Developer: Mikko Hanski Price: $.99
Version: 1.2
App Reviewed on: iPhone 4
There are a lot of very useful to-do list apps on the App Store. For example, Orchestra has a useful group sharing feature and OmniFocus, which features list synchronization between devices. And yes, the aforementioned apps are very useful and I use them daily, but probably offer more than one would need for simple to-do productivity. Checklist., yes it has a period at the end of it, is one such app that provides the basics and does it very well.
Its simplicity and minimalist design gives it a step up on the competition who seem to be more focused on providing very complex Get Things Done (GTD) style functions that usually cause the user to spend more time building the to-do and action list than they would spend on actually completing the task. The sleek black and grey monochrome design style is easy on the eyes too.
As for functionality, it’s simple. After opening the Checklist. app a big “create list” tab is in the middle and immediately gets the user into creating a list. After one touch the user is able to create barebones checklists such as the ever so popular grocery list. Of course, any list can be created such as a trip, move-in, project or party list. The options are limitless. And while some may find the lack of options for drilling down to the minute details of the task at hand, I found it very refreshing. Sometimes tasks don’t need explanations, multiple project notes, action items for the actions or color-coated flagging. Sometimes, I just need to have a reminder to get the milk.
Checklist. does this very well. Of course, it does have a few useful extras such as saving the list for future use (i.e. grocery lists usually stay the same for some), email to others (maybe it’s a party checklist that one or more people are planning) and an alarm function that can act as an additional reminder.
Overall, Checklist. is a straightforward to-do list builder that favors simplicity and ease of use over apps that require more time to input the task than complete them. And since Apple’s built-in Reminders app doesn’t include the email function, this app is an easy buy.