Hypnotized by the Cow
18 September 2008
9 Comments
RTM’s most-requested feature
For 21 months, users on the Remember the Milk forums have held a steady petition in favor of an RTM-Outlook sync application.
Since January 2007, RTM users have been requesting, and in some cases demanding, these features. The thread has over 300 postings from users who promise to pay for their service if the feature is added, or threaten to cancel if it isn’t.
Why doesn’t the RTM crew break down against the pressure? The official word on Outlook sync is that it is not a priority for their small development team. Blogger Jimmy Guterman also does a good job of exploring this issue (linked below).
But… Why are we all still standing around waiting then?
If RTM isn’t going to do it, that’s fine. There are alternatives. Toodledo has all the same features as Remember the Milk - and the desired Outlook sync capabilities. This alternative is even mentioned on the RTM forums: “Outlook sync made me choose Toodledo over RTM” said one forum member…”but I’m still hanging with RTM in case they ever get outlook sync–and would certainly go Pro for it.”
Why are so many people so patient for RTM? Why not sign up for Toodledo, and never look back? Why even pay attention to a service that doesn’t meet your needs, when perfectly acceptable alternatives are available?
Is RTM really that much better than Toodledo?
Hypnotized by the brand
Remember the Milk’s branding - the name, the logo and the design - have captured people’s attention. Can a company really be called Remember the Milk? It is unexpected in both meaning and its verb-object construction.
Remember the Milk is, not surprisingly, a name that you remember. My friend first told me about it when we were both out on vacation. Two days later when I finally got back to my computer, I…remembered…it and signed up.
Toodledo, while whimsical, is a name that gets lost in comparison. There are too many similarly named applications: Todoist, Ta-da List and countless generic applications called just ‘To-do List.’
The RTM name tells a story
In my head, I get the imagery of a soccer mom and a post it on the refrigerator. We all have to buy milk (and if you don’t drink milk, there is still something on your to-do list that you have to buy).
Unlike the other applications, whose names approximate “all the shit you have to do,” RTM breaks it down to one thing - MILK - in a way that is closer to how we actually use these applications.
Cow? … Check
Everybody knows the RTM cow. Do you know what Toodledo’s logo is? I wasn’t sure, even though I had registered with them a little while ago. But can you guess? I bet you can.
A checkmark! Zenbe and Ta-da List have a checkmark logo too. When there is such an obvious logo option, it is an easy choice for the design team. But after getting lost in a sea of similarity, it seems like the wrong choice.
So what about you - are you waiting for RTM to add your favorite feature? Or have you jumped ship to a competing task manager with better features?
Remember the Milk forums: Outlook Sync Progress?
Jimmy Guterman on why RTM doesn’t add Outlook sync.
Dude! Thanks for the link. I’ve switched over to toodledo. They are taking too long at RTM dragging their feet!
No problemo, Kelly.
I think the small RTM team has been focused on their recently released iphone application. It makes sense when you see a growing iphone market and a shrinking Outlook market.
But Outlook people have probably been Outlook people for a long time (otherwise we would have switched to better email systems). The iphone crowd has a new-app-a-day habit. And the next app might just be the RTM killer.
Me myself, I’ve gone back to paper lists =P
Man, you are the man!
Very well put and excellent logic. It’s time more people start seeing through the marketing bs… I’m swithching!
Thanks cyrik. I just wish Toodledo relauched with a badass new name. Like maybe BRAINLogic. Ooh thats good. Brain….
I just found your article, and although it’s very useful, I would like to point there’s NO native sync between Toodledo and Outlook, you need a third-party application, and it’s still in beta, as you can see in this thread http://www.toodledo.com/forums/2/1649/0/outlook-to-toodledo-sync.html
does toodledo have a desktop gadget for vista/win7??
I’m switching today!
Well, I have to admit I was a RTM fan; have used it pro BECAUSE with milksync for windows mobile and syncing through Outlook web access my TASKS SYNCED TOO!!! BUT, (booh) I have upgraded to an iphone (which I am enjoying greatly with it’s cool gps and mapping features) - can NOT find a way to sync my apps. If Milksync could load onto my iphone, I suspect my tasks could also sync through Outlook web access (external server outlook provided through my company and many other companies use as well). I guess I’ll have to check out ToodledO.
Thanks for letting me know about Toodledo. Horrible name, but if it synces with Outlook I may have to chose.
That is the problem with some of these startups. They come up with a great product but then are too arrogant to give their target market what they want. They have their vision, and they actually don’t care what their users think or want.
I am trying to think of the name, but there is another company that has done the same thing. They even have a manifesto basically telling their customers to shove it, if they want anything that is not consistent with their vision.
I can understand having a vision, but when you get 680 replies to a post saying there is not enough demand for Outlook sync, then maybe it is time to consider creating an Outlook sync.
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