The Mac App Store is now in a quiet war with the Android Marketplace and Amazon has entered the fray as well.

It's never been easier to take a productivity app for a test drive. Many offer a free version for a week or two. This allows you to see if you like it and to learn how easy it is to use.

I have been testing out The Hit List for Mac and it's quite impressive. I'm delighting Apple's architects by doing exactly what they wanted users to do- play around.

Most reviews of apps like The Hit List focus on the ability to multitask, expand windows, sync wirelessly or whatever. A New Englander's approach to getting work done- rugged and simple.

So I'm adding today a new criterion for how you should choose a productivity app.

Is it fun to use?

So many apps are powerful but boring (yes OmniFocus I'm looking at you). Others are just copies of each other.

Why not make a pledge to enjoy your own productivity with tools that match your attitude? Work is hard enough as it is; we don't need our tech tools to make it any harder.

If the learning curve is more than 5 minutes, ditch the app. Do this for a while and you'll shave that time limit to 60 seconds.

So far, The Hit List is passing the grade. Anyone can figure it out in less than two minutes.

Oh and one more thing, it's fun to use. I think I'll keep it around for a while longer.