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Simplenote, JustNotes and TextExpander, Note Creation Bliss!
Posted by: Matt
Tags:
iphone, justnotes, notes, osx, Productivity, Simplenote, textexpander
Posted date:
February 13, 2010 |
8 Comments
Simplenote
Simplenote Screen Shot
I have been using Simplenote [the list of my favourite iPhone apps a few months ago.
When I first wrote about Simplenote I was using Fluid to make the Simplenote web interface run in a stand alone browser window. That was until I came across JustNotes. JustNotes is a very light Mac application that is a native OS X app and works as a portal to all your Simplenote notes. It looks almost like a HUD that you see used in many OS X apps.
Use Case
JustNotes Screen Shot
Let me give you a use case example. This post started life on my iPhone using Simplenote while I was someplace with a few minutes to kill. I came home, sat down, hit my user defined hot keys, up pops JustNotes and I can pick up right where I left off, I don’t even need to plug my iPhone into my iMac.
I use option-command-C as my hot keys on my iMac for the simple reason that they are easily mashed with my left hand. I then finish up using JustNotes on my iMac, then cut and past it into WordPress and then add links and images. Simplenote and JustNotes stay synced with each other via the web using Simplenote’s web service. So plugging the iPhone in to keep the apps in sync isn’t required.
TextExpander Touch
TextExpander Touch Screen Shot
If you’re looking to take the app integration one step further, then take a look at TextExpander for OS X and extend it with TextExpander touch [Simplenote, JustNotes, and TextExpander , with TextExpander touch, of course. So maybe it’s a four-way!
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matthewhooper
I've looked at Notational Velocity but it adds a layer of complexity that I don't want to deal with. My understanding is that to keep Notational Velocity in sync on OS X and the iPhone you need to maintain a separate set of text files in Dropbox. I'd rather use Simplenote and Justnotes, for me less is more.
swsho
Oh heck no — keeping your notes in sync is the entire point of Simplenote! Think about it — if Notational Velocity is already synchronizing your notes with the Simplenote server, then all you have to do is set up your other NV copies to sync to the same account! Voila! Instant synchronization. No Dropbox, text files, or other nonsensical rigmarole required.
I don't know where you got the idea that Dropbox was somehow necessary; the Notational Velocity wiki pages even warn against precisely what you're suggesting:
http://wiki.github.com/scrod/nv/synchronizing-w…
Does Justnotes uses some kind of *magic* Simplenote synchronization that NV can't do? No, of course not. If anything, the NV experience is far, far more seamless. Just use your head and try it out.
matthewhooper
Obviously you're very passionate about Notational Velocity. You've encouraged me to look into it a bit more. Thanks for your comments!
Trevor Stinson
The Dropbox workaround was necessary until pretty recently. Integrated SimpleNote sync was added on January 30.
Matt Hooper
Thanks for the update. I haven't had much time to look into it but I had thought you had to sync actual text files before. It's much more useful if it has dropped that extra step.
The solution I use works very well for me but I do want to look into NV again when I get a bit more free time.
Trevor Stinson
The Dropbox workaround was necessary until pretty recently. Integrated SimpleNote sync was added on January 30.
Matt Hooper
Thanks for the update. I haven't had much time to look into it but I had thought you had to sync actual text files before. It's much more useful if it has dropped that extra step.
The solution I use works very well for me but I do want to look into NV again when I get a bit more free time.
It sounds like your workflow is pretty keyboard-oriented. Notational Velocity handles this far, far more fluidly than JustNotes, and the newest version has perfect Simplenote integration.