Ever since Things came out with their $20 iPad app, meaning those of us who supported Cultured Code from the get-go by buying their desktop and iPhone apps would've been in for a total of US$80, I've been looking around for an alternative that integrates nicely with the iCal database (which Things does do well, to its credit), has a nice/simple interface (again, Things is a winner here too) but can do OTA syncing without a lot of muss, fuss, or cost. (I looked at OmniFocus carefully but that was expensive also.) But through a comment someone made somewhere I found a great alternative most people haven't even heard of...

2Do: Tasks Done in Style

This app syncs either directly to your iCal database or can sync OTA via MobileMe (which is also the iCal DB but via the Internet). It has a really nice interface with lots of bells and whistles without over-complicating the interface. You can reorder items, it's location aware, and unlike Things, one purchase of $7 gets you a universal app for iPhone & iPad. Its downside is no desktop client. You can go use iCal, but everything is flat (which is true of Things also if you viewed your To Dos in ICal, but but because of this you could use the Things client and they'd still get into 2Do). The MM syncing is another $3 in-app purchase but that's $10 total for everything and I'm just not using desktop clients with my iPad by my side 24/7, so I found this was a good discovery after having looked and looked for an alternative. At this point I've stopped looking and am actually trying to get other items checked off! (2Do has many other features not mentioned here.)

Note to Cultured Code: If you'd just included your existing userbase when you came out with your $20 iPad app I don't think there would be as much ill will as there is. That, plus promising OTA syncing since April, 2010, with no sign of it to date makes for Things an also-ran in my book.

After seeing the $20 price tag just for Cultured Code's Things iPad app, I am seriously going to look at alternatives like TTP first!!