Using Aquaminds Notetaker (Mac) again

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Posted by Jeffery Smith
Jun 24, 2016 at 12:58 AM

With the sudden demise and disappearance of Circus Ponies Notebook, I had had few choices for my organized note taking on the Mac. I had shunned Aquaminds Notetaker a few years back because it was extremely prone to crashing. That seems to have been an issue that surfaced when OSX started using sandboxing. I’m pleased to report now that Notetaker seems very stable and pleasant to use. I have used it and OmniOutliner side by side for the same tasks for 2 weeks, and I find Notetaker easier to use because of OmniOutliner’s need to “unfocus” (AKA unhoist) so often, and there being no icon to quickly unfocus (unhoist) an outline.

That said, Notetaker seems to have fallen into “ignoreware” by its producer. I have tried to use Curio 10 as a note taking, project manager but find it insufferable to learn. And I don’t believe I’ll ever warm up to Tinderbox.

Posted by rogbar
Jun 24, 2016 at 04:55 AM

I too was frustrated by the lack of menu bar icon for Focus and Unfocus in OmniOutliner. So I created two simple macros in Keyboard Maestro: Control-F for Focus and Control-U for Unfocus. They’re easy for me to remember, and now I hardly miss the menu bar icon.

And OmniOutliner is WAY more supported than Notetaker.

Posted by Stephen Zeoli
Jun 24, 2016 at 11:04 AM

Do you synchronize Notetaker between computers? If so, how does it do?

Also, do you take notes on a mobile device and transfer into Notetaker? Again, if so, what is your system?

Thanks!

Steve Z.

Posted by Jeffery Smith
Jun 25, 2016 at 01:09 AM

I did use NoteShare for a while, but wondered if its additional features might make it more prone to losing my information. So I went back to Notetaker. I have gotten into a routine of putting my data folder on my desktop while using it, then copy the whole thing to DropBox. I don’t like using FolderWatch with OmniOutliner because it makes NUMEROUS interim file folders on DropBox. I also bought the fastest thumb drive money could buy and copy the desktop folder to it when I’m done for a while.

I’m getting frustrated with OmniOutliner’s tendency to display lines of text that are partially truncated at their tops. I have to collapse and then expand the subheadings to see them correctly. And I like Notetaker’s sections and pages paradigm, and the find feature.

I haven’t used Neo (formerly Tao) in years, but gave it a shot yesterday by exporting an entire file to OPML from OmniOutliner and then importing it into Tao. I’m impressed with the stability of Neo. I hate to say it, but my current preferences are:

(1) Notetaker (or Noteshare…I can’t tell the difference)
(2) Neo
(3) OmniOutliner 4

Though I’m going to take the suggestion of having a third-party macro do the focus and unfocus for me (I love this forum!).

Stephen Zeoli wrote:
Do you synchronize Notetaker between computers? If so, how does it do?
> >Also, do you take notes on a mobile device and transfer into Notetaker?
>Again, if so, what is your system?
> >Thanks!
> >Steve Z.

Posted by Jeffery Smith
Jun 25, 2016 at 01:11 AM

I will absolutely try this post haste! I haven’t even considered third party macros since the mid-80s when Borland (I think) had a program that would briefly take over your keyboard.

Thanks for the suggestion, Rogbar!

rogbar wrote:
I too was frustrated by the lack of menu bar icon for Focus and Unfocus
>in OmniOutliner. So I created two simple macros in Keyboard Maestro:
>Control-F for Focus and Control-U for Unfocus. They’re easy for me to
>remember, and now I hardly miss the menu bar icon.
> >And OmniOutliner is WAY more supported than Notetaker.

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