Platform: iOS Cost: $6.99
For my Productivity App of the Week, I have selected an application that I use on a daily basis. Calendars 5 by Readdle is a way for me to easily monitor and use materials and resources from calendars and task lists on a variety of accounts. Coming in at $6.99, the app is a bit steep for a calendar, but one that will pay out in the long run when you can visualize all of your calendars from a single interface.
I have been using the Calendar apps since they first came out on iOS back when I had an iPhone 3Gs. It has been my companion in moving between jobs, locations, and environments. Through it all, Calendars 5 has kept me (relatively) organized and on track. A great productivity app to have on the iPad.
Review (Video)
As well as my normal written review of Calendars5, I am starting a new “Video Review” system. Believe it or not, it takes a long time to upload screenshots and collect the necessary parts for these blog posts. In order to help streamline my resources and give you a better overview of what the app has with these Video App reviews. Without further ado, here is the Calendars5 App Review:
Review (Written)
Now that you have a quick overview of what is going on in the app, I am going to take a moment to walk through each view again. When the app starts up, you have the option of defining which page will open when the app loads. For me, I tend to focus on what is going on during my single day, and showing the single day view is very important.
Since I started using Calendars, Readdle has constantly updated the app. This used to be a curse, but I now look at this as a blessing, and a signal that the developer cares about the continued life of their product. One of the features to come out of these constant updates has been the introduction of a task view. This small addition turns Calendars5 into a fully functional task suite – allowing you to manage both your calendar and to-do list in the same place.
As you progress through the app, and experiment with a wide range of materials, you will find several things that are similar to other apps, but they do things very well. First and foremost is the week, month, and year views. These views allow you to see information and resources quickly and easily with some simple color coding.
For me, the best part of this app is in the creation of events. The interface is intuitive and allows you to easily set locations and add participants – things that other calendars do not do.
Overall
This app is a great purchase for anyone who is looking to spice up their calendar use on the iPad/iPhone. With multiple calendar support, integrated mail invitation management, calendar invites, and a simple user interface, this app wins in my list of calendar replacements. For the price, this is the best option out there, but you will find some great free alternatives without all of the bells and whistles.