Does anyone here use any sort of information management software rather than old-fashioned notepads? I couldn't find any discussions about it in the forum.
I'm thinking about buying a program like TreePad or EssentialPIM and am excited about the possibilities. Apparently Outlook is similar though I've only known people to use it for email. Currently I have a notepad for each project which I bring to site meetings and pull out whenever I have a phone call. These written notes work great for doubling as that week's to-do list but I might as well throw the pages away after that because six months later, there is no way I'm going to be able to dig back through the notes to remind myself of decisions that had been made.
It finally occurred to me that if I take my notes by computer, I'll be able to instantly search by keyword and save hours of looking for info or asking clients the same questions multiple times. This also creates the potential to copy/paste sections of call/meeting logs into a network of separate folders (i.e. windows/doors, flooring, lighting, etc) so all notes on a topic can be put on a single page vs. my current situation where various notes about a particular topic are scattered throughout an entire notebook.
These things always seem to be a bit clunkier in practice though. I'm not sure whether it will be worth the effort of integrating emails and attachments into my virtual notebooks and I have a feeling that the programs' to-do list features will never be as satisfying as checking something off a handwritten list.
Curious to hear other people's thoughts/experiences. thanks!
If you're just looking for a simple, flexible note taking program, I would suggest Evernote. It is available in desktop, smartphone, and tablet versions that all sync with each other automatically when opened. Besides simple text notes, you can also add voice memos, webcam memos, insert check boxes to make to-do lists etc. Attach all kinds of files directly to notes. The program will install a button in Outlook to add emails to Evernote.
Notes are separated into various notebooks for easy organizing. Everything is searchable.
bruce - evernote's good. i've used asana (which is also free) as the ultimate 'to do list' kind of program. you can link files, etc. and bring people into projects, but it's very text based less 'visual' than say basecamp (another alternative, but not so free). 10000ft is another one - prettier to look at, but more of a note-taking/scheduling software (and not so free). bento, which is great if you're a mac person, could do the trick (they have a stand alone ipad app that was just released - not sure if that would satisfy what you're doing in the field) bento, though, is getting rumors of being discontinued at some point in the near future. solo is another scheduling/pim type software, but is less than free as well.
wunderlist is a free note taking tool, similar to asana, but simpler and easier.
from reading your post twice, i think evernote or asana would be your best bet. bento could be a close second, again if you're a mac person.
i keep everything from receipts, a rolodex equivalent, an inspiration clips journal and an archive of every course i've ever taken on mine.
for work related tasks lists, a lot of the people in my office use http://abstractspoon.com/ 's to-do list app. it has tons of features. it's essentially a mini-project management suite. this is further compounded by the fact that you can place it in a typical server and have everyone share the same to-do list.
note taking/information management software
Does anyone here use any sort of information management software rather than old-fashioned notepads? I couldn't find any discussions about it in the forum.
I'm thinking about buying a program like TreePad or EssentialPIM and am excited about the possibilities. Apparently Outlook is similar though I've only known people to use it for email. Currently I have a notepad for each project which I bring to site meetings and pull out whenever I have a phone call. These written notes work great for doubling as that week's to-do list but I might as well throw the pages away after that because six months later, there is no way I'm going to be able to dig back through the notes to remind myself of decisions that had been made.
It finally occurred to me that if I take my notes by computer, I'll be able to instantly search by keyword and save hours of looking for info or asking clients the same questions multiple times. This also creates the potential to copy/paste sections of call/meeting logs into a network of separate folders (i.e. windows/doors, flooring, lighting, etc) so all notes on a topic can be put on a single page vs. my current situation where various notes about a particular topic are scattered throughout an entire notebook.
These things always seem to be a bit clunkier in practice though. I'm not sure whether it will be worth the effort of integrating emails and attachments into my virtual notebooks and I have a feeling that the programs' to-do list features will never be as satisfying as checking something off a handwritten list.
Curious to hear other people's thoughts/experiences. thanks!
Bruce-
If you're just looking for a simple, flexible note taking program, I would suggest Evernote. It is available in desktop, smartphone, and tablet versions that all sync with each other automatically when opened. Besides simple text notes, you can also add voice memos, webcam memos, insert check boxes to make to-do lists etc. Attach all kinds of files directly to notes. The program will install a button in Outlook to add emails to Evernote.
Notes are separated into various notebooks for easy organizing. Everything is searchable.
Its also free...
http://evernote.com/
Brandon
bruce - evernote's good. i've used asana (which is also free) as the ultimate 'to do list' kind of program. you can link files, etc. and bring people into projects, but it's very text based less 'visual' than say basecamp (another alternative, but not so free). 10000ft is another one - prettier to look at, but more of a note-taking/scheduling software (and not so free). bento, which is great if you're a mac person, could do the trick (they have a stand alone ipad app that was just released - not sure if that would satisfy what you're doing in the field) bento, though, is getting rumors of being discontinued at some point in the near future. solo is another scheduling/pim type software, but is less than free as well.
wunderlist is a free note taking tool, similar to asana, but simpler and easier.
from reading your post twice, i think evernote or asana would be your best bet. bento could be a close second, again if you're a mac person.
http://evernote.com/
i keep everything from receipts, a rolodex equivalent, an inspiration clips journal and an archive of every course i've ever taken on mine.
for work related tasks lists, a lot of the people in my office use http://abstractspoon.com/ 's to-do list app. it has tons of features. it's essentially a mini-project management suite. this is further compounded by the fact that you can place it in a typical server and have everyone share the same to-do list.
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