(To install, just drag First Things First onto the icon of your System Folder and reboot. Print out the Tutorial, Feature Set & Command Summary Below)
••• Don’t make a project out of basic time management! When it comes to getting "real work" done, a lightning fast multiple ToDo Lists with reminders that helps you stay focused on priorities is crucial. First Things First not only lets you see in a split second what is urgent, but it also lets you stay on top of what’s important! It is a Priority Management/Reminder tool that you will use whenever you are at your Mac -- which is why it was selected "Mac Utility of the Year" by the MUG News Svc.
If you download and like the attached demo, we can give you a serial number to upgrade it immediately by phone (1-800-877-1832) for the “environmentally friendly” price of only $39.95 (the 35 quantity site-license price) which instantly gives you a full-featured version. Or, you can order the regular full package with the box and manual for an introductory $10.00 off the $69.95 list price--for a total of $59.95.
All it takes is a unique serial number which we can deliver by phone to get you fully operational. No manual is needed beyond the summary below, because FTF has virtually NO LEARNING CURVE!
If, after using the Demo you agree that you don't need a manual for FTF, then we encourage you to go “packaging-free” and reduce the drain on our environment. With this “packaging-free” purchase you become a registered Visionary customer with all the the benefits of special upgrade offers and new product sneak-previews.
Yes, you can get the FTF File Utility™ even if you order the no manual package by downloading it seperately (file is called "FTUTIL.SEA" and is in the MacSys forum, library 6. Make sure you get the version 2.1.2 copy of it.). You will need the FTF file utility if:
1) You use a Powerbook and want to merge things from one FTF file into another -- for example if you have a company agenda file which people can put items into and then get items out of; or if you have a portable and a desk machine and want to easily move items between their agenda files.
2) Export or Import items to/from text-only files -- this can be useful for making an archive of your completed items so you can purge them from FTF to keep your memory usage down, or to write up a report in a word processor.
3) You own SmartAlarms or Alarming Events and you want to move items entered in those programs to FTF without having to type them all in; the FTF File Utility can import items from the current versions of each of these programs directly without you even needing to export them!
Most users will not need the FTF File Utility, but for those of you who do, you can get it without the packaging by downloading it, or with the full package as described above for $59.95.
••••• QUICK-START TUTORIAL •••••
1. Install the First Things First file by dragging the file of that name on top of your active System Folder and restarting your Mac.
2. You should see the square FTF clock-icon appear at the bottom of your screen when it is loading and you should end up seeing the clock floating on your screen when your Mac is ready for use.
3. Double-click on it and the FTF time management utility will instantly launch. Hit a Return and it will close just as quickly.
4. Drag the clock into your menu bar and watch it change form. Shift click on it to transform it back to the larger form again (and vice-versa). A Command-click will change the form of the larger clock to an analog version (see more later in manual on all the clicking variations). An Option-click on the clock in any form will launch a viewing window for whatever items you assign a Priority One (top priority) to for today (or items of top priority that are currently Overdue).
5. Double-click on the clock (in any form) again. Then click on the icon in the lower right hand corner of the FTF main window. Click on the Hot Key button and set up any built-in Hot Key (or key combination) you want. Hit a Return to go back to the main window. Hit another Return to go back to the desktop.
6. Use the Hot Key you set up for FTF. Hit a Return. See how you will be able to get in and out of FTF in a flash whenever you want.
7. Open FTF’s main window again. Type Command-R (or click on New Reminder, which is the same thing). Set up a Reminder for some time in the past and return to the desktop to see the In Box icon. Use the same Hot Key to see your Reminder.
8. Open FTF's main window once more. To back up your Reminders and Things To Do in one easy step, hold down the Option key and notice that the Save button becomes a Save As…button. With the Option key still down, click on the Save As… button and save your files in a location of your choice.
You have now mastered First Things First and are ready to enjoy all its many features. A time management utility should be instantly available and lightning fast. Here you have it. Enjoy!
••••• MORE FEATURES & SHORTCUTS •••••
Try some of the shortcuts listed below and you will become addicted to the fastest priority manager available on any platform.
••••• First Things First™ Feature Set & Command Summary
FTF is always at your fingertips and easy to use – just click on the Floating Icon™ or use the Hot Key of your choice (default is Shift-Cmd-F).
To fully exercise FTF, browse through the following list of features, hints, tips and shortcuts (they're simple and logical):
••• Clock in reduced form (digital, menubar height so it fits in menubar):
- Option-click brings up todays #1 priority items for viewing;
- Single click toggles date/time;
- Shift-click zooms clock into expanded form (using last type of expanded display you set, analog or digital).
- Click-drag changes position (NOTE: any overlap with menubar will snap to full menubar overlap unless you are holding the shift key down when you release the mouse);
- Double-Click or your designated HotKey opens main editing window;
••• Clock in expanded form (digital or analog):
- Option-click brings up todays #1 priority items for viewing;
- Cmd-click changes between digital and analog displays;
- Shift-click zooms clock to back to its last reduced location;
- Click-drag changes position (NOTE: Exception: if the position of the clock when you release the mouse button has any overlap with the menubar and you are NOT holding down the shift key, the clock will be reduced and the reduced position will become the horizontal point of drag but snapped into the menubar);
- Double-click or HotKey (Shift-Cmd-F) opens main editing window.
••• Main Editing Window:
- Option-click on the small digital clock in the upper right corner brings up todays #1 priority items for viewing;
- Cmd-R (when new button is enabled) is same as clicking on New button and selecting Reminder type to create;
- Cmd-T (when new button is enabled) is same as clicking on New button and then selecting a ToDo type as the type to create;
- Clicking on clock and date icon (lower right) brings up Settings dialog;
- Cmd-1 to Cmd-4 activates the priority menu settings 1 through 4 respectively.
- Cmd-A selects all items;
- Clicking on the balloon icon (lower left) brings up About… dialog;
- Cmd-S saves changes to the reminders list, same as Save button but leaves dialog open;
- Return/Enter equals Save button;
- Escape key equals Cancel button;
- Double-clicking on a list item is equivalent to clicking once to select and item and then clicking on the Edit button;
- Cmd-P for print...;
- Cmd-C copies the selected item;
- Cmd-V pastes the clipboard to an item IF you are not currently in the All Categories view (we can't here because which category to put it in is ambiguous and everything MUST be in a category). It always adds the item to the currently viewed category with following behavior for different clipboard contents:
a) Just text in clipboard:
- will create a new ToDo item containing the text and with no time specified.
b) A ToDo or Reminder in clipboard (really in a private clipboard, only the text is exported to global clipboard):
- will add the item to the current category, leaving it marked
done if it was previously marked done.
c) picture etc...
-will tell you that there is nothing to paste.
- Cmd-X cuts (copy and delete) an item;
- Delete key deletes and item (same as Remove button);
- Option-Delete deletes item without warning dialog;
- Option-Remove button also deletes item without warning dialog.
>> Note that the Remove button becomes Completed when any of the items selected are scheduled to be saved when marked done as indicated by the Save Completed Items setting in the Settings/Preferences dialog box.
- Holding the option key down changes the Save button to Save As..., clicking the button opens a Save as dialog which prompts you to save the file to disk and allows you to change the name; this is handy for making backups, which we encourage you to do.
When Save Done Items is enabled then you can hold the Cmd key down to change the Completed button to a Remove button (so selectively not save a particular item). You can also hold down the option key to avoid delete dialog (i.e., Option-Cmd + click on button changes it to Remove and avoids warning dialog for delete). You can also set FTF to Skip Delete Warnings in the Settings dialog.
••• Edit ToDo item dialog (dbl-clicking on a ToDo item, Cmd-T etc.):
- Return/Enter maps to the OK button;
- Escape maps to the Cancel button;
- Cmd-R maps to Remind Me button;
- Tab cycles through the fields of the dialog in a forward direction.
- Shift-Tab cycles through the fields of the dialog in a backwards direction.
- up/down arrow on the keyboard controls the arrows for setting the time.
- Typing number keys (0-9) will enter that number into a date or time field if one is selected.
- Typing A or P will set the AM/PM field if it is currently selected.
- Cmd-1 to Cmd-4 activates the priority settings 1 through 4 respectively.
••• Edit Reminder dialog
- Return/Enter maps to the OK button;
- Escape maps to the Cancel button.
- Tab cycles through the fields of the dialog in a forward direction.
- Shift-Tab cycles through the fields of the dialog in a backwards direction.
- up/down arrow on the keyboard controls the arrows for setting the time.
- Typing number keys (0-9) will enter that number into a date or time field if one is selected.
- Typing A or P will set the AM/PM field if it is currently selected.
••• Save Changes dialog (comes up when you hit cancel and have made changes):
- Return/Enter and Cmd-Y map to the Yes button;
- Escape and Cmd-C map to the Cancel button;
- Cmd-N maps to the No button.
••• In most other alerts/dialogs
- Return/Enter keys map to OK or default button;
- Escape maps to Cancel button ( not all dialogs, but most ).
••• Holding down the Shift key during boot-up aborts load of First Things First™
