Notebook app with tabs

I've been using Notability on my ipad for almost 3 years now and I like it but..... I'd really love a todo type feature (where I can type tasks and check them off) and I'd really really like a notebook that looks like a notebook!

Does anyone remember the old Lotus Organizer? It actually looked like a day timer or planner on the screen and I've always felt the ipad would lend itself well to that. Unfortunately my brain lends itself well to that and I can't seem to find it.

I'd downloaded and discarded many apps except for Notability but I'm almost at the point where I want to pick up pad and paper again for one job.

I bought Opus Domini in the spring and it's oh so close to what I want. But no real note taking section. I'm really trying to incorporate a todo list, calendar and notes into one app with tabs.

I am running iOS 7 and Mountain Lion. My Mac will likely be replaced before my mobile devices. A Mac version is nice but not a deal breaker.

 

Do you use that? It doesn't look familiar so I guess I've missed it on my other searches.

Does it record? And I noticed someone made a comment about upgrading to the premium version, but I don't see any other reference to that.

Thanks!

 

Ugh! You need an account to use it. No thanks, I have enough accounts out in space already that I won't even look at something that requires it these days.

But I hadn't seen that before either so maybe like apps will find me something else.

 

Well, it is Microsoft lol.

I think I'm going to restart using Omni again despite its odd syncing issues, and keep Noteability for recording. I don't record often bit it's really handy for when I need it.

Hopefully someday someone will come out with the ultimate app!

 

Do you mean handwriting recognition? Or writing freehand? Either is a plus, writing freehand is actually handy as I often sketch out layouts. Importing files is a plus as well.

Notability really does just about everything I'd like in a notebook app.... Except it doesn't allow me to make check lists and doesn't hook into a calendar. And the layout is a hair off for me. I just really like tabs (like an old school paper notebook).

Opus allows a great todo list which is color coded based on its status and it's hooked into the calendar. I'll have to try the note taking function.... There are preset tabs and I don't think they can be changed. One in particular is kind of useless to me, it's a physical, social, mental and spiritual compass and this is something I use more for work so that doesn't really fit.

I discovered years ago that I work in the GTD method, so I am most productive if I find something that follows that protocol. Once I found Things, my long term todo lists rocked! But that's about all it does. I really need something for staff meetings which end up having lists of things to do as time goes on.

I tried Evernote around the time I found Things, but I was looking for the todo function so I discarded it. Maybe I need to look at it again. There're was another app I also tried that had a proprietary database, that I now can't get clippings out of....

<edit> just found iStratus DayPlanner and SuperNote, will check them out too

 

I found Outline, one is $1.99 and doesn't have OneNote support. That looks nice.

I reactivated Evernote but it looks so much like Noteability that I deleted it again.

IStratus DayPlanner looks good, but I can't get the sections to populate like you'd think they would. I gave up after a couple of hours.

I wish Opus would fix the sync issues. I also wish he'd stop assuming everyone updates their devices yearly.

I just stumbled on Work Flowy as an outliner. It's supposed to do lists too so I'll check that out. Scratch that, it requires an immediate account

 

I think you're right and I come to that conclusion every time, then I try again in another year. It shouldn't be this difficult though

The other problem is some of the apps cost - which is fine, I don't mind paying! But I would like to try before I buy and they don't all offer free versions. I keep looking at Notes Plus because it looks like you can next folders and notebooks in sub levels, but it's $10 and I'd like to see more before biting the bullet. If it's what I'm looking for the cost isn't an issue.

 

Thanks so much for that article! Great comments in there as well. To be honest, I don't use handwriting as much as I thought I would. Mainly because it frustrates me. I just downloaded Inkcredible and it works great with my ZooGue stylus, though I shouldn't have skipped the demo upon opening lol

Some days I think I should just splurge on a keyboard case!

How do you feel Notes Plus works for organization compared to Noteability?

Maybe I should go back to Reminders for todos on the go. I used it for the first few months I had the phone (4s). I see it has nesting now, which it don't think it did back then, so I can do lists for each job. And it obviously syncs well across devices.

 

Sracer - thanks for the note on Outline+, I think I missed that

I do use projects in Things. Tags not as much, though I have. The huge sticking point I had with it is that I can't take a completed project from 2013 and copy it as a new project for 2014. Same with a template, if I create a template and use it, it's then gone. (I will note it's been upgraded since I discovered that flaw so maybe it was taken care of). I realize that's a weird request but I work for an event company and I do the same basic things with modifications for the same event each year so it would be nice to have a template, then I'd really devote time to tags and stuff.

Nesting would be an awesome addition to Things, especially as I use it for home and multiple jobs. It just makes things visually more tidy for me. Maybe I should be playing with tags more, I've only used them for my todo for a huge event.

Now that I think about it, I use Things more for long term projects with a ton of detail. I don't do much with the scheduling option and maybe I need to. I certainly like the program, I bought it on my Mac long before I had an iOS device!

 

I have to say, I just dug into Things feature set a bit more. I'm not sure when this was introduced, but it does have "Area". (I do remember it had a way to assign things to people so maybe that's where this came from)

Anyway, I just set up a few Areas (house, my business and 2 jobs). It looks like I can define specific tags for each area, and anything I put in that area will automatically have those tags assigned to it. I can also move my current projects into these Areas.

Another feature I've never used but will look into was "Today". I had originally bought Things to organize huge house projects so none of those were really current items, but rather lists of things I wanted to do in each room.

Moral of the story, pay attention to app updates and always be willing to do new things with a much loved app!