Do Next

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on February 03, 2013

So many freeware notekeepers are available that it may actually be possible to use a different program for each note, but that would defeat the primary purpose of these simple tools: namely, productivity. Such a tool should not only be quick and simple to use but also efficient in telling you what you need to do next. That's what Do Next does. This portable freeware from Wave Digital Studios is easy to customize, and it can record and prioritize your tasks for the next few minutes, the day, and other periods of time. Do Next is an official plug-in for the Notesbrowser Organizers software, but it also works by itself as a standalone notekeeper in Windows 2000 through 7.

Do Next is extremely compact, so it loads quickly. Since it's totally portable, it doesn't have to be installed and runs as soon as you click the program file. Small size and portability means you can take Do Next with you on a USB thumbdrive and run it on any PC, so you always have your notes with you. Do Next has a compact, colorful interface that we could customize to suit. The layout is plain, just a gridded list view displaying Priority, Task, and Time, but Do Next has some unique touches that make it easy to expand the view as needed. We could expand the columns laterally to include many more headings, and toggle the scrollbar on and off to limit the view to just those tasks and headings we need most; likewise, the task list can be expanded to display as many items as required. Instead of the usual minimize and maximize buttons, Do Next minimizes itself on the right to a narrow vertical bar, or to the system tray. The program's main menu accesses all settings and options, including skins, containing folders, and grid lines.

Do Next is very easy to use: simply click on any field to enter data. We clicked Task, typed in our reminder, and then clicked Prio (short for Priority) and then Time. Do Next displayed all our critical upcoming tasks in one easy-to-read window. In a crowded field, Do Next is well worth a try.

Publisher's Description

From Wave Digital Studios:

DoNext tool is a free desktop tool for taking quick notes. You can adjust the size of the Window and number of columns required. Default it includes 3 columns priority, task, and time. Features include saves a tasklist in an customizable table, easy and simplistic, stays in the foreground above other windows, can be shrinked to a small bar or icon, more rows and columns can be added, size of the tool can be changed from small to screen filling, columns can be centered, left, or right, header line can be changed and be made bold, table cell lines can be switched off, and saves automatically.