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Ask HN: What note taking app do you use and why?

by laksmanv on 8/12/24, 8:10 PM with 25 comments

I have been paying for evernote, and recently read BASB which has inspired me to take more notes. Before I commit to evernote, I'm taking a look at other note taking apps, such as Obsidian, Apple Notes, Roam. Curious which app you use to take notes and why?

  • by andrei_says_ on 8/13/24, 6:35 AM

    Apple notes because of their zero friction in syncing and collaboration with any other Apple ecosystem user.

    Obsidian for technical things in my work computer.

  • by vunderba on 8/13/24, 4:25 PM

    I principally use Obsidian because it was easy to build out a custom plug-in to easily push a markdown note and its corresponding media to my statically generated website.

    While I do wish it was open source, since it doesn't use a proprietary format or alter the folder structure where I keep my notes it's pretty trivial to switch to a different notetaking tool in the future.

    Pros

    - doesn't mess with your notes or migrate it into a database (looking at you Joplin)

    - extensible via JS plug-ins

    Cons

    - I'm not enamored with the mobile experience

  • by Leftium on 8/13/24, 5:02 PM

    I use https://simplenote.com

    - Syncs across multiple platforms.

    - Plaintext based (with MD support).

    - Search + edit UI similar to https://notational.net and https://brettterpstra.com/projects/nvalt

    - Simple to publish/share notes

    - Free (as in beer and speech)

    ---

    If I used MacOS or there were web versions, I would love to use the following (they are all better at plaintext than SimpleNote):

    - https://getdrafts.com (best text manipulation + actions)

    - https://www.taskpaper.com (best tagging/querying system!)

    - https://www.hogbaysoftware.com/bike (supposedly best plaintext editing experience)

    ---

    Some day I will build my own plaintext notes/bookmarks/tasks app that is a mashup of:

    - TaskPaper

    - Drafts

    - nvAlt

    - SimpleNote

    - https://www.bkmks.com

  • by aprdm on 8/13/24, 5:24 PM

    Joplin, it's free/OSS (I do pay for the sync 1 dollar a month which works pretty well), it works across Windows/Linux/Mac/iphone ( I am always on different computers), it's simple and no bells/whistle - more focus on actually taking notes...

  • by jcynix on 8/13/24, 6:19 AM

    Emacs with Orgmode on the desktop. That's where most of my editing work happens. And for mobile the app Markor, synced via rsync in Termux with my desktop.

    Additionally the app Joplin, which syncs via WebDAV to my server and is used by both me and my wife on both desktop and mobile to share notes, shopping list, web clips etc.

    Joplin is excellent for sharing but its editing capabilities leave a bit to wish for. That's where Markor comes into play. Both support Markdown, so its easy to use both.

    https://github.com/gsantner/markor https://joplinapp.org/

  • by brad0 on 8/12/24, 8:35 PM

    For all my GTD-style note taking I'm using Things. I stuff everything that I need to remember into its inbox as soon as I think about it. Adding context + sorting happens at a later date once I can sit down and give more details.

    The one thing I don't have is a general "reference" system. Once I've finished with a task / project / etc. I want to be able to archive it into a wiki-type system. But I also want to be able to query structured data out of it too.

    The closest thing I can think of is writing mini-wiki pages. Because they're mini wiki pages, a screen should be able to show multiple pages at once. There's something there, I'm just not sure what.

  • by JohnFen on 8/12/24, 9:26 PM

    Mostly, I use a physical notepad and pens/pencils. If I take notes this way, I "internalize" them better. I organize them sequentially by date. If I'm working on a desktop machine, I will also occasionally use a text editor (the simplest one the DE has to offer. In Windows, this means notepad).

    I've tried a ton of different methods of note-taking, including the ones you name as well as dedicated note-taking appliances. None of them work well for me, because they all complicate the note-taking such that the act of taking notes becomes disruptive to whatever it is I'm really doing.

  • by eternityforest on 8/13/24, 4:56 AM

    I have tried an large number of them. Many load too slow on mobile. Some have no sync at all. Creating my own was becoming a full time job.

    So I use Google Keep. Largely because it loads so fast, so I don't forget what I'm writing before I write it. And it has good search and tagging, so I don't need any other means of organization.

    I always hear I should be using pen and paper at least some of the time , but I only do it in place where screens aren't appropriate, as a sign of respect that shows im paying attention, or to not break immersion in tabletop games.

  • by sam29681749 on 8/14/24, 9:44 AM

    Pencil and notebook for most things. I can think clearer, and if it's a list or something, I can rip it out and keep it on my desk.

    Notepad++ for quick, disposable notes, drafts, etc. I just open a new tab and start writing. Tabs are automatically saved somewhere and will reopen with the app (I have a personal goal to hit the max).

    I don't often refer back to notes nor can I stick to any sort of "system", so this approach works well for me.

  • by thimabi on 8/13/24, 3:36 PM

    I mostly write Markdown notes in VS Code. With the help of some Bash scripts, Pandoc and Calibre, they are converted into PDFs, ebooks and websites. When I need, I use Git to sync the notes between different devices.

    I chose this method because VS Code is highly customizable (I make my own extensions) and because there are tons of other tools to work with Markdown and Git. I use those other tools as needed.

    Being able to trust the longevity of my note-taking system is pretty important to me.

  • by phren0logy on 8/12/24, 8:19 PM

    I like the way logseq works, as it's bullet-based and you can link to individual bullets. Development seems to have lost it's way, and online options like Tana are complex and unappealing.

    I finally bit the bullet and just went with Obsidian, as that's where all the community activity is. If there's a way to connect something with notes, or some cool functionality in a plugin, you'll find it with Obsidian.

  • by mikewarot on 8/13/24, 10:23 PM

    I used to use WikidPad, which is open source, and based on Python, but breaking changes to wXwindows killed it in source code form, and I don't want to be chained to a Windows EXE file from 2012.

    I'm open to alternatives, maybe even Emacs Org mode? I'm a TECO fan... not sure if I can deal with it, though.

  • by slightwinder on 8/13/24, 1:18 PM

    At the moment, Obsidian on desktop, and Google Keep for capturing and for carrying notes I may need on the road.

  • by MissTake on 8/12/24, 8:54 PM

    Obsidian- and have been since the early betas.

    I’m also grandmothered into the cheaper sync plan which is nice because the sync has always felt rock solid.

    The plugins are so numerous that I’ve lost track of what else is available, and the fact that a vast majority work on iOS and iPadOS is a huge win.

  • by christophilus on 8/12/24, 8:35 PM

    Neovim. I like markdown, and I already live in the editor for my day job, so the muscle memory is nice. I have a mostly flat (one level deep) hierarchy of folders and that’s it.

  • by ValtteriL on 8/14/24, 8:24 AM

    OneNote as it comes with O365 license. Would love to move to markdown based one but havent found anything that comes close in ergonomics.

  • by leejoramo on 8/13/24, 12:40 PM

    I start by using plain text Markdown files so that I can use many different programs, workflows, and it is future proof.

    What do I consider Notes? Documentation, reference materials, ideas, journaling, and task management.

    For documentation I use a programmers text editor. Mostly VSCode, but I still use BBEdit, Sublime and others

    For the past couple of years the primary application I use for everything else is NotePlan

    https://noteplan.co

    NotePlan stores its data as markdown files, offers a very polished GUI for Mac, iPhone and iPad and is tailored to each. A web version was recently released and is still feature incomplete but very usable.

    The developer has created an app that appears deceptively simple, but has a great deal of depth and flexibility for you to create your own systems.

    If you want Tasks and Calendars as part of your note system, NotePlan is well worth a deep review. Check out the videos on their site to get an understanding. NotePlan also integrated with Apple’s Reminders and Calendar. It also can sync with Google Calendar.

    Hashtags and @Mentions are available. Templates for meetings, journaling and more are provided or you can make your own.

    Sync works flawlessly via Apple’s ICloud and the developer never sees your data. (I was skeptical of this but found it to be true). It is not recommended, but you can also sync via Dropbox or git.

    NotePlan is extendable via JavaScript plugins many of which are provided by the community. These include simple shortcuts to complex new dashboard views.

    Do you have your own additions to Markdown syntax? NotePlan made it easy for me to add my own syntax.

    Since this is Markdown, you can use other tools. The NotePlan documentation explains how to use Obsidian

    I mention the Web version is not yet full featured. However, it is VERY functional. My primary workstation is KDE/Ubuntu, and I use the web version all day long.

    Finally, yes NotePlan is a subscription. I am hesitant to recommend subscriptions. But let me strongly state, I feel it is a fair deal. The subscription covers 4 native platforms. This is a highly responsive Developer on Discord and elsewhere, new features arrive constantly. I am on the BETA and get updated several times per month. The Developer has gone out of their way to not lockup your data in a proprietary format. The only lock in they have is providing an excellent UI and nurturing a great community.

  • by constantinum on 8/14/24, 3:16 PM

    Hate to say! But Notion stuck with me.

  • by unlisted7347 on 8/12/24, 10:24 PM

    Noteshelf Came for free with Samsung tablet