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General brainstorming for Note-taking software
ganrad:
Hi,
For me, what is important is very small footprint (better so if the application remains closed but can be fired open in negligible time using Directaccess or Activewords hotkey), allowing me to jot my notes and gets closed in a jiffy.
I have tried evernote, surfulator and a host of other applications. Each have its merits and demerits.
Of late, I am using simple .txt files (windows notepad) to capture the notes and use a simple activewords macro to "saveas" using text in the first line of the note.
Then I use X1 (any free desktopsearch application would do good as well) to search for any content that I have captured.
I also use recentx to quickly getback to a note if I had saved it in the preceeding few days (usually to-do notes)
One may ask why do I make it so complex when there are tons of notes applications that can accomplish this and contain all the notes in a single database.
Ideally yes. But I hesitate to commit myself to any propereitary format for obvious reasons. Besides, most of the notes taking software do not get indexed by desktopsearch applications (I use X1) readily.
Then there is the issue of synchronizing across computers (between my laptop and desktop). A big problem I faced when I was trying out the regular note taking applications (Evernote et al) was maintaining the sync between my laptop and desktop PCs. If I fail to sync the datafile when I switch from desktop to laptop and vice versa, I end up having notes spread over two data files necessitating a manual cut and paste of data. I tried to maintain two databases "laptop-datafile" and "desktop=datafile" and manually sync them once a week.
Works fine!. But then, I don't get the data when I need it, unless I network my laptop and desktop and perform a manual sync first.
Evernote had been quite friendly in manual syncing in the older versions, thanks to the xml export feature. The newer version of evernote makes synchronization automatic. However, still I need to couple my laptop and desktop together or couple my USB Drive.
How do I manage keeping laptop and desktop in sync with my current approach of simle .txt files.
I happen to own syncback SE and some web storage space. I have set auto uploading of newly created .txt files into the webspace (both in my laptop and desktop computers). Being small in footprint, .txt files get uploaded/downloaded instantaneously and only the files that needs to get copied or deleted gets transported making the sync process simple, efficient and completely transparent.
I cant do this web based sync to a single database notes file (say an evernote datafile or mybase datafile) which gets bulkier by the day
Net, I have a delicate system to handle my notes. But it works and meets my needs.
WHat I do miss is a software, that can compile all txt files in a folder/subfolders and show them as folder tree structure combined with a viewer editor. To put in other words, a notes software that saves individual notes as separate txt files (or rtf files) in the same folder tree structure. Not to mention, with good search capability.
Any thoughts?
sri:
I feel you are needlessly following a cumbersome process. You may want to take a look at EverNote again. Why install it on desktop and laptop and try to sync? Just run it from a USB stick or iPod and plug it wherever you work (assuming you don't work on laptop and desktop simultaneously).
rjbull:
Hi,
For me, what is important is very small footprint (better so if the application remains closed but can be fired open in negligible time using Directaccess or Activewords hotkey), allowing me to jot my notes and gets closed in a jiffy.
-ganrad (April 15, 2007, 08:28 AM)
--- End quote ---
This is an advantage of Treepad Lite. It's one of the smallest, so fastest to load.
Of late, I am using simple .txt files (windows notepad) to capture the notes and use a simple activewords macro to "saveas" using text in the first line of the note.
--- End quote ---
Despite your use of Syncback, etc., aren't you running the risk of overwriting existing date by accidentally giving text files the a name you have used already? Unless your macro adds date and time to the name, of course.
Ideally yes. But I hesitate to commit myself to any propereitary format for obvious reasons.
--- End quote ---
This seems to me one of the outstanding problems of this class of software :(
paulobrabo:
Getting minimalistic here!
My note-taking needs are very focused: I only need to gather small text bits, and I need to be able to find them fast and easy.
I was using NotePad and scattered .txt files myself, but then I found this little gem of minimalism: it's called Mempad.
General brainstorming for Note-taking software
PROS:
(1) The entire (standalone) application is only 97kb;
(2) it uses a text-based file with a customizable extension name
(3) fast global search
(4) exports single notes or whole trees to txt
(5) TINY memory footprint (312 k in my system)
(6) Customizable fonts and backgrounds
(7) it's FREE!
CONS(?):
(1) Imports txt files only as far as I can see (not counting its own file format)
(2) Minimizes on ESC as an option, but no true invoking shortcut. I use PowerPro to fix that.
(3) No rich-text formatting (which is a plus in my book).
http://home.mnet-online.de/horst.muc/wmem.htm
ganrad:
I think I almost got what I was looking for.
Looks like Notelens meets the need. OK sofar.
Though has an unwanted feature - Outlook sync, which I guess is the reason for the bulkiness (occupies 28MB memory in my system)
But saves notes as separate .txt files
Possible to import existing .txt files. Notelens just indexex these files. Does not change the location
For syncing, just sync the xml file (I guess).
Will try out for a few days and update the
Thanks to CRUSH for providing the link
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