Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Like Circus Ponies ’ NoteBook ( , November 2004 ) , AquaMinds ’ NoteTaker uses a spiral - notebook computer metaphor for note pickings , outline , and clipping information from other software , such as your World Wide Web web browser app . NoteBook ’s urbane interface , multiple class ( NoteTaker still only get you assign one class per Federal Reserve note entry ) , and relief of use give it the bound in user - friendliness , but the latest interlingual rendition of NoteTaker offers an assortment of enhancement that should attract to power users .
NoteTaker ’s most promising sweetening is its new Plug - in Component Architecture , which supports embedded Java applet . Now , you may run a Java applet from the Web simply by type the applet ’s URL in a note and two-fold - clicking the link . NoteTaker wo n’t save the applet ’s data in the notebook computer without modification , but if you could program in Java , you could well change existing applet — or make custom ones — and attach them to a notebook . They ’ll run inside pages and persist after you stop NoteTaker , saving their data point ( unfortunately , you ca n’t pull through applet datum in the gratuitous NoteTaker Viewer , which let you watch notebooks without owning NoteTaker and would be perfect for lot custom applications ) . AquaMinds provides a handful of demonstration plug - ins , admit Calc ( a naked - osseous tissue calculator ) , DBquery ( a database viewer ) , SketchPad , Table ( for creating school text - only tables ) , and VisualMap ( for creating dynamical mathematical function of a notebook computer ’s content ) . You ’ll need batch of read/write memory to handle the plug - ins , though . AquaMinds recommends at least 512 megabyte . You ’ll also need OS X 10.3 or higher and Java 1.4.2 or mellow .
NoteTaker ’s new Plug - in Component Architecture lets you implant Java apps , like this VisualMap plug - in , inside your notebooks . ( Click image to open full screenshot )
NoteTaker has always been scriptable ( this version brings the number of included AppleScript scripts to more than 50 ) , and tote up Flash fire hydrant - in is as easy as drag - and - drop .
NoteTaker sustain basic Web browse . you may browse vane pageboy embedded in entries or floated in their own window , but when you create a young internet browser entry , the window is so short that you ’ll almost always have to enlarge it , and there ’s no preference to transfer the default size . You ca n’t search within WWW page inside NoteTaker , but a new MegaSearch book scours four hunt locomotive ( Google , MSN , Teoma , and Yahoo ) and populates your notebook with pages of results . This is useful for research , but it creates a raw pageboy for each entry ( as well as a Summary incision with a exclusive page name the top 10 results from each lookup railway locomotive ) , and then you have to resize all of those embedded web internet browser .
This version also introduce a number of serviceability improvements . Highlight & Summarize create more flexible lookup report card within a notebook . A new Hyperlink Panel get it easier to wangle links to URLs or external file , footnotes and endnotes , voice memos , and AppleScripts . A especial X - Ray View displays the substance or target as you keep the Option key while mouse over the link .
NoteTaker has always been a powerful and flexible practical app , and this reading provide more alternative than ever . That ’s NoteTaker ’s strong suit — and its main failing . It can be overwhelming at times . If something does n’t work as await , you ’ve credibly overlook a preference somewhere . AquaMinds offer an fantabulous user guide , but it ’s dated 2003 ( AquaMinds say an updated version should be usable by summer ) . AWhat ’s Newnotebook , useable from the Help menu , is essential meter reading .
Macworld’s Buying Advice
Students , educators , researchers , developer , and Mac power drug user should appreciate NoteTaker ’s new lineament , peculiarly the Java applet support . But if you ’re bet for more elegant and less expensive ( albeit less brawny ) note - taking software , you should also look at Circus Ponies ’ NoteBook .
