App For Note Taking – Notability App Version 4 Review
We did a previous app for note taking review of Notability App and at that point it was version 1. It is now at version 4 and as the folks at Ginger Labs say, “it is the Kitchen Sink release”. I have updated my app and here is a quick review of the new features. Is it still a great app for note taking on the iPad?
Here Is What I Like
One of the things I really like about Notability App is the web clip option. Having an app for note taking that just takes notes is not that useful. This is a great tool because you can take snap shots of websites and insert them into the note. We have drafted a fair number of blog posts using this app for note taking when we are remote working. This feature is still in the app and works flawlessly.
A new feature is handwriting, this is a great addition to the app for note taking. I am using it now for quick notes and mock-ups of ideas. You can also have handwriting blocks so like images they can float within typed text. I could find many uses for this feature alone, well worth the price of admission.
Audio recording, this is another great feature that I highlighted in our last review of notability app. You can record meetings as you are taking notes, or your thoughts as you are writing. I could also see it as a great starter for those people who want to start a podcast. Simply type out your podcast notes and then hit record and read out the note and you now have a recording of your first podcast.
Here Is What I Don’t Like
Lack of syncing support to other services. Right now they support syncing to WebDAV, Dropbox, iDisk. It would be really nice to see some support for Google Docs, Evernote, SugarSync and Box.net.
Overall Rating
Business User: 4/5 – If it supported more sync services I think this would be a home run app for note taking for the business user.
Personal/Student: 5/5 – Everything you need for note taking in one app. If you pair up your iPad with a keyboard, you can use this as a powerful document creation and management tool on the iPad.
Features at a Glance
Note view
[pluslist]
- Handwriting with Zoom View
- PDF Import
- Optimizations
- Handwriting Blocks
- Larger workspace
- Take pictures within the app with iPad 2 camera support
- Disable browser access when Safari is restricted
- Faster outlining
- Place the cursor anywhere
[/pluslist]
Library
[pluslist]
- Drag and drop notes into subjects
- Subjects can be password protected
- Subjects can be organized by categories
- Subjects can be readily identified by your choice of 48 colors and 48 icons
- Subjects and categories can be rearranged
- Notes can be sorted alphabetically or by date, size and subject
- Note date can be changed
[/pluslist]
App Settings
[pluslist]
- Three Themes to choose from
- Numerous Paper types
- Autosync feature to one of the supported services
[/pluslist]
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