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Apr 12, 2001
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penultimate.jpg
The excellent iPad notebook app Penultimate has received its first major update since it was purchased by Evernote in May of last year.

The update adds Evernote integration, as well as a new feature to make handwritten notes in the app searchable. The app uploads notes to Evernote, which does all the handwriting recognition server side.
One of Evernote's magic features is its ability to make handwriting searchable. We've applied this to Penultimate to help you find the notes you're looking for. Just tap on the new magnifying glass icon in the top right corner of your screen to begin searching your notes. Search results fly in with either a yellow rectangle around the identified words or yellow highlighting in the note title.
Penultimate is a free download on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Penultimate Updated With Evernote Integration, Price Cut to Free
 

zigzag801

macrumors member
Apr 5, 2008
49
3
I got really excited, downloaded it again (use to have it but went on to a better app), tested it out, and still disappointed. As a college student there are better apps for note taking and doing homework. Some fellow students and I are sticking to notability for our needs. It can sync to dropbox which is nice, but we were really excited for the Evernote integration so we can also edit notes on our laptops. Notability does two key things better that make it harder to switch to anything else such as a zoom feature, and multiple page integration (i.e. you can keep writing down to new pages instead of having to "turn" the page to write more down). I personally feel like penultimate is really lacking compared to other writing/note taking apps, but this integration with Evernote gives me hope.
 

M-O

macrumors 6502a
Mar 15, 2011
502
0
beautiful! this one has been on my watch list for a while now.
 

slapple

macrumors 6502
Jul 25, 2008
466
21
I just did a search for "penultimate" in App Store on my iPhone and nothing called Penultimate came up. Is it called "Evernote" now or is Evernote a different app?
 

tardegrade

macrumors regular
Jan 14, 2009
146
250
Devon, UK.
The cut feature and the page management is great, but it needs a highlighter or some other drawing tool.

I use Bamboo at the moment and export to Evernote, which works well and the drawing engine is faster. I really like it. However I also use Grafio which has excellent shape recognition which I love.

Someone needs to get these features together in a single app. Penultimates Evernote ability and document management, with Grafio's shape recognition and style, with Bamboo's drawing engine and highlight tool and maybe add a brush as well and then you would have a tool that would become seriously fast and useful for getting ideas out.

No one has quite done it yet, so these apps remain useful to some people when they could be fundamentally beneficial to most people.
 

Glassed Silver

macrumors 68020
Mar 10, 2007
2,096
2,567
Kassel, Germany
Handwriting + hoverhanding = doesn't work during lectures...

I really want an iPad, there are many, many reasons I do need and want one, but for taking notes I have to admit that Samsung's been paying a bit more attention to actual real life ergonomics and needs.

Glassed Silver:mac
 

mixel

macrumors 68000
Jan 12, 2006
1,729
976
Leeds, UK
Adonit stylus are garbage.
The Adonit Jot Touch is one of the best tech purchases I've ever made! It, combined with Procreate has become my primary drawing platform, despite already having Intuos and photoshop to hand.

Definitely not garbage.
 

Sardonick007

macrumors regular
May 18, 2011
239
2
I have LOVED Penultimate since the start. Bought all paper options to support developers and used it every chance I had, except where I needed audio or more functions in general. My favorite part was the ink engine. Evernote ruined this application completely with the new version (to me). I hate the way the ink flows and looks now, compared to the original. It has now gone into a watch folder waiting for them to change it back or make it better. I hate it. I want the smooth flowing ink to come back.
 

bogatyr

macrumors 65816
Mar 13, 2012
1,127
1
Does it require an Evernote account and uploading your notes? Or can you skip that and have local only?
 

Habakuk

macrumors 6502a
Jul 10, 2007
968
40
Vienna Austria Europe
Handwriting + hoverhanding = doesn't work during lectures...

There is a "wrist protection" you can switch on in the settings with several options for left and right handers.

Edit: Tried it with iPad 4 but the wrist protection doesn't work. Maybe it works only with a stylus.

Does it require an Evernote account and uploading your notes? Or can you skip that and have local only?

As far as I can see without account you may work with the demo handbook only (add pages). Only with an Evernote account you can add new books and make use of other features like the search function.
 
Last edited:

Glassed Silver

macrumors 68020
Mar 10, 2007
2,096
2,567
Kassel, Germany
There is a "wrist protection" you can switch on in the settings with several options for left and right handers.

Edit: Tried it with iPad 4 but the wrist protection doesn't work. Maybe it works only with a stylus.



As far as I can see without account you may work with the demo handbook only (add pages). Only with an Evernote account you can add new books and make use of other features like the search function.

Wrist protection isn't a bulletproof system and sometimes will work, sometimes it won't.

The Note 10.1 just nailed it hands down.
I'm not overly happy to say that, but Apple sure sucks for not getting that yes, you do NEED a stylus at times.

I can't imagine that Apple is hoverhanding with their iPads all the time and don't get carpel tunnel or something, then again I bet they either use keyboards or Macbooks... Or you know... sketchbooks.
It's a shame, because I'd love to save paper and have my sketches and notes easily searchable and syncable, because I'm so bad at keeping physical stuff sorted, digitally however, I'm a whiz at sorting and finding my stuff. :D

Glassed Silver:mac
 

I WAS the one

macrumors 6502a
May 16, 2006
867
58
Orlando, FL
I need to be honest. I bought Penultimate when debuted on the App Store. I loved it and in less than a month every co-worker in the building got it on their iPad installed. but then... after a while... well... how do I say this...

nobody is using it now and in my ipad it is not installed. not anymore.

it's one of those apps that WOW at first and then fade away with time.

true story :(
 

Habakuk

macrumors 6502a
Jul 10, 2007
968
40
Vienna Austria Europe
Wrist protection isn't a bulletproof system and sometimes will work, sometimes it won't.

The Note 10.1 just nailed it hands down.

I got SketchTime a while ago when it was free for a limited time and it's wrist protection worked pretty well for me. But I must admit that I didn't make much use of it.

I'm not overly happy to say that, but Apple sure sucks for not getting that yes, you do NEED a stylus at times.

Never missed it. I am WAY faster with typing (ten fingers blind skilled) or with the great dictation function and I am not a great visual/painting artist. For the few sketches that I needed on the iPad my finger(s) did it. For me it's hard to write with a finger, I am slow, need too much space and can hardly read it afterwards. Not that my writings would look bad on paper.

But promised: When I see a stylus next time I will try it. Are they safe for the touchscreen? No scratches? No chemical layers/coatings added by Apple will be distorted?

And I know that many people want it. So there is definitely a market for apps like this.
 

Glassed Silver

macrumors 68020
Mar 10, 2007
2,096
2,567
Kassel, Germany
I got SketchTime a while ago when it was free for a limited time and it's wrist protection worked pretty well for me. But I must admit that I didn't make much use of it.



Never missed it. I am WAY faster with typing (ten fingers blind skilled) or with the great dictation function and I am not a great visual/painting artist. For the few sketches that I needed on the iPad my finger(s) did it. For me it's hard to write with a finger, I am slow, need too much space and can hardly read it afterwards. Not that my writings would look bad on paper.

But promised: When I see a stylus next time I will try it. Are they safe for the touchscreen? No scratches? No chemical layers/coatings added by Apple will be distorted?

And I know that many people want it. So there is definitely a market for apps like this.

Generally they are safe, but I also put a protector on everything portable I have...

And sure, wrist protection is still better than nothing, but the problem is that I also lay down my pinky on whatever I write on. Go figure.

I'm similarly fast with a keyboard (a real keyboard), but the problem is that sometimes I need to make quick additions or sketches on the side or I use pictography to shorten long words, etc etc...
I'm a VERY bad keyboard user for taking notes of lectures or such, I'm much more relaxed and productive with handwriting.

I think that's very individual, however I think Apple should really get their act together here. :(

Oh and don't get me started on the iPad's keyboard... it's awkward for me...
I can type much faster on the iPhone's narrow (portrait) keyboard than on the landscape one, it get's much worse on the iPad, so yeah... again: go figure :D

Glassed Silver:mac
 
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