Evernote for Windows v10.17 feedback

[mackiest 6]

I've been using the legacy version but decided to try v10 again for a week to see if it had improved.

I think it has improved, but there are many issues that prevent me from adopting it.

• Slow performance - v10 takes at around 7 seconds to start up and fully populate on my laptop (which has decent specs). v6.25 reliably takes under 3 seconds. While not a showstopper, it is annoying especially when EN doesn't start with WIndows
• Slow performance - v10 sometimes lags as I type, v6.25 always allowed for full speed typing (I'm a very fast typer). This doesn't happen all the time but on longer entries I definitely notice a slight occasional "stutter" which creates a feeling that the editor is fighting me as I type. Not an enjoyable user experience.
• Strange issues with fundamental features - v10 sometimes loses keyboard focus as I'm typing. This seems to happen on longer entries when I'm near the bottom. I have to click the edit area to keep typing. Maybe this is some local issue but I never noticed this with v6.25. Combined with the laggyness it makes me want to avoid typing in EN.
• Global hotkey Ctrl-Alt-V works in v10 (yay!) but provides no feedback that it worked. v6.25 would pop-up an alert which I could then click and go to the new note, set its title, clarify the content, etc. In v10 I have to then open the EN client, locate the new note, etc. Much less efficient for my workflow.
• v10 EN does not start up when Windows starts. This does not play well with the previous point about the global paste hotkey since now when I hit Ctrl-Alt-V I have no idea if it worked since I may have forgot to start EN. I just want that paste to be there as an automatic part of working with my computer.
• v10 EN search is, at least for me, far inferior to v6.25 for getting the results you need quickly. Under v6.25, search results would update in real time as I typed. I could then keep an eye on these results and stop typing as soon as I saw what I needed. Under v10, you have to type in your full search first then hit enter and wait for the results to show. If you decide you need more search terms, you have to click on the search box again, and add additional terms. I makes me want to avoid search in v10 since it feels like search is fighting me.
• I still hate having no sync status. Other cloud services like Dropbox and OneNote show what's happening. This helps for example if I do a lot of work and want to wait for sync to complete before shutting down. With dropbox I can just wait for the green light and then shut down. With Evernote I have to just wait longer than I would have to to ensure that (hopefully!) it did its work. Seriously, bring back some indicator of sync state. 
• When changing the notebook that a note belongs to, the list no longer shows my most used notebooks at the top. So now I have to search, every time, for the notebook I want in order to move the note to that notebook. Slows down my workflow a lot.
• Many other issues but I think the above are the most salient for me.

I'm going back to v6.25. My conundrum now is whether to continue my subscription or not. I don't feel 100% comfortable supporting Evernote in this new direction with my subscription dollars, but the free option is too restricted to be a viable alternative. Even in this inferior state I think Evernote is the best product for my workflow - I've tried Keep, Joplin, Notion and they don't come close - as good as they are in their various domains. OneNote is a definite possibility, but even that would require a lot of workflow changes and the hassle of migrating everything over.

Decisions decisions.

Kevin

 

[gazumped 11,652]

Thanks for the update.  Until I start seeing more positive reviews I'm not even going to try the new version - my 4-year old laptop isn't exactly top spec,  so I don't know whether it would handle the new version to its full potential anyway.  My continuing view - I have enough problems without borrowing more...

[PinkElephant 8,077]

Maybe a good task-manager could help. There was a nice one, just recently launched - if I ever remember the name, I let you know 🤣

[agsteele 2,942]

18 hours ago, mackiest said:

• Slow performance - v10 sometimes lags as I type, v6.25 always allowed for full speed typing (I'm a very fast typer). ...
• Global hotkey Ctrl-Alt-V works in v10 (yay!) but provides no feedback that it worked. ...
• v10 EN does not start up when Windows starts.
• I still hate having no sync status.

Perhaps I can offer some help with a few of your issues...

Start with Windows.  Create a shortcut to the executable in the startup folder: Win+R / shell:startup / paste a link to %LocalAppData%\Programs\Evernote\evernote.exe - for reasons I don't understand you cannot start Evernote minimised but it does start with login/startup

I, too, touch type. I don't have the lag you describe.

Alt+Ctrl+V should (and does for me) pop up a feedback message from Windows notifications. I can click the notification and that opens the new note as you describe. Perhaps you've disabled or limited Windows notifications. Check Windows settings / Notifications

Sync status is present but not readily noticeable unless you are looking for it. Especially challenging for a touch typist who is watching the screen where they are typing. In the bottom right corner of a note you'll see a greyed message that 'All changes saved' As you type that message changes to 'Saving'.  That's the sync taking place. Perhaps not as in your face as you would like but it is there.

[mackiest 6]

Thanks for those tips. I don't remember turning off notifications but apparently I did. Great to know that sync state is there!