Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with notebook and notes

What's a good small, light, pen-powered digital notetaking machine?

overeducated_alligator — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:02:54 -0800

Help me find the ultimate electronic notetaking device? I take lots of notes during the day, including:

- to-do lists
- grocery lists
- reminders
- phone messages
- drawings
- journaling
- charts/diagrams

I use lots of different kinds of paper (blank/lined/gridded), and I'm starting to go a little crazy keeping everything organized.

I'd like to consolidate everything via a single digital device, if possible. I have a tablet PC, but it's too heavy for everyday notetaking.

I'm looking for something more Kindle-sized. Pen input is a priority. I have my eye on the forthcoming Asus eee Note.

Anything else you can recommend?

How do you digitize a research notebook?

one_bean — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:31:34 -0800

How do you digitize your research notebook? I've got a small notebook that I carry around with me with about 2 years' worth of notes, ideas, references for papers or books, and scribbles from various meetings, conversations, etc. I had a heart attack moment today when I thought I'd lost it. What's the best way to organize all this stuff digitally? I'm on a Mac, if it makes a difference, but general advice is appreciated. One giant plain text document? Scan it? One Excel sheet for ideas, another for references? References go in EndNote, ideas go in the calendar for follow-up? Should I be doing this more often?

UbuntuFilter: Help me find a well-organized note-taking or notebook program.

nayten — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:07:26 -0800

UbuntuFilter: Help me find a well-organized note-taking or notebook program. I like taking notes. A lot. For a number of topics. And the good ol' text editor and file folders combo doesn't cut it anymore.

Here's what I envision: I make a notebook for a new topic I'm interested. Say, Movies. When I make this Movies notebook, I'll have a tab on the left side of my program window that has a tab for it, along with my other notebooks (maybe classes I take at college, Music, Beers, and the variety of other things that I like).

When I click this tab, maybe a little dropdown list will come out with the different entry titles on it. Say, Back to the Future filming locations, Movies Staring Keanu Reeves, and Grammy Award Winners. I click the title I'm interested in, and on the right side of the window the text is quickly loaded, I can edit it on the fly, and make a new entry or jump around to others if I like.

Does anything like this currently exist? I'm flexible on the asthetics of the thing-- I just want an efficient way to store information on the numerous topics I'm interested in, and hope to save some bookmarking/Documents folder space with it.

Other options that would be a plus: tagging, image functionality, maybe a to-do list, and printing of notebooks.

Is there a Vista equivalent for Office 2004 Mac's "Notebook Layout View"?

zooropa — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:45:38 -0800

A friend of mine is a schoolteacher with the Chicago Public Schools. On his Mac, he uses Office 2004. He was showing me a feature in the Office 2004 version of Word that I really like. It allows you to open up a document in something called "Notebook Layout View" (I think) that simulates a page of ruled notebook paper as if you were writing in a spiral notebook. It even allows you to format a title and heading and other features. Anyone know if there is a Vista equivalent for Office 2007? I tried looking through the templates (both what's included with 2007 and at Microsoft Online) and I can't seem to find anything similar. (and please, no flames or exhortations to "get a Mac!" I'm stuck with I have and there's no changing for the time being) Thanks!

What's a good handheld electronic device to replace my Moleskine notebook?

Slack-a-gogo — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 07:35:26 -0800

What is a good handheld electronic device to replace keeping all of my notes split between my Moleskine notebook and a word doc on my desktop? I need something that I can enter notes into directly and also import information into from my computer (and export a backup copy back to the computer). I'm an avid note taker and have my Moleskine with me at all times, but I just filled up a notebook and am starting a new one. It dawned on me that I'll no longer have portable access to all of the old info unless I decide to carry TWO notebooks with me. Which isn’t going to happen. I love my Moleskine, but I think I’ve outgrown it.

I write lots of info almost every day into the notebook (restaurants I want to remember, albums and books I want to check out, phone numbers, a few lines of an article I want to remember, websites I want to check out, cool words and phrases, best-of lists, and other assorted nerdery). I also keep a similar list in a word doc on my computer that I cut and paste into as I see things online that interest me. I end up writing a lot of that info from the computer into the notebook, which is starting to get old.

So I’m looking for a portable device (pocket sized) that I can type info into as well as import information into. When I research these devices online most of the reviews and comments are targeted towards the wireless, phone, and internet features – none of which I’ll use since I won’t be paying the monthly fees. I’m pretty sure I’ll have to pay for a a device with lots of features I don’t need or use, but I want to make sure it’s actually good at what I need it for. I just need to find a reliable electronic handheld notebook. Bonus points if the entires can be tagged and searched by tags. I'm not sure if what I'm asking is just for an electronic device, or for an electronic device and a corresponding software. I'm a pen and paper guy, so this is new to me. Is there one that you’d recommend or any warnings before I shell out the money to buy one?

Note your average notes program... (Owch.)

synecdoche — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:28:14 -0800

I'm trying to find a note-taking program for OSX that allows a pseudo-Cornell-style of note taking, and some other features. I've looked at a number of programs based on recommendations on the green and elsewhere, and nothing seems to do what I want (at least so far as I can tell).

What I want is a note-taking program that will allow me to create notebooks that feature:

1. A main note-taking area
2. Some way of incorporating printable marginalia (either by having it next to the main text, or as an annotation sort of like Word's "Comments")
3. The ability to tag and search notebooks
4. The ability to group notebooks together under folders that are visible in the main program

I realize these are fairly specific demands, but I am hoping to find something at least CLOSE to this. The ability to add (printable) marginalia is essential; tagging would be nice; and grouping is not absolutely necessary but I would like some sort of means by which I can group like notebooks together (maybe under tabs? As long as I can see it in the program.)

Maybe this is a tall order, but I figured if anyone can find it, it is AskMe.

Recommend a free online notepad

schroedinger — Mon, 07 May 2007 10:09:21 -0800

Free online application for storing quick ideas, notes, websites, etc--like post-it notes on your moniter, only digital and easily organized and searched. Currently I'm trying out Helipad, but what do you use? More functionality needs inside. Over the course of a day I have lots of little things I write down. To-dos, websites I want to visit, ideas to research over the next couple of weeks, recipes to try. Writing things down on slips of paper creates a mess. Up until now I used Gmail, but it's all too easy to forget about them after a million emails to myself with "" in the header I'm realizing this really isn't a solution.

I want an online notepad. Nothing that requires downloading a program or installing an extension in case I'm using a public computer. It should be able to store multiple, editable notes, I should be able to search through it, and the notes should be easy to organize. Tags are good, but the possibility of categories would be great too to enhance browsability--that way interesting/important notes and/or categories can jog my memory if I'm looking for a different note.

Most importantly, it must be simple and easy to use, otherwise I'll slip back into old habits and keep using Gmail.

I've tried Remember the Milk and Backpack. I found Helipad recently and it's good, but I can't shake that in this GTD-obsessed world there might be something even better. What are your suggestions?

I hate lines in notebooks!

ThePants — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 12:58:36 -0800

I hate lines in notebooks! Where can I find unruled Composition Books? I just want something (anything) that is
1. cheap (under $5. $2-$3 is ideal)
2. side-bound (no top-bound memo pads)
3. not wire/spiral bound
4. has unruled blank pages
5. is approximately letter-sized

Why can't I find it?
Some previous questions didn't lead to anything.

How do you carry your notebook?

Iridic — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 08:29:45 -0800

Writers, artists, and general note-dashers: how do you carry your notebook? As a sometime writer and student, I like to carry a notebook on me so I have a place to jot down quotes and ideas. The only problem is that keeping the notebook with me at all times is often a tricky proposition. Most notebooks are too large to ride comfortably in a pants pocket; placing them in an inside jacket pocket is better, but you can't wear a jacket 24/7. I'm not even going to get into the problem of safely carrying a pen.

So, Mefites, how do you carry your notebook? Do you wear a palm pilot on a belt clip? A stack of index cards and a pencil stub in your back jeans pocket? A moleskine in a shoulder holster? And what can I do to carry my notes safely, comfortably, and conveniently?

Teach me to use a notebook

jpep — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 05:27:48 -0800

Please teach me how to use a notebook. Yes, the paper kind. I've tried to go paperless, but I find that there are too many constraints to taking notes on a computer. I like the advantages of using a notebook: freedom, doodling, portable, easy to page-through and review. Ideas just flow when I use paper and a pen. I find that I don't review notes kept on my computer. With a notebook, I can page through a find ideas and thoughts from last month. With that said, I have a hard time sticking with using the notebook. Eventually my notebooks feels disorganized. I sometimes have a difficult time finding information. I have a notebook sitting on my desk that I'm afraid to open because it feels like a mess.

When I do use a notebook, I use one for everything. Personal ideas, business strategies, grocery lists, phone numbers, goals, etc., etc.

So how do you use a notebook? Do you have more than one: business and personal? Do you 'archive' ideas on your computer? Is your notebook lined or unlined? Any tips would be appreciated.

(And yes, I know about the fine moleskin and other premium notebooks. I just need help using them.) Thanks.