Time Out - Break Reminders App Reviews

I am a writer who works from home. Until starting to use this software, I would take breaks from my writing, but always still sitting at my computer. For instance, Id take a break by reading CNN, browsing the web, playing a game etc., which means I never left my screen. Since installing this simple app, however, I am breaking this awful habit. And its quite amazing what I can get done in the breaks. The bed is made, my clothes are all put away, I break to eat healthy meals, my place is clean, I move around which loosens up my legs and hips and neck. And when I come back to work after the 10 minute break, I get a lot more done. Im much more focused. I also realize how much time I was frittering away. No wonder I always felt like I never had time for things! I highly recommend this program. It has changed my life. Thank you Time Out!!

I really like this app. It is very helpful at getting me to take breaks from the computer. Without it, I lose track of time and dont get up and move around as often as I should. My only complaint is that if its set to start when you log in, the timer doesnt start. Im on Mountain Lion 10.8.1. If you pause breaks for 1 minute from the menu, then it works normally until you reboot again. If this were fixed, I would give the app 5 stars!

The most frustrating aspect is that it can only run as a program in the Dock. Aside from taking up valuable Dock space, it shows keeps appearing among your running applications (for example, when CMD-TABing to other applications). This drives me crazy. It should provide option for displaying as a menu bar item, so you can configure and/or quit it, without it getting in the way.

Takes alot for me to log on and write a review… but I had to this time. This is a great simple app, that does its job great. I easily wouldve payed for it after a trial time but its even better free!!

In the Exclusion preferences (which has a list of applications that should not trigger the app) does not have a button to remove applications, only to add them. As a designer, I use Adobe programs a lot, so I want time out to work for them. Unfortunately, there is no way to remove them from the Exclusion list!! Once that is fixed Ill give it another star.

Its exactly what I was looking for. Nice looking app with all needed functionality, it can even run scripts... for example to pause your time tracking app for longer breaks.

Ive been using Timers to keep me on track and to just manage my focus and attention. This is truly exactly what Ive been looking for.

Definitely love the idea! I love to have periodic reminders to be grateful, take a break, relax, etc. It would be really, really, really, really, really, really nice if this ran as a menu bar item. Then its always running in the background (doesnt appear when I command+tab between apps, doesnt appear in the dock, etc. (If this isnt an issue with Mountain Lion and the newer version I retract my statement and rate it a wonderful 5 stars!)

Perfect timer that reminds me to get up and stretch. I love the way that it fades the screen so I stop working versus ignore the timer. Big thank you to the creators of this app!

This app has seriously helped me defend my eyes, I do a lot of computer things and this app is very helpful if you need to defend or even help improve your eyesight.

1. Please make this a menu bar application. I hate having an extra running program on my launch bar. 2. The string "Next normal timeout is in xx minutes" is weird. If there are 5 short timeouts every hour, arent those the "normal" ones and the 10 minute timeouts the strange ones? Otherwise, does exactly what it says. Reminds me to stretch, although I have a hard time making it through the 10 minute break :P

App saying I need a break every 10 minutes with a 10 second break. My settings are set to default which is a 10 minute break for 1 hour of work. Would be a great app if the timing was correct which they supposedly fixed. Would be happy to reinstall at that time.

This is a great APP both for reminding yourself to relax and for various types of meditation training. I would love the developer to add the ability to make the breaks random, but I like this app so much I want to pay for it.

I liked this app a lot, have been using since last year. But I think it start causing weired freeze on other apps since my timing of upgrading to Mountain Lion. When this app is about to start the break. It does not bring up the "do you want to start a break" alart even though It is set in Preferences. Instead it freezes all the open windows, and they can not be focused by clicking with the pointer. The break does not trrigered. I checked all my settings in a Preferences, found nothing wrong. I finally (and sadly) had to shutted down the app. Please fix this!

The most useful app that you can download right NOW. Small advice for future users of this app: in the preferences turn off the button that is responsible for skipping the break ;) Take care guys!

It does what it says, and that is wonderful. However, about a couple minutes before each break, my computer starts becoming noticeably slower to complete seemingly simple tasks. For such a simple app, I am not sure why it would slow down my computer.

I use it daily to break my obsessive patterns. Please add a global skip breaks for 1, 2, 3 hours for meetings. Interface to calendar to skip over meetings or meetings with keywords

This is exactly what I needed. A no frills rest/relax reminder tool with just enough customization to fit my use case. My only gripe is that it sits in the Dock unnecessarily. I wish there was an option to have it only show in the Menu/System bar and not in the dock. Thatd bring my review to 5 stars for sure.

Great but does not load at login so i have to open it after computer start. i set up the uto option in features but still don’t log in auto.

I downloaded this app to help me take breaks regularly becuase I know I tend to marathon study for hours which ends up with me losing efficiency over time. Like another app that I like a lot - Self-Control - this one is inflexible in its purpose. What I mean is, when you have scheduled a break that has started, you can not close the app down before the break is over or change the settings if you don’t like how it’s going. If you know this is what you want - to not be able to use your computer at all while the break is going on - then this app does what it’s supposed to do. I knew the concept was to force me away from my computer for a total computer break, but I didn’t realize it woudl take my computer hostage where I couldn’t use at all during the break it even if I wanted to. I tried to tweak the settings to force me to realize it was time for a break and strongly encourage me to step way, but still use my computer for checking e-mail, or for fun and relaxing activities if I wanted to. So, if anybody is thinking along those lines, this app is not a good choice for that purpose. The only true complaint I have (regardless of my original goal) is that I tried to shut my computer down during the break and it paralyzed all of the operations of my computer. For me, I won’t go for any app that keeps me from doing basic commands on my compuer. Again, this review is biased toward wanting an app that is ultimaltey different then what this app even claimed to be, so this review is moslty just FYI to those who think like I do.