Well, just my feedback after the server update:
@kcase: I gave OF another shot this evening after returning from work after reading your update email sent this morning (ETC). Thanks for letting us know.
I am transferring projects and tasks from the past two weeks to OF now, and I can say that this time there really is a remarkable difference. It’s still not Things or Todoist fast (but OF makes up for that in other areas). My point is that sync time is now pretty good - esp considering that your server is in Seattle and I am in Copenhagen, Denmark.
So well done and thanks! I have to say that I really appreciate it since I am 100% dependent on my task management system in order for me to do my work (and keep it). I am really happy that you’ve got it sorted! Then now is also the time to get OmniOutliner - now that OF and me are best pals again :)
And this is the real problem: OmniFocus sync is VERY FINICKY. If you have 3-4 clients, you have to go to those devices and sync each and every one of them every couple days, or everything slows down.
When I was using OF, pretty much every day I would go to settings and look at the number of .zip files on iOS. And I’d try to manage this. Heck, maybe I should have made it a repeating task.
I SHOULD NEVER, EVER, HAVE TO MANAGE THE NUMBER OF ZIP FILES (OR EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT) WITH MY TASK MANAGER.
I have spent extensive time with Things, OmniFocus, and The Hit List. By the criteria of “which is the fastest and most reliable sync, without me needing to worry about it,” OmniFocus’s sync is BY FAR THE WORST. It’s an order of magnitude worse than the other options (I say this with absolutely no hyperbole).
Yes, OmniFocus is more flexible, and it’s the only one where you can choose your own sync server (if data security and privacy is an issue), but that’s not really an acceptable tradeoff for me, given how crappy the performance is. And throwing more hardware at the problem is just a band-aid (and will NEVER lead to an order-of-magnitude improvement in performance): the architecture of sync with a bunch of .zip files on a WebDAV server that have to be manually “checked off” and then merged on a client-by-client basis is architecturally crappy.
I really think the Omni folks should download and set up Things and THL and seeing what sync is like. It’s fast, it works, and it has no latency. It’s just better. There are other shortcomings to these products, but sync is not one of them. OF sync is a donkey in this syncing horse race.
Ken did outline what the plans are for sync improvement in an above post. These future improvements sound promising. He explained the challenges of changing the database format. They are exploring it further. I’d say leave them alone and let them, . They were slowed down by waiting for existing OmniFocus 1 users to upgrade to version 2. They are working on it.
Remember that OmniFocus was first based on an OmniOutliner data structure (kinkless GTD). Eventually, the database structure will be changed.
Well, aside the fact that I do like donkeys (especially in horse races) I agree insofar that I think OmniGroup should have improved their sync mechanism before rolling out OF2 – as a significant part of the latest OF1 updates.
Unfortunately they skipped that important step and hoped they would be able to improve the sync later on the fly. So they built OF2 on the same foundation with only minor changes and improvements because they wanted a smooth transition from OF1 to OF2.
They had a time frame of 12 to 14 month to release the 3 new versions one by one. During that time it was impossible to perform major changes on the sync method without leaving the customers in chaos.
The only alternative would have been to release all three versions of OF2 together on the same day – including a modern database architecture and a brand new sync mechanism. Drawback: No downgrade path and no option to use mixed versions (say, OF2 on iPhone and OF1 on Mac).
What do you think how successfull this strategy would have been for OmniGroup’s business?
If Omni had waited longer and released 3 simultaneous versions, customers would have abandoned OmniFocus a long time ago.
Damned if you. Damned if you don’t. It’s easy to play the head coach role after the game has been played.
I was reading J.D. Meier’s “Getting Results the Agile Way.” One recommendation is to release software version 1.0 and get it out the door. There is no time for perfection. Then plan for version 1.1 and incrementally improve the software. Then plan for version 1.2 and incrementally improve upon version 1.1.
http://www.jamesshore.com/Agile-Book/release_planning.html
I thought Omni had to keep the sync and database in place for the meantime until everything was in place.
I also appreciated at least having OmniFocus 2 iPhone which gave me an idea of what to expect in a redesigned Mac version. Then OmniFocus 2 for Mac built upon ideas that originated in the iPhone version. Then the iPad version built more upon ideas that were created in the Mac version.
Now, we’ll be getting a Universal app that will run on both the iPad and iPhone.
I think it was a smart idea to let us have growing pains as we slowly switched from the OmniFocus 1 architecture and eventually move into OmniFocus 2. Omni would’ve been blasted for “abandoning” OmniFocus 1 users too quickly if the database format and sync were changed so suddenly.
I applaud Omni for taking their lumps. I’m excited to see the Universal iOS app. That hopefully indicates a change where the database structure and sync services will change.
Just a quick update: OmniFocus for iPhone v2.4.3 is now available on the App Store, with improvements to background sync and related features:
- Background Sync When Activated From a Suspended State — OmniFocus once again responds to background fetch requests after being suspended (for example due to low memory).
- Sync When Returning to Foreground — When appropriate, OmniFocus once again syncs when returning to the foreground.
- Sync in Nearby Perspective — Sync changes can now be incorporated while the Nearby perspective is open.
Hope you’re able to notice the improvements! If you’re still having issues with sync latency or duration, please be sure to let us know.
This has now moved beyond the exploration phase: the push notification service we’re currently building for OmniFocus will support syncing to the Omni Sync Server or your own private server.
We’ve posted a detailed description of how push-triggered syncing works, and it’s going into TestFlight today:
Wow, that’s a huge dialog) And I’ve read it all!
