Things 3 is arguably the most beautifully designed task manager for Mac. Apple Design Award winner. Thoughtful interface. A joy to use.
But even Things 3 can't escape the input problem: every task requires typing.
What if you could have Things-level organization with voice-level input speed?
What Makes Things 3 Special
Things 3 deserves its reputation:
Design Excellence: Every pixel considered. Animations that feel natural. Visual hierarchy that makes sense.
GTD-Inspired Structure: Areas, projects, headings—a logical way to organize your life.
Today View: Clear focus on what matters now.
Keyboard Navigation: Power users can fly through the interface.
Evening Review: Scheduled review to process your Inbox.
Apple Integration: Shortcuts, Calendar, Reminders import.
For people who find joy in organizing tasks, Things 3 is delightful.
The Input Gap
Even in Things 3, task creation follows the pattern:
- Quick Entry (keyboard shortcut)
- Type task title
- Tab through fields (project, date, tags)
- Press Enter to save
It's fast—for typing. But it's still typing.
Every task begins with a blank text field.
This means:
- Context you don't type gets lost
- Capture speed is limited by typing speed
- The act of creation requires mental mode-switching
Things 3 optimized the organization. Input remains typed text entry.
The Voice-First Alternative
Private Transcriber AI approaches from a different angle:
Optimize capture first. Let organization follow.
How It Works
- Press hotkey (works from any app) or load audio/video file
- Speak everything: Task, context, deadline—all in natural speech
- Save to Journal with due date and optional reminders
- Track in Due Tab with timeline view
- Set recurring if needed (daily, weekly, monthly—like Google Calendar)
Capture time: 5-10 seconds vs 20-30 seconds typing.
The Context Advantage
Things 3 task: "Review proposal"
Voice-captured task: "Review the Johnson proposal, specifically the pricing section that Sarah flagged in yesterday's meeting—she thinks we're undercharging for the premium tier"
Same effort to speak. But the spoken version is useful when you return to it.
Download Private Transcriber AI for Mac
Philosophy Comparison
| Aspect | Things 3 | Private Transcriber AI |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Organization | Capture |
| Input method | Typed | Voice |
| Structure | Areas/Projects/Headings | Tags + Timeline |
| Context | Separate notes field | Integrated in task body |
| Design emphasis | Visual beauty | Functional simplicity |
| Learning curve | Moderate | Minimal |
| Methodology | GTD-aligned | Flexible |
What Things 3 Does Better
Visual Organization
Things' interface is genuinely beautiful. The visual hierarchy—Areas containing Projects containing Tasks—helps you see your life organized.
Private Transcriber AI uses tags and timeline views. Functional but not visually rich.
GTD Structure
Things was designed for Getting Things Done. The workflow is built in:
- Inbox for capture
- Organize into Areas and Projects
- Today for focus
- Upcoming for planning
- Anytime for flexible tasks
- Someday for future possibilities
Private Transcriber AI is methodology-agnostic. You build your own system.
Repeating Task Options
Things offers sophisticated recurrence: after completion, specific days, complex patterns.
Private Transcriber AI handles daily/weekly/monthly/yearly with end dates. Simpler but covers most needs.
Headings and Sections
Within projects, Things uses headings to group related tasks. Visual organization within organization.
Private Transcriber AI uses tags, which work across tasks but don't create visual groupings.
What Private Transcriber AI Does Better
Capture Speed
Speaking is 3x faster than typing. More importantly, it feels easier—lower psychological barrier means more tasks actually get captured.
Context Without Effort
When speaking, you naturally include:
- Why the task exists
- What triggered it
- Specific details to remember
You don't edit this out because editing speech in real-time is hard. Result: richer tasks.
Notes-to-Tasks Flow
In Private Transcriber AI, thoughts and tasks live together. Capture an idea as a voice note. Add a deadline later—now it's a task. The boundary is intentionally fluid.
In Things, notes are separate from tasks. Different conceptual spaces.
Privacy
Things uses Things Cloud for sync (encrypted, but cloud-based).
Private Transcriber AI keeps everything local. Your task list never leaves your Mac.
Text Refinement
Spoke too casually? The dual-AI system can clean it up. Make it concise, professional, or restructured—without retyping.
Different Users, Different Needs
Choose Things 3 If:
- Visual organization brings you joy
- You follow GTD or want built-in methodology
- Cross-device sync (Mac/iPhone/iPad) is essential
- You prefer typed, structured input
- You enjoy the ritual of organizing tasks
Choose Private Transcriber AI If:
- Speed of capture is your priority
- You want context captured effortlessly
- Privacy matters (local-only storage)
- You work primarily on Mac
- Typing tasks feels like friction
- Your tasks need explanation, not just titles
Can You Use Both?
Yes, and this might be the best answer for some users:
Capture + Organize Pattern
Fast capture: Use Private Transcriber AI for voice capture throughout the day
Evening organize: Move important tasks to Things for structured planning
Separation: Voice for getting things out of your head. Things for organizing what to do about them.
Personal + Professional Pattern
Personal tasks: Voice capture (health goals, personal errands, private thoughts)
Work projects: Things with full structure (team visibility, project tracking)
Different domains, different tools.
Thinking + Executing Pattern
Processing mode: Voice capture all thoughts, ideas, potential tasks
Execution mode: Curated tasks in Things for focused daily work
Voice for divergent thinking. Things for convergent doing.
The Capture vs. Organize Question
Here's the fundamental question:
What's your bottleneck?
If you capture tasks reliably but struggle to organize and execute → Things 3's structure helps
If tasks slip away because capture feels like work → Voice-first removes that friction
If both → Consider the hybrid approach
Making the Choice
The 10-Task Test
Try each approach with your next 10 tasks:
With Things: Create 10 tasks by typing
- How long did each take?
- How much context did you include?
- How did it feel?
With Private Transcriber AI: Create 10 tasks by voice
- How long did each take?
- How much context did you include?
- How did it feel?
Compare the results. The right choice becomes obvious.
Questions to Ask
- How many tasks did you skip capturing last week?
- When you revisit old tasks, do you understand them?
- Does opening your task manager feel like pleasure or obligation?
- Where do your tasks originate—Mac, phone, or both?
The Bottom Line
Things 3 is a beautifully designed task organizer. If you love organizing tasks and prefer typed input, it's excellent.
Private Transcriber AI is an effortless task capturer. If your bottleneck is getting tasks recorded with context, voice changes the game.
They solve different problems. Choose based on yours—or use both.