As with the previous Omni products I’ve looked at, OmniFocus has really thought about the new user. Like Omni’s other iPad apps, OmniFocus immediately draws you into the application and teaches you how to use it from the ground up. Their “Welcome to OmniFocus for iPad” series of Inbox items describes how to use their product and get help along the way. You’ll quickly start adding new inbox items, assigning due dates, and attaching items to projects.

The GUI has been very well built. This really feels like a proper iPad application with an expansive workspace that doesn’t need to cramp or fold itself to fit onto an iPhone screen. I had a few very minor quibbles with the design (for example, why does the “create new item” button look like it’s a toggle that’s paired with the Inbox, when it’s not?) but for the most part everything seemed solidly laid out and, if you excuse the pun, focused on getting the job done.

OmniFocus is not going to be a tool for everyone, especially with its high price tag. It’s clearly aimed at serious business users who need a fully-realized task management tool that allow you to build, manage, and visualize projects. Although I have not spent a lot of time using this application yet, my initial reaction is positive. Features like the calendar-driven Forecast screen where you can explore your due dates and the beautiful collapse and show grouping elements in the Projects and Contexts tables highlight how much work and thought has gone into this app. So, in a nutshell: expensive? Yes. Worth it? Very possibly, especially if you are Omni’s core business user demographic.

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