[Macworld]

Post your comments for Our Favorite iPhone Apps: Top productivity tools here

[manuelw]

Nothing against FileMagnet (I use it myself a lot), but the statement "You name the file format, and FileMagnet most likely supports it" isn't actually true, as far as I know for NONE of the file exchange applications out there:
in our company, we do not use Microsoft office, but OpenOffice and StarOffice. And none of these tools can display OpenOffice file formats.
I rather suspects that none of these tools has their own file format display routines, and they all only can display whatever the iPhone natively supports. And for some strage reason only Apple understands, the ISO certified open document format is not amongst them.

[Stormchild]

To be honest, this is not a particularly well-researched or -written list.
I'd be interested in why you chose FileMagnet over Files or Air Sharing. What specific advantages does it have over these alternatives? To me, they all appear to do basically the same thing. Air Sharing seems to be the most popular and highest rated in the AppStore.
The "best to-do list manager" category ought to have honored the best GTD app in addition to the best basic one. IMO, OmniFocus is far more powerful and useful than Things -- even if you're not using a full GTD approach. Apparently Apple agrees, since OmniFocus won the Apple Design Award for best productivity tool. Don't get me wrong -- I think Things looks great too -- but not even mentioning OmniFocus in this category is pretty much just wrong.
I actually use Zenbe Lists just to make lists. I wish I could turn off the checkboxes, as there's no other decent app for making lists of reorderable items, but it'll do for now. The iPhone desperately needs some kind of decent outliner (Omni Group, I'm looking at you!).
I have to disagree that the free Units is the "best" conversion tool. Maybe it's the best free one, but it's far from the best. "The Converter" and the 99¢ "Units" are both quite a lot better than the one you mentioned.
As for Mocha VNC, unfortunately it's pretty much useless if you have multiple monitors, as it does not support additional displays. Jaadu is the only viable option for those of us who do.

[Walt_Basil]

I guess I fail in the productivity arena because I only use 2 of the categories: basic to-do and calculator. With to-dos, you really can't get more basic than a note, which is what I use via Evernote. My largest and most complex to-do would be maybe a dozen items from a store. For a calculator, the built in calculator is way more advanced than anything I would ever need to compute. I'll have to check out to conversion tools. I might have a need for that every once in a while. Enough surfing. I must go play some Frenzic.

[cellodad]

As mentioned above, Air Sharing does an excellent job of allowing me to carry files I need and then transfer them pretty neatly.

[rdclein]

Macworld's highest rated productivity apps didn't make this list? What about:
Instapaper
Todo
WriteRoom
I guess this is somebody's favorite list rather than Macworlds "Best" list. That list is located here:
http://www.macworld....at=Productivity
You guys already rank the apps by your reviews, perhaps you should take note of that when building your favorite list!

[Walt_Basil]

I wasn't going to say it... but since you did: I did notice in the right hand column of the page, was Macworld's own highest rated iPhone apps, and they weren't what was listed in this list. I think this was more of a personal favorites list of the editors rather than a Macworld best.

[nwatts]

Air Sharing is awesome, one of the best apps I have. And sound recording wise, iProRecorder is miles ahead of iTalk Recorder. I hate Cooliris though, it seems to be the least practical program ever. It's like someone watched a random sci-fi movie and had a eureka moment that really shouldn't have been acted upon. Instapaper is cool, you got that one right.
Despite its format limitations, Stanza is my favourite app. Not sure if it's with productivity, but if all you want to do is read a document without formatting, it's a winner.

[Olu]

I've purchased both Air Sharing and File Magnet. Air Sharing is so much more useful. File Magnet does not allow you to change contents in folders once you've uploaded them. Air Sharing functions just like a network drive. You can delete or add files to folders just like a normal hard drive.
No database applications? I use both iDB Pro and HanDBase. Both excellent CSV compatible databases.

[joza]

Timelogger is good, but for me at least, it does not keep track of the $ amount. It did when I first got it, but upon updating it, it doesn't any more. That's my only problem with it. Other than that, I use it daily.

[leicaman]

All these criticisms about which apps were chosen remind me of the old saying: "A camel is a horse designed by a committee." :p

[rdclein]

I think my only criticism is the title of the article "Top productivity toos". Had it been named "Staff Favorites", or "Editor Choices" I would not have any problems, but according to their own reviews, these are not the "Top productivity tools". Now that I read the title, it's actually quite confusing. Is it "Our Favorite iPhone Apps" or "Top productivity tools".

[Kevin1963]

Yes I agree; Anyway, those are great apps.
Just missing a good calculator.

I used to spoil my 'real estate' with 3 apps: calculator converter currencies, and I just found a great tool that combines all of them:
CalcConv

Hope it helps you too.