Gadget Daddy: The end of Wunderlist is near

Wunderlist is a popular, powerful and easy-to-use to-do list. It was created by a Berlin-based company in 2011. Users could manage and sync their chores on just about any device. And, as an added plus, Wunderlist was free.

By June 2015, more than 13 million people were using it. That's when it was acquired by Microsoft. The Wunderlist community was a bit disturbed by what might loom ahead for the software. Many critical articles emerged on the acquisition, with a large number saying, basically, no good could come of this.

About three years ago, Microsoft announced that Wunderlist would become "To Do." (Plenty of critics noted that if that's the best name the company could pick, how creative would the new To Do list be?) And, by the way, Wunderlist support would be discontinued; its lists could be imported into the new To Do. At the same time, the company announced To Do would be integrated into Microsoft's Office 365 program.

About four years after Christian Reber sold Wunderlist to Microsoft, he had seller's remorse. He felt that even with the former Wunderlist team working on To Do, the new version was being subverted by Microsoft's corporate structure.

By the fall of 2019, he was posting Twitter messages asking Microsoft if they would sell it back to him. The business deal never materialized.

But the offer did have an impact on To Do's development. Microsoft began to make the new To Do more like the Wunderlist of old, and began to incorporate some useful features for team collaboration.

In December, Microsoft announced support for Wunderlist would be shut down, and users could no longer sync their To Do lists across various devices, nor could new to-do items be added. The shut down would be effective May 6.

Unlike previous such announcements, the May 6 one is not a moving target that kept going further and further back on the calendar.

Having said all that, we are now at two last things:

Thing One: It's a pretty simple process to transfer the Wunderlist to-do lists into Microsoft's To Do. Microsoft outlined the transfer in three steps: 1) Download the Microsoft To Do app (from Google Play or the Apple Store); 2) Sign in with a Microsoft account, or create an account using an existing email; 3) Follow the directions to the Wunderlist importer.

Users can still transfer lists from Wunderlist after the May 6 deadline, but don't wait too long. (To Do, like Wunderlist, is a free program.)

Thing Two: Wunderlist was a powerful tool, capable of handling everything from a personal task list to managing a construction project or keeping track of team-member assignments. To Do can be integrated with other programs to do the heaving lifting as well.

To Do has been well received. Online reviews of the product done last year pointed out shortcomings, but ones done this year reflect that most of those concerns have been addressed.

As a standalone app, it is a nimble, flexible to-do list and reminder program. At least I've found it to be that after a couple of months of use. But that's for a column that's a-ways down the road.

Meanwhile, if you’re a Wunderlist person, remember the May 6 deadline. And if your looking for a good to-do list program, you might want to pencil in "To Do" on your to-do list.

Lonnie Brown can be reached at LedgerDatabase@aol.com.