iNeedStuff App Summary
iNeedStuff is an iPhone app with a simple, clean style, a tap-tap-go interface and a couple of uniquely useful features, all successfully combined to make your regular trip to the store as painless as possible.
The app allows you make lists and check off individual items as you place them in your basket; nothing earth-shattering there. But two unique and deceptively simple features make iNeedStuff a powerful shopping companion.
First in the way you add items to the shopping database. You can use pre-loaded items already stored in iNeedStuff to build your shopping list, or you can add your own items with the iPhone's keyboard. That's standard with apps of this type. But iNeedStuff also allows you to add items to your database, or master list, online. A web interface is provided as an easy alternative for adding new list items from the comfort of a PC or Mac.
Second, iNeedStuff keeps up with stores and the order in which you grab listed items. By tracking the order in which you come across and pick up items in a particular store, the software can re-order your next list so that the top item on the list is the next one you'll see during your in-store routine.
Getting Started
The first step in making a list in iNeedStuff is to create an item database, or master list. This list contains the items you'll select from when making future shopping lists. The more complete this master list is, the easier future list-making will be.
The app includes a number of standard items, Apples, Bagels, Bath Soap, Bread, Melons, etc. Adding an item or two on the iPhone is great, but when you need to add more new entries, the web interface is much faster, as you can use your computer and its full keyboard.
Whether you add items on the iPhone or using the web, you can sync the master list so that you always have a complete list in either location.
Once your master list contains the items you'll need, it's time to make a shopping list.
Making a List
From the Make List screen, select the items and item quantity you need on a particular trip to the store. As you select the items, they're added to the Shop screen:
It's as simple as that. Once your list is complete, it's time to shop.
Using a List for the First Time
When you use the list at a store for the first time, iNeedStuff will detect that it's in a place it's never been and ask you to name the store. This will be used in the future to remember your shopping order for that particular location.
The first time you use a list at a particular location, the items will be out of order, at least in terms of their location within the store. But as you use iNeedStuff, it remembers the order in which you purchased items in the past and re-orders the list so that items appear in the order in which you will encounter them as you move through the store.
To check off an item, simply tap it on the Shop screen. Checked-off items are moved to the Purchased section of the screen. When you're done, tap Checkout.
You can also use the include Price Tracker option if you like to keep up with how much items cost. iNeedStuff will keep a running total for you as you shop. I found using this feature to be too time consuming, but some users may find it valuable.
Using Lists In the Future
The more you use iNeedStuff, the better the app will be at correctly ordering your items.
As you can see in the image below, when I first made a list containing specific items for Sample Store, the list is alphabetical. On my next trip to Sample Store, however, the list is automatically re-ordered based on my previous visit:
Of course, this feature only works properly if you move through a given store in a particular way each time. If you do this already, you're set; if you're more of a haphazard shopper, this feature won't help you at all.
Future Enhancements
I love this app. I've been using it for a few weeks now and it's delivered 100%. I do, however, have a few suggestions for how to make iNeedStuff better.
First, there should be a way to clear a shopping list with a single tap of the screen. If you compose a list for a trip to the store, and then need to clear it and start over (or remove the bulk of the items listed), you have to manually go through and remove each one using the Make List screen. This can be a real pain if you have a large list.
Second, if you have a large master list of items from which to choose when building a new shopping list, you can do a lot of scrolling. An ABCDE... quick scroll bar along the side of the screen (like the one found in the iPod control software for quickly moving through playlist tracks) would be a very handy addition.
Conclusion
In my weeks of testing, iNeedStuff not only exceeded my expectations as a piece of software, it rid my life of one of its many, many annoyances. Now that I can quickly make a shopping list without worrying about order (or carrying a pen to mark off items on a paper list), grocery runs are now a pain-free experience - until it's time to pay.
I'd like to see a few changes, but if making shopping lists isn't on your list of favorite things, you need iNeedStuff.
View/Download iNeedStuff in iTunes on a PC, Mac or iPhone
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