In 2015 Microsoft acquired the famous and most lovable task management application named[1] “Wunderlist” for a massive 200 Million Dollars. The objective of this acquisition was to establish Microsoft’s name as the best task management application provider. In pursuance of its determined vision, Microsoft finally launched[2] “Microsoft ToDo” in 2017 with features that resembled a lot with Wunderlist. However, it also declared in 2019 that the Wunderlist app would be completely discontinued until “Microsoft ToDo” incorporates all its features. Which forced the Wunderlist creator[3] “Christian Reber” to buy back his application from Microsoft by making a serious undisclosed offer of which no reply has been received from Microsoft yet.
Did Microsoft Crush Wunderlist?
So, with controversial fights going on with this app in the background, it is time for us to dig deep and find out whether “Microsoft ToDo” is worthy of carrying on Wunderlist goodwill or is simply trying to crush an outstanding startup. Don’t forget to watch till the end because we will also be talking about the pros and cons of this application to help you arrive at a perfect decision.
Features[4]
- User Interface – A user interface of an application is the one that makes or breaks it. And if we talk about Microsoft ToDo, then we believe it is one of the smoothest applications that will automatically speak to you about its features. Because the moment you open it, no ads or complicated features will be hovering over every corner of the app. On the left side, you would notice a navigation bar ready to direct you towards your favorite tasks or the tasks that you have already planned, at the center, you will witness the task that you have selected, and on the right side, it will ask you to make changes to it if you want to.
Themes
- Theme – The app eliminates boredom with the option to change the background theme of the tasks by selecting a bunch of stock photos of nature to enlighten your mood. However, there is no option to upload a custom photo of your choice from the phone. This could make you stuck with the few options until a new application update jumps in.
- Favorites – As the word suggests, you can always press the star button concerning any task you want. This, in return, saves your time in finding out the main task you were looking for.
- Subtask – One of the most remarkable features of the application consists of adding a subtask to your main task. For example, if you are packing your stuff for a trip to London, you can create a subtask by adding things that you don’t want to miss.
- Planning – You can upload a document or file at a particular task to ensure you don’t miss out on anything.
- Sharing – And you can also share your tasks with close ones via invitation through email or by sending a direct link.
Pros & Cons
As we now know about the main features, it is time to find out the Pros and Cons of using this application.
Pros[5]
- The application is entirely free to use, which takes away the burden of paying subscription fees and watching irritating ads without notice.
- It is perfect for families, students, or individuals who want to keep their tasks private.
- A fast and straightforward user interface keeps you more engaged with the app.
- Availability on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS makes it easier for users to integrate their data anywhere.
Cons[6]
- Although the application allows you to upload a file on your desired tasks, however, the limit of uploading a file is only 25 MB, which could be frustrating for users because of the high-quality cameras of smartphones.
- It is great to find a subtask feature, but you cannot create a note or add more details in each subtask. It is simply a mini version of the main task that only allows short lines[7].
- When it comes to sharing the tasks with others, it bounds them to download the same application to view it. Which makes it difficult for people who are not in the mood to load up their phone with more memory-consuming applications.
- Despite being simple and intuitive, the application does not show you the percentage level or statistics of the tasks completed by you. Which could result in wasting your time searching for uncompleted tasks and forcing you to calculate your productivity level on your own.
- There is no advanced search option to find out a lost task.
- Lastly, they could have added a graded version of marking a task as a favorite, like important or most important.
Conclusion
So this was the complete review of “Microsoft ToDo” and it is one of the simplist ToDo list applications available today. However, if you try to compare it with other top task management applications like[8] ClickUp or ProofHub, Microsoft still has a long way to go Not to forget, in 2021 alone, around 5.4 million applications were filed to create new businesses[9]. Which was 53 percent higher than in 2019. And as every business requires a perfect task manager to maintain their productivity, it seems Microsoft ToDo will be sitting in the last seat when they decide to pick one for their team.
Give Me Your Thoughts
So what do you think about Microsoft ToDo?
Do you think it is the best task manager in the market?
Tell us in the comment section below. And if you have any questions or suggestions, please mention them in the comment section; we will surely respond to your request.
Do not forget to press that like button if you like this video and subscribe to our channel.
Thank you so much for watching. Please click here for more content.
References
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/8/20855201/wunderlist-buy-back-offer-microsoft-christian-reber
[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_To_Do#:~:text=Microsoft%20To%20Do%20was%20first,a%20closer%20resemblance%20to%20Wunderlist.
[3] https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/8/20855201/wunderlist-buy-back-offer-microsoft-christian-reber
[4] https://www.fool.com/the-blueprint/microsoft-to-do-review/#:~:text=Microsoft%20To%20Do%20is%20not,on%20time%20and%20on%20target.
[5] https://www.fool.com/the-blueprint/microsoft-to-do-review/#:~:text=Microsoft%20To%20Do%20is%20not,on%20time%20and%20on%20target.
[6] https://in.pcmag.com/speech-recognition/115221/microsoft-to-do-review
[7] https://www.fool.com/the-blueprint/microsoft-to-do-review/#:~:text=Microsoft%20To%20Do%20is%20not,on%20time%20and%20on%20target.
[8] https://hey.space/blog/task-management-tool
[9] https://eig.org/news/new-start-ups-break-record-in-2021-unpacking-the-numbers#:~:text=Key%20Findings%3A,Census%20Bureau’s%20Business%20Formation%20Statistics.