Noterize 3.0 For iPad, Exclusive Pre-Release Review
by Adam Ballif
July 16, 2010
Overview
Using the iPad as a note-taking device is a dream that many of us hope to realize. There are many apps for taking notes, ranging from simple apps that only support hand-written notes, to apps that include typed text, imported graphics, PDFs, web clips, and voice recordings. Noterize fits into the latter camp, a full-featured note-taking app, which came on the app store scene a couple of months back with version 1.0. Noterize has come a long way since its first release and we are happy to take a look at Noterize 3.0, which will be available on the App Store next week.Features
In addition to providing many tools for taking notes, Noterize allows users to import PDFs and PowerPoint files for annotation. The app integrates with Box.net, Dropbox, and Google Docs for online importing and exporting. Documents can be annotated with typed text, sticky note formatted text boxes, as well as freehand pen and highlighting. Notes may be many pages in length and reordering of pages or insertion of PDF files is easy. Completed notebooks may also be shared via Twitter, Facebook, and email. Version 3.0 is a significant upgrade that refines and enhances many of the above features. Documents can now be edited full screen in landscape mode. A redesigned toolbar includes direct access to pen tools, eraser, text boxes, voice recorder, and bookmarks. A double tap gesture now toggles between viewing mode where you can pinch to zoom, and editing mode with your last used editing tool. Settings such as color, size, palm detection, borders, and background images are easily adjusted with the new drop-down options drawer. Hand writing has also been improved with smoother, antialiased pen enhancements. Version 3.0 increases the number of fonts available for text editing. Additionally, notebooks have more flexibility with the ability to copy and paste pages between notebooks, and insert pages from imported files in the documents folder.Breakdown
The Good
There are many things to like about Noterize 3.0. Usability overall is more intuitive. The double-tap gesture to switch between editing and viewing modes means for faster annotation and boosted productivity. Pen enhancements and writing tools are more useful due to smoother text, antialiasing, and easy-to-access editing tools. The palm detection is also welcome and has options for both left and right-handed writers.
Many note-taking apps provide lined-paper backgrounds, however, the typed text often doesn’t line up with the lines on the page. With Noterize there are two options for entering text. The first method is to simply tap on the lined background and a cursor appears. This word processor-style text snaps to the lined background for aligned and legible notes. The second method for entering text notes uses text boxes, which can be resized and moved around the page. Fonts can be changed for the background text as well as text boxes. Borders and sticky-note formatted text boxes are available through the new drop-down options. Images from your photo library are also available for import through the text box tool.
I am a firm believer that iPad productivity apps should not have to be tethered to iTunes for document import and export. Noterize is connected through a variety of services including Box.net, Dropbox, and Google Docs. The integration is seamless and you can not only retrieve documents from these services, but export your updated and revised notes without leaving the app. Additionally, a built in browser enables access to direct downloading of PDF files, or capturing screen shots from the web.
Note organization is also improved in version 3.0. Notebook pages are easily rearranged, deleted, or copied. The new in-app clipboard enables copying pages to other notebooks. Recorded audio notes remain intact when copying notebook pages as well. Search has also been expanded to include all new added text within notes, as well as a killer feature of searching within newly imported PDF files.
In previous versions of Noterize, landscape mode was limited. With 3.0 you can hide the document list and use the full iPad screen to edit your notes. This is particularly useful when making hand-written notes because you can zoom in so that a single horizontal line fills the screen. This increases note taking speed since Noterize does not auto-advance the position of the screen when handwriting.
The Bad
There are two areas with regard to PDF editing and exporting that need improvement. When you use text boxes to annotate PDF files, the added text in the exported document is fuzzy and jagged. The original document exports clearly but the added notes are not as sharp. This is fine for casual annotation but it probably shouldn't be used for any mission-critical PDF work. The second issue with PDF exporting is that the original file is flattened into a single layer. Therefore, while text added using the app is selectable in the exported file, text from the original document is not detectable in other PDF applications for copying, searching, or highlighting. This will be a deal breaker for some users who are looking for a complete PDF annotation solution.
The pen enhancements are significant and allow for greater accuracy with hand writing. However, it would be nice if the app would recognize when the pen strokes are nearing a line break and then auto-advance the position for you. This feature is present in other note-taking apps and would really help Noterize rise to the top.
Here it is in video:
