Looking for Recommendations on "Notes" Replacement

[dave72]

I started using Notes language-learning, using lists and categories.

This has now morphed to a point where Notes is "not good enough".

Anyone able to recommend an alternative, please?

I used Notes because it backs up to the cloud, works on all devices etc.

I do not use OneNote, as I don't like the fact it is tied to my Outlook account.

All notes are typed; I do not use any writing device.

Many thanks

 

[rpmurray]

I use SimpleNote.

 

[Misheemee]

Notability

 

[Enzedder]

Good Notes - best out there ;-)

 

[Slartibart]

What exactly makes Notes »not good enough«? Beside that: Obsidian eats the lunch of whatever other program mentioned so far. 😇😆

 

[gilby101]

All those mentioned above a good, But..

There is a key decision to be made, do you want:
1) An app like Notes, Notability, etc. which store your notes within a database only readable by the app; or
2) An app which stores notes as files in a format which is portable to other apps?
In both case you can choose an app which synchronises (I don't call that backup) via iCloud, Dropbox or whatever.

If you choose (1) there are lots of apps, you need to try some. For typed notes, Bear is popular. But whatever you choose you are locked into the product and you will probably be unable to search the notes except within the chosen app.

If you choose (2), you are likely looking at an app which formats notes using the markdown format. This format is plain text with some formatting. It is indexed by Spotlight (as plain text) and searchable by Spotlight, Finder, Alfred, HoudahSpot, etc.

I followed path (2) when I stopped using Notes for anything but ephemera (e.g. shopping lists). Amongst markdown apps, I have been using Typora and One Markdown (there are lots of others). I store my markdown notes in a 2-level folder structure on my iCloud Drive. They are readable by Text Edit or any markdown app which will understand the formatting. I use Spotlight (or HoudahSpot) for searching.

And I backup my notes to a local drive and Time Machine.

Beside that: Obsidian eats the lunch of whatever other program mentioned so far.

I found Obsidian (another markdown format app) too complex and intimidating for note taking. But it is very powerful and has a devoted following.

 

[dave72]

I've gone against what I said in my original post; I spent time working with OneNote and it's done what I need.

Thank you for all the replies.

 

[Misheemee]

I've gone against what I said in my original post; I spent time working with OneNote and it's done what I need.

Thank you for all the replies.

awesome!! they have significantly improved onenote's capabilities and if you learn how it use it properly, it's unreal what it can do and how it interacts with other products like outlook, word etc.

 

[sracer]

I use SimpleNote.

This is the correct answer to the OP’s original question. Super lightweight, cross-platform, optional markdown, cloud-syncing, and free.

 

[rhett7660]

Any of these apps good for pictures and graphics? I was a big Evernote (EN) user before the great price hike and I have been looking for a new application ever since. Don't get me started on getting those notes out of EN. I moved to Apples native Notes app, however, given the amount of notes and what I have in those notes, it is bogging it down.

I keep a lot of graphics and pictures in my notes, such as inspiration photos for graphic design (all mediums, print, web, video (don't save the actual video, maybe stills of scenes from a video)), interior design, exterior design, logos, comic book art, tutorials with pictures, notes with only words, and other things.

My notes file isn't huge, but it is closing in on the two gigabyte range and I have noticed a slow down when accessing them either via my Mac or phone.

 

[sracer]

Any of these apps good for pictures and graphics? I was a big Evernote (EN) user before the great price hike and I have been looking for a new application ever since. Don't get me started on getting those notes out of EN. I moved to Apples native Notes app, however, given the amount of notes and what I have in those notes, it is bogging it down.

I keep a lot of graphics and pictures in my notes, such as inspiration photos for graphic design (all mediums, print, web, video (don't save the actual video, maybe stills of scenes from a video)), interior design, exterior design, logos, comic book art, tutorials with pictures, notes with only words, and other things.

My notes file isn't huge, but it is closing in on the two gigabyte range and I have noticed a slow down when accessing them either via my Mac or phone.

That request (good for pictures and graphics) is going to elicit quite a different list of suggestions.

I recommend Microsoft OneNote. I have found that it is excellent for free-form notes with a mix of graphics and text, scales up very well with large notebooks, and also cross-platform.

 

[rhett7660]

That request (good for pictures and graphics) is going to elicit quite a different list of suggestions.

I recommend Microsoft OneNote. I have found that it is excellent for free-form notes with a mix of graphics and text, scales up very well with large notebooks, and also cross-platform.

LOL... Thank you and looks like I will be looking at Onenote again. I think the thing I didn't like about it, was to unlock certain features I would have to pay for it, monthly or yearly. Which did turn me off as it was more expensive than the plan I was currently using with EN, before the price increase.

 

[dave72]

LOL... Thank you and looks like I will be looking at Onenote again. I think the thing I didn't like about it, was to unlock certain features I would have to pay for it, monthly or yearly. Which did turn me off as it was more expensive than the plan I was currently using with EN, before the price increase.

I have Family O365, which for the number of devices and family members using it, cheap as chips.

 

[tarsins]

Been down this route so many times and I always arrive at the same conclusion: if you want cross-platform then it's OneNote otherwise Apple Notes.

 

[ndouglas]

This is the correct answer to the OP’s original question. Super lightweight, cross-platform, optional markdown, cloud-syncing, and free.

Simplenote seems like the only option that allows Copy - Paste of typed text from Notes into Simplenote.

I wish I had known that Goodnotes does not seem to permit this before I paid $10 for it.

Any other options that allow typing as notes, not just handwriting?

 

[ndouglas]

I use SimpleNote.

Thanks for the suggestion. I like this one so far and I’d never heard of it before.

 

[ndouglas]

What exactly makes Notes »not good enough«? Beside that: Obsidian eats the lunch of whatever other program mentioned so far. 😇😆

One top thing that makes Notes not good enough, for me, among others, is the backup process. To save a note, I have to select all the text, create a new Textedit (or Pages or Word etc.) file, than paste the text in there. Then name it carefully, then move it to a folder to save.
This is just one example, but when you combine this with how dangerously easy it is to slip up in Notes when copy-pasting something to the clipboard, then there is no path to go back to a previously saved version… well it doesn’t happen to me all the time, but when it does, it is frustrating and can result is significant data loss, sometimes the whole notes. I try to keep my Notes only 1-5 pages, but realistically they frequently grow to 20+ (I know Notes doesn’t actually have pages, but that‘s what they become when pasted into Word to save them for example.)

 

[sracer]

Simplenote seems like the only option that allows Copy - Paste of typed text from Notes into Simplenote.

I wish I had known that Goodnotes does not seem to permit this before I paid $10 for it.

Any other options that allow typing as notes, not just handwriting?

I use GoodNotes 4 and I can copy and paste typed text into GoodNotes. GoodNotes 5 supports cut and paste as well.

 

[ndouglas]

Huh. That’s interesing. I searched how to do that but haven’t found a way yet. Most search results end up showing how to copy paste drawings or handwriting. I guess I just need to use it more and keep looking through tutorials on it. I’m a slow learner. : /

 

[sracer]

Huh. That’s interesing. I searched how to do that but haven’t found a way yet. Most search results end up showing how to copy paste drawings or handwriting. I guess I just need to use it more and keep looking through tutorials on it. I’m a slow learner. : /

You have to create a text box. From there you can paste the copied text into the box.

 

[ndouglas]

You have to create a text box. From there you can paste the copied text into the box.

Gotcha, thanks for confirming that. That is better than nothing. Seems obvious in retrospect but I guess I was just approaching the app incorrectly, expecting/hoping it to offer more built-in keyboard text support beyond just the textbox object items.