Unwired List Manager v1.3: I'll never forget another list at home again!!!

Forgive the over-punctuation of the title, but I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. As an avid list-maker, I've become addicted to jotting down reminders for myself on my Windows Mobile device. Now, Unwired Software has created the ultimate cross-platform list making software and I simply cannot put it down.

"Honey, where's our shopping list?" has been a question I've asked my wife far too many times. The answer always varies slightly, but includes responses like "I have no idea," "I thought you had it," and -the most common- "I think it's still on the refrigerator at home."

Now this will never happen again because an enterprising company has created a "pervasive" list. That is, this list is available everywhere because you can sync on an unlimited number of desktops and handheld devices. When I first heard of this software, I thought "Oh no, it will be impossible to set up!" I couldn't have been more wrong. The software never even asks you to configure it. All you do is set up the users you'd like to use each list. The software takes care of everything else.

List Manager allows you to make very detailed lists and share them with family, friends and co-workers.

Each time you create a list on PC or mobile device, you simply add other users that you want to be able to access list. Upon their next sync, these users can then view, edit and mark off items as they're completed. It's like having a project manager in charge of all of your to-do items, even if other people are responsible for completing them.

Perhaps the most amazing feature is that List Manager can automatically synchronize itself. Yes, you read that correctly. As their name implies, Unwired Software is so skilled at wireless programming, they were able to put an SMS layer in their software that seamlessly triggers an update on your Pocket PC Phone Edition or Smartphone device without you even lifting a finger. And the SMS messages won’t clutter your Inbox. They’re automatically deleted by the List Manager app. Thankfully, like setting up the program, all of this happens in the background, so you don't even have to know what an SMS is. Now that is a well-honed app!

Speaking of being well-honed, List Manager also includes many little conveniences, including the option (when you check off an item) to have it identified with a strikethrough, moved to the bottom of the list, or make them disappear entirely. You can create list templates (like a customized shopping list, or a packing list for a trip) and create your own fields for each list. The software even includes its own custom dictionaries that can be defined to each field, so that your grocery list will display food items when you’re typing in items to buy, and only display aisle names when you’re typing in the location where each item is located in your store!

Overall, the software has a few tiny challenges for the truly novice users to overcome, but the team at Unwired Software is working hard to make this application foolproof. Even some of my most demanding suggestions for improvements to this application were treated more like simple challenges. This company has a lot of promise, especially as they roll out new shared applications, like the Calendar app, which I am looking forward to seeing!

Unwired Software has just released v1.3 of List Manager. The upgrade includes improved WM5 support (including square screen compatibility), improved European support and additional carrier support for wireless update notifications (currently more than 90 carriers are supported). The latest version also adds the ability to manually enter a mobile e-mail address for SMS notifications and improved support for devices that use other methods (like Wi-Fi) to sync lists.

So, if you share even a single list with a family member, co-worker or friend, you owe it to yourself to give List Manager a try. The software is so flexible and so powerful that you’ll find yourself creating lists just because it’s so much fun! The software is available for an unlimited number of desktops at no-charge and $29.95 for each Windows Mobile device. A fully-functioning 10-day demo of the software is available for Windows Mobile. The company also has a great demo available on their Products page (Click the "How does it work?" tab.)