From 0147f8372e723463a70142d6c959a8e29191be99 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "R. Tyler Croy" Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2011 18:47:36 -0800 Subject: [PATCH] Add my post all about evernote fanboyisms. --- ...06-evernote-the-killer-tablet-app.markdown | 129 ++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 129 insertions(+) create mode 100644 _posts/2011-11-06-evernote-the-killer-tablet-app.markdown diff --git a/_posts/2011-11-06-evernote-the-killer-tablet-app.markdown b/_posts/2011-11-06-evernote-the-killer-tablet-app.markdown new file mode 100644 index 0000000..15a817a --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2011-11-06-evernote-the-killer-tablet-app.markdown @@ -0,0 +1,129 @@ +--- +layout: post +title: Evernote. The Killer App for Tablets +tags: +- evernote +- tablet +- android +--- + +One weekend in the not-so-distant past I started playing with +[Evernote](http://www.evernote.com), reading all sorts of LifeHacker-esque +articles on how to use Evernote for super mega-awesome organization and +note-taking, etc. I was so convinced that I would **change everything** to +revolve around Evernote that weekend, that I went ahead and signed up for +Evernote Premium after only a few hours. + +Then I left Evernote dormant for a couple of months, except for occasionally +clipping some URLs from Chrome into my "Bookmarks" notebook. + +I honestly didn't take any notes, Evernote was a place for interesting tidbits of +information to die. + + +Then at one point, I bought an HP TouchPad, which I soon returned (after HP +killed the line) and picked up an [ASUS +Transformer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_Pad_Transformer). + +I originally avoided Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" because, and I've now experienced +this first hand, Honeycomb _sucks_. That's not a point I want to dwell on, while [I've +started to keep track of some +gripes](https://www.evernote.com/shard/s75/sh/5226f888-240b-4dcd-8ce2-902578f8c6b4/0b9ee8e54c29f130117002c5254a7cf8), +at the end of the day, it's just not a very polished OS. + + +Fortunately, Android has one saving grace: + +Evernote! + + +### Evernote. + +The Evernote Android app is *nearly* perfect and combined with the tablet form +factor, it goes from "kind of useful" to "cannot live without." At the time of +this writing, I have over 300 notes in Evernote, with a rate of about 2-5 notes +per day. + + +#### Bookmarking and the Web Clipper + +The tablet app combined with the [web +clipper](http://www.evernote.com/about/download/web_clipper.php) browser +extension has given me a cross between delicious and instapaper. Throughout the +day when I find interesting links, if I need them for referencing later I will +just clip the URL into my "Bookmarks" notebook. + +If I find an interesting tutorial or article that I'd like to read later, I'll clip the full article into the relevant +Notebook. Later on the train, I'll go read through the articles that I've +clipped into Evernote on my tablet, which were synchronized to the device prior +to leaving the office . (*Relevant feature:* Offline Notebooks +([details](http://blog.evernote.com/2011/09/06/evernote-for-android-now-with-skitch-integration-offline-search-slideshow-view-and-more/))) + + +#### Meeting Notes + +I have never been one to bring my laptop into meetings, I don't particularly care +for it and I'm too tempted to get work done (zing!). Using Evernote on the +tablet allows me to focus on taking notes and if need be, occasionally jump +back to email or the browser on the device in order to double-check something +that might be pertinent to the meeting. + +Sure I could take notes on paper, but having those notes immediately available +on other devices and copy/paste-able is pretty invaluable once you need to turn +your notes into tickets in JIRA or feedback on an interview candidate. + +#### Product Design/Competitive Analysis + +As an Evernote Premium user, I can share notebooks with other Evernote users in +a way that allows them to read and write to them. Using this functionality, +I've shared some notebooks with various colleagues as we scheme and plot. + +Using a shared notebook lets us compile notes from our various meetings and +discussions on the subject, using Skitch for quick and dirty little diagrams. +On top of that, any relevant information we might find about potential +competitors, interesting APIs, etc, we can use the Web Clipper to clip straight +into that shared notebook. + +(*Relevant feature:* Skitch integration +([details](http://blog.evernote.com/2011/09/06/evernote-for-android-now-with-skitch-integration-offline-search-slideshow-view-and-more/)), Shared Notebooks +([details](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtPCyV62zRM))) + +#### Grocery List + +Utilizing shared notebooks, I have a shared notebook between my wife and myself +where we add to-do items to our grocery lists, add other notes that we might +need to share between each other. + +Being the domesticated house man that I am, I typically go grocery shopping, +tablet in hand with my grocery list full of to-do checkboxes sitting shot-gun +in the shopping cart. As I meander through the store, I check the boxes as I +pick up various foods. Upon completing my trip, I add a picture of the receipt +and the total price to the note. As time progresses, I not only have a clear +idea of how our grocery needs have been evolving, but I also have a good idea +of how much damn money we're spending on all our fancy foods. (*Relevant +feature:* To-do list +([details](http://blog.evernote.com/2011/08/02/did-you-know-how-to-create-a-checklist-in-evernote/))) + + +### Missing Functionality + +Unfortunately, Evernote isn't perfect and has a number of flaws which can take +you out of note-taking-nirvana pretty abrubtly. + +* Shared notebooks have **no notifications** associated with it. The only way I know if you added something to a notebook is if you tell me, or I notice by chance. This *sucks*. +* [NixNote](http://nevernote.sf.net) is a half-decent client for Linux, but doesn't render rich text well at all and is a bit slow. +* The Evernote.com web application is decent, but lacks many keyboard shortcuts and can get slow when you're navigating a notebook with hundreds of notes. +* The web app doesn't allow you to create to-do lists as it does numbered lists, i.e. hit return and get a new checkbox list item, fortunately the Android app does this properly. +* If you have a spotty data connection, the synchronization from the Evernote Android application to Evernote.com will screw up constantly and your resulting note will be full of "Conflicting save : *timestamp*" which you will have to later clean up on a more full-featured client (like the .com). +* Evernote support is borderline useless. I've emailed them about a couple of the above issues, and I've consistently gotten back a templated reply, in one case, the support person clearly didn't even read my email before replying. + + +---- + +There's more good with Evernote than bad, I admire the approach they're taking +with the company and I'm pretty fond of their product (obviously). + +If you're on the fence about buying a tablet of any variety, I recommend +purchasing a tablet coupled with an Evernote account, it's really the killer +app for tablet computing.