Goes beyond 'to-do list' with planning

PowerUp is a new active task-management application, optimized for Snow Leopard and Lion, that lets users create to-do lists and easily update their progress. A reminder progress bar keeps users focused on the overall goal, and user can zero in on troublesome sections to change the progress bar to that one task. By checking off completed tasks but leaving them on the list, users gain motivation from accomplishment.

Unlike other utilities that follow the popular "GTD" (getting things done) methodology, PowerUp uses psychological reward. The large progress bar is updated with each new task or sub-task accomplished, providing visual encouragement towards 100 percent.

Accomplishments are not removed from the list, reminding users of how far they've progressed. The developers encourage users to be realistic with themselves about the goals they want to accomplish, breaking them down into as many steps or sub-tasks as needed in order to be able to regularly mark them either done or partially accomplished, adding up to the larger overall "done" percentage.

Task lists can be imported from other sources via copy and paste, and the list allows for some entries that are not tasks and don't affect the overall score (such as notes). Projects can be shared with other PowerOn users via Dropbox or e-mail, and progress reports can be created by simple copy and paste.

The program costs $20 on a per-user basis, allowing installation on all the Macs the user owns.

by MacNN Staff