Sooner Review

Task Management and To Do List apps are extremely common on the App Store, mostly because it's great to use an iPhone as an organizational device, amongst all those sessions of Angry Birds and Safari browsing. For the most part, these apps use a list focused interface or a calendar style appearance. Sooner does things very differently, it uses a circular interface.

A large circle covering the screen dictates everything. Users drag a plus sign to the segment of the circle that they want to add the task to, before entering relevant details. It's a pretty different way of doing things but surprisingly intuitive.

Certain predefined segments are available, such as Education, Personal, Ideas and Work/Profession with it possible to add a number of personalized segments too. Doing so takes seconds to set up with it possible to add a color to represent the subject.

Adding tasks themselves is just as easy, while offering features such as a deadline, reminder, set time for the task as well as define any recurring features. It works well, adding flexibility that means it's just as easy to add ideas or random thoughts, as it is to list a set appointment that has to be kept. Each section can be browsed as a list, too, saving users from having to look at curved writing as is depicted on the circle.

It might take a moment or two to adjust to the idea of tasks being listed in such an alternative fashion, but it works well. Flicking around the circle to see what needs doing is simple to do, and it works equally well when it comes to browsing the hour by hour calendar. Its only foible is it's a little basic looks wise and lacks some more complex features (although does benefit from iCal sync functionality). However, saving time and effort is what task management apps should be all about and Sooner clearly achieves that. Now, how about an iPad version?