MagicalPad Review

Friday, October 7, 2011

MagicalPad Review

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MagicalPad Review

By Greg Dawson on October 7th, 2011
Our Rating:

:: GET THINGS DONE
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

MagicalPad is an essential iPad app for taking freeform notes as well as creating outlines and checklists.

Developer: MagicalPad
Price: $.99
Version: 1.0
App Reviewed on: iPad
iPhone Integration Rating: 4.35 out of 5 stars
User Interface Rating: 4.35 out of 5 stars
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: 4.35 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4.35 out of 5 stars

I run my business out of my home and find myself searching for get things done, task management and organizational apps a lot. Beyond the daily to-dos, I also find myself writing down random notes on different pieces of paper in my office, on my kitchen table and just about anywhere I find paper and a pen.

While I’m a big fan of Orchestra for its ability to assign tasks as an individual or within a group, MagicalPad has given me a platform to create the necessary to-do lists as well as organize my thoughts, outlines and go beyond single tasks. And it only costs $.99 for this feature rich app that helps manage my business and personal life.

When downloaded, any number of individuals can create a fully structured outline of tasks, ideas, meeting notes or class notes. For instance, since I work from home I use MagicalPad to organize my meeting agendas for the two or three client calls I have each week. With the app I can list items, break out by importance and check off as we go through the agenda. If a change or new item comes up during the meeting I can easily add directly onto the workspace.

While it’s very functional, it is also visually laid out intuitively so structuring or quickly capturing thoughts and ideas is quick and easy. From experience, most GTD apps take too much time to input information and that time could have been used to simply finish the task.

The user interface reacts to simple commands such as tap to select a box, double tap to create a box as well as to type, and use a two-finger swipe to move the workspace around. However, the double tap caused some confusion early on due to that move normally being reserved for zooming in and out on the iPad. It takes a few sessions to get used to it. To zoom, there is a specific zoom tool on the bottom toolbar.

Another useful feature is the virtual joystick in the bottom right corner that allows the user to maneuver around the workspace as well.

In addition to all the workspace tools, the MagicalPad workspace can be saved on Google docs, Evernote, Dropbox as well as emailed. The share features combined with the app’s intuitive design and workflow makes it an essential app for freeform notes, outlines and checklists.