Hi, this is Radek -- I'm the creator of Tadam. I've been using the Pomodoro technique for years, but I never quite liked any of the tools for doing my pomodoros. You could, of course, use anything, even a simple kitchen timer, but there were always these little design issues that made it annoying for me. For example, I often had this situation that the 25 minute cycle was up, but I was in the middle of doing a small task. What I needed was just a minute or two to finish that little thing, and _then_ take a break. So I would ignore the timer, and 2 minutes later, I would forget I was supposed to take a break. Ugh.
I designed Tadam to solve these problems for myself. For example, a few minutes before the time runs out, a gentle notification pops up in the corner to remind me I need to hurry up. And when the time is up, a big window pops up prompting me to take a break. If I need just a few seconds, I can move it to the side, but I won't forget about the break, because it will snap back into place after 30 seconds.
At the same time, I didn't want a tool that's super complex, with many features I don't need. Or a big "productivity system", that requires me to be a religious about Pomodoro.
All I needed was a simple tool that helps me remember to take breaks, but without being too annoying. Tadam solved it for me. And I hope it helps others, too :)
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I've been using this app for years. It is simple and fairly unobtrusive. The first time you see the "time to take a break" screen can be slightly jarring, but interrupting your work is kind of the point.
I've been interested in the pomodoro technique since the first time I've ever heard about it – a few years ago. You work for a set period of time (usually for 25 minutes), then step away for a few minutes. The regular, controlled rest allows you to stay focused and motivated for a longer periods of time. What could be simpler?
As others noted here, time feels different when you're in the flow of work, especially when you're solving a hard problem or doing something creative (just ask any writer or designer or software developer).
Tadam solves this problem better than any other timer software I've tried. The app is not perfect, but it gets better and better with every update – for example, I like to get notified when the time is about to run out so I can hurry up.
Personally, I've been struggling to stick to the pomodoro technique for a long time – and honestly, I still do. It may not be for everyone, but it is definitely worth giving a shot.
@rinatkhanov Nice hearing from you, Rinat! 😀
Fun fact: a looooooong time ago, back in early 2013, Rinat wrote a review of Tadam on a Russian blog he was writing for at the time: http://macradar.ru/software/tadam/ Oh man, things have changed since then!
This is awesome, Tim. Glad you like it. Many people ask me about the "break screen" because it is quite an interruption. But as you said -- reminding you to take a break (preferably not in front of the computer) is the whole point.
Very cool, seems like most of the pomodoro apps out there try to do too many things. I've been wanting to make a super simple menu bar app like this for ages, just never seem to have the time. Now I don't have to!
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