks? Once you've thought of something to do — or someone has asked you to do something — you need to get it into your to do system as soon as possible, or you may forget it.

Doing so should be as easy as possible. Many apps have an inbox, where you can enter multiple items quickly without having to organize them up front. Integration with other apps is also helpful, so you can add a task from, say, an email directly into your app. How Versatile is the App's Organization? We all have different roles and task categories, so you need an app that can organize things in a way that makes sense to you. You might want to separate work tasks from your personal ones and create a number of lists to match your responsibilities. Folders, tags, priorities, and flags are some of the ways an app will let you create structure.

Does the App Provide Different Ways to View Your Tasks? When organizing tasks, it's helpful to see the details of each project. When doing tasks, it's helpful to group them in different ways. You might want to see a list of all the tasks that are due soon, quickly check all of the phone calls you need to make, or create a shortlist of the tasks you aim to accomplish today. Many apps allow you to view your tasks by context, filter by tag, or notify you of tasks due today.

Some apps even allow you to create custom views. How Does the App Handle Dates? Some tasks are associated with a date — most often a deadline, like a homework assignment. It's helpful to see a list of tasks due today (or in the next few days), and some tasks may deserve a pop-up notification to remind you. Some tasks are recurring and need to be done on a certain day each week, month or year, for example, putting the garbage out. You may have some tasks that you can't actually start yet. They shouldn't be clogging up your list, so some apps will let you hide them from your list until a future date — a feature I find very helpful.

Is the App for an Individual or a Team? Many of the apps we'll cover in this review are for one person only. Others allow you to share lists and delegate tasks with others. Which do you need? Many people prefer to use two different apps, one for personal use (which other members of the team can't mess up), and one for shared tasks and projects.

Can the App Sync to Mobile? I find myself checking my to-do list on my phone and iPad more than my computer. I often review my tasks on the go and add new tasks as soon as I think of them. Mobile apps are helpful and should sync quickly and reliably with your Mac. Cost The best to do list apps are not cheap, and in my opinion, that cost is justified. Not everyone will agree, so we've included apps right across the price range, all the way down to free.

Here's what the apps we cover cost, sorted from cheapest to most expensive:. free. free. free.

$19.99. $24.99. $24.99. $39.99.

$44.99/year. $49.99. $79.99 The Winners Best Choice for Most People. Cultured Code is a sleek, modern task manager, and has recently been rebuilt from the ground up. Tasks are logically organized by area of responsibility, project, and tag, and can be viewed in a number of ways — tasks to do today or in the near future, tasks that can be done at any time, and tasks you may get around to someday. $49.99 from the.

A fully functional 15-day trial version is available from the. Also available for iOS. Meet the all-new Things! A complete rethinking of the original, award-winning task manager – with a perfect balance between simplicity and power, incredible new features, delightful interactions, and a timeless new design.

Things has been my main task manager since 2010 — almost as long as I've been using a Mac. It suits me well.

Maybe it's a good fit for you too. Above is a screenshot of the tutorial project. The app looks clean, and there's a sense of logic in the way it's set out. The left pane contains a list of your areas of responsibility and projects, and above them, some shortcuts for smart folders that give you useful overviews of your tasks.

Areas of responsibility are the categories that sum up your major roles and interests. It could be as simple as 'Work' and 'Home', but I find it useful to include additional areas like 'Cycling', 'Tech' and 'Finances'. You add tasks under each of these areas, or you can add projects for jobs that require multiple tasks. For example, under 'Family' I have a project that lists the places we'd like to visit while living inter-state for the next year, and under 'Work' I have a project related to writing this review. The smart folders at the top list tasks according to the level of commitment you have toward them:. Today contains the tasks you should finish today. That includes the tasks that are due today and the ones you've flagged as wanting to work on today.

You can also list separately tasks to do in the evening. Upcoming tasks have start dates or due dates that are coming up. These are listed by date along with events from your calendar.

Anytime contains important tasks you can work on now, but don't have a deadline. Someday is a list of tasks you haven't committed to doing yet.

They could be wish list items or tasks you don't have time for right now. Other folders include the Inbox where you can rapidly enter new tasks, the Logbook which contains all of your done tasks, and the Trash. Things offers two additional methods of organization. The first is headings.

A big project can become cumbersome, and headings allow you to split it into smaller sections. That's clearer than having one big jumbled list and simpler than creating two different projects. Things also allows you to categorize your tasks by tags.

One task can be assigned multiple tags, and these can be used for a variety of our purposes. Here are some examples:.

Context, for example, home, work, phone. People, so you can quickly look up tasks you need to talk to someone about, or tasks that relate to a certain client. Priority, so you can focus on just your most important tasks. Energy required, so you can choose easy or challenging tasks depending on how much energy you have. Time required, like 15m, 30m, 1h, so if you have limited time, you can still find something to do.

Things offers three date features:. When (start date). Some tasks can't be started yet, so shouldn't be cluttering your to-do list. The 'When' setting will hide the task until you can actually start to work on it, though you'll always be able to track it down in the Upcoming section. Deadline (due date). Some tasks have a deadline, and there may be consequences if you miss it!.

Reminder (notification). For those tasks you can't afford to forget about, you can set a reminder alarm at a specific time on the day it's due. Things is designed for individuals and doesn't allow you to share or assign tasks. There are mobile versions of the app for iPhone and iPad, and sync is reliable. At $49.99 Things is not cheap, and if you need the iPhone and iPad versions, it's even more expensive. I find it worth every cent. You can read more from my full.

OmniGroup's is a power user's tool for getting things done. Unique features like outlines and perspectives allow you to optimize your workflow, and the review feature allows you to periodically check up on your projects. Power users will want the Pro versions of both the Mac and iOS apps, which comes to an eye-watering $139.98. If you put a high value on productivity, you might find that a bargain. A 14-day trial version is available from. OmniFocus Pro is available for $79.99 from the developer's website, or you can upgrade through an in-app purchase.

Also available for iOS. Live a productive, contextual life with OmniFocus 2 for Mac. Keep work and play separated with contexts, perspectives, and focus. Ignore the irrelevant, focus on what you can do now, and accomplish more. And do it all much faster than before. OmniFocus can do everything Things can do, and more. It's a powerful and flexible tool that can adapt to your way of doing things.

For best results, you'll need to purchase and carefully configure the Pro version. So it will cost you more and require more effort to set up. You can view your OmniFocus tasks by project or by context. Project View allows you to organize what you need to do in detail. You're able to create as many folders and subfolders as you need to give categories to place your tasks and projects in. Projects can be parallel or sequential.

A parallel project has tasks that can be completed in any order, where the tasks of a sequential project must be done in the sequence they are listed. You can use the outline feature to create a hierarchy of subtasks. I love the idea, but find the interface a little fiddly, and wish it worked more like OmniOutliner. Context View is often the best way to work on your tasks. You could pull up your 'Phone' context if you're in the mood to chat, or the 'Errands' context when shopping. All relevant tasks from across your projects will be there. However, while Things allows you to apply an unlimited number of tags, each OmniFocus task can be associated with one and only one context.

Is an attractive, multi-platform task app that is now completely free. The Pro version was recently discontinued, and its features incorporated into the standard app. There are versions for Windows, Android and more. Wunderlist has fewer features than both Things and OmniFocus. That keeps the app simple, which will appeal to some people, as will its price. One final benefit — the app allows you to share task lists and assign tasks, making it the only winner appropriate for teams. Free download from.

As of April 4, 2018, Wunderlist Pro is no longer available, and its features are now included in the free version. Also available for Android, iPhone, iPad, Web, Windows Phone, Chromebook, Kindle Fire. Wunderlist is the easiest way to get stuff done. Whether you're planning a holiday, sharing a shopping list with a partner or managing multiple work projects, Wunderlist is here to help you tick off all your personal and professional to-dos. If you're concerned about the cost of our other winners, Wunderlist may be for you. It's a simple and attractive task manager that manages to include quite a few features, and it's absolutely free.

Like most task managers, you can set up lists for the main categories of your life. With Wunderlist, you can share each list with others, so you could share a shopping list with your family, and a work project with the other team members.

Individual tasks can be assigned to other members of the group. This is something our other winners are unable to do. So, besides cost, the ability for multiple people to manage the same task is another strong reason to consider Wunderlist. You're also able to star important tasks, and set due dates and reminders. When looking for urgent tasks, you'll need to check both the 'Starred' and 'Today' lists. I wish that you could view both in a single list, but that's not possible unless you go through the list of tasks due today and manually star them.

Tasks can contain checklists, notes, and comments. Comments allow team members to discuss a task with one another. The app offers tags and notifications, lists and projects, mobile apps and sync.

Although it looks quite simple, there is plenty of power under the hood, including smart lists, which are similar to OmniFocus' perspectives. They are configurable saved searches that can pull tasks from all of your lists, for example, all tasks due in the next three days that are tagged 'bill'. 2Do is $49.99 from,.

Also available for iOS and Android. Is based on the standard Mac Reminders and Calendars app and adds functionality. That makes it a good choice if you're already using Apple's productivity apps, but wish they were more capable. Like 2Do, GoodTask features smart lists, which search for tasks from certain lists, or that include (or exclude) certain tags. This feature isn't as powerful as OmniFocus' perspectives, but it's helpful all the same.

Other features include subtasks, repeating tasks, manual sort, and quick actions. GoodTask 3 is $19.99 from. A trial version is available. Also available on iOS. Started as a web app, but now has apps for most platforms, including Mac. I used it long-term over a decade ago, and it's come a long way since then. The free version includes everything you need to get started but doesn't include all of the features of our winners.

It allows you to capture and organize tasks, remember deadlines, and review the week ahead. You can map out your tasks with projects and goals, and highlight tasks that are important with color-coded priority levels, and even visualize your progress with attractive charts and graphs. There are some limits to the free version. You can have a maximum of 80 projects, and up to five people can access a project. Yes, it's a multi-user app. A premium subscription will increase these numbers to 200 and 50, and unlock even more features, like templates, labels, themes and custom views.

Download Todoist from. It's free for a basic plan and $44.99/year for premium. Is quite different to the other apps we've listed. It's a plain text app and very minimalistic. It's also quite smart, offering a very different way of working with your tasks. You organize your projects, tasks, and subtasks in an outline, and I find it more intuitive than OmniFocus' outlining features. You can use tags on each item, and quickly filter your whole list by a specific tag.

TaskPaper is $24.99 from,. A 7-day trial version is available. It is no longer available for iOS, but compatible apps like and are.

Free Alternatives Here are some ways to manage your to-do list without spending any money. Use Pen and Paper You don't absolutely need to use an app to manage your to-do list. There's something satisfying about crossing completed tasks off a paper list. You could scribble on the back of an envelope with a pencil, or purchase a stylish Moleskine or Daytimer, it's totally up to you. There is a certain amount of redundancy and duplication when using pen and paper.

Windows For Mac Free Download

You may find that frustrating, or you may find it a good way to review your tasks each day. Paper productivity systems seem to be taking off again, and new methodologies like the are being developed. Free To Do List Apps for Mac is a great free task manager for the Mac. Here are a few more. Apple Reminders is already installed on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and allows you to create tasks with reminders, and shared lists. Some time ago I moved our family shopping list from Wunderlist to Reminders, and it works well.

My wife and I can add items to the list, and they're updated automatically on both of our phones. It works well.