The makers of the popular iPhone and iPad IM client Verbs, #include tech, are set to release a task manager application in partnership with River called Steps that looks almost identical to the highly-anticipated Clear todo iPhone app from Realmac Software and Impending.
Clear is set to go live in the App Store on Wednesday, but that hasn’t stopped #include tech and River from promoting its eerily-similar task management app.
Here’s the promo video for Steps:
And for Clear:
Before anyone calls foul, the folks at #include tech and River say they have been working on Steps with River software since August of 2011. They plan to bring the app to not only the iPhone, but also the iPad, Android OS, and Mac OS X.
Steps has been designed from the ground up. We thought about the whole process of what people are doing throughout their day. We considered what such an app should do, or not do, what is useful and what should get out of the way. We rethought virtually everything we could find. But this work wouldn’t be complete if we wouldn’t consider what people are already using. We all have our personal systems, ways how we manage our day. And we wanted to integrate Steps in those processes, making it as easy and smooth as possible to connect your tasks with the stuff you use, the places you go to and the people you work or live with.
The people behind Steps do quality work — Verbs is a perfect example — so Steps should not be seen as an intended ripoff of Clear. Steps will use Google Tasks and iCloud to let you sync your tasks across devices. The developers expect it to drop in the next couple of weeks.
Clear definitely looks like a slicker, more intuitive app with Apple-like gestures. Steps could provide a nice alternative for a more systematic, check-based to-do experience. Both apps share a very similar design aesthetic.
Stay tuned for our review of Clear this week. We’ll also take a closer look at Steps when it hits the App Store.
(via AppAdvice)
