By: David Sparks Associate Editor

Is it just me or does it seem like you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting another new Mac task list application. Don’t get me wrong. This is great. Just a year ago most of us were looking at the lackluster task support in iCal and scratching our heads. Now there are a variety of options using OS X and Web 2.0.

Picking a task management application, however, is a very personal thing. One size most definitely does not fit all. I have one friend who has a habit of writing two things on an index card every morning. It works for him. I, on the other hand, am completely nuts. I manage about 30 different work projects with deadlines stretched over years, several staff members, and my various other family, social, and Mac commitments with a byzantine set of tasks that, at last count, tops over 400. There is no way I could keep all of these plates in the air without some very serious help. Enter OmniFocus.

I got in the OmniFocus alpha early and quickly came to rely on it. Scheduled for a 1.0 release on January 8, 2008, the application is in fine shape. I’m going to give it a full review when the 1.0 releases but for now take my word that if you are looking for an application to do the heavy lifting, give the beta a trial run. If you get hooked, they are reducing the $79 license fee to $39 before it releases. I’m not saying this is the solution for everyone, but it certainly is worth a look.

To see more of my rambling, stop on by MacSparky.com .