I take your point, but in fact my argument is for Org, specifically. I've tried tons of options, from things like Evernote to very different approaches like GTD

I take your point, but in fact my argument is for Org, specifically. I've tried tons of options, from things like Evernote to very different approaches like GTD with an all-physical tickler file. I also picked up and dropped Org/Emacs a couple of times before they really "clicked" - but once they did, they clicked for good. Obviously no system is going to be the objectively superior choice for everyone, but I think there's a very strong case to be made for Org for anyone who (a) finds the plain-text approach to this problem appealing and (b) wants agenda/calendaring functionality built right on top of the other organizational functions.