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First impressions

From the moment you enter the website, you sense you’re not just chatting – you’re delegating. The interface feels familiar at first glance: a left-hand panel of past sessions reminiscent of ChatGPT. Front and center, however, is a bold prompt: “Hello… What can I do for you?” This simple greeting sets the tone for a tool that is more active agent than passive chatbot.

Starting a session confirms this isn’t a typical Q&A bot. Manus comes prepared with curated example tasks ranging from trip planning to data analysis, hinting at its Swiss-army-knife versatility. Ask it to tackle a complex project, and it springs into action by breaking the work into steps, autonomously browsing for information and crunching data as needed.

One of the standout first experiences is watching its “Manus’s Computer” window, which visibly shows each step it takes – clicking links, reading pages – as if you had a diligent digital intern working on-screen. You can even step in to steer it if necessary. This level of transparency and control immediately builds trust. In my initial trials, Manus’s polish and poise impressed me: it not only reasoned through problems, but clearly explained its thought process as it went.

What we love

• Truly Hands-Free Execution: Manus goes beyond suggestions – it completes tasks from start to finish on its own. Give it an objective and it will devise a plan, gather information, and produce a result as a deliverable. In one test, it compiled a comprehensive report complete with rankings and recommendations, feeling as polished as something a human colleague might prepare. This end-to-end autonomy means you can delegate a research project or content draft and literally watch Manus carry it across the finish line, saving you from the grunt work while you focus elsewhere.

• Transparent Collaboration: Unlike black-box AI assistants, Manus invites you into its workflow. Its unique Manus’s Computer panel displays every website it visits and action it takes in real time. Working with Manus feels like collaborating with an exceptionally efficient intern – you see its rationale, and you can step in with guidance just as you would for a human assistant.

• Versatile Output, Professional Quality: Whether drafting a lengthy report, designing a sleek business card, or generating a five-minute meditation audio, this AI delivers the goods in the format you need. We’ve seen it generate visual dashboards for stock analysis and even produce an audio file complete with background ocean sounds for a relaxation exercise. The results feel remarkably professional – one apartment search result read like a curated real-estate guide complete with “best value” and “luxury” categories. Manus even lets you download outputs as Word documents or Excel spreadsheets, turning its work into ready-to-use assets.

• Learns and Adapts with You: The more you work with Manus, the better it gets at meeting your needs. It remembers instructions you’ve emphasized and incorporates them into future tasks, almost like it’s developing an understanding of your preferences. Critique its output or clarify your request, and you’ll see it adjust its approach and improve its answers. This adaptive learning means your “AI sidekick” becomes more personalized over time.

Overall rating

🤌🤌🤌🤌 Refined delight

There’s a palpable excitement using Manus, like you’re getting a sneak peek at the future of work. Even with its occasional rough edges, it elevates your productivity to a point where minor glitches feel like a small price for innovation.

But when you step back and look at what it’s doing – orchestrating multiple AI engines and surfing the web to tackle your request – it’s hard not to be impressed. The magic lies in how much heavy lifting it takes off your plate: data that would take you hours to compile or content that would drain your creative energy, Manus handles with a methodical precision and a bit of flair.

For professionals, independent developers, and small teams, this could soon evolve into a go-to digital colleague that handles the legwork. It already feels like an almost indispensable research aide; after using Manus, going back to a standard chatbot for complex work would feel like trading a power drill for a hand tool. There’s room to tighten up reliability, but the core experience is so empowering that most users will gladly put up with a few growing pains.

Other apps we’re excited about: (and might cover in the future) 

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