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Taking notes online: Still looking
I must have missed this the other day, but apparently Evernote — the note-taking desktop software app — has launched an online version as an invitation-only beta. I wish I had been more on the ball, because TechCrunch had a bunch of invites, but of course they were probably gone in a matter of minutes. That’s usually what happens, and the comments on the post suggest it happened this time as well.
The video that Evernote has of the app at work (which is also here) looks pretty slick, and I know that lots of people swear by the desktop software. The main reason I haven’t used it — or Microsoft’s OneNote, or any of the other “backup brain” note-taking solutions — is that you have to install them on every computer you use, keep them synched, etc. This is the biggest attraction of a Web-based version.
I’ve tried — and still occasionally use — a bunch of different note-taking apps, including the ScribeFire plugin for Firefox, which I believe my friend Paul Kedrosky is also a fan of (or used to be), as well Google’s Notebook app and Clipmarks. At one point I was using Clipmarks.com to post to my blog, but it was too cumbersome and didn’t include support for tags. I mostly just use del.icio.us to save pages I want to remember, but as much as I like how simple it is, it lacks a whole pile of features.
I really wanted to like Google’s Notebook app, but I have to say it: It sucks. It’s clunky and kludgy and just plain goofy — it doesn’t make you want to use it, it doesn’t make it easy to see or organize the things you’ve clipped. It just sucks. I was really hoping that it would be the one-shot solution that would let me pull together bits and pieces that I come across on the Web into some kind of coherent whole, but it isn’t. If Evernote can do that, then I just might become a fan. But first I need an invite :-)
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for “Taking notes online: Still looking”
Heh, I've been using Google Notebook for a few weeks and trying to decide whether there's something that I'm missing, or if it's just not there (yet). Thanks for helping me conclude that it's the latter...and that I'm not crazy :)
I need one too - so if you get one, pass on any spares :)
The biggest problem for me with Google Notebook is integration: it needs to allow you to 'paste' files into it (both offline files and ones from other Google applications). If it could do that it'd have me completely on board (although you're right that organisation is another area someone needs to start paying attention to).
Mathew,
If you still need an invite, shoot me an email.
From reading your post, it appears that you're not searching for a desktop based solution, but I have found in my searches that there aren't a lot of web-based solutions that function very well.
I'd recommend a free download of NoteScribe's note taking software. It is desktop based, but it's easy to use, affordable (and you can try it for 30-days), and very user-friendly. Give it a try!
Jake
NoteScribe: Premier Notes Software
Matthew,
I work for the company that designed the note taking software, NoteScribe, and we have taken into account that users are seeking some sort of online accessibility to their notes. We are currently working on developing a system for users to be able to work with their notes online, so stay tuned to our website for future updates. Until then, I hope that you might try NoteScribe to see what you think of it!
Thanks,
Jake
NoteScribe: Premier Note Software