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Tag: notes

  • RightNote: Powerful Notes Organizer

    RightNote is a feature packed notes organizer that can take simple notes and do more like include workable Excel spreadsheets (in its professional version). A not so limited freeware version has been recently released that is missing only a few features.

    RightNote

    I have decided to to post the complete review on the DonationCoder Mini-Reviews section at http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=29681.0

    RightNote is a notes manager and organizer, it is also one able to import existing text (File—>Import). Each database is represented as a notebook, each notebook is then divided into pages (horizontally tabbed) and each page has its own notes structure within a tree…

     

  • iQ-Notes: Freeware Sticky Notes And More

    iQ-Notes (Version: 5.07 as of this post) is a freeware sticky notes program that has features that make it a good and fully capable notes taking one. It can create unlimited number of notes – and with a recent new feature up to 12 tabs inside each individual note.

    iQ-Notes

    iQ-Notes can back up and restore notes to and from an external source. Notes can be associated with a sound, each have their own colors and transparency, synchronized to a FTP server and sent encrypted over a network with a passphrase or password shared between the end users. A built-in clipboard manager can hold items and categorize items into URLs, email, IM and time based ones. Each clipboard item can then be saved as a note or made into a favorte clipboard item to remain there forever. iQ-Notes also features configurable hot keys for creating new notes, finding notes and hiding or unhiding all notes. It also keeps backups – daily – of all the data and has a built-in rollback feature to restore a backup.

    A new note is created via the tray icon or hot key and configured using the menu bar and drop down arrow to the top right of it. Colors, subject, title, alarm, tabs and password protection are just some of the available options. Furthermore each note can send and receive text from the clipboard, printed, emailed, saved as a text file, used as a contact list or expense entry and attached to a program window.

    iQ-Notes

    iQ-Notes also has a manage notes option which categorizes notes by date, changed date, subject and more. This window (see image above) includes a global search.

    iQ-Notes works on Windows 2000 and newer.

  • InDeep Notes: Unusual Freeware

    InDeep Notes (Version: 2.0 as of this post) is a somewhat unusual note taking application. The interface is not standard but beyond that it features some of the same minimalist aspects of a notepad type freeware. It saves notes in a ‘collection’ and each in a folder within its data folder keeping a tree like directory structure.

    InDeep Notes

    It has a search box, status bar and an action bar. The first requires a click to start a search and the latter has buttons to add empty lines, remove empty lines, export visible text as png and export note as png (both saved on the desktop). These final two features may not be the most common or useful and one created a very large non word wrapped png file that needed zooming to to be legible.

    Further options include changing the text encoding, changing the font for both the note area and the tree list and a toggle for word wrap.

    InDeep Notes is portable, runs on Windows XP, Vista and 7 and requires .Net Framework 2.0

  • QText For Quick Notes

    QText (Version: 2.50 as of this post) is a notepad alternative but it is best suited for quick note taking than anything else. It features a tabbed interface that saves each tab in a separate file. The notes are saved in individual txt or rtf files in the program’s application data folder but this is configurable in the Files tab of Tools—>Options.

    QText

    QText offers to create a new tab either in text or rich text with each having a slightly different toolbar. It features URL support, quick auto save and ‘regular’ auto save intervals that can be changed from the default 3 and 60 seconds.

    Hot keys Ctrl+Shift+Q (also configurable) bring up the program from the tray area and a carbon copy feature is available to keep a back up of the notes in another location, this is off by default but can be activated from the options. QText’s other features are zoom and formatting options (upper case, lower case and title case) plus sorting lines in ascending or descending orders.

    Version 3.0 in beta is coming soon with more improvements and changes to the portable version. It currently –  even in the portable version – saves notes in the application data (appdata) folder.

    QText is available in portable and installer versions and requires .NET framework 2.0.

  • KNote: Secure Note Keeping

    KNote (Version: 0.96 as of this post) is described as an advanced, secure note taking program. It is somewhat a mix of a blogging application and a wiki, borrowing a bit from the two in a password protected desktop-type interface. It is available in portable mode and optionally uploads notes into a private, unindexed webspace for sharing with others.

    KNote

    The note taking area is much like a blogging platform providing a TinyMCE toolbar that besides the usual formatting and other options includes a ‘KNote Link’ button to connect or link notes to each other similar to a wiki. KNote supports dragging or inserting links and images into notes, adding attachments to notes, tagging each note and creating journal type notes with dates as titles. Notes can also include portions of copied web pages with the format preserved pretty well. It can import notes from a TiddlyWiki HTML file.

    Log in to the program, click new note or new journal to start creating one, click done to finish and save and as mentioned optionally upload with any or all attachments intact. In the (Tiddly)Wiki tradition you can close other notes to view only the one needed and access all – including the tag list – from the right hand side list. The organizer panel on the left can group notes in their own virtual folders (right click—>add folder) and allows moving items or notes in between.

    KNote has a search function with results highlighted. KNote requires XP and newer and is free for personal use. To see a short demonstration two brief videos are available on knote.smartgoldfish.com.

  • EfficientPIM: All In One Personal Information Manager

    EfficientPIM is a useful and multi-featured PIM (Personal Information Manager). Its interface is the now somewhat common Outlook type window with common and relevant links listed on the top left with access to all available features (not forgetting the ‘Show more buttons’ link to see them all) occupying the bottom left. EfficientPIM also has a few extra, less common features that make it a more complete PIM.

    EfficientPIM

    EfficientPIM opens with the default Today view or screen with the date, week and day of the year shown with, as expected, a list of upcoming events and tasks. As with all screens or views this can be customized to show more or less, for example to show different number of days than the upcoming 7. Also from this screen new events, tasks and diary entries can be added.

    The Calendar view is where one can see and set events, each event can have a color associated with it. Double click a day to create an event. Choose its subject, start and end date, importance label (color) and optionally set a reminder with sound. The comment feature is a rich text area that can also include a file attachment and/or a link to a file (on the computer or online). The recurrence tab of the new event window includes all options from time, day, day of the week and also range. The calendar view also features a mini-calendar and task view on the right hand side.

    Next up is the Contacts view, by default it features full name, company, business phone, mobile phone and email but by clicking the customize current view link one can show lots more including address, title, fax, additional email, website, nickname, hobbies, instant messaging address and even more. There are also 6 custom fields available. One can create groups (Action —> New Group) to group contacts together. It is also possible to sort contacts by any field and view them in card or table view.

    Events and Tasks are similar in the sense that a name, comment, time, duration and reminder can be set for most anything.

    Diary is ofcourse set by date but can be divided into groups. All entries can later be viewed by either date or group. An entry can also be associated with a contact.

    The Notes section is the place to write down anything that perhaps doesn’t belong elsewhere, this can also be associated with a contact and grouped as well.

    Desktop Notes (see image below) are similar to Notes but with the additional feature that if so checked the (resizable) notes can float on the desktop. This way a note is always visible and can not be missed.

    EfficientPIM

    EfficientPIM also has FTP and Email Account sections with all the relevant fields (server address, password, etc.) for each. The Favorite URL bookmark manager, Password Manager and Software Registration Code provide the EfficientPIM user with even more ways to store information.

    The search within EfficientPIM can be global or per section to search inside notes only for example.

    EfficientPIM works on Windows (both 32 and 64 bit versions) versions going back to Windows 98 . A free version with less features is always available.

  • Freeware Shorts: JC&MB Quicknote

    JC&MB Quicknote (Version: 5.5 as of this post) is a little program with a not so modern interface that is nevertheless a useful notes organizer or scrapbook. It offers a few additional tools and an efficient launch method that make it a bit more usable.

    Quicknote

    When installed Quicknote remains always close at hand by placing a narrow gray strip on top of the screen. Just hover the mouse over that strip and Quicknote animates into view. The location of the strip can be changed and also a hotkey can be added for keyboard users (see image).

    By default it offers four note areas where a drawing tool is available as well. The extra features available via either the program toolbar or menu are a calculator, unit convertor, reminder with alarm, program launcher, screen distance calculator and also a ‘send text through a network’. The latter is probably best explained by watching one of the tutorial videos available on the author’s site at http://quicknote.de/help/network.php?lang=en

    The program is still in development as witnessed by activity in its bug tracker page. It should run on all Windows versions.

  • Freeware Shorts: AtoZ Notebook

    AtoZ Notebook (Version: 0.111 Beta as of this post) is a free form notebook that aims to resemble a paper notebook. It is divided into 27 tabs (a to z and #) where notes can be jotted down in alphabetically.
    Once open click the Header button and start typing. Use any of the usual formatting options (font, indent, etc.) to shape the notes as required and choose a password to open your notes as well. Also one gets to choose one of two options for the location of the stored notes. AtoZ Notebook also does backups in RTF format so the notes are usable elsewhere as well, therefore sparing the user from dealing with propriety formats.

  • Freeware Shorts: NoteFly

    NoteFly (Version: 2.0.0 RC1 as of this post) is a sticky note application that offers a few features to store and manage notes. Sticky notes that are viewable on the desktop can be re-sized, use different colors and also be transparent. A note can also be ‘stuck on top’ and remain visible or locked or hidden.
    It is also possible to set up NoteFly to email a note and to tweet or post the note on Facebook. The latter seems to be buggy and/or not possible as of this post but that may change in a future version.
    NoteFly is only around 200KB, does not use the Windows registry, is open source software and requires the .Net framework 2.0 which is already installed on Windows Vista and 7.

  • My Calendar: Freeware Calendar And Date Utility

    My Calendar

    My Calendar is a small and lightweight program that shows a three month calendar and features other tools to set up and keep a schedule and birthday dates.

    Upon launch My Calendar presents today’s date. One can add notes for each day, sort of like a diary, by clicking on the date on the calendar and start typing in the Note area. When done clicking Add/Replace will save the note for that day. The note area makes it easy to paste or copy text from and to the Windows clipboard. Categories can also be assigned to notes or entries. MyNote is the default but more can be added by clicking the small + button just under the category drop down. There are further buttons to delete or rename categories and a check box to make one the default or auto selected category for new notes.

    The My Schedule tab is used for keeping a list of tasks. One chooses a time and day(s) and adds an event which is in turn added to a list. All events or schedules are shown in a simple list. Events can be removed by highlighting each and clicking the remove button.

    The Birthday Manager is easy to use and perhaps easier to organize. Birthdays are added and shown in a list but each birthday can be assigned a group (family, friends and co-workers perhaps?) A group is created much the same way as a category is created in the My Note tab described above.

    The Time Zone Converter is a simple tool to choose the current or other time zones and then get a list of times around the world. However in my test not all times were correct, specifically time differences between northern and southern hemisphere cities were off.

    The Date Time Tools provides days in between and a handful of other information between two chosen dates.

    The Digital Calendar tab lets the user switch to another view of My Calendar. This view is one that includes a digital clock and optionally a list of upcoming schedules and notes.

    Even though there is no specific information on the program’s site My Calendar should run on most Windows versions and at less than half a Mega Byte and using little RAM it can prove to be a useful download.