Evernote alternative

[MacBH928]

There's nothing inherently wrong with distrust in cloud services. If that's how you feel, then backing up to your own drives would be the best option.


Because they are in the business of data storage, integrity, redundancy, and file version history. Apple has none of these things. If you lose files, they're gone forever. These other services keep multiple backups and versions of your files. Backblaze and pCloud are the only ones I can recommend. MEGA is 100% not trustworthy.

May I ask why you choose pCloud and Backblaze to be trust worthy? pCloud sells lifetime service which does not point towards sustainable model.

MEGA does both. It simply makes a copy of the directory you nominate onto their servers, so there is a copy on your computer and a copy on their server.

If you log in on another computer, and set MEGA up the same way, it duplicates the copy on their server onto your other computer, so there is a copy on your first computer, a copy on their servers and a copy on the second computer. The MEGA software updates the copies (up and down) when you log in.

I think I see what you mean, MEGA does not work like a hard drive available storage but more like a replica of your hard drive but I thought other services do this like Backblaze?

 

[iJest]

May I ask why you choose pCloud and Backblaze to be trust worthy? pCloud sells lifetime service which does not point towards sustainable model.

I've heard a lot of good things about it. I personally use Backblaze as well as on-site backups.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

May I ask why you choose pCloud and Backblaze to be trust worthy? pCloud sells lifetime service which does not point towards sustainable model.



I think I see what you mean, MEGA does not work like a hard drive available storage but more like a replica of your hard drive but I thought other services do this like Backblaze?

Yes, some others, like Dropbox, do. However, I lean towards MEGA because it works on my Raspberry Pi, while the others don't.

 

[4743913]

3 pages in this thread I think this is the first time I stumbled upon Drafts as a suggestion.

What makes you prefer Devonthink over something more mainstream like OneNote or EverNote? I think they have been around for a long time but they seem very niche.

Drafts is the starting point for all text processing. from a single app you can text, email, blog, send to omnifocus, fantastical, etc. etc.. using the url schemes of apps. It also works for simple archiving of collections of texts, writings, etc.

Devonthink is a massive collector database of not just texts, notes, etc.. It can handle videos, photos, web archives, etc. If you are going to "seriously" collect documents, Devonthink is the way to go. I have imported and ocr'ed hundreds of magazine pdfs. So I can recall any article, graphic, etc at any time.

 

[rhett7660]

Drafts is the starting point for all text processing. from a single app you can text, email, blog, send to omnifocus, fantastical, etc. etc.. using the url schemes of apps. It also works for simple archiving of collections of texts, writings, etc.

Devonthink is a massive collector database of not just texts, notes, etc.. It can handle videos, photos, web archives, etc. If you are going to "seriously" collect documents, Devonthink is the way to go. I have imported and ocr'ed hundreds of magazine pdfs. So I can recall any article, graphic, etc at any time.

I think I am going to have to give them a serious look. I am moving all my notes from Evernote (still doing it) and putting them into Apple Notes, however I have A LOT of pictures that I use for reference and it is seriously bogging down Apple Notes. I think I gave them a look before... But the fact you are mentioning photos and web archives is a huge plus for me!

 

[MacBH928]

I finally gave Evernote the bullet to the head.
Constant nagging to upgrade to pay plan, ludicrous price at $130 per year, and slow/heavy app which is electron like. Although they have like 40MB sync limit per month to force you into the paid plan, the final straw was they limited the number of notes I can have to like 30 or something like that.

I like standard notes but the free plan has no folders option and the paid plan is like $90 per year, $7.5 month.

Joplin is full feature is completely free and if you want cloud storage its only $30/year.

I went free plan with Joplin but I will make donation because I hate subscription specially for something as measely as less than 30 notes in txt files.

-------

Guys who have a mega notes with all kinds of images and attachments, which option did you find is best for you?

 

[sracer]

I finally gave Evernote the bullet to the head.
Constant nagging to upgrade to pay plan, ludicrous price at $130 per year, and slow/heavy app which is electron like. Although they have like 40MB sync limit per month to force you into the paid plan, the final straw was they limited the number of notes I can have to like 30 or something like that.

I like standard notes but the free plan has no folders option and the paid plan is like $90 per year, $7.5 month.

Joplin is full feature is completely free and if you want cloud storage its only $30/year.

I went free plan with Joplin but I will make donation because I hate subscription specially for something as measely as less than 30 notes in txt files.

-------

Guys who have a mega notes with all kinds of images and attachments, which option did you find is best for you?

A few weeks ago I finally settled and went "all-in" on Joplin. The final scenario I tested before coming to that decision was a full export and import into another tool. (because as excellent as Joplin is, I know that there will come a day when I need to move my data to something else)

I exported all notes (over 1500 at the moment) from Joplin using markdown and imported them into UpNote. The import was flawless.

Plug-ins I use:

• Convert Text to New Note - highlight text and click on the new toolbar icon for the plugin and a new note is created and given the title of the highlighted text.
• Graph - Creates an Obsidian-like graph of nodes and link connections. (most of the time I keep this disabled)
• Note Link System - Adds functionality to easily create links to elements(headers) within a note, backlink references, etc.

For syncing, I currently use DropBox (free account). It is easy to set up on all of the devices I use. (Windows, Mac OS, iPad OS, Android, Linux) Performance and stability of syncing has been excellent... especially considering the number of devices I use.

On my list of additional testing is see how well syncing works with OneDrive.

I really like the simple and clean look and how easy it is to tweak. The linking system out-of-the-box is a bit awkward compared to tools like Obsidian, LegSeq, or Notion, but with those plug-ins, it is very easy to connect notes.

 

[it wasnt me]

If you already use (or would like to try) GNU Emacs, Org-Mode would be an option worth to try.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

If you already use (or would like to try) GNU Emacs, Org-Mode would be an option worth to try.

I am afraid that Emacs is a lifestyle to which I have no wish to aspire...

 

[MacBH928]

A few weeks ago I finally settled and went "all-in" on Joplin. The final scenario I tested before coming to that decision was a full export and import into another tool. (because as excellent as Joplin is, I know that there will come a day when I need to move my data to something else)

I exported all notes (over 1500 at the moment) from Joplin using markdown and imported them into UpNote. The import was flawless.

Plug-ins I use:

• Convert Text to New Note - highlight text and click on the new toolbar icon for the plugin and a new note is created and given the title of the highlighted text.
• Graph - Creates an Obsidian-like graph of nodes and link connections. (most of the time I keep this disabled)
• Note Link System - Adds functionality to easily create links to elements(headers) within a note, backlink references, etc.

For syncing, I currently use DropBox (free account). It is easy to set up on all of the devices I use. (Windows, Mac OS, iPad OS, Android, Linux) Performance and stability of syncing has been excellent... especially considering the number of devices I use.

On my list of additional testing is see how well syncing works with OneDrive.

I really like the simple and clean look and how easy it is to tweak. The linking system out-of-the-box is a bit awkward compared to tools like Obsidian, LegSeq, or Notion, but with those plug-ins, it is very easy to connect notes.
View attachment 2341667

I didnt know there are plugins for Joplin. I am going to guess .md(markdown files) are a standard that can always be exported and imported to different platforms?

How does it handle 1500 notes? does it stutter or smooth?

 

[MacBH928]

If you already use (or would like to try) GNU Emacs, Org-Mode would be an option worth to try.

The problem with the FOSS community is that they think the average John Doe can read binary data like they can read english. It might be easy for them , but for us we need something that "just works", something Steve Jobs understood very well.

 

[sracer]

I didnt know there are plugins for Joplin. I am going to guess .md(markdown files) are a standard that can always be exported and imported to different platforms?

How does it handle 1500 notes? does it stutter or smooth?

There are multiple Markdown standards (sounds like an oxymoron to me), and the markdown that Joplin supports includes custom markdown for diagrams, gantt charts, music notation, and a few other things. I only use the "core" set of markdown tags (eg. headers, bold, italics, lists, tables). That set is universally supported by anything that claims to support Markdown.

My personal knowledge management system or second brain doesn't require any formatting more than that. Some of the notes in this system will then be the building blocks for the books that I write and publish. It is in THAT phase that more advanced formatting is required.

Regarding Joplin's performance handing 1500 notes... very smooth and responsive. Whether it is on my phone, tablets, notebooks, or desktop, it is equally snappy on all of those platforms. I attribute that to how well Joplin is written and the nature of markdown. They're all text files (sometimes links to embedded images) that are tiny (compared to their word processing file formats) and easy to process.

The Joplin export file for all 1500 notes is: 9.5MB (that contains everything that Joplin requires, including the actual notes, images used by those notes, database for the link system, and customization).

When I exported my notes from Joplin to import into UpNote, I used the full export to markdown option.
The full markdown export of those 1500 notes is: 7.3MB (that's individual files, folders, and embedded images)

The problem with the FOSS community is that they think the average John Doe can read binary data like they can read english. It might be easy for them , but for us we need something that "just works", something Steve Jobs understood very well.

I have similar observations. I watched a few YouTubers who swear by Emacs org-mode for their personal knowledge management system. There are some very convoluted workflows that are prone to errors and hiccups. One guy was trying to add a link to another note and Emacs wasn't behaving consistently. He didn't act surprised that it happened. He brushed it off as something that happens from time to time.

These were not good ambassadors for Emacs org-mode.

For some, this type of tinkering, adjusting, and customizing is all part of the experience. There was a time in my life when that described me. Now that I'm old and time is short, I want to minimize any distractions that impede on the primary goal of the task.

 

[MacBH928]

For some, this type of tinkering, adjusting, and customizing is all part of the experience. There was a time in my life when that described me. Now that I'm old and time is short, I want to minimize any distractions that impede on the primary goal of the task.

I noticed that whenever I am using Windows I am spending more time fixing things and trying to make them work than the actual work. Surprisingly that happened even when using MS Office vs Apple Suite . Thats why I choose mac and I have no idea why Microsoft with all its money can't fix Windows to "it just works" level

 

[sracer]

I noticed that whenever I am using Windows I am spending more time fixing things and trying to make them work than the actual work. Surprisingly that happened even when using MS Office vs Apple Suite . Thats why I choose mac and I have no idea why Microsoft with all its money can't fix Windows to "it just works" level

Interesting. I have 5 Windows 10 systems in my rotation of devices (in addition to the Mac OS systems) that I use on a regular basis. They range from an Asus Vivobook E203MA (2GB RAM / 32GB eMMC storage) and up to a ThinkPad P15S Gen2 workstation-grade laptop.

The core set of apps that I use on Windows have counterparts on Mac OS. The only apps that I use that are exclusive to Mac OS are Pages, Keynote, iMovie, and Pixelmator Classic. My desktop system is a base M2 Mac Mini (with Satechi hub, a external SSD drives). I bought it on sale at Costco a year ago and it is THE tech bargain, IMO.

My workflows on Windows are nearly identical to those on Mac OS. Stability on both platforms are comparable. But I admit that I've debloated and locked down my Windows systems so that might contribute to improved stability and performance.

The out-of-box experience for Windows 10 certainly leaves much to be desired, and I can understand why people have a negative opinion of Windows.

I probably should write up what I do with my Windows 10 systems that result in them having good stability and performance.

 

[sgtaylor5]

And after Version 3, Joplin Cloud sync works well. If you remember to finish syncing on one device, then you can sync to another device; manual sequential sync helps to avoid conflicts.

8 GB M1 MBP and I’ve never been over 62% memory use using all the apps I normally have open. Usually not over 58%. Most surprising with an Electron app.

EDIT 2024-09-04: switched to Bear about a week ago because it’s Apple native and much faster. I’m just going to have to get used to using tags in a disciplined manner instead of folders.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

I have finally transferred all my Evernote notebooks to Obsidian.
Each Evernote notebook was exported as an ENEX file and all put into the same folder.
I then went to my Raspberry Pi, brought up Obsidian, installed the Importer plugin, created a new vault, imported the whole folder of ENEX files. Voilà! It all just works.

 

[sracer]

I have finally transferred all my Evernote notebooks to Obsidian.
Each Evernote notebook was exported as an ENEX file and all put into the same folder.
I then went to my Raspberry Pi, brought up Obsidian, installed the Importer plugin, created a new vault, imported the whole folder of ENEX files. Voilà! It all just works.

Congrats! Now that you've switched over to Obsidian, we won't be seeing you here for a while since you'll fall down into the plug-in rabbithole. 😂🤣😂

 

[MacBH928]

I don't if this has been mentioned, but FSnotes is FOSS and FREE now.

EDIT 2024-09-04: switched to Bear about a week ago because it’s Apple native and much faster. I’m just going to have to get used to using tags in a disciplined manner instead of folders.

I tried it on iOS and its pretty snappy. Their free tier is very generous. Other than aesthetics, is there any reason to use over free Apple Notes?

I have finally transferred all my Evernote notebooks to Obsidian.
Each Evernote notebook was exported as an ENEX file and all put into the same folder.
I then went to my Raspberry Pi, brought up Obsidian, installed the Importer plugin, created a new vault, imported the whole folder of ENEX files. Voilà! It all just works.

Obsidian feels a bit heavy, don't you think?

 

[sgtaylor5]

I tried it on iOS and it’s pretty snappy. Their free tier is very generous. Other than aesthetics, is there any reason to use over free Apple Notes?

1) The ability to export notes in a format other than PDF.
2) Bear actually has a web clipper; Apple Notes simply puts a link preview in your note. That does not provide for when the webpage no longer exists. Many times, I use Bear as a vehicle for copying off a webpage when I want it to land in my file system and not remain in Bear.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

Congrats! Now that you've switched over to Obsidian, we won't be seeing you here for a while since you'll fall down into the plug-in rabbithole. 😂🤣😂

Not really, I have the Import plug-in, which I have used once, a couple of Styling plug-ins and the Pandoc plug-in.

Pandoc is magic. It allows you to take a perfectly formatted LaTeX document and turn it into a badly formatted Word document....

I don't if this has been mentioned, but FSnotes is FOSS and FREE now.



I tried it on iOS and its pretty snappy. Their free tier is very generous. Other than aesthetics, is there any reason to use over free Apple Notes?




Obsidian feels a bit heavy, don't you think?

I like Obsidian because it runs perfectly on my Raspberry Pi 5.

 

[sracer]

Not really, I have the Import plug-in, which I have used once, a couple of Styling plug-ins and the Pandoc plug-in.

Pandoc is magic. It allows you to take a perfectly formatted LaTeX document and turn it into a badly formatted Word document....



I like Obsidian because it runs perfectly on my Raspberry Pi 5.

That's great to hear. I'm team "vanilla Obsidian" myself. I only use the Remotely Save community plug-in for free syncing

 

[MacBH928]

1) The ability to export notes in a format other than PDF.
2) Bear actually has a web clipper; Apple Notes simply puts a link preview in your note. That does not provide for when the webpage no longer exists.

Is it snappy when doing that? long time ago I used OneNote to do the same but it moves in slow motion. I am thinking the web clipping must be the issue although I do not have many notes I would say around 50.

Many times, I use Bear as a vehicle for copying off a webpage when I want it to land in my file system and not remain in Bear.

what do you mean by this?

 

[MacBH928]

I like Obsidian because it runs perfectly on my Raspberry Pi 5.

you use RPi 5 a your computer? or you store it on RPi5 and remotely access it?

 

[sgtaylor5]

Is it snappy when doing that? long time ago I used OneNote to do the same but it moves in slow motion. I am thinking the web clipping must be the issue although I do not have many notes I would say around 50.



what do you mean by this?

Yes, very fast. I’ve got around 1700 notes in Bear and I see absolutely no problems whatsoever with speed of use. The Bear developers load the entire Bible (~ 747,000 words) as a test tool for their editor.

It’s easier for me to grab a website I want to save using Bear’s web clipper and do a little bit of fix up, then export it to a word document, than it is to copy the text directly and paste it into a word document. Much cleaner results using the wab clipper.

 

[it wasnt me]

Pandoc is magic. It allows you to take a perfectly formatted LaTeX document and turn it into a badly formatted Word document....

I wish it natively supported WordStar documents.