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Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?

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Re: Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?

#131

Post by davidovitch »

codeCatalyst wrote: post #72

zimwiki pros: * open source * stored as a bunch of linked text files * can version control with git * wysiwyg markdown(media-wiki syntax) editor http://zim-wiki.org/

Other features I use often are:

* manage to-do-lists based on the page they occur, and/or their tags, deadlines and priority level.

* table of contents for a larger one page note

* auto git add/commit upon application start

What I would love to see is:

* automated and robust git push/pull with GUI based conflict resolvement so I could collaborate with colleagues who are not too comfi with git using zim

* organize pages using a nested tag structure (like gmail lables) instead of folder structure.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?

#132

Post by tom_usher »

I've never been able to find the one note-taking system to rule them all, but that seems to be because the contexts in which I need to write/access notes are quite different.

At the moment I've settled on a three-tier system:

NVAlt - as a scratchpad, clipboard buffer and other transient notes.

Moo.do - for structured notes, Todo lists, reminders and agenda/scheduling

Dokuwiki - for long term knowledge base stuff and for documenting personal and home projects. Love this because my family can easily read and use it too.

I've tried loads of tools but I've stuck with this set longer than any other so far.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?

#133

Post by msh »

fyfy18 wrote: post #127

Kind of related, but does anyone have good software for dealing with PDFs? Any important letters (or something I may want to refer back to later) I scan and email to myself. I used Evernote previously, the nice part is it OCRs the PDF so I can search text within them, but the workflow isn't that nice (and I'd prefer something self-hosted). When I've asked before I've received recommendations for full blown enterprise…

Google drive gives you ocr for pdf files so you can search for them.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?

#134

Post by wskinner »

picklesman wrote: post #74

Notational Velocity (Mac only, open source) http://notational.net It allows you to very quickly do a full text search, it saves the files as plain text, it supports external editors (I use MacVim) and it syncs with simplenote.com so I can see my notes on NV on my various macs and the simplenote app on my phone. It's very minimal and I like it a lot.

I love Notational Velocity, but didn't know that it supports external editors!

For linux users, there is nvPy: https://github.com/cpbotha/nvpy It's a pretty ugly skin, but it works.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?

#135

Post by christophilus »

I keep an instance of VS Code open that points to ~/notes, which is a folder containing markdown files. I've tried lots of other more branded note taking apps, but markdown is how I think, and VS Code has good markdown support out of the box. Plus, I don't have to context switch to a different set of key commands, since VS Code is also my primary code editor.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?

#136

Post by Dolores12 »

fizwhiz wrote: post #126
Dolores12 wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

windows installation is 42mb. i better stick to notepad.exe(245kb)

Are you memory conscious because you're downloading this to some embedded device? Serious question.

The idea that i am using inefficient software boggles my mind. My laptop SSD is 128gb. Unpacked version of this software would be 100MB+ installation. It will also take a lot of my RAM during usage. So for a "truly minimal markdown editor" i get such a monster in my system.

Lets take another monster, Visual Studio Code. Its installation is 72mb, but i get so much more installing it including markdown editor.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?

#137

Post by tomjen3 »

ximm wrote: post #108
zie wrote: post #21

plain text files and your favorite editor, whatever that is. things that should be encrypted are either gpg encrytped or put in my password manager. Bonus if you format your plain text with markdown or asciidoc or whatever your fav. plain text markup language is. Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be. Put it in a VCS for super double bonus points :) me personally: Vim, asciidoc and in a fossil repo.

Actually, I don't even understand why anyone would think that you need a dedicated app for note taking. - Markdown rendering can be done with pandoc - Structure and search can be done with a solid file structure and grep - Sync can be done with git or any other syncing solution out there. - Encryption can be done with gpg (vim-gnupg) Serious question: What feature is missing from this workflow (assuming the audience…

The ability to take notes from a phone, render math, search by tags and in line images.

Oh and forwarding emails, adding todos and have them show up as due today, sorted, etc.

The last part could be scripted somewhat easily.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?

#138

Post by stevewillows »

I've tried a lot of applications for notes, and I always end up back in a plaintext editor like Atom. This is for common, work-related notes, etc. For everything else, its all about pen and paper.

For me, one reason I used Evernote for the longest time was so I could load my notes on my Pebble. This worked, but not consistently. Next best thing? Pen and paper.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?

#139

Post by confounded »

kissgyorgy wrote: post #128
Dolores12 wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is wrong with org-mode? It is plain text file. I see no major differences compared to markdown.

There is a huge difference. It's proprietary , what I mean by that is you can't really edit it with anything else than Emacs. I used it with Spacemacs, and when an upgrade broke it, I left with no notes... Very frustrating experience, I immedieately abandoned it when it happened. Never used org-mode since then.

> It's proprietary, what I mean by that...

That’s not what that means.

I take your point in it being bound to Emacs however. Pandoc is an excellent tool for conversion though, and other editors are catching up quickly.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?

#140

Post by zachlatta »

Dolores12 wrote: post #114
zachlatta wrote: post #53

I've given up on using any sort of branded app for notetaking. At best it's open source and the maintainers will lose interest in a few years. When you write things down, you're investing in your future. It's silly to use software that isn't making that same investment. After trying Evernote, Workflowy, Notion, wikis, org-mode, and essentially everything else I could find, I gave up and tried building my own system f…

What is wrong with org-mode? It is plain text file. I see no major differences compared to markdown.

Have you tried using it on mobile?
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