Taskforce is a browser extension and comes with an idea first implemented a couple of years ago: Plug on to the mighty and popular Gmail and enhance it with task support.
Of course Gmail has Google tasks for this job you will say –and I will justify your statement- but lets admit that it’s not as advanced as many users would desire.
As I said before Taskforce comes in the form of a browser extension, so first of all you have to make sure you are using one of the supported browsers (Chrome, Firefox or Safari).
After installation, go to your Gmail or refresh the page and you will be greeted by the Taskforce panel, located at the top right of the page. The panel is movable and expandable, just click on the Tasks button, containing a view of your active tasks lists or your actual tasks in case you don’t use multiple lists.
You can navigate through the lists and add, edit or reorder tasks, Speaking of editing the tasks, there is a nice editing interface, which activates when you click on a task and presents you with all of the possible fields to edit, just using some clicks and without any text fields or combo boxes.
You can have due dates, recurring tasks and multiple comments on any of your tasks, and of course assign any of them to more than one lists (the Google Tasks team, if there is one, should be learning from those guys). Of course you can have your tasks synched with the actual Google tasks which is a very useful feature and it will allow you to work with your tasks using your mobile.
Killer features:
- Plugged on to your favorite Gmail screen
- Quick convert any email to task using dedicated buttons displayed in every emails
- Easy sharing tasks and whole lists with others
- Fast and responsive
- Nice and simple design
GTD mode:
- Not native, but lists can be used as contexts or projects
Weaknesses:
- Using a small portion of the screen can be difficult for some users although the Taskforce window can be vertically resized
- Navigating back and forth through lists can be complicated for some users. I think a navigation panel (maybe hierarchical) should be more prominently displayed
- A few set of user defined options are available to users
- Lack of export/import options
- Free version offers less than Google Tasks (no sync, no multiple lists, no keyboard shortcuts and recurring tasks)
Supported elements: Tasks, lists, due dates, recurring tasks, collaborators, start date for tasks, comments
Supported services: Email reminders, Google tasks sync, API
Mobile access: Through any mobile app that synchs with Google Tasks (paid version only)
Cost: Free (really light) version, 5$ per month or $50 per year (30 days free trial given to new users)
Conclusion : If you use Gmail a lot and want to manage your tasks without changing screens, this application will be just right for you. If you are a heavy GTD user you will find this implementation limited.
Although its monthly fee is relatively cheap compared to other on-line task management services, the free version offers nothing more than the standard Google Tasks implementation (maybe less). Keeping in mind that its target group will be casual users with small task lists, the free version should offer more.