No lock-in - criteria
Started by maties
on 3/11/2014
maties
3/11/2014 11:56 am
which software satisfy the criteria?
2 general thoughts
-software must not lock-in....
-avoiding/minimizing new problems in the future....
must:
all platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux) and (mobile os (optional))
open source (GPL)
open data formats (storing, import, export)
free to use
full control over your data (no registration required and no cloud, just cloud-optional)
integrated backup (local, online optional)
list-view of all data (type, name, created, changed, keywords, backup-status .....)
synchronization between desktops (and mobile-devices)
powersearch functions (intelligent ranking like Devonthink, CT)
note-taking (both: classic rtf-notes and free-form like OneNote, Circus Ponies Notebook)
data visualization (concept-data-mapping)
auto-tagging (intelligent content recognition like Devonthink, CT, Circus Ponies Multidex)
manual-tagging
pdf-annotation (no lock-in), exportable
Great software, but it is a lock-in:
( qiqqa (win-only), connectedtext (win-only), devonthink (mac-only) but "index-folders-functionality", onenote (win-only), circus ponies notebook (mac-only).....)
After long search, I found "docear" to meet most important criteria of no lock-in.....
Any other software suggestions to get the best compromise (no lock-in)?
2 general thoughts
-software must not lock-in....
-avoiding/minimizing new problems in the future....
must:
all platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux) and (mobile os (optional))
open source (GPL)
open data formats (storing, import, export)
free to use
full control over your data (no registration required and no cloud, just cloud-optional)
integrated backup (local, online optional)
list-view of all data (type, name, created, changed, keywords, backup-status .....)
synchronization between desktops (and mobile-devices)
powersearch functions (intelligent ranking like Devonthink, CT)
note-taking (both: classic rtf-notes and free-form like OneNote, Circus Ponies Notebook)
data visualization (concept-data-mapping)
auto-tagging (intelligent content recognition like Devonthink, CT, Circus Ponies Multidex)
manual-tagging
pdf-annotation (no lock-in), exportable
Great software, but it is a lock-in:
( qiqqa (win-only), connectedtext (win-only), devonthink (mac-only) but "index-folders-functionality", onenote (win-only), circus ponies notebook (mac-only).....)
After long search, I found "docear" to meet most important criteria of no lock-in.....
Any other software suggestions to get the best compromise (no lock-in)?
Daly de Gagne
3/11/2014 12:46 pm
Your criteria are clear, but you then list various programs.
But it is far from clear what you want software for.
If you are looking for general note taking software that is one thing.
If you want academic software that is another thing.
Daly
But it is far from clear what you want software for.
If you are looking for general note taking software that is one thing.
If you want academic software that is another thing.
Daly
maties
3/11/2014 1:09 pm
All in one
academic software and note taking software
academic software and note taking software
Dr Andus
3/11/2014 1:44 pm
maties wrote:
Have you looked at WizNote? I haven't tried it but there are some enthusiastic reviews here (I don't know how it handles PDFs though):
http://www.outlinersoftware.com/topics/viewt/4877/0/wiznote-from-china-httpwwwwizcnindexhtml
http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=36909.msg345599#msg345599
Otherwise you've got a pretty tough set of criteria there to fulfil. In terms of your academic needs Citavi seems to fit the bill, but not your other criteria. Here is an argument in favour of Citavi (by someone who also uses Docear):
http://drandus.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/developing-a-final-outline/comment-page-1/#comment-6177
All in one
academic software and note taking software
Have you looked at WizNote? I haven't tried it but there are some enthusiastic reviews here (I don't know how it handles PDFs though):
http://www.outlinersoftware.com/topics/viewt/4877/0/wiznote-from-china-httpwwwwizcnindexhtml
http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=36909.msg345599#msg345599
Otherwise you've got a pretty tough set of criteria there to fulfil. In terms of your academic needs Citavi seems to fit the bill, but not your other criteria. Here is an argument in favour of Citavi (by someone who also uses Docear):
http://drandus.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/developing-a-final-outline/comment-page-1/#comment-6177
Daly de Gagne
3/11/2014 2:01 pm
Zotero comes to mind as does Mendeley.
A favourite program of mind is Notezilla, a sticky note app. It allows for categorizing notes, having separate memo boards for note devotes to specific topics, has ability to stick notes on items from other programs.
I find its flexibility and elegant simplicity appealing. In some ways I use it like a lot of ppl use OneNote though it lacks some of OneNote's features (which I am unlikely to use anyway). More and more I do my thinking, reflecting, and brainstorming in Notezilla.
Many ppl work Evernote into their system of notetaking, as well as WhizFolders and MyInfo - I have used, and continue to use all three, for notekeeping.
I've been disappointed by qiqqa.
If I was doing heavy duty academic work I'd probably buy Citavi, but it is beyond my means right now.
Much of my writing related notetaking is also done the old fashioned way - using index cards and a fountain pen inked with one of my favourite Noodler's inks (incidentally, Noodlers make a water based ink which binds immediately with cellulose in paper, creating a bond which makes it waterproof).
Daly
maties wrote:
A favourite program of mind is Notezilla, a sticky note app. It allows for categorizing notes, having separate memo boards for note devotes to specific topics, has ability to stick notes on items from other programs.
I find its flexibility and elegant simplicity appealing. In some ways I use it like a lot of ppl use OneNote though it lacks some of OneNote's features (which I am unlikely to use anyway). More and more I do my thinking, reflecting, and brainstorming in Notezilla.
Many ppl work Evernote into their system of notetaking, as well as WhizFolders and MyInfo - I have used, and continue to use all three, for notekeeping.
I've been disappointed by qiqqa.
If I was doing heavy duty academic work I'd probably buy Citavi, but it is beyond my means right now.
Much of my writing related notetaking is also done the old fashioned way - using index cards and a fountain pen inked with one of my favourite Noodler's inks (incidentally, Noodlers make a water based ink which binds immediately with cellulose in paper, creating a bond which makes it waterproof).
Daly
maties wrote:
All in one
academic software and note taking software
maties
3/11/2014 2:31 pm
I know citavi...but the dream is over
Citavi will be win-only in the future.
Citavi-team stopped the mac-version.
Citavi locks-in
Citavi handling could be better
I want to leave Windows forever in my personal environment, but we are all forced to use it in other environments or it is not possible to ignore Windows, so we still need all 3 platforms ( Win Mac Linux ) to be compatible without problems.
You all know the dilemma.
effective workflow is so important, no more time-wasting.
no windows problems, no buggy software, no complicated handling, no lock-in, no export-problems...the list is endless
Intuitive, no lock-in and free software with built-in intelligence is the answer to master the work in 2014.
No more time-wasting
It must stop
must:
all platforms
Citavi will be win-only in the future.
Citavi-team stopped the mac-version.
Citavi locks-in
Citavi handling could be better
I want to leave Windows forever in my personal environment, but we are all forced to use it in other environments or it is not possible to ignore Windows, so we still need all 3 platforms ( Win Mac Linux ) to be compatible without problems.
You all know the dilemma.
effective workflow is so important, no more time-wasting.
no windows problems, no buggy software, no complicated handling, no lock-in, no export-problems...the list is endless
Intuitive, no lock-in and free software with built-in intelligence is the answer to master the work in 2014.
No more time-wasting
It must stop
must:
all platforms
Dr Andus
3/11/2014 2:38 pm
maties wrote:
If there is no such a thing though, which criteria are you willing to give up first?
Intuitive, no lock-in and free software with built-in intelligence is
the answer to master the work in 2014.
If there is no such a thing though, which criteria are you willing to give up first?
maties
3/11/2014 3:04 pm
Dr Andus wrote:
maties wrote:
>Intuitive, no lock-in and free software with built-in intelligence is
>the answer to master the work in 2014.
If there is no such a thing though, which criteria are you willing to
give up first?
Priority
1. No lock-in, free, all platforms (win mac linux) --- Docear for storing and compatibility
2. lock-in, not free, but 2 platforms (win mac) --- Scrivener for writing
3. lock-in (but folder index possible), not free, only 1 platform (mac only) - but super feature built-in intelligence - Devonthink
Daly de Gagne
3/11/2014 3:55 pm
Maties, I like how you applied your criteria. It fits for you and, in the final analysis for a matter such as this one, you are the only person who counts.
I have two questions.
The first is with regard to Docear. Is there a limit to how many documents you can work with efficiently using Docear? I like the way the FreePlane, the underlying program for Docear, handles notes. But for some reason I think it might be problematic using Docear for storage beyond a certain point (and I could easily be wrong!).
My second question is with regard to your third pick - Devon Think - which you selected because of its indexing capability. Given the importance of budget and the need for indexing, I ask whether Mendeley might be a solution for indexing, as well as storing if indeed there is a practical upper limit on what Docear will handle. I have about 3,000 PDFs, mostly academic related to psychology, trauma, narrative (stories, story telling, healing implications of story use) etc. stored in Mendeley.
Those docs in Mendeley live on my hard drive, but are also accessible on the cloud, which is a way of backing everything up.
I see on the Mendeley site they have iPhone and iPad capability.
http://www.mendeley.com/
Hope this helps. Thanks for sharing your process.
Daly
maties wrote:
I have two questions.
The first is with regard to Docear. Is there a limit to how many documents you can work with efficiently using Docear? I like the way the FreePlane, the underlying program for Docear, handles notes. But for some reason I think it might be problematic using Docear for storage beyond a certain point (and I could easily be wrong!).
My second question is with regard to your third pick - Devon Think - which you selected because of its indexing capability. Given the importance of budget and the need for indexing, I ask whether Mendeley might be a solution for indexing, as well as storing if indeed there is a practical upper limit on what Docear will handle. I have about 3,000 PDFs, mostly academic related to psychology, trauma, narrative (stories, story telling, healing implications of story use) etc. stored in Mendeley.
Those docs in Mendeley live on my hard drive, but are also accessible on the cloud, which is a way of backing everything up.
I see on the Mendeley site they have iPhone and iPad capability.
http://www.mendeley.com/
Hope this helps. Thanks for sharing your process.
Daly
maties wrote:
Dr Andus wrote:
maties wrote:
>>Intuitive, no lock-in and free software with built-in intelligence is
>>the answer to master the work in 2014.
>
>If there is no such a thing though, which criteria are you willing to
>give up first?
Priority
1. No lock-in, free, all platforms (win mac linux) --- Docear for
storing and compatibility
2. lock-in, not free, but 2 platforms (win mac) --- Scrivener for
writing
3. lock-in (but folder index possible), not free, only 1 platform (mac
only) - but super feature built-in intelligence - Devonthink
maties
3/11/2014 4:44 pm
Docear:
no limit of documents
no lock-in
Mendeley:
lock-in problem 1, no real export of the created virtual pdf-folder structure (org-structure), some export-options, but not real-export
lock-in problem 2, created work is locked (no export of annotations, meaning pdf-standard annotations)
lock-in problem 3, you must use the cloud (my data or not my data???)
Devonthink:
no limit of documents 10.000 or more (no problem)
can "read" the folders content (intelligent "index" function) so you can leave your free stored (OS based) folders in their place.
you can use it without "importing", without lock-in if you want.
no limit of documents
no lock-in
Mendeley:
lock-in problem 1, no real export of the created virtual pdf-folder structure (org-structure), some export-options, but not real-export
lock-in problem 2, created work is locked (no export of annotations, meaning pdf-standard annotations)
lock-in problem 3, you must use the cloud (my data or not my data???)
Devonthink:
no limit of documents 10.000 or more (no problem)
can "read" the folders content (intelligent "index" function) so you can leave your free stored (OS based) folders in their place.
you can use it without "importing", without lock-in if you want.
MadaboutDana
3/11/2014 6:32 pm
Hot damn, Docear is pretty cool! I love the bibliographical support!
Mind you, I wouldn't be parted from my cross-platform faves, Notebooks (Win/Mac/iOS) and OneNote (Win/iOS/Android/Web and via Outline+, Mac).
In principle you could run Docear on various mobile OSes using a JVM - in practice it would probably die a horrible death. And let's face it, the interface isn't exactly optimised for a smartphone ;-)
Mind you, I wouldn't be parted from my cross-platform faves, Notebooks (Win/Mac/iOS) and OneNote (Win/iOS/Android/Web and via Outline+, Mac).
In principle you could run Docear on various mobile OSes using a JVM - in practice it would probably die a horrible death. And let's face it, the interface isn't exactly optimised for a smartphone ;-)
Alexander Deliyannis
3/11/2014 11:29 pm
maties wrote:
Scrivener is also available for Linux (beta, free):
http://literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=33&sid=98889751abdf4720906712ff170e2984
It's been a while since I last tried it but I remember having no problem transferring files between Windows and Linux.
Of the other features you mention I would say that 'intelligence' (Devonthink) is the least widely available. If you can put that aside, you should be able to find quite a few options. Check out Notecase Pro (most developed) http://virtual-sky.com/ and Outwiker (least mature) http://jenyay.net/Outwiker/English
2. lock-in, not free, but 2 platforms (win mac) --- Scrivener for
writing
Scrivener is also available for Linux (beta, free):
http://literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=33&sid=98889751abdf4720906712ff170e2984
It's been a while since I last tried it but I remember having no problem transferring files between Windows and Linux.
Of the other features you mention I would say that 'intelligence' (Devonthink) is the least widely available. If you can put that aside, you should be able to find quite a few options. Check out Notecase Pro (most developed) http://virtual-sky.com/ and Outwiker (least mature) http://jenyay.net/Outwiker/English