# Cheap project planning software?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-project-planning-software/56092>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 27, 2001, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-project-planning-software/56092 "2001-02-27T19:46:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2001, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-project-planning-software/56092/1 "2001-02-27T19:46:17Z")

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Can anyone recommend a good project planning package?

I’m doing some improvements around the house, and I want to put the project on a Gantt chart to make sure the work gets done in the right order. I don’t want to pay several hundred bucks for Microsoft project when all I need is a linked chart.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Starbury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Starbury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starbury)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2001, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-project-planning-software/56092/2 "2001-02-27T22:13:20Z")

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Well, you can get Microsoft Visio on [Amazon.Com](http://Amazon.Com) for $159.00… (I would post the link, but I’m not sure if that would constitute advertising)

Anyway, I’ve been told that [PDQ](http://softload.narod.ru/graphics_and_drawing/flow_chart_and_diagram_making/review_8162_index.html) (“Pretty Darn Quick”) is pretty good too. Plus, its free, and it runs on Win95, 98 and NT. I couldn’t find their home page, but you can download it through that link.

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**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2001, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-project-planning-software/56092/3 "2001-02-28T06:04:31Z")

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Thanks, Starbury. I’ve never used Visio, but I didn’t see a Gantt chart on the Microsoft site.

Er, the PDQ link didn’t work for me (the home site is still loading …slowly.) I’ll keep looking for a second link.

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**Author:** ![Starbury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Starbury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starbury)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2001, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-project-planning-software/56092/4 "2001-02-28T16:56:39Z")

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I don’t use Visio, but they have it at my office. I looked through the help files for it, and it looked like it was pretty easy to set up a Gantt chart through it.

I found a few more links where you can download a version of PDQ. Hopefully one of these will work for you:

[http://www.softseek.com/Graphics\_and\_Drawing/Flow\_Chart\_and\_Diagram\_Making/](http://www.softseek.com/Graphics_and_Drawing/Flow_Chart_and_Diagram_Making/)

[http://www.5star-shareware.com/Graphics/Flowcharts-Diagrams/Flowcharts-Diagrams1.html](http://www.5star-shareware.com/Graphics/Flowcharts-Diagrams/Flowcharts-Diagrams1.html)

[http://softpile.com/Multimedia/Miscellaneous/7index.html](http://softpile.com/Multimedia/Miscellaneous/7index.html)