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Development Team Led by John Gruber Releases New Note-Taking App Vesper

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Apr 12, 2001
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Vesper is a new note taking app that also incorporates to-do elements, allowing users to capture thoughts, tasks, and ideas quickly and efficiently. The app comes from newly minted company Q Branch, which includes Apple blogger John Gruber, developer Brent Simmons, and designer Dave Wiskus.

Vesper offers a simplistic user interface that focuses on both quick input and customizable organization, utilizing tags to group items into collections. As the app description states, Vesper allows users to organize and curate notes in "whatever way comes naturally."

vesper.jpg
MacStories has published a detailed review of Vesper, comparing it to several other note taking apps available:
Vesper is about collecting thoughts with minimal friction. And not about doing so with a certain specificity in the UI - say, Day One's emphasis on journaling or TaskAgent's notebook motif - but in a generalized manner that revolves around one key aspect: speed. I have pondered over the motivation behind Vesper for days, and I've concluded that Vesper doesn't want to be the new Drafts or Day One - rather, its aim is on Apple's Notes app. The way I see it, Q Branch didn't want to make an app that identified itself with one facet of note-taking: they wanted one that could scale flexibly for a more generalized use. And this, I believe, has been accomplished quite well.
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In addition to offering tags for organizational purposes, Vesper also incorporates drag and drop functionality to allow users to rearrange notes and older notes can be archived with a swipe for storage to create an uncluttered inbox. Both the archive and notes that have been tagged and arranged can then be accessed from the sidebar.

The app supports photos in addition to text, along with an in-app browser. It does not, however, support syncing as it is currently limited to the iPhone.

Vesper can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Development Team Led by John Gruber Releases New Note-Taking App Vesper
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/06/06/development-team-led-by-john-gruber-releases-new-note-taking-app-vesper/
If there is anybody that knows how iOS 7 apps will look, it's Gruber. So, I think this is a good representation of iOS 7. And it's what 9to5 Mac reported, black, white, and flat all over with a single color to designate what app you're in.
 
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Bought it - very clean and fast. I'm hoping for cross-platform sync so it can effectively never give me a reason to use Notes.app again.
 
Can we please stop saying "simplistic" when we apparently mean "simple"? The two words don't mean the same thing. MacRumors, if you're going to characterize a new product like this as "simplistic," then please at least say what you think is wrong with it. And if it indeed is simplistic, why report its release?
 
That post about a $5 app not being expensive makes more sense all of a sudden.
 
applefanDrew said:
If there is anybody that knows how iOS 7 apps will look, it's Gruber. So, I think this is a good representation of iOS 7. And it's what 9to5 Mac reported, black, white, and flat all over with a single color to designate what app your in.
Click to expand...

Form over function and without any clear indicators as to what is clickable and what is not. I honestly hope there is more to the iOS redesign than this, otherwise it is purely a step backwards in terms of usability.
 
KALLT said:
Form over function and without any clear indicators as to what is clickable and what is not. I honestly hope there is more to the iOS redesign than this, otherwise it is purely a step backwards in terms of usability.
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Form over function is what Apple is all about these days, unfortunately. :(
 
Looks and sounds interesting, but if it's aiming to replace the built in Notes app, I should probably wait and see if iOS 7 changes Notes and see if this still seems as appealing next week.
 
(In before discussion of flatness) --OH WAIT! Many people have already jumped the gun. :p

I love how this thread will become about the iOS 7 UI design and not the actual app featured here. I love it. . :rolleyes:
 
Waiting for iOS 7?

Maybe they didn't want to launch it with the buggy iOS 6 iCloud syncing and then have to re-vamp it after WWDC. My guess is their plan is to get it out to a bunch of Fireballers this week, and then open the suggestion box to their friends next week, after they see what Apple's going to do about Core Data/iCloud syncing in iOS 7, yadda yadda.
 
bluespark said:
Can we please stop saying "simplistic" when we apparently mean "simple"? The two words don't mean the same thing. MacRumors, if you're going to characterize a new product like this as "simplistic," then please at least say what you think is wrong with it. And if it indeed is simplistic, why report its release?
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I think the intended word was "minimalistic"
 
It looks great, but even with Gruber's name attached to it, they may find it hard to get people to spend $5 for it when there's already Simplenote that's free and organizes by tag.
 
KALLT said:
Form over function and without any clear indicators as to what is clickable and what is not. I honestly hope there is more to the iOS redesign than this, otherwise it is purely a step backwards in terms of usability.
Click to expand...

You're thinking in 2007 terms. People today have adapted to the smartphone era. We no longer need it spelled out in such obvious ways as rich design. This simple, clean design is much better looking and does not sacrifice usability.
 
applefanDrew said:
If there is anybody that knows how iOS 7 apps will look, it's Gruber. So, I think this is a good representation of iOS 7. And it's what 9to5 Mac reported, black, white, and flat all over with a single color to designate what app your in.
Click to expand...
Winner!
DotCom2 said:
If it doesn't sync with my iPad and Mini, then it's not for me! :(
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Winner!
trunten said:
That post about a $5 app not being expensive makes more sense all of a sudden.
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Chicken Dinner!

There had to be a reason for his post yesterday and this has to be it. I would also agree that this may be a good indication of iOS 7. Not sure I'm totally thrilled, but again, gotta leave some room for the actual release before I pass judgement.

Smith288 said:
Totally redundant note taking app being pimped by MR simply because it's Gruber but if I mention my app (useful app that improves AWS mobile access) in a post, I get warned for improper pimpage...
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When I saw this I wondered what his thoughts were when making this. I feel like we've seen this all before and now you're asking users of things like Evernote (for example) to migrate to this when it can't sync to all iOS devices? Am I wrong about the syncing?

As for pimping your app, I don't know why you can't do that. There is a forum for it. Not defending mods, that is seriously not my forte, but I thought there was a place for that here.
 
applefanDrew said:
If there is anybody that knows how iOS 7 apps will look, it's Gruber. So, I think this is a good representation of iOS 7. And it's what 9to5 Mac reported, black, white, and flat all over with a single color to designate what app you're in.
Click to expand...

If iOS 7 will look like this, I will say Apple falls behind MS (Metro). Though I think the flat design doesn't mean anything. It is just a different look, why not create couple of themes and let user pick...
 
sza said:
If iOS 7 will look like this, I will say Apple falls behind MS (Metro). Though I think the flat design doesn't mean anything. It is just a different look, why not create couple of themes and let user pick...
Click to expand...

Not outside the realm of possibilities with the way apple has updated the API of UI objects to allow for more global appearance customizations in the more recent iOS versions... But I wouldn't bet on it.
 
No Sync? No thanks.
I hope that's temporary until they have, e.g., clients for other platforms to sync with.

Interesting, though.
With those names behind it, it will get massive exposure and piles of fawning reviews even if the app was crap (not saying it is).

I'm actually OK with Apple's note app, especially if they get rid of the yellow lined paper background and the goofy font.
 
It is overpriced if it costs more than others and doesn't sync. Not syncing is absolutely silly. By now, every app like this should sync and Gruber of all people should not release an app that I believe he would blast if not for his name on it.

People are going to forgive him because he is Gruber. I'm a fan of him, not of this BS app.
 
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CristobalHuet said:
Bought it - very clean and fast. I'm hoping for cross-platform sync so it can effectively never give me a reason to use Notes.app again.
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What is wrong with Simplenote? It syncs with all kinds of platform, it's free, it has a quite simplistic UI?

Not that this app might not be better, but if you like this app better than Notes, I would assume, you also would like Simplenote better than Notes.
 
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