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No. I have been burned couple of times and since then I refuse to store my digital notes in anything else than a bunch of minimally-formatted (think Markdown or

No. I have been burned couple of times and since then I refuse to store my digital notes in anything else than a bunch of minimally-formatted (think Markdown or potentially org-mode) files. OneNote binary blob format, while nominally open, is supported on a limited number of platforms by a single company.

Tomte 11y ago
That's great in theory, but utterly impracticable on the phone etc. And the "limited number of platforms" includes everything 98% of people are using. I do sympathize with your views, but I value convenience more, in this case.
- idm 11y ago
  On the specific point of mobile note capture, I believe I have solved this problem in my own text file-based system. I use dropbox to sync a text file from my phone and a separate file from my tablet. These text files are managed by gthnk (http://gthnk.com http://gthnk.com), which combines all of these files overnight. By the next morning, all of my notes are together no matter where I originally wrote the note.
  - prplhaz4 11y ago
    With most current note-taking systems, the sync is near-real-time - which, is super handy when moving from the conference room or on-the-go on your phone to your desk/laptop during the day - an overnight sync in that scenario doesn't meet requirements. I'd imagine it wouldn't be too far fetched to utilize a sync service like your current solution for flat files in a more real-time manner...
    - idm 11y ago
      That's an excellent point about real-time sync. There is a button in gthnk that will grab any notes from mobile devices on-demand. I think this would permit somebody to move from a conference to their desk. However, I can also see how/why that might be tiresome for somebody who frequently transitions devices multiple times per day. Also, you're right; there's no deep architectural reason why you couldn't sync more frequently than once per day.
- melling 11y ago
  Yep, convenience is a great way to happily lock-in consumers. I'm a fan of how iCloud syncs my photos to all of my Apple devices, for example. Of course, we are making it more difficult for other products to gain traction. Say, for instance, a start-up wants to offer a solution with extreme privacy without the drawbacks of an Microsoft or Apple.
- PaulHoule 11y ago
  There's a decent OneNote application for Android.
- halviti 11y ago
  How are minimally formatted text files impractical on a mobile device? Surely you're aware of the myriad of applications out there that will synchronize these things without issue.
  - Bjartr 11y ago
    Assume one is not, what would the top three solutions be?
- brudgers 11y ago
  Org-mode is plain text, so it's pretty much available everywhere to a reasonable degree. Since Emacs can run in a terminal, full org-mode functionality can be accessed in the cloud with a network connection...with a native VT100 interface no less. Anyway, it's just one set of tradeoffs over another. In this case volatility and buttons for finicking and platform independence.
currysausage 11y ago
I find the Office-style complexity of OneNote off-putting. Every note-taking app competes directly with the physical notebook in my pocket, which is a pretty straightforward product UX-wise, while OneNote doesn't even try to imitate a sense of simplicity.
- Tomte 11y ago
  I used to think exactly that! After getting used to the general structure (Books, Pages, sections), and ignoring most tools, it grew on me.
- UK-AL 11y ago
  Try the OneNote from the Windows App Store. Far more simple then the full office version. I prefer to use the App Store Version.
  - mhurron 11y ago
    > Try the OneNote from the Windows App Store Which, like the OneNote version in Office on OS X, can only sync to a Microsoft account through OneDrive and can not even create local notebooks. That may be a show stopper.
    - code777777 11y ago
      ON can sync off of a regular old file share. I've been using it for years. A copy on our server and one on each of my computers (desktop, laptop, Mac) and they all happily sync up. Granted, the iPhone app works best with OneDrive. I'm not a fan of OneDrive and use DropBox instead for a smaller ON notebook that I share with my wife for things like handy pictures of our insurance cards, grocery lists, travel information, etc. Works great for us at work (documentation and pictures) and at home.
      - mhurron 11y ago
        Microsoft documents that on OS X OneNote can not. OneNote (Metro) on Windows 10 also can not. Now on OS X it will go into offline mode and save to an ever growing local temporary file, but you can't choose to create a local notebook. I had to use the full version of 2016 that I could get with Office 365 on my Surface to save to a local directory. https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Frequently-Asked-Questions-about-OneNote-2016-for-Mac-bf9bcd6a-b8ce-4d18-a11f-ed1f596df3ed https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Frequently-Asked-Qu... https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_files/windows-10-can-i-save-a-onenote-to-my-local/8d60f799-3d32-49cb-9459-15a87785ae36?auth=1 https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wi... http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/03/new-free-onenote-for-os-x-is-a-preview-of-the-next-office-for-mac-apps/ http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/03/new-free-onenote-for-os...
CaptSpify 11y ago
I really liked one-note the last time I used it (> 5 years ago), but until they: A) open-source it B) allow me to host the data on my own server and syncing is automatic C) Make it trivial to open/edit it in a terminal (inbefore "but you won't be able to do pictures!") I won't be using it myself.
- burkaman 11y ago
  For B, OneNote notebooks are just files, so isn't this as easy as hosting any other file yourself? Just save everything in a folder that you synchronize with Dropbox or rysnc or whatever you want. And obviously OneNote itself isn't open source, but the file format is, so it's not like your notes are locked into the Microsoft ecosystem.
  - icebraining 11y ago
    The problem is integration; if you make offline edits in two places, you'd need to manually merge the files, which is a pain.
    - code777777 11y ago
      No, they sync if you set it up that way (DropBox, Google Sync, etc.) and you get revision history on ON including the name of the person that made the change.
      - icebraining 11y ago
        I'm talking about conflicted copies[1]. Since Dropbox et all don't understand OneNote files, you'll have to merge the two copies manually. [1] https://www.dropbox.com/en/help/36 https://www.dropbox.com/en/help/36
  - CaptSpify 11y ago
    You are correct. In my head I had built a weird hosting relationship that doesn't really exist. I'm not proud of who I am before I have coffee.
icebraining 11y ago
I use Google Keep. There's no supported mechanism for exporting, as far as I know, but it's actually pretty easy to do (for a techie!), since they include every single note taken in the HTML of the website as a JSON document. It's actually one of the few Google applications (as opposed to data services, like Search and Maps) I use, since I've never found a mobile client like it, with just the features I need and nothing else.
- Bjartr 11y ago
  AFAIK everything in your Google account can be exported via Takeout[0] [0] http://google.com/takeout http://google.com/takeout
  - icebraining 11y ago
    Oh, last time I checked it wasn't there, good for them! It's a shame it doesn't seem to include the reminders info.

Tomte 11y ago

That's great in theory, but utterly impracticable on the phone etc. And the "limited number of platforms" includes everything 98% of people are using. I do sympathize with your views, but I value convenience more, in this case.

idm 11y ago
On the specific point of mobile note capture, I believe I have solved this problem in my own text file-based system. I use dropbox to sync a text file from my phone and a separate file from my tablet. These text files are managed by gthnk (http://gthnk.com http://gthnk.com), which combines all of these files overnight. By the next morning, all of my notes are together no matter where I originally wrote the note.
- prplhaz4 11y ago
  With most current note-taking systems, the sync is near-real-time - which, is super handy when moving from the conference room or on-the-go on your phone to your desk/laptop during the day - an overnight sync in that scenario doesn't meet requirements. I'd imagine it wouldn't be too far fetched to utilize a sync service like your current solution for flat files in a more real-time manner...
  - idm 11y ago
    That's an excellent point about real-time sync. There is a button in gthnk that will grab any notes from mobile devices on-demand. I think this would permit somebody to move from a conference to their desk. However, I can also see how/why that might be tiresome for somebody who frequently transitions devices multiple times per day. Also, you're right; there's no deep architectural reason why you couldn't sync more frequently than once per day.
melling 11y ago
Yep, convenience is a great way to happily lock-in consumers. I'm a fan of how iCloud syncs my photos to all of my Apple devices, for example. Of course, we are making it more difficult for other products to gain traction. Say, for instance, a start-up wants to offer a solution with extreme privacy without the drawbacks of an Microsoft or Apple.
PaulHoule 11y ago
There's a decent OneNote application for Android.
halviti 11y ago
How are minimally formatted text files impractical on a mobile device? Surely you're aware of the myriad of applications out there that will synchronize these things without issue.
- Bjartr 11y ago
  Assume one is not, what would the top three solutions be?
brudgers 11y ago
Org-mode is plain text, so it's pretty much available everywhere to a reasonable degree. Since Emacs can run in a terminal, full org-mode functionality can be accessed in the cloud with a network connection...with a native VT100 interface no less. Anyway, it's just one set of tradeoffs over another. In this case volatility and buttons for finicking and platform independence.

currysausage 11y ago

I find the Office-style complexity of OneNote off-putting. Every note-taking app competes directly with the physical notebook in my pocket, which is a pretty straightforward product UX-wise, while OneNote doesn't even try to imitate a sense of simplicity.

Tomte 11y ago
I used to think exactly that! After getting used to the general structure (Books, Pages, sections), and ignoring most tools, it grew on me.
UK-AL 11y ago
Try the OneNote from the Windows App Store. Far more simple then the full office version. I prefer to use the App Store Version.
- mhurron 11y ago
  > Try the OneNote from the Windows App Store Which, like the OneNote version in Office on OS X, can only sync to a Microsoft account through OneDrive and can not even create local notebooks. That may be a show stopper.
  - code777777 11y ago
    ON can sync off of a regular old file share. I've been using it for years. A copy on our server and one on each of my computers (desktop, laptop, Mac) and they all happily sync up. Granted, the iPhone app works best with OneDrive. I'm not a fan of OneDrive and use DropBox instead for a smaller ON notebook that I share with my wife for things like handy pictures of our insurance cards, grocery lists, travel information, etc. Works great for us at work (documentation and pictures) and at home.
    - mhurron 11y ago
      Microsoft documents that on OS X OneNote can not. OneNote (Metro) on Windows 10 also can not. Now on OS X it will go into offline mode and save to an ever growing local temporary file, but you can't choose to create a local notebook. I had to use the full version of 2016 that I could get with Office 365 on my Surface to save to a local directory. https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Frequently-Asked-Questions-about-OneNote-2016-for-Mac-bf9bcd6a-b8ce-4d18-a11f-ed1f596df3ed https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Frequently-Asked-Qu... https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_files/windows-10-can-i-save-a-onenote-to-my-local/8d60f799-3d32-49cb-9459-15a87785ae36?auth=1 https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wi... http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/03/new-free-onenote-for-os-x-is-a-preview-of-the-next-office-for-mac-apps/ http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/03/new-free-onenote-for-os...

CaptSpify 11y ago

I really liked one-note the last time I used it (> 5 years ago), but until they: A) open-source it B) allow me to host the data on my own server and syncing is automatic C) Make it trivial to open/edit it in a terminal (inbefore "but you won't be able to do pictures!") I won't be using it myself.

burkaman 11y ago
For B, OneNote notebooks are just files, so isn't this as easy as hosting any other file yourself? Just save everything in a folder that you synchronize with Dropbox or rysnc or whatever you want. And obviously OneNote itself isn't open source, but the file format is, so it's not like your notes are locked into the Microsoft ecosystem.
- icebraining 11y ago
  The problem is integration; if you make offline edits in two places, you'd need to manually merge the files, which is a pain.
  - code777777 11y ago
    No, they sync if you set it up that way (DropBox, Google Sync, etc.) and you get revision history on ON including the name of the person that made the change.
    - icebraining 11y ago
      I'm talking about conflicted copies[1]. Since Dropbox et all don't understand OneNote files, you'll have to merge the two copies manually. [1] https://www.dropbox.com/en/help/36 https://www.dropbox.com/en/help/36
- CaptSpify 11y ago
  You are correct. In my head I had built a weird hosting relationship that doesn't really exist. I'm not proud of who I am before I have coffee.

icebraining 11y ago

I use Google Keep. There's no supported mechanism for exporting, as far as I know, but it's actually pretty easy to do (for a techie!), since they include every single note taken in the HTML of the website as a JSON document. It's actually one of the few Google applications (as opposed to data services, like Search and Maps) I use, since I've never found a mobile client like it, with just the features I need and nothing else.

Bjartr 11y ago
AFAIK everything in your Google account can be exported via Takeout[0] [0] http://google.com/takeout http://google.com/takeout
- icebraining 11y ago
  Oh, last time I checked it wasn't there, good for them! It's a shame it doesn't seem to include the reminders info.