Review: Jott for iPhone (Video)
July 25, 2008
Jott for iPhone v1.03 | Published by Jott Networks, Inc | Via App Store | FREE | Released: 7-18-08
Overview
Self dubbed "the notepad you've always dreamed of", Jott for the iPhone allows users to create quick reminders in a unique way. Watch as we show you how it works and decide if it deserves a place on your iPhone!
Jott allows you to record very short audio clips (15 seconds or less) and converts your speech into text, which you can then move to a "to-do list."
An interesting note about Jott is that they don't use speech recognition software, but real life humans to listen to and transcribe your messages! What's even more impressive is that the transcribing is usually done in 1-2 minutes.
Checkout our breakdown of Jott's features-set: "The Good," "The Bad," and "The Ugly."
The Good
• Very easy to use - One tap to start and stop recording.
• Transcripts are pretty accurate, and there is no software to train. Best results are achieved when speaking a little slower than normal.
• Finger swipe crosses out items to mark them as done.
The Bad
• The 15 second limit stops this app from being truly useful. How often are our notes less than 15 seconds?
The Ugly
• No way to get the information out of the iPhone! There are no e-mail / wifi features available to export these contents so you must have your iPhone at all times to read any of your notes.
Summary
Although Jott for iPhone is a pretty cool idea and works well for what it allows you to do, the lack of email or wifi transfer makes this utility nothing more than a fun app to show off to friends. I can't think of many, or any day-to-day uses where I need to take a 15 second note, have it transcribed to text only to have them imprisoned on my iPhone.