Regular readers of this blog and my newsletter will know how I love
using an old fashioned kitchen timer to boost productivity! Over the
past couple of weeks I found a couple of timer tools online and tried
them out for size.
The first is Slim Timer, which is web-based
and works with Firefox, Internet Explorer 6+ and Safari. The second is
Paymo, for which you need to download some software and it displays a
widget on your computer screen from start-up. Both tools also have paid
versions with more features, I used the free version.
Before starting to use these tools, you first need to spend a few minutes setting up the different activities you want to track. Whereas Slim Timer uses a very simple list, activities on Paymo can be further sub-divided into projects and again into clients; there was also an invoicing facility which would be useful if you have to submit timesheets and charge for your time.
As far as using the tools, it's a case of selecting the appropriate activity and starting the timer with a mouse click. When you want to stop timing, you just click on 'Stop'. I liked that with Slim Timer it's possible to stop timing one task and start timing another with a single click of the mouse. Paymo takes a few more clicks when you wanted to change over as you have to stop, select project, select activity, then click to Start. Both timers run in the background, ie they're not visible on screen until you want to see them. Paymo has an annoying pop-up message if it doesn't detect any computer activity for a few minutes - it made me feel guilty if I wasn't typing all the time!
If you forget to start timing an activity or want to include time spent out of the office in a meeting, both tools are easy to edit.
Slim Timer's reports are very readable - giving me both weekly totals and daily breakdown. Paymo's colourful graphs looked impressive but the more detailed reports lumped everything together for the week which I found less useful for my purposes and not so easy to interpret.
Before starting to use these tools, you first need to spend a few minutes setting up the different activities you want to track. Whereas Slim Timer uses a very simple list, activities on Paymo can be further sub-divided into projects and again into clients; there was also an invoicing facility which would be useful if you have to submit timesheets and charge for your time.
As far as using the tools, it's a case of selecting the appropriate activity and starting the timer with a mouse click. When you want to stop timing, you just click on 'Stop'. I liked that with Slim Timer it's possible to stop timing one task and start timing another with a single click of the mouse. Paymo takes a few more clicks when you wanted to change over as you have to stop, select project, select activity, then click to Start. Both timers run in the background, ie they're not visible on screen until you want to see them. Paymo has an annoying pop-up message if it doesn't detect any computer activity for a few minutes - it made me feel guilty if I wasn't typing all the time!
If you forget to start timing an activity or want to include time spent out of the office in a meeting, both tools are easy to edit.
Slim Timer's reports are very readable - giving me both weekly totals and daily breakdown. Paymo's colourful graphs looked impressive but the more detailed reports lumped everything together for the week which I found less useful for my purposes and not so easy to interpret.
My (very non-scientific) trial was undertaken to find out what activities I'm spending most of my time on. For that purpose Slim Timer was perfectly adequate and marginally easier to use, even if it's more 'basic' in appearance. If I were tracking lots of projects for different clients, then Paymo would have the edge in terms of extra features.
Have you tried out any online timers lately? I'd love to know!
This is interesting Louise.
I fall back into time tracking when I'm either very busy and I want to keep my time accountable or when I go into one of those not very productive stages and think "what have I done this week?"
I've just signed up to give Slim Timer a try.
Posted by: Paul Simister | March 17, 2010 at 05:12 PM
I have to confess to asking myself the same question on occasion Paul!
Hope you find Slim Timer useful.
Posted by: LouiseBJ | March 17, 2010 at 06:18 PM
Hi Louise
I've tried TraxTime before - also free & paid for versions. The problem is remembering to clock on & off from each client not the software!
Am in discussion with somebody creating their own, so will let you know the outcome.
Posted by: Nicky Parker | March 17, 2010 at 07:28 PM
Hi Nicky, thanks so much for commenting. I haven't heard of TraxTime - will have to give it a go.
Agree with you that it's easy to forget to 'clock off' - I did that a few times too!
Let me know what happens with the new creation - will be happy to try it out as a comparison.
Posted by: LouiseBJ | March 17, 2010 at 07:46 PM