You know that thing that you thought of last night, and promised to remember for later? Yeah, neither do I. As a matter of fact, I can hardly remember what I did yesterday at all. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “An elephant never forgets,” and while that may be scientifically exaggerated, Evernote fills in the gaps so you don’t have to try and remember everything like our big-brained pachyderms.
Evernote was first launched in beta form in June of 2008, and by July of 2011 had reached a staggering 11 million users. A huge draw might be the fact that the Evernote app is available on just about every platform, from your iPad to iPhone, as well as Android and Blackberry handsets, right down to the web version that you can access from anywhere with an internet connection; which is awesome, considering that it syncs across all of these platforms, mobile and desktop devices included.
That really is the lynchpin to the whole system. When I think of an idea, I whip my phone out and instantly record it on my Evernote app, which I can access through the widget or the app itself. There are notebooks which can record any kind of information, pics included, and then once I have saved it, it syncs across all the devices I have authorized. So that idea I had recorded on my phone? It’s available on my desktop, laptop and whatever else I have logged onto with my account. There is also the option to make notebooks “local”, meaning that it won’t sync, and would only be available on the device you recorded it on.
Recording features on the app include basic note taking, picture saving, audio recording, and combinations of the three. The service is also available in free or premium versions. Free service includes 50 MB of data a month, along with tag & search options, the cross platform availability, and being able to share notes with others. The premium version touts 1GB of content, offline notebooks for easier access, PIN locks, and the standard exclusion of partner ads/promotions.
Evernote not only saves your own personal ideas, but also has a “web clipper” app that you can install on browsers to clip the important parts of the web that you want to go back to. Personally I use Rockmelt, and the web clipper could use an upgrade so that it fits in the page correctly, but I can see the usefulness. Once you have “clipped” any available part of the website, it’s available in the same way a notebook would be, on any device you have it installed.
The best feature for me is the desktop version. Once I have created my notes and saved my clippings and pictures, I can then add tags to them and other organization filters for easier searching. The interface is easy to use and figure out for first timers, along with helpful tool tips located in just about every menu. Some cool features to check out are the “Trunk”, which offer various other apps and plugins that can enhance your experience, or allow you to sync other types of information with your Evernote account. The Trunk is vast, so take some time to explore the many options offered.
Bottom Line: Evernote Free version is totally capable of handling your daily needs. Link up with a premium account for wider access, more space and no ads. Evernote is available for download on their website.
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