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An alternative to Circus Ponies Notebook
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Posted by Paul Korm
Feb 15, 2016 at 01:44 PM
Curio is definitely #1 on my list. When CPN had serious problems with its iOS app a few years ago, I migrated my work to Curio—because Curio’s integration with Evernote was, at the time, the most reliable cross-platform solution I could find. I rely on note taking using a combination of graphical and text / outline / mind map elements and Curio fit the bill. I later found that the developer, George Browning, is highly involved with customers’ interests and takes suggestions very seriously.
Outline was a great product until it wasn’t—with the same kind of sync issues that CPN faced, lost data, etc. In fairness, it is really hard to sync an iOS app of any complexity with OS X. (DEVONtech has been trying for almost 5 years to rewrite its iOS app’s sync technology.) If you try Outline, I recommend not using its feature to edit OneNote notebooks because its not likely the developer can keep up with Microsoft’s sudden changes to its underlying technology. It’s worth giving Outline a trial.
Growly Notes is a solid alternative to CPN—and the price is right ($4.99 today on the Mac App Store). The iOS app is pretty good, too—if that matters. If you sync Growly Notes notebooks, turn off its notifications features—it is very verbose about telling you when anything changed.
I second Hugh’s question about desired features. I usually do a comparison evaluation by taking a project I created with the software I’m thinking of replacing, downloading demos of the software I’m considering, and trying to replicate that project. Recommendations are great—but it’s your real work that matters most.
Posted by Jeffery Smith
Feb 15, 2016 at 11:07 PM
I really wanted something for putting both unstructured notes as well as outline notes, and having a convenient search capability. I bought both CP Notebook and Aquaminds Notetaker about 10 years ago when I switched to Mac. Both Notebook and Notetaker served my purposes well, but Notetaker (later Noteshare) seems to have been largely ignored by the developer in recent years, and was very, very unstable on all of my Macs. Notebook was a paradigm I liked better, but whenever I tried to use it at home, it wouldn’t allow me to use it if I hadn’t logged off of it at work (and vice versa). I finally abandoned it out of frustration.
DevonThink is a great repository for notes, but feels like driving a recreational vehicle on a one-lane street. Very big and awkward to synchronize.
I’ve tried Tinderbox as well. Very steep learning curve, and I doubt that I would use more than 10% of its abilities.
Jeffery
Hugh wrote:
It would help to know a bit more about the purposes for which the OP
>found Circus Ponies useful, and alongside them, the particular
>functionalities of CP which appealed to him.
>
>In the absence of that guidance I second (third?) the suggestion of
>Curio. Curio, however, lacks an iOS partner (which CP had). If that’s
>important, Evernote could substitute as a Curio partner. Or
>alternatively, Notebooks (http://www.notebooksapp.com) could replace
>both CP for the Mac and CP for iOS - less flashily and slightly less
>“outlinerly” than CP.
Posted by Jeffery Smith
Feb 15, 2016 at 11:08 PM
I’m going to download the user manual for Curio and take a look at some of its tutorials online. That may be the most viable option.
Thanks much, folks!
Jeffery
Posted by Jeffery Smith
Feb 16, 2016 at 12:41 AM
I just bought Growlynotes (for $4.99, how could I resist?). Looks like a cute program.
Jeffery
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
I second the suggestions of Curio and OmniOutliner and would just add
>that you should also take a look at GrowlyNotes and Outline (although
>these latter too may be too much like OneNote).
>
>http://www.growlybird.com/notes/index.html
>
>http://outline.ws/mac
>
>None of the above really does the same thing that CP Notebook did. For
>that you need to check out its cousin, Notetaker, which, sadly, is
>probably sliding into oblivion too, but hasn’t yet:
>
>http://www.aquaminds.com/product.jsp
>
>Steve Z.
Posted by Paul Korm
Feb 16, 2016 at 03:16 PM
GrowlyNotes—what’s not to like with cheap software that is full featured and named after Peaches the parrot. The author, Chris Mason, has a dozen other OS X apps on offer—all of which are free. He was a lead developer for Microsoft on Word 6 and later versions.