There are no lack of to-do list apps for Linux, and with a powerful tool like Evernote or Wunderlist, one might wonder if there is any more room for new task management app. Nitro is relatively new to the “to-do” list scene, but its beautiful interface and the ease of use did turn some heads and attracted some attentions.

The good thing about Nitro is that it makes tasks management super easy and awesome. It can work with and without Internet connection and it is able to sync with Dropbox and Ubuntu One, making your to-do list available almost everywhere. It also comes with plenty of useful features like:

  • Magic Sort
  • Smart Lists
  • Search
  • Themes
  • Translations
  • Retina Support
  • Keyboard Shortcuts and more!

Installation

Nitro is available in the Ubuntu Software Center, so you can easily install it by clicking this link. Alternatively, you can add the following PPA and install via the traditional command line method:

First Run

This is what you will see on the first run.

The interface is pretty simple with a menu bar at the top, the task list on the left panel and the actual tasks on the center panel. To get started, you simply click the “Add” button in the menu bar and you can immediately enter your task.

For every task, you can add tags, priority (None, Low, Medium, High), due date and of course notes. These are all contained in the same row as the actual task so you don’t have to click extra button, or go to the next screen just to edit the tags, add a note or set a due date.

Over at the left side is the Task List where you can find the “Focus” and “List”. The “Focus” section (also known as “Smart Lists”) contains the tasks that you need to focus on, either Today, the Next immediate thing, or the things you recorded in the logbook. The List section is empty by default, but you can add your own list by clicking the “Add List” button at the bottom.

Sorting your tasks

Nitro comes with a few ways for you to sort your tasks. You can either sort it “magically” (I have yet to comprehend how it works), by hand (manually rearrange the tasks by dragging and dropping), title, due date, or priority.

Beautiful Themes

The beautiful thing about Nitro is that you can change the theme to your own preferences. In the Preferecnes, there is the Theme tab where you can pick one of the six pre-installed themes. You can choose to stick to the default theme, or change it to a Linux favor. If you are a fan of Wunderlist, you can set it to the Wunderlist theme as well.

If none of the pre-installed themes catch your eyes, you can also upload your own images and use it as the background for the app. Pretty cool, isn’t it!

Tasks syncing

The best thing about Nitro is that you can sync your task either with Dropbox or UbuntuOne.

The synced result is a todo.txt file in the Nitro folder.

Cross platform compatible

While we are reviewing the Linux version, Nitro is also available for Mac (and supports retina display) and Google Chrome, as an extension. You can also access the web app at http://app.nitrotasks.com/. You will have to sign in to your Dropbox or UbuntuOne account to gain access to your tasks. The iOS and Android version is said to be on the way.

Conclusion

Nitro is not perfect, but I found it to be fully functional and pleasant to use. The syncing feature doesn’t always work and sometimes I have to click multiple times for it to sync successfully. In addition, it doesn’t allow you to set a specified time for the task and doesn’t come with a reminder or notification feature when the task is due. Other than that, the beautiful theme and the ease of use do make it a good to-do list app that you should have in your arsenal.

Damien Oh started writing tech articles since 2007 and has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry. He is proficient in Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iOS, and worked as a part time WordPress Developer. He is currently the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Make Tech Easier.

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