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Tired of note-taking apps

akkshaya.blog

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Re: Tired of note-taking apps

#281

Post by cik »

The problem with note-taking (currently) in app form is the way we do things differently by hand, versus digitally. By hand I write notes, draw items that matter to me. I frequently mix languages on a page - simply because it works for me. But, I can flip through a notebook in seconds, compared to clicking through Evernote/Onenote/Notion/etc. when something is 2-3 days back. I keep trying. I've used Evernote, Onenote, local TagSpaces, Notion, Wikis of various sorts, a VIMWiki that I used to keep. I bought RocketBook notebooks, their beacons, the whole thing. I'll keep trying digital note taking.

The reality is that pen and paper is infinitely faster and the brain processes finding things more quickly. Some people like myself are wired such that merely writing the note is the method of locking it into memory. Unfortunately, the digital tools solve history and retrieval better than the tactile, writing answer.

For now, I write with fountain pens, some great ink, and a Stalology B6 notebook. I just spent a month, once again trying to make Notion work. The reality is that writing is just better at this - even though I constantly hope it won't be. At least for me.

Re: Tired of note-taking apps

#282

Post by BoysenberryPi »

mstngl wrote: post #272

After this thread became a discussion of competing, sometimes extreme approaches, I want to add one alternative. Markdown files, organized in folder hierarchy and synchronized by the service of choice are fine for me - for notes and knowledge collection. Recently I started to add the superpower of tags and links to other files by using Apps like Obsidian[1] and Zettlr[2] which are very similar. The great advantage is…

Obsidian's licensing makes it immediate non-starter for me and I would imagine the same for most people who would want to use it for work, side projects, or anything they hope to make money off of.

Re: Tired of note-taking apps

#283

Post by justsomeuser »

tomduncalf wrote: post #81

Personally I find Apple Notes the most convenient for quick jotting down of ideas etc. It’s not the most advanced in terms of features but it loads instantly, is quick to use and is available on all of my devices. Have tried numerous alternatives but they’ve never stuck e.g. they’re slow to start up or are fussy to use or don’t work well on one platform. For deeper sketching out of ideas, diagrams etc I really like C…

I like Apple Notes and would use it if it did not have the following limitations:

- You cannot link between notes like a wiki (like Evernotes evernote://$note-guid)

- You cannot export all your notes in a standardised format.

- You cannot store notebooks in specific offline only encrypted disk images for privacy.

- Cannot change background (must use paper emulation)

Re: Tired of note-taking apps

#284

Post by austinl »

tomduncalf wrote: post #81

Personally I find Apple Notes the most convenient for quick jotting down of ideas etc. It’s not the most advanced in terms of features but it loads instantly, is quick to use and is available on all of my devices. Have tried numerous alternatives but they’ve never stuck e.g. they’re slow to start up or are fussy to use or don’t work well on one platform. For deeper sketching out of ideas, diagrams etc I really like C…

I have to agree with this. I was on Notion for a while, and I've tried every other app out there, but found I was wasting too much time thinking about the structure and features instead of the content.

I've gone back back to Apple's Notes and other native apps (Mail, Calendar). Yes, these apps are not perfect. Undoubtedly there are things other apps do better. But they fade into the background, they're simple and unassuming. They integrate into the OS well, are private, and will be around as long as Apple.

Re: Tired of note-taking apps

#285

Post by lioeters »

GekkePrutser wrote: post #259
Lammy wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would agree that self-censorship is one of the most insidious effects of surveillance if that's what you mean :)

I have to agree... I'm very conscious of this now when I'm talking on the phone. Not that I really have anything to hide, but I'm always wondering how something would be perceived by someone who is listening in. It's not a nice feeling at all. This is one of the reasons I hate mass-surveillance so much. Just that feeling that everything I do or say is on the record.

Sadly, I find myself thinking similar paranoiac thoughts simply talking in person at home. We have a number of devices with microphones, and when friends visit, they bring their own devices with who knows what kind of untrustworthy apps (looking at you, Facebook!).

Sure, we're normal citizens with "nothing to hide" - but I've become wary of any possible channel of data collection, regardless of whether the end consumers are private parties or state agencies.

It's dystopian, that I'm having to consciously censor my speech in case anyone is listening. Same with HN - I doubt my comments are of any value to outsiders, but it's possible that someone will associate my real-life identity with this online account, and dig through (i.e., put the data through some extractive process) to assign various values, for unknown consumers - probably advertisers, but maybe even some "good citizen index".

Thankfully I live in the EU (oops, another data point leaked), where there's at least some level of privacy protected by law.

Re: Tired of note-taking apps

#286

Post by cdperera »

jjice wrote: post #239

I searched far and wide for a good note taking app a few years ago, only to find that the best solution for me was right in front of me the entire time. git init fall2020 Git lets me keep track of everything, and I have free hosting at multiple different websites, or my own server if I want to. It's simple and customizable, and depending on what type of notes, I have different scripts to automate new notes and search…

I augment this slightly by using Typora. It's nice for writing inline and fenced math blocks (with LaTeX), which is pretty invaluable for my maths subjects, I've found.

It's nice since it renders the markdown while you write it, which I kinda need when writing LaTeX.

It's an offline tool, but I'm pretty much always near my laptop, so that's not much of a big deal for me. Tbh, having it offline was kinda a bonus for me.

No Vim support though, which is a bit frustrating.

Re: Tired of note-taking apps

#287

Post by pjmlp »

criddell wrote: post #267
pjmlp wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kind of, either you have Google's or some other one provided by the device manufacter. For me that use them as digital paper replacement, more than enough, just like on the Symbian days. Before J2ME and Symbian, I would just use SMS drafts as quick notes. So I am not the target market, whatever it might be.

I don't believe Keep comes pre-installed on Android. AFAIK, there's no default notes app other than email (and a lot of people use their email client as a notes app).

My Nokia 7 plus had it pre-installed, and my former LG, Asus and Samsung all had their own note taking apps pre-installed.

Re: Tired of note-taking apps

#288

Post by ksm1717 »

Spooky23 wrote: post #276
balladeer wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Other than a combination of fiddling inside ~/Library and some more SQLite circus there's really no way to make Apple Notes notes portable (across platforms) and even such circuitous hacks might break in any update or upgrade. That's a big enough no for me. This is one of those instances when the perceived Apple's walled garden convenience just falls flat. I personally prefer FSNotes (it has a long way to go but it's…

Escaping a walled garden into a subscription based text editor seems like a pot/kettle scenario.

I think you mean a frying pan/fire scenario

Re: Tired of note-taking apps

#289

Post by WalterBright »

"I’ve finally resorted to the most personal and easy alternative — writing things down."

Haha, we've come full circle! I have a $.79 spiral notebook on my desk for notes. When it fills up, I scan it in, and buy another one.

Re: Tired of note-taking apps

#290

Post by mbreese »

claudeganon wrote: post #84
intended wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s my issue with the Microsoft surface stylus work- and a lesser extent Apple. They don’t compare to written, and a decent amount is the pen tip friction. Wacom comes close. However the apps themselves ? I’d like to use one note more, but PDFs don’t become copy-able text. Searchable but not copyable. Writing on a surface device is ugh. And I had really high hopes that they would push on the tech. Procreate -iOS-…

They make screen films to recreate this friction on the iPad Pro. A lot of my artists friends use them: https://paperlike.com/

I also use Paperlike. The version 2 of their film is really nice. It feels so much better drawing on that than the smooth glass surface. And I have no issues watching video through the film at all — it’s still bright and clear.
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