Organize tasks professionally with Nitro

The tastes and work approaches for task management tend to be quite different. One person simply needs a sheet of paper or a long document in a word processor to jot down what's important. Someone else might carry around a thick planner or use software with a fixed structure to keep track of activities and tasks.

Nitro [1] is a task manager that differs from other programs in many ways. A few years ago a new approach called "Getting Things Done" (GTD, [2]) began to win favor in task management.

This approach proposed categorizing tasks by solutions appropriate for them, or even by location, instead of assigning priorities to the tasks themselves. Thus, to get professional and private tasks under one roof, they need to go on separate lists.

Nitro supports this approach, without necessarily clinging to it. Whereas the GTD inventor eschews assigning priorities, Nitro permits prioritization along with setting deadlines.

Nitro is an exception among current software in that the program is available only as a standalone application for Linux and the Mac.

Windows users have to fall back on the appropriate extensions for the Google Chrome browser or manage their tasks exclusively online through the browser. Those interested in the web interface don't need to be subjected to a long registration process; however: An account with Dropbox or Ubuntu One would suffice.

Installation

You have two ways to install the latest version of Nitro on Ubuntu. The easiest approach is to search for "Nitro" in the Software Center: The app is offered for purchase but is virtually free. The alternative to Software Center is that developers also provide the installation from a personal program archive (PPA) (Listing 1).

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cooperjona/
  nitrotasks
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install nitrotasks

After installing the software, look on the Dash for Nitro and run the program. You'll initially get a blank program window. If necessary, change your language settings at this point on the Language tab by clicking the gear icon.

Unlike what you might be used to, the setting does not immediately take effect based on your choice. Exit the dialog and exit the program. When you restart Nitro, the language settings will be in effect.

Creating Tasks

Nitro has different methods for creating tasks. To add a template for a new task, for example, click Add on the icon bar or File | Add Task – or better yet, click Ctrl+N. Note the title or the actual task name. Experts agree that it's more motivating to use an active formulation for the title, such as "Add screenshot of Nitro task!" Press Tab to move to the next field.

Like many other task programs, Nitro supports organizing the tasks with tags or keywords (Figure 1). You can assign multiple tags, separated by commas, to a task.

Figure 1: Nitro organizes tasks by priorities and tags.

Another Tab takes you a drop-down list of priorities to choose from, which you can choose with your mouse. And, another Tab takes you to a field to set a optional due date, where you can open a calendar and choose a date with the keyboard (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Nitro opens a calendar to choose an optional due date.

In the last field, Note, you can add an optional description – for example, more about the task and what you want to achieve by it. Finally, press Esc or click outside the dialog, and you can set up the next task.