The key with Outlook is to set it up so that Outlook Tasks synchronize using the Microsoft To-Do platform. Create Task folders under “Tasks” in Outlook for your Projects and Contexts. You can then set up a GTD system using different views and Lists as GTD Projects. Logicbrick A nicer, less cluttered version of outlook. Biggest advantage is ease of navigation and use. You can view all mail and calendars in a single combined view, without tampering with any settings. Similarly, the tasks view is also very capable. Added to this, the support team are very responsive and helpful.
Outlook delivers all of these mail features, plus a calendar, chat, task manager, and note-taking. You can even create Office 365 groups right in Outlook. If you take an 'everything including the kitchen sink' approach to email, Outlook is the client for you. Outlook Pricing: From $5.99/month for Office 365 Personal. This proprietary format is easily read on other PCs, but it is unrecognizable on Macs - even if you are using Microsoft Outlook for Mac or Apple Mail. MSG Viewer for Outlook works like magic by converting the unrecognizable format into the email that your friend or coworker intended to send you - and it all happens in a split second.
Nothing beats a capable and feature-rich calendar app for keeping things organized. It’s the first thing I glance at to see my schedule for the rest of the day. Every operating system comes with the default calendar app. But they are basic at best. Apple Calendar on macOS is one of those passable calendar apps. However, the Mac App Store and the web are full of rich third-party calendar apps for Mac. We have selected the best 5 options among them.
1. Fantastical – Calendar & Tasks
Fantastical comfortably tops the list with the best user interface for any calendar app for the Mac. The animations are smooth, and the whole experience is quick, fluid, and responsive.
My favorite function about Fantastical is the ability to create an event from the ‘+’ menu quickly. Click + in the menu bar and type ‘Marketing meeting at 2 PM’, and it will create the schedule for you.
If you frequently need to create the same event for the near future, you can create a template out of the added event. It lets you compose an event with a single click. Need to add schedule from Sports, TV, Finance, and more? Fantastical has got you covered on that front as well. The app has added support for all the popular third-party calendars.
As for pricing, Fantastical used to be a one-time affair but the developers recently switched to a subscription model.
Price: Free (In-app purchases starts from $4.99)
2. Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook, mostly known for its email functionality, hasn’t always had a capable calendar add-on. In 2015, the software giant purchased the popular Sunrise Calendar app and improved its default Calendar capabilities.
As for creating an event, users have all the options they can think of. One can create an event with location, Skype call, meeting notes, and more. Interesting calendars is my favorite add-on from Outlook. Similar to Fantastical, you can import schedules from popular TV channels, and sports like Baseball, Tennis, Football, Cricket, Basketball, etc. You need to add them using the Outlook iOS app and then it will appear on the Outlook Mac app.
The new Outlook for Mac app is a joy to use. Those invested in the Microsoft ecosystem will appreciate close integration with Sticky Notes and Microsoft To-Do service.
Price: Free (In-app purchases starts from $69.99)
3. Calendar 366 II
This is designed as a supplement to the default Apple calendar, but it could also replace it entirely depending on your workflow. It’s pretty comprehensive and gives you the convenience of managing your dates using only this app; It’s a breeze to view your appointments and add new ones. Moreover, you can choose from various views such as yearly, monthly, weekly, schedule, current day, etc.
The best part is the natural text input that makes it easy to input data. For example, you can type in:” Meeting tomorrow, 11.00 am – 1 pm, or “Date night next Sunday 6 pm – at the new Mexican place”, or to make it even simpler: “time to read tomorrow.” Use this calendar your way and it’ll help you manage all of life’s happenings.
You can also sync data seamlessly across devices via iCloud, customize the menu bar according to your needs, and easily find what you want with Spotlight search.
Calendar 366 II fully supports English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Polish, and Chinese.
Price: $14.99
4. BusyCal
By default, BusyCal allows you to view your calendar in Day, Week, Month, Year, and List. I like the customization options on the offer. You can change the calendar’s appearance by choosing a font face and size, calendar colors, time format, and more.
Looking at BusyCal’s take on creating an event, you can clearly see how the developers want users to spend less time in the app and instead get things done without much of a hassle. You can view and edit event details right from the sidebar. No need to move around menus and different screens. It’s customizable as well. You can select which section to showcase and leave out other details.
Similar to Microsoft To-Do, BusyCal offers task management as well. It’s displayed on the date they are due and carried forward until completed. I appreciate the Travel time add-on that allows users to add time for traveling to a meeting (um, pre-COVID times). Either set an approximate time for traveling or use the default location services or Apple Maps to take the guess for you.
Price: $49.99 (30-day free trial)
5. Any.Do
Any.Do is primarily a task management app that offers an excellent calendar add-on. I love the Any.Do aesthetics on the Mac app. You can change the theme and even choose from different background wallpapers.
Similar to any decent calendar app, you can fill up the event details with relevant information such as Notes, URL, location, and more. The software simply shines with the third-party app integration. Any.Do supports over 1500+ (Yes, you read that right) services, including some heavy-hitters like Evernote, Trello, Slack, OneNote, and more.
Zaps is an exciting add-on. There are ready-to-go automation services that work with third-party apps and Any.Do. For example, you can directly integrate Evernote reminders to Any.Do. Neat, isn’t it? There are more than 2000 built-in Zaps available for Any.Do.
Price: $2.99/month (When billed annually for the premium version)
Most Mac users stick with the default Apple Calendar app. However, it’s always advisable to check out the competition that offers more features for a price. Go through the apps list above and tell us which app you ended up using in the comments section below.
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While Apple Notes checks off most of the boxes, it may not fit into everyone’s needs. This is where the best Notes app alternatives for Mac come into play. Aside from making the task of note-taking pretty straightforward, these third-party apps also double up as a super handy annotation and writing tool. Besides, they allow creating projects in many formats like text, audio, video, and whatnot. Though the App Store has several good options, only a few have walked into our list of the top note-taking apps for Mac.
1. Evernote
Despite the cut-throat competition, “Evernote” remains one of the most appreciable note-taking apps both for macOS and iOS. The highlight of this app is the wide range of tools that provide more flexibility.
The option to make notes in several formats like video, audio, web clippings, sketch ensure you are able to give your thoughts the right shape. With easy-to-format word processor at your disposal, you can write your thoughts elegantly.
You can create an agenda to be discussed in a meeting, write a quick memo and transfer your Evernote notes to Apple notes.
Often forget to do some important tasks? Make a checklist of all the things you have to do. Besides, you will also create presentations to express your thoughts with the desired impact.
Price: Free
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2. Microsoft OneNote
“OneNote” is a complete package. The app lets you capture your ideas in a variety of formats and offer you the needed freedom to keep everything in the perfect sync.
You can tag your notes to find them quickly. Make a list of to-dos and keep track of them so that you are able to do your tasks in time.
The collaboration features works immaculately, allowing you to work with your colleagues. For more security, you will also add an extra shield to your projects to keep them private.
Better still, OneNote for Mac is compatible with a ton of international languages including French, German, Greek, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish and more. So, a language should never become a roadblock to your note-taking.
Price: Free
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3. Notebook
Zoho Corporation is well-known for producing powerful apps. And Notebook does have all the qualities to be highly efficient.
While there is a lot to like in this app, I find “Smart Cards” very adorable. What it basically does is automatically format the contents into specific cards like the recipe, video, and link.
The app provides several predefined note covers to let you design your stories elegantly. If you don’t like the readymade options, you can create a custom cover. Moreover, there is also an option to make public notes using shareable links so that anyone can view them.
With the dark-themed night mode, you will enjoy working till late at night. Plus, the reminders won’t let any of your tasks go out of your notice.
Price: Free
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4. Bear
Should you want to have a top-notch writing-cum note-taking app for your Mac, give a close look to Bear. I’ve used this app for long and always found pretty neat.
The best thing about it is the simple interface coupled with the easy-to-use tools. Therefore, you can write amazing stories and give your wildest thoughts the ideal shape.
Bear has a good library of more than a dozen themes that make it a lot easier to design stories. Features like tagging, archiving and adding tasks to notes enable to take control of your stuff. Furthermore, you can export your projects in multiple formats such as HTML, PDF, DOCX, MD, JPG, and EPUB.
Lastly, after a free trial of one week, you will have to upgrade to Bear premium’s $1.49 monthly or $14.99 annually plan.
Price: Free
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5. Agenda
If you want to streamline all of your projects and get them ready before the deadline, pick out “Agenda.” One of the notable features of this app is the advanced text editor.
Depending on the specific theme, you can give a befitting look to your notes. It allows you to convert your text into multiple formats like Markdown and HTML. Segregate your files into different categories so that will access them instantly.
The app lets you connect your sticky notes to the events in your personal calendar. As a result, you can plan your meeting perfectly.
Better still, you don’t have to pay any bucks to use all the features of Agenda.
Price: Free
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6. Notion
Notion is a comprehensive notes and productivity app that can help you get things done. It boasts 200 app integrations to streamline multiple aspects of your life, whether you’re an entrepreneur, freelancer, student, etc.
I especially love it for the clean and intuitive user interface that works like a charm across multiple devices. You can also add its extensions to Chrome and Firefox to sync your work in real-time. Use it not just for notes but to organize almost anything you can think of!
Price: Free ($4.00 per month for Personal Pro plan)
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7. Simplenote
There are very few note apps for Mac that look as familiar as Simplenote. Its user interface is pretty clean, and you hardly have to spend any time to master the tools.
One of my favorite feature of this app is focus mode. Times when you want to write with maximum concentration, this feature comes into play really well.
You can use pins and tags to organize your notes. And with Markdown, you will ideally format your projects. To ensure your eyes don’t burn while working in the night, the app comes with the dark mode.
Price: Free
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8. GoodNotes
I have picked out GoodNotes for a couple of main reasons. First, it makes annotating docs really fun. And if you are fond of giving your docs a creative look, this one can be your thing.
You can highlight or strikeout the text in your PDF documents. Easily move, scale and ideally customize the object color. There is also an option to add the bookmarks to your docs.
Courtesy the fast iCloud sync, you will find your notes on all of your devices. You can share your notes with others and also print them. The compatibility with a number of languages like English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese and more make it an evergreen tool.
Price: $7.99
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9. Quip
“Quip” is a lot more than just a simple note app for macOS. To be more precise, this is what you should use to collaborate with your teammates. Thanks to the chat and messaging integration, it helps you work with your colleagues in a fun way.
You can use the app to note down your thoughts faster, create to-do lists, and edit your docs. It also lets you make comprehensive spreadsheets.
Another notable feature of this app is that it allows you to import your address book from several services like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Microsoft Outlook, Google, and iCloud.
You will create insightful charts by using the data from spreadsheets and Salesforce records. The smart slides would not just make your presentation more impressive but also save your time.
Price: Free
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10. BoostNote
If you are a developer, “BoostNote” should be your preferred option. The reason why I say it because the app has the support for code syntax highlighting in over a hundred languages such as Javascript, Python, HTML, CSS and more.
This open source markdown editor offers several tools that allow devs to take notes faster. The formatting features have semi-live previews so that you can quickly check your writing.
Besides, the text is automatically formatted as you type, which speeds up your task and also saves plenty of time. That’s not all, BoostNote works offline as well so that you can work anytime and anywhere.
Price: Free
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11. Unclutter
“Unclutter” is really smart! It’s designed to be a multitasker and lets you organize your clipboard data, files, and notes. If you aren’t able to take control of them, give it a chance to sort out the mess.
You can keep an eye on your clipboard history and manage it with ease. Store all of your files at once place and access them quickly. And yes, make sticky notes to never forget to do essential things.
The easy editing tools allow you to make changes conveniently. Due mainly to the quick search feature, you will instantly find a list. Besides, the app can be set up with Dropbox to sync data across the devices.
Price: $13.99
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That’s pretty much it! So, this sums up our roundup of the top note apps for Mac.
What’s your favorite?
Now that you have known our favorite note apps, tell us about the ones that can walk into your personal roundup. We’d really appreciate your collection and the valuable feedback.
Outlook For Mac Reviews Using Tasks
Outlook For Mac Reviews Using Tasks List
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