Best note taking app for iPad

[Bilatron]

Hi all, I attend many meetings at work and I taken written notes using a combination of boxes/arrows and text. Contained in my notes are also points that I need to take some action on afterwards. My problem is that in a day full of meetings I struggle to go back and review all the actions I have to make.

So what I need is an app that does the following:

1. Allow for free hand writing and drawing.
2. A bonus would be if it could convert these to real objects (ie text and boxes etc).
3. The ability to to put some sort of flag against certain parts of my notes that automatically creates a task in my to-do list.

Seems straight forward and logical to me and I can't believe lots of people wouldn't want something similar but I've spent a day looking for something with no luck.

Any help appreciated!!! I've tried to capture how I want it to llok below...not sure if it will come out properly.

 

[Rikdyou]

I just use notes.......yes the one bundled with the iPad.....I just can't see the point in buying note taking apps.

 

[johnhyunyoon]

I just use notes.......yes the one bundled with the iPad.....I just can't see the point in buying note taking apps.

Well, apps like Evernote allow you to access your notes from any of your idevices. For people like me who have an iPad, iPhone, and Mac...apps like this are really helpful.
There are also apps like notetaker hd that allow you to draw or write your notes with a stylus (or without...it's just easier with)

But other than those "perks" I agree with you that the stock notes app is very much capable of standard note taking.

 

[Yarrenbool]

Well, apps like Evernote allow you to access your notes from any of your idevices. For people like me who have an iPad, iPhone, and Mac...apps like this are really helpful.
There are also apps like notetaker hd that allow you to draw or write your notes with a stylus (or without...it's just easier with)

But other than those "perks" I agree with you that the stock notes app is very much capable of standard note taking.

I definitely agree that EverNote is fantastic for multi-device notes; and it also works with Windows.

I would like to be able to make handwritten notes and sketches in EverNote on the iPad.

I wonder what the advantages, if any, are with using the FastEver app on the iPad with EverNote.

Oh, and of course for good basic features EverNote is totally free.

 

[alexjrivera]

I use Writepad for iPad. Works great. Best hand recognition I've found. Use my stylus during business meeting to take notes..... Less rude than typing on virtual or physical keyboard for iPad. Stylus is great for notes. Also synchs with evernote or dropbox so i can pick up on any device The only thing I wish it had was a free style drawing capability. For that I use neunotes. Less often so I draw, but often take notes. Hope this helps you!

 

[marchefkka]

Hi So I've read most of the posts and I still can't decide which note taking app will suit me best. By now I know that you can't have everything in one, but hopefully two will be enough Please, help me decide.

What is necessary for me:
1) organization into multiple folders (subfolders would be a nice touch)
2) the ability to import and store (in the folders) PDF, iWork (mostly pages and numbers), MsOffice (mostly word and excel)
3) adding documents through iTunes, dropbox support would be nice
4) taking notes (for handwriting I think I'll go for Penultimate- it exports in PDF right?)
5) export in PDF and iwork (or doc - can change one into the other)
6) recording (nice if it aligned with the note-taking)

I'll be grateful for any help!

Also, which app is the best for handwriting to text conversion? Also, exporting in iwork or doc would be nice.

Please help! Thank you!

 

[marchefkka]

oh and I absolutely love the function where the app makes the handwriting smaller - penultimate doesn't have this I think :/
so now also looking for a handwriting app that exports in pdf and has this option of making handwriting smaller

 

[JulesFree]

Anyone know anything about Noteshelf?

 

[GoPackGo]

As far as free ones go, I like Evernote a lot. It does what I need it to do. Only thing I dislike is the lack of fonts and formatting (yeah it can bold and italicize but I'm thinking about changing font colors and sizes).

 

[Yarrenbool]

As far as free ones go, I like Evernote a lot. ... ...
... ...

I'm an EverNote fan also.

In the app store there's an app called FastEver which seems to be some type of front end for EverNote but I can't work out what's the point of it.

Anyone used it? Does it make entering notes into EverNote faster or easier? There's not a free lite version so don't want to spend the money if it turns out to be worthless.

.

(For some reason the iPad auo-corrector capitalizes the "N" in the middle of "EverNote". How do you correct the auto-corrector?)

 

[Rzepkanut]

Hi So I've read most of the posts and I still can't decide which note taking app will suit me best. By now I know that you can't have everything in one, but hopefully two will be enough Please, help me decide.

What is necessary for me:
1) organization into multiple folders (subfolders would be a nice touch)
2) the ability to import and store (in the folders) PDF, iWork (mostly pages and numbers), MsOffice (mostly word and excel)
3) adding documents through iTunes, dropbox support would be nice
4) taking notes (for handwriting I think I'll go for Penultimate- it exports in PDF right?)
5) export in PDF and iwork (or doc - can change one into the other)
6) recording (nice if it aligned with the note-taking)

I'll be grateful for any help!

Also, which app is the best for handwriting to text conversion? Also, exporting in iwork or doc would be nice.

Please help! Thank you!

Get Note Taker HD it's my favorite.

 

[info]

I'm an EverNote fan also.

In the app store there's an app called FastEver which seems to be some type of front end for EverNote but I can't work out what's the point of it.

Anyone used it? Does it make entering notes into EverNote faster or easier? There's not a free lite version so don't want to spend the money if it turns out to be worthless.

.

(For some reason the iPad auo-corrector capitalizes the "N" in the middle of "EverNote". How do you correct the auto-corrector?)

I have FastEver. It is a very simple program which can save you a couple of taps each time you take a note. If you take a lot of notes, that can add up to a lot of taps and the program makes the process of putting a note into Evernote just a little easier. I'm sure that the reviews in the app store will give you an idea of the usefulness of its very few additional features. As you will see some people love it and others seem to think it is worthless.

There is a another new one out called Quick Ever with few reviews so far, but it is a universal app and appears to do more or less the same thing. Although it is something else entirely, Awsome Note also syncs with Evernote and is a much more substantial program. Be careful though, it's easy to go crazy overdoing things buy buying too many of these notes apps. I can definitely say that from personal experience. Best to keep it simple... but that is easier said than done. Good Luck!

 

[ChemoSabe]

I use Writepad for iPad. Works great. Best hand recognition I've found. Use my stylus during business meeting to take notes..... Less rude than typing on virtual or physical keyboard for iPad. Stylus is great for notes. Also synchs with evernote or dropbox so i can pick up on any device The only thing I wish it had was a free style drawing capability. For that I use neunotes. Less often so I draw, but often take notes. Hope this helps you!

Take a look at Phatpad. It is by the same company as Writepad and allow drawing and handwritten notes. Plus it does recognition.

I am still holding out hope for an iPad version of OneNote. But I have to admit, hope is fading.

 

[Luvntravln]

With all of these recommendations for note taking, it would be great if the responders also indicated the tool/stylus they were using. I would assume that the stylus is equally important.

I use Evernote extensively typing between my laptop and my iPad. I would love to be able to write quick notes in either and have the handwriting sync too.

 

[jollywa]

oh and I absolutely love the function where the app makes the handwriting smaller - penultimate doesn't have this I think :/

You are right about Penultimate. I like the app and it is fine as long as I don't have to print it out. The one time that I did print it, I was appalled at what it looked like on paper. I would never use it again for anything that had to be printed and circulated around the office. Just looks amateurish.

I am still on the hunt for a really good app that has handwriting recognition AND easy conversion to text. Already tried Notetaker HD and it was not a success (for me).