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Main Area and Open Discussion => General Software Discussion => Topic started by: snail02 on November 24, 2009, 10:07 AM

Title: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: snail02 on November 24, 2009, 10:07 AM
Is there any alternative to Evernote which note only clips notes from web pages, but also lets you access them through a website?
Thanks.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: rgdot on November 24, 2009, 10:08 AM
http://enotefile.com/ is one

Edit:
http://www.webnotes.net/ too
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: app103 on November 24, 2009, 10:32 AM
Clipmarks (http://clipmarks.com/) comes to mind.

There are also some that save entire pages, rather than just clips. I can't recall the names of any though.

You can also do it from the Note in Google Reader bookmarklet, which gives you a blog-like page with an RSS feed for each category tag you assign to clippings. (you can control what tags are public and private)
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: sri on November 24, 2009, 12:03 PM
http://www.diigo.com/
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: snail02 on November 24, 2009, 07:20 PM
eNotefile looked promising from the video tour, but it was terribly slow. Has anyone else used it? Is it just my computer?
Thanks.
Btw. thanks for all the suggestions, though I am looking for something which also has a desktop client along with the online interface, i.e. much like Evernote, but doesn't have to have all the features of Evernote; as long as it has web clipping and note taking.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: Clive on November 24, 2009, 07:38 PM
iCyte (http://www.icyte.com/) - web only, but worth a try.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: snail02 on November 24, 2009, 09:32 PM
iCyte (http://www.icyte.com/) - web only, but worth a try.
iCyte looked really awesome from their video overview (http://www.icyte.com/video_overview.html). Unfortunately, it only supports IE, and Firefox, none of which I use (Opera/Chrome).

One drawback of diigo/iCyte like service is that you can not access your research notes if you do not have a net connection, which can sometimes be a deal breaker.

Any idea of how to integrate such online services in a way that a copy of the note is available in offline mode as well? May be a cool Dropbox integration of some sort? I don't know..
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: rgdot on November 24, 2009, 09:44 PM
I was going to mention Dropbox but not necessarily because of any specific tools in this thread but to keep the data file or folder of your fave offline app in the Dropbox folders and have them be in sync.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: J-Mac on November 25, 2009, 03:25 AM
Snail2, I certainly respect your choice of browsers, but you sure have limited yourself there as far as compatible apps go.

Jim
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: app103 on November 25, 2009, 05:39 AM
If you are going to use dropbox to save a copy of your offline database, online, then go for Surfulater (http://www.surfulater.com/).

As far as browser support for anything not Firefox/IE, Surfulater can create entries from clipboard content.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: snail02 on November 25, 2009, 05:59 AM
Snail2, I certainly respect your choice of browsers, but you sure have limited yourself there as far as compatible apps go.

Jim

What am I to do brother.. I tried really hard liking Firefox, but it just never worked out due to several reasons (computer speed, experience with other browsers, etc). Same goes for IE, but I do sometimes use Maxthon and more frequently TheWorld browser, both of which are comparatively better than IE. If there was some desktop+online app which I could use full time to replace Evernote, and required me to switch to an IE based browser such as TheWorld, I would probably switch without much complain.

Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: sri on November 25, 2009, 09:30 AM
I placed a portable version of Evernote (v 2.2.1.386) in my Dropbox folder. So it is available on any computer that I work on (and on which I can install Dropbox).

I really like this old version of Evernote because it has extra note types like 'Expenses'.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: dantheman on November 25, 2009, 12:30 PM
There's Ubernote.com but you can't do as much as you can with Firefox.
At least for now.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: dantheman on November 25, 2009, 01:22 PM
What am i talking about?!

Of course you can clip to Evernote with Opera (Google Chrome probably as well)!
Just install the EN "webclipper" to wherever you want in Opera.  ;)
Sheeshh!
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: Paul Keith on November 25, 2009, 04:56 PM
Short answer, no.

Closest I know is through a Google Reader sync'd FeedDemon but I have bad experiences with that.

If you're purely concerned with text, highlight + ctrl+shift+c if I'm not mistaken copies the snippet into your Opera Notes which you can sync with Opera link.

Any idea of how to integrate such online services in a way that a copy of the note is available in offline mode as well? May be a cool Dropbox integration of some sort? I don't know..

Install the Scrapbook+ Firefox extension and put the folder in your DropBox folder. Alternatively you can just use Spider Oak so you don't have to move it to the DropBox folder.

Less intuitive:

Copy your url into Print What You Like (http://www.printwhatyoulike.com/), edit, save as PDF, location: DropBox folder.

Plus side: It's much newb friendlier to combine pages.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: snail02 on November 25, 2009, 08:00 PM
All great ideas. Thanks.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: J-Mac on November 26, 2009, 01:40 AM
Snail2, I certainly respect your choice of browsers, but you sure have limited yourself there as far as compatible apps go.

Jim

What am I to do brother.. I tried really hard liking Firefox, but it just never worked out due to several reasons (computer speed, experience with other browsers, etc). Same goes for IE, but I do sometimes use Maxthon and more frequently TheWorld browser, both of which are comparatively better than IE. If there was some desktop+online app which I could use full time to replace Evernote, and required me to switch to an IE based browser such as TheWorld, I would probably switch without much complain.


Oh, I'm not saying you should switch browsers, not at all. Just that Opera has a long tradition of not permitting any apps to attach to their browser; they don't offer a usable API for third party plugins. And Chrome, while I really like it especially for its speed, doesn't yet offer any extensibility. Though Chrome does have a developers' version that does have some extensions available - have you looked into that?

Jim
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: snail02 on November 26, 2009, 05:37 AM
Though Chrome does have a developers' version that does have some extensions available - have you looked into that?
Actually that's the one I have been using.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: ur1sn00per on December 15, 2009, 04:26 PM
also ... Iterasi
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: rxantos on December 27, 2009, 07:38 PM
Is there any alternative that encrypts the notes before sending them?
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: Paul Keith on December 27, 2009, 07:58 PM
@rxantos

It's not an alternative but you might want to consider the secure notes feature in LastPass.

Maybe you could even get them to add features to it.

Still...I'm guessing most would be saying to use fsekrit or TrueCrypt combined with DropBox.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: J-Mac on December 27, 2009, 08:12 PM
If you are going to use dropbox to save a copy of your offline database, online, then go for Surfulater (http://www.surfulater.com/).

As far as browser support for anything not Firefox/IE, Surfulater can create entries from clipboard content.

Surfulater does not play well with Dropbox - at all. If you use Surfulater then you will have noticed that it takes an inordinate amount of time to close; sometimes more than 30 seconds. During that time it is saving the DBs one last time, reconciling the temp files into the DB, etc. Of course once the program main is closed Dropbox suddenly grabs the DB so it can upload it, which it cannot do while Surfulater is open. When that happens Surfulater sometimes cannot autosave and roll its temp files into the DB. Also in one case Surfulater and Dropbox bickering over control of the DB after Surfulater's main program had closed - or actually had relinquished its lock on the DB files - caused the DB to be left in a state where it was temporarily renamed and Surf. never finished that. Upon the next start it could not find my database and loaded an older backup. I had to cut and paste a lot to get it fixed.

Neville doesn't seem very interested in accomodating Dropbox access to the DB and so I must remember to manually close Surfulater before shutting down or rebooting; about five minutes ahead of time. And I really don't like having to consider that "lead time" for shut down in order not to lose data from Surfulater. I just stopped keeping my Surf DBs in Dropbox.

I also use Surfulater much less frequently and use Ultra Recall instead. Unless or until Neville wakes up.

Thanks!

Jim
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: Paul Keith on December 28, 2009, 01:00 AM
I don't have Surfulater but J-Mac, have you tested this on other online services?

Would be interesting to see what services work well with it.

The Surfulater-Dropbox was what kept me considering whether I should buy the program or not.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: J-Mac on December 28, 2009, 01:58 AM
I don't have Surfulater but J-Mac, have you tested this on other online services?

Would be interesting to see what services work well with it.

The Surfulater-Dropbox was what kept me considering whether I should buy the program or not.

Paul,

I have my Ultra Recall data in Dropbox as well as my InfoQube and Linkman data files. They all work perfectly in there. Granted Dropbox has to wait for any of these files to be freed-up, meaning not locked by the program(s) using them before getting an updated sync of them. But all these I mentioned free the files as soon as you close them. Surfulater for some reason frees up its databases when I exit the program BUT it continues to do a final consolidation of temp files and save them to the Surfulater KB (database). It is when Surfulater frees the database that Dropbox immediately grabs it to sync it with their server that the problem arises. Surfulater should keep the database locked till it is done with it. Developer insists that isn't what happens but I can plainly see it using Process Explorer and I even documented it with Process Monitor. Makes for a timing PITA!

Jim
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: Dormouse on December 28, 2009, 09:00 AM
I've read and reread the thread, and I'm not really clear what precisely is being looked for (or why).

I mostly use Opera. Evernote works very well with it.

I also use Ultra Recall . It does seem to work fine with Dropbox (and other similar services). But, I prefer to use it for structured info - so I would never think of it as a program for clipping notes from web pages, although it does do this, unless the clipping is to do with specific projects.

I tend to use Evernote for unstructured info - or stuff where I'm still to decide on how to organise it - and for stuff I want OCRd (eg text on the web as an image rather than text). It does it pretty well. It's not obvious to me that I would achieve the same with a Ultra Recall and Dropbox combo.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: dantheman on December 28, 2009, 09:13 AM
Yeah. I kind of got lost here too.

Besides, Evernote is going on with another version that requires Microsoft Net Framework.
Dat, i don't like very much.

I use EPIM now. There's a freeware version and save to Dropbox (2G).
MSN's Skydive with what is it, 24G of space might be an option to look at.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: Dormouse on December 28, 2009, 11:32 AM
I didn't know EPIM had a webclipper now.

Skydrive does give a lot of space. Surprised you'd consider it if you dislike .Net.

I have a lot of progs that run on .Net, so it makes little difference to me if something requires it.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: dantheman on December 28, 2009, 12:28 PM
Actually, EPIM doesn't have a webclipper.
But, with Firefox you can save data and url from webpages in one clip.
Then export to your notes to .html format on Dropbox.
Grant you, it's not as neat as Evernote but if you work mostly from your desktop, it's a handy file to have when you're away.
Personally, i find EN to be slow online and the new desktop program to be clunkier.
Other users don't like the new desktop version either.

Does Skydive require Net Framework? will have to check system requirements.
I, on the contrary, don't have any programs that require Framework.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: J-Mac on December 28, 2009, 01:41 PM
I've read and reread the thread, and I'm not really clear what precisely is being looked for (or why).

I mostly use Opera. Evernote works very well with it.

I also use Ultra Recall . It does seem to work fine with Dropbox (and other similar services). But, I prefer to use it for structured info - so I would never think of it as a program for clipping notes from web pages, although it does do this, unless the clipping is to do with specific projects.

I tend to use Evernote for unstructured info - or stuff where I'm still to decide on how to organise it - and for stuff I want OCRd (eg text on the web as an image rather than text). It does it pretty well. It's not obvious to me that I would achieve the same with a Ultra Recall and Dropbox combo.

"What is precisely being looked for" is in the first post. OP doesn't want to use Evernote, for whatever reason, and asked for an alternative that allows web clipping and is available "on the web". While UR isn't available as a web app it can be viewed on other computers via Dropbox.

That's all; just an alternative. Pretty clear what was asked IMO. If you don't like the question, or want to stump for  Evernote despite what the OP asked, have at it!   ;)

Jim
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: Dormouse on December 28, 2009, 05:05 PM
"What is precisely being looked for" is in the first post. OP doesn't want to use Evernote, for whatever reason, and asked for an alternative that allows web clipping and is available "on the web". While UR isn't available as a web app it can be viewed on other computers via Dropbox.

That's all; just an alternative. Pretty clear what was asked IMO.

Well, I can't see that's really correct.

The second post by the OP added the need for a desktop client; and the third post added the need for compatibility with Opera/Chrome. The second post also said that there was no need for all the features of Evernote, so long as there was clipping and note-taking.

Seems to me that Evernote actually meets this combination of needs better than most of the suggested alternatives (the ones I know anyway), which leaves me with the question of what precisely is being looked for. I'm assuming that there is a problem with Evernote, but, given the set of posted requirements, it seems easier to see what is wrong with the alternatives.

I certainly see most of Snail02's POV. I too use Opera, with Chrome as my preferred backup. I too have tried FF and find it just does not work for me, though I can see the attraction of the extensions. I also enjoy having access to some info over the web, but also having everything available through desktop clients and local storage. For me, EN does OK for this, so I wonder what the problem is for Snail02.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: Dormouse on December 28, 2009, 09:40 PM
I think that if I didn't have Evernote, I would probably try setting up a clipper, with the database kept in a folder that was syncd to the net (such as Dropbox). I use Clipmate and Snagit extensively and I'm pretty sure I could get a system like that working well. What wouldn't be quite so convenient would be that atm my use of Evernote is on the basis that I know that everything in it will be saved to the net. I don't want everything I use Clipmate or Snagit for saved to the net and wouldn't want to change the settings to stop it. Could probably set up another clipper (eg Ditto), just for that use though.

Better controls for clipping; not so good controls for making notes.
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: J-Mac on December 28, 2009, 09:57 PM
I notice since installing Windows 7 last week that it has a web clipping tool of some kind, though admittedly I haven't looked at it yet; just see it on the Start menu. Has anyone tried it? Comments?

Thank you.

Jim
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: Paul Keith on December 31, 2009, 03:31 AM
Haven't tried this but someone posted this link in FriendFeed:

http://www.memonic.com/
Title: Re: Evernote alternative that has an online interface?
Post by: dantheman on April 13, 2010, 07:16 AM
Just came upon this small freeware: http://quotepad.info/

And! It doesn't need .Net Framework to work! Yes!   :Thmbsup: