RightNote 3.0 - 50% deal at BitsDuJour - August 12-14

[Scott_Y]

RightNote will soon be offered for 50% off in an upcoming deal at BitsDuJour
http://www.bitsdujour.com/software/rightnote

[EDIT: This offer is now active, August 12 -- extended two days to August 14.]

I have used the free version of RightNote for the past year, and I will definitely pay to upgrade plus buy my wife a copy. After discovering RN, I stopped searching for a good note organizer. It has become one of my primary productivity programs because of its hierarchical, tabbed, and tagged notes. The main added benefit of the paid Standard version for me is the ability to clip and import from web pages while preserving most original formatting; other users will find further advantages. A Pro version is also available with even more features, including Evernote sync, also the ability to save entire web pages as a note.

This is an excellent deal for excellent software, now in a new major version (3.0). Highly recommended.

[rjbull]

The main added benefit of the paid Standard version for me is the ability to clip and import from web pages while preserving most original formatting, and other users will find further advantages. A Pro version is also available with even more features, including Evernote sync, also the ability to save entire web pages as a note.

I have a license for RightNote Pro version 2, and yes, it does do web clipping, but not quite as I'd like it.  See my earlier post Re: web clipping

[Scott_Y]

I have a license for RightNote Pro version 2, and yes, it does do web clipping, but not quite as I'd like it.  See my earlier post Re: web clipping

I would distinguish two points:
1. The quality of either the web excerpt or entire web page after it is saved to RightNote (these are two different capabilities in RN).
2. The ease or difficulty of locating where that new material was added to RN.

I think your post on web clipping is primarily about the second point. I agree that the RN tree does not scroll well in certain situations including the one you describe. And it would be better if newly added clips or web pages would be focused in the tree. Those are weaknesses in the interface design, and could be improved. So when you say RN "does web clipping, but not quite as I'd like it," it appears to me that you are dissatisfied with the mechanics of the tree. I agree with you there.

When I mentioned web clipping in my original post, I was focused on the first point, which I think RN does quite well. How would you assess RN in that respect?

[rjbull]

1. The quality of either the web excerpt or entire web page after it is saved to RightNote (these are two different capabilities in RN).
[...]
When I mentioned web clipping in my original post, I was focused on the first point, and I think RN does quite well there. How would you assess RN in that respect?

The quality seems very good to me, though I haven't done an exhaustive comparison with the good but imperfect EverNote desktop app (not cloud) that I've used for years.  Whenever I want a truly perfect rendition, I tend to use Local Website Archive, but rightly or wrongly see that as less of a notekeeping app.  RN is probably the best I've seen for both at once, but there are many apps I haven't looked at.

2. The ease or difficulty of locating where that new material was added to RN.

I think your post on web clipping is primarily about the second point. I agree that the RN tree does not scroll well in certain situations including the one you describe. And it would be better if newly added clips or web pages would be focused in the tree. Those are weaknesses in the interface design, and could be improved. So when you say RN "does web clipping, but not quite as I'd like it," it appears to me that you are dissatisfied with the mechanics of the tree. I agree with you there.

Essentially so.  I used to make current awareness bulletins at work, which as the years went by became steadily more a digest of things found on the Web.  I often wanted to clip several bits from a page and assemble them into a whole on my own terms, rather than clip a page complete and have to do a frequently large amount of editing afterwards.  Ideally I wanted an app that had a hotkey for copying current item, whether part or whole page, to a new entry, and a second hotkey to add any further clip to that same entry.  EverNote doesn't have the second, but it does have a good merge capability, which was good enough.  Each time you make a new clip in EverNote, the cursor is on that new clip.  RN's default seems to be to make a new clip if you tell it to, but not to make that the current clip.  Consequently if you use the add-to-entry hotkey, the addition goes to the entry the cursor is on, which from my point of view is the previous one (getting tired, not sure I'm making sense).

In sum, I wanted the action of clipping something to a new entry in RN to make that entry the current one, to simultaneously put the cursor on that entry in the tree (same thing, I suppose) and to scroll the tree to show it.  The way RN currently operates seem to me less than logical.  It's presumably the author's preference, but maybe my preference could be made a configuration option.

[Curt]

A Pro version is also available

just to prevent misunderstandings: The advertised version is the PRO version ($60 now $30), but I expect both versions of course will be available when the offer is on.

compare features (Free, Standard, Pro): http://bauerapps.com/rightnote-version-comparisons/

[attachimg=#]

[Scott_Y]

RN's default seems to be to make a new clip if you tell it to, but not to make that the current clip.  Consequently if you use the add-to-entry hotkey, the addition goes to the entry the cursor is on, which from my point of view is the previous one (getting tired, not sure I'm making sense).

In sum, I wanted the action of clipping something to a new entry in RN to make that entry the current one, to simultaneously put the cursor on that entry in the tree (same thing, I suppose) and to scroll the tree to show it.  The way RN currently operates seem to me less than logical.  It's presumably the author's preference, but maybe my preference could be made a configuration option.

I can confirm that when RN adds a new note from a web clip, the focus remains on the current note in the tree and does not shift to the new note. So if we want to append subsequent clips to the new note as you describe, we must first manually scroll the tree and change focus to the new note. I agree that is an awkward work flow.

I had already intended to submit a wish for improved auto scrolling of the tree after I purchase my licenses. Your comments here have been very helpful, and confirm the need for that improvement. I will refer Rael (the author) to this thread. I will also second your desire for new notes to be given focus.

[Scott_Y]

just to prevent misunderstandings: The advertised version is the PRO version ($60 now $30), but I expect both versions of course will be available when the offer is on.

Yes, it is good to point that out. Previous discounts of RN at BdJ applied to both Standard and Pro versions (see, for example, some of the older comments there), so I was assuming the same would be true for this offering. We'll see what Rael has authorized.

[Scott_Y]

In sum, I wanted the action of clipping something to a new entry in RN to make that entry the current one, to simultaneously put the cursor on that entry in the tree (same thing, I suppose) and to scroll the tree to show it.  The way RN currently operates seem to me less than logical.  It's presumably the author's preference, but maybe my preference could be made a configuration option.

I just realized that there is at least one workflow context in which RN's current behavior is logical and beneficial; I should have thought of this earlier because I often use it myself! Let's say we are collecting web excerpts or pages on topic A, and want to have each as a separate note (or sub-node) under topic A. If the tree focus is on the A node as parent, then RN's behavior allows us to successively clip as many items as we wish from our web browser without ever going back to RN. The result will be as many new sibling notes, all under A.

So RN provides the following two options for clipping web excerpts or capturing web pages, each with its own dedicated, configurable hotkey:
1. Add new notes under a parent node.
2. Append new content to an existing note.

In both cases, the action applies to the focused node of the tree, and the focus remains on that node after the action. Because the focus doesn't move, we can continue to add more notes or append more content from the browser without returning to RN.

And likewise in both cases, we must first select the target node in RN before clipping or capturing from a web browser. If we do that, I think RN will easily compile multiple clips into one note just as you described. Now that I understand this, I see that it is logical and consistent.

The auto scrolling is a separate but related matter which I think could be improved. I will send Rael my suggestions for that.

[EDIT: I just found that the method for inserting a new Web clip can be configured in Tools > Clipper Options. It can be added either as a child of the current note or at the bottom of the tree.]

[4wd]

What I'd like to see is an option, (or more preferably a hotkey eg. Win+Shift+V), where you highlight the content, hit the hotkey and it then asks you where in your tree/db you want the note to be put.

Rather than set everything up beforehand or start reorganising at the end of a clipping session.

I really wish he had a forum for users because my clipping from browser no longer works at all and it'd be helpful to see if anyone else had the same problem and a solution.

[rjbull]

Let's say we are collecting web excerpts or pages on topic A, and want to have each as a separate note (or sub-node) under topic A. If the tree focus is on the A node as parent, then RN's behavior allows us to successively clip as many items as we wish from our web browser without ever going back to RN. The result will be as many new sibling notes, all under A.
[...]
So RN provides the following two options for clipping web excerpts or capturing web pages, each with its own dedicated, configurable hotkey:
1. Add new notes under a parent node.
2. Append new content to an existing note.

I realise that RN has several hotkeys, including Clip to New Note: and Clip to Current Note:.  Within the current tree structure, I just want Clip to New Note: to automatically put the cursor on that newly-created note, so that subsequent Clip to Current Note: append to it.  Perhaps because that's the way I've always worked, but it seems logical to me.  I want to build up a single note piece by piece, not to create a new sub-topic.

[rjbull]

Oops, either DC or the Internet sooo slooow I managed to double-post.  Apologies.

[Scott_Y]

Within the current tree structure, I just want Clip to New Note: to automatically put the cursor on that newly-created note, so that subsequent Clip to Current Note: append to it.

That would be efficient. How about submitting it as a wish to Rael? I'll vote for it too.

[rjbull]

That would be efficient. How about submitting it as a wish to Rael? I'll vote for it too.

I just sent an e-mail via his contact form, asking him to review this thread.

[RaelB]

Hi rjbull,

What Scott says is correct. The original intention was that you could clip multiple times (i.e. add new notes), to the same original node. Moving to the newly captured note will prevent you from doing that. Anyway, it is a simple thing to add an option that will make the focus go to the new node.

[RaelB]

What I'd like to see is an option, (or more preferably a hotkey eg. Win+Shift+V), where you highlight the content, hit the hotkey and it then asks you where in your tree/db you want the note to be put.

Rather than set everything up beforehand or start reorganising at the end of a clipping session.

I really wish he had a forum for users because my clipping from browser no longer works at all and it'd be helpful to see if anyone else had the same problem and a solution.

4wd: We do have plans for more elaborate clip handling along the lines that you mention.

re: your problem. We do offer support by email so you are always welcome! There was a problem where the auto copy was not working in some cases. So we have now disabled this setting by default. If you uncheck "auto copy when clipping", then manual copy (ctrl+C) and paste (Win+V) works reliably.

[4wd]

4wd: We do have plans for more elaborate clip handling along the lines that you mention.

re: your problem. We do offer support by email so you are always welcome! There was a problem where the auto copy was not working in some cases. So we have now disabled this setting by default. If you uncheck "auto copy when clipping", then manual copy (ctrl+C) and paste (Win+V) works reliably.

I've been using Ctrl+C and Win+V which does work fine, clipping from my browser used to work - then it just stopped from any browser.  At the moment it's not annoying me enough to spend the time to work out why so I'm leaving it until I have to reinstall the OS.

[rjbull]

it is a simple thing to add an option that will make the focus go to the new node.

Thanks, I'll look forward to that.  It stems from the way I've always worked...  and it's difficult to change habits.  However, in my case, it did make sense, because there were usually only parts of a page I wanted, and I needed to assemble them into a whole without too much editing.

[Scott_Y]

Good news, rjbull. Another user recently submitted the same suggestion as yours in the BdJ comments (copied below), and got a positive reply from Rael. Nice   http://www.bitsdujour.com/software/rightnote?utm_source=SiteMail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=1#comments68275

Brian W - Question: How best to easily manage where new clips go?
Suggestion: Add option: After Win-V to create a new note, change the focus to that note so that additional Win-A appends are added to that note.
Why: Typically, I will want to make several notes on one subject (win-A) but when I change to another subject, I would Win-V for a new note and then win-A to continue on that subject. If I want to go back to the first subject, I probably just Win-v again to create a new note, then later go back to RN to combine or file the notes, but at least all win-A appends are on a single subject.
With the current setup, before taking any clippings, one must open RN and set a focus, otherwise the notes could go somewhere unexpected.

Rael Bauer - @Brian: Yes, someone else has asked for this behaviour, so I hope to add it as an option for the next release. (i.e. move focus to newly created note after clipping).

[rjbull]

Another user recently submitted the same suggestion as yours in the BdJ comments [...], and got a positive reply from Rael.

Thanks!  I'll be pleased to see the advent of a merge feature, too.

[Scott_Y]

I just want Clip to New Note: to automatically put the cursor on that newly-created note, so that subsequent Clip to Current Note: append to it.

Good news, rjbull: Your request is now avaialable in RightNote 3.0.4. In Tools > Clipper Options the user can enable "Move focus to new note (when add new clip)". I really appreciate authors who respond to user requests like that. Not only are our needs met, but their software becomes increasingly polished and sophisticated. Really nice.

I must say, the more I use RightNote, the more I love it.

[rjbull]

Good news, rjbull: Your request is now avaialable in RightNote 3.0.4.

Thanks!

I really appreciate authors who respond to user requests like that. Not only are our needs met, but their software becomes increasingly polished and sophisticated. Really nice.

Yes indeed!  Thanks, Rael    Downloaded, yet to install, but looks like it can now replace my Evernote desktop application.