The app we’re showcasing this week has been a staple in every app market since it was released in 2008. Evernote has evolved from being a simple note taking app that syncs effortlessly between all of your devices to being a productivity behemoth that allows businesses to share ideas, clip internet content, and – surprise surprise – syncs effortlessly between all of your Evernote enabled devices.
I first started using Evernote back in college where I would take notes using my laptop during class. All of these notes would be organized in different notebooks I also created in Evernote. These notes synced with my phone so if I was ever in a spot where I needed my notes for something, I could break out my phone and review them when needed. This was especially handy for reviewing my notes before taking exams.
Evernote is also handy for project management. When I was in school, I had a paper to write about african tribal masks. Using Evernote’s browser plug-in, I was able to save websites I wanted to use as sources for my paper. I was also able to save images directly to Evernote, so I could review them while I was writing the paper. If I wanted to, I could have probably wrote the paper in Evernote as well!
Though Evernote is a terrific application, it falls under the category of “Freemium”. There is a free “Basic” version of Evernote that allows the user to take notes that sync with all of your devices as well as a few other fun things like a chat feature and internet clipping. Their “Plus” level $24.99 per year includes a custom lock for private notes, access to editing notes while you are offline, and saving emails directly to Evernote. There is also a “Premium” version for $49.99 per year that includes a whole bunch of other features including the ability to annotate PDF’s and turning your notes into beautifully simple slideshows.
The problem to the Freemium approach is that if you have the “Basic” free version, you will experience ads to upgrade to a paid version. They tease features like turning your notes into slideshows by including the button in your workspace, but then they tell you it is only available for 30 days unless you upgrade to Premium. These ads make the basic version hard to use at times and sort of crowded.
The bottom line is that Evernote is an excellent app for note taking and productivity. If you are a student, someone who is constantly managing various projects, or a business who is trying to improve their productivity, I would highly recommend Evernote. Though the Premium version seems like a steep price to pay, it absolutely pays for itself with the features that come with it. Not to mention the fact you can try it out for free to see if you like it BEFORE you purchase any of the other versions.
For more information about Evernote, click here to visit their website!