Web Information Systems hopes to prove in April that good things really do come to those who wait. That’s when the software maker expects to deliver a major update to the iPhone and iPad versions of its Pocket Informant productivity app that offers more features and improved functionality.
Web Information Systems announced the forthcoming 2.0 update to Pocket Informant at Macworld Expo, where the company is previewing the release at Booth #906 in Moscone West.
Pocket Informant is a productivity and time management app available in an iPhone and iPod touch version as well as an iPad-specific release. Whatever device you use it on, Pocket Informant integrates calendaring capabilities with Getting Things Done-based task management features. Both editions of the app are currently at Version 1.64.
When Pocket Informant 2.0 arrives in April, it will bring integrated Notes and Contacts views. That feature allows users to not only see standalone notes, but have notes for events and tasks in one place, saving them the trouble of having to hunt around to find a specific note. As part of the features, users will be able to look at a contact and find all the events or tasks associated with that contact.
Version 2.0 of Pocket Informant also promises interface improvements for a more cohesive look. That should come as welcome news to iPhone and iPod touch users in particular, with the look of Pocket Informant’s iPhone offering receiving its share of criticism. Changes to the app’s tab bar are particularly promising—it’s swipeable and users can re-order the icons on the tab bar to their liking. Flip your iPhone into landscape mode, and the tab bar moves from the bottom of the screen to the side, freeing up more screen real estate.
Other changes in Pocket Informant 2.0—which is among the Best of Show winners for Macworld 2011—include Task smart groups, where users can set up rules to have certain tasks appear grouped together (all the tasks due on a certain day, for example). iPad users will be able to choose from a number of newly added skins to give Pocket Informant a more customized look. And Web Information Systems promises an overhauled storage engine for the app as well.
Normally $13, Pocket Informant for the iPhone and iPod touch is available at the App Store for $5 during Expo. The iPad version’s $15 price tag has been cut to $7 for a limited time.
When announcing Pocket Informant 2, Web Information Systems hadn’t disclosed whether there would be a price to upgrade to the new version, but the company clarified that information this week at Expo. “After much discussion we have decided that 2.0 will be a free upgrade,” CEO Alex Kac wrote in an e-mail to Macworld on Friday.
Updated on January 29, 2011 to include information on upgrading to version 2.