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Cross-platform apps?

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Dormouse:
Over the years, I've been gradually moving towards looking for cross-platform applications. Originally, it was to provide me with security and a continued familiarity of use when I saw that I might not be on Windows forever and wanted the option to just switch to Linux. Then with PDAs/smartphones: Palm, Windows Mobile, finally settling on Android because it is open (and cheaper).

But recently I was costing up a possible new business venture and realised that the high-tech solution will work out cheaper (and easier) than the alternative - but the software only works on iPads. So that will be another system to become familiar with and finds apps for. Definitely too much for me to want to cope with and so I really, really want cross-platform usage and easy synchronisation. And for them to work well on large monitors, tablets (7" & 10"), and smartphones.

I already have multiple cloud storage accounts (not trusting any of them,I make sure that everything slightly important is backed up on to at least 2 as well as a number of local drives). I use Gmail and Google Calendar (mostly through local clients). I have been making more and more use of Evernote.

I'm not sure if there is any percentage in me using cloud based office apps rather than just saving docs into a cloud account, but can see there are attractions in an Office365 subscription for business use if I have to do iPad too. I'd also look at Google of course; use it a bit already, but not really got into it as I've mostly been happy doing these things on my desktop.

Are there other apps that people would recommend?
Local storage is vital, not just stuff kept in the cloud; I don't have access to the internet all the time.

I can see it could be a big change for me as I will probably have to commit to a change in my working practices, rather than just using stuff that seems best at the time.

dr_andus:
Are there other apps that people would recommend?
Local storage is vital, not just stuff kept in the cloud; I don't have access to the internet all the time.
-Dormouse (September 21, 2013, 05:55 AM)
--- End quote ---

Are you just talking about any cross-platform apps in general? I don't have any Android devices, so cross-platform for me is working with an XP netbook, Win7 desktop, iPod Touch, and an iPad. My most frequent apps that I use across all of those would be (in decreasing order of frequency of use):

- Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google News, Google Contacts
- WorkFlowy
- Dropbox with various writing apps (Nebulous Notes, iA Writer)
- Passwords Plus

I'm not sure if I should include in this category those apps that require import/export to exchange data (no direct cloud sync with PC app), but here they are:
- CarbonFin Outliner on iOS and PC browser (exporting to Natara Bonsai on Win)
- iThoughtsHD on iOS (exporting to Freeplane on Win)

Dormouse:

Are you just talking about any cross-platform apps in general?

-dr_andus (September 21, 2013, 06:14 AM)
--- End quote ---

Anything really. I'm mostly interested in getting an easy, effective workflow. Going to be more complicated, because I'll probably also need another laptop so that means W8 and will probably go for one with touch/tablet usage. Far too many different bits of kit because each area of my life/work looks as if it will need something different, so I really want to keep everything simpler with the apps.


- Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google News, Google Contacts
- WorkFlowy
- Dropbox with various writing apps (Nebulous Notes, iA Writer)
- Passwords Plus

-dr_andus (September 21, 2013, 06:14 AM)
--- End quote ---

Thanks for these. I already use the Google apps & Dropbox (& Lastpass), but hadn't encountered Workflowy, so I had a look at that. Doesn't have a functional Android app, which means it is out for me atm; I might come back to it in the future though. I've noticed some reviewers talking of it as an Evernote/Onenote equivalent, but I've always seen outliners very differently and have tried a stack of them on my desktop.


I'm not sure if I should include in this category those apps that require import/export to exchange data (no direct cloud sync with PC app), but here they are:
- CarbonFin Outliner on iOS and PC browser (exporting to Natara Bonsai on Win)
- iThoughtsHD on iOS (exporting to Freeplane on Win)

-dr_andus (September 21, 2013, 06:14 AM)
--- End quote ---

I'm not sure about this. I've set up all sorts of things to do this, using Dropbox or equivalent for the exchange but it always feels really clunky. I'm sure it doesn't really take much more time but it has always felt as if it does.

40hz:
It's hard to make recommendations for software in a vacuum. And cross-platform is such a big playing field that unless you know what something is going to be used for, it quickly becomes yet another long rambling software list. Which is not th same thing as recommendations.

Perhaps if you could give us some idea of what your new venture will involve it might be easier to make software recommendations. I spec and source a lot of software for my client's businesses - many of which are in the pre-launch or start-up stage. And one thing I've learned is "one size does not fit all" when it comes to software for business use.

Best would be to share your requirements checklist if you've done one already. (I suspect you have.) It would include items such as specifically which OSs need to be supported along with specifically what hardware platforms to support. (Android is not the same Android across different devices).

Also a list of major functions needed (i.e. planning, standard office productivity apps, communications, collaboration, web, database, vertical business apps, security, etc.)

That might help frame this thread a little better. :)

You know the drill. ;D
 :)

dr_andus:
hadn't encountered Workflowy, so I had a look at that. Doesn't have a functional Android app, which means it is out for me atm;
-Dormouse (September 21, 2013, 06:51 AM)
--- End quote ---

How about WorkFlowy Agent?

I've noticed some reviewers talking of it as an Evernote/Onenote equivalent, but I've always seen outliners very differently and have tried a stack of them on my desktop.
-Dormouse (September 21, 2013, 06:51 AM)
--- End quote ---

I don't think the Evernote/Onenote comparison is a valid one, as WorkFlowy is a text-only minimalist app.

WorkFlowy to me primarily is a task manager, then note-taker, and then outliner. It is probably most useful to those for whom these three functions tend to overlap, i.e. writers.

The key benefits of WorkFlowy to me are:
- ability to take notes in the form of a hierarchical outline (as opposed to a flat list);
- ability to zoom/focus/hoist into any task within the hierarchy with one click and shut out the rest of the noise;
- ability to keep old notes in their original hierarchy and not have to delete them to clear the deck;
- ability to take notes on the go (iPod Touch, iPad);
- automatic sync across platforms;
- outline items having inline notes;
- good export options (plain text, formatted text, OPML);
- its minimalism.

I've become a big fan of WorkFlowy as it allowed me to consolidate all my task lists (before I used 3 or 4 different to-do apps simultaneously and it was a mess). It's a tab in my Firefox that's always open besides Google Calendar on my PC.

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