Well, just under 40 days ago, we shared a nice little app called Tyme with you. Quite simply, this is one of the (if not THE) best time-tracking management apps available on the Mac and iOS platforms. We gave our impressions of it, along with some of the features and benefits of using it.
So now, as of this writing, Tyme 2 (located at http://www.tyme-app.com) has been released! It’s available on the Mac for $10.99, and on the iPhone and iPad for $2.99 (both of which are special launch pricing). And, what’s the verdict??? Well, it’s now gone from interesting to powerful!….
What Makes This App Good?
Since we got it about 40 days ago, we have been using it extensively! As was said in the previous post, the “key” to using this app is to have a “plan” of how to use it. In fact, it’s highly recommended that if you are getting any kind of productivity app (such as 2Do, Evernote, etc.), it’s best to have at least a general idea of what you want to do with the app…. But, back to our point: This app is proving to be quite powerful because it now has added several features, such as categories, sub tasks, better iCloud syncing, and deeper viewing of what you have done over time….
The Experience
When we first purchased it on the Mac (and by the way, this is not a free upgrade for existing Tyme 1 users; it’s a paid upgrade on both Mac and iOS), the transition from Tyme 1 to version 2 was very painless. When we first opened Tyme 2, it asked if we wanted to import our data from Tyme 1, and after clicking “OK,” it immediately opened Tyme 1, and brought the data over to Tyme 2 with no problems!
After that, the first thing we noticed was the change in the font. It looks like the entire app now is composed of the new San Francisco font that is standard on both Mac and iOS, giving it a cleaner look. Now, here’s a kicker: Since this new version adds Categories and sub tasks, it caused us to “rethink” how we would break down our tasks. Thankfully, we had our task management app (2Do) at the ready, so after seeing how things were in there, we were able to duplicate (at least somewhat; not at the same level of detail, but we can go there if we want to in this new version!) our Categories, Lists (which are Projects in here), and “general” tasks.
What is it like to use it? Here’s an example scenario: Let’s say you have a brochure to create for a client. So, your Category could be set to “Work,” and within that category is the project, “Client Name X.” Then, within there is the task (or tasks) that you need to complete the brochure. Then, you simply click on the “Play” icon to begin a timed session! Once you finish, you simply click on the red “record” button, which can (if you set it up this way) bring up a dialog box that allows you to type in notes of what you just completed….
As time progresses, the things that you have worked on retain their beautiful colors that you had already set up for each project, and you then are able to see all the tasks logically laid out in the Statistics area, complete with breakdowns of things like how long you’ve worked during a given day, week or month, how much time each task took, along with the total number of hours you have completed.
The Tyme website also shows that the app is capable of things such as syncing tasks with the Calendar app, easy input of past tasks, and even when you forget to start the task within Tyme 2, you can set the start time to the spot where you were supposed to have started it in the first place!….
All in all, this app has easily become one of our most used apps on the Mac and iPhone, second only to the 2Do app! Given that we have over 180+ apps on our phone, to have it up there at the top in usage says a lot about the power and functionality of this app, and it speaks to the innovation that it’s founder, Lars Geckerns, put into this app! Tyme 2 is not only beautiful; it also is immensely helpful in enabling and encouraging productivity out of a person.
As a note, there is a 15-day trial available on the Mac, so if you’re not sure about purchasing it off the bat, try it out! Again, the “key” to using this app is to first have a plan of how you would like to organize your tasks. Be sure to breakdown your stuff into a series of Categories, then Projects, then Tasks. That way, you’ll be able to maximize the usage of this app.
Thus far, it’s served us very well over the past nearly 40 days as a helpful time management tool, so we believe you won’t be disappointed!
More is to come, ladies and gents, so stay tuned!