Leaving Evernote for Mac Files

[mikefrommt 0]

Hey all, it's been a great decade, but now that files is all linked up across my apple products and I can scan directly into it since I only use EN as a file cabinet.  Can anyone think of any big reasons why this is a bad idea?  

[PinkElephant 8,091]

There are plenty of other uses of EN, especially after the Tasks were added. Tasks convert notes into actionable items. This is something the native Apple apps Notes and Reminders don’t do - they are not integrated.

But you don’t need to solve problems you don’t have. So everything depends on your use cases. If you only want read access to your existing notes, you can simply let your subscription expire, and continue with a Free account.

[DTLow 5,736]

2 hours ago, mikefrommt said:

Leaving Evernote for Mac Files ... I only use EN as a file cabinet

It's not a bad idea if it meets your requirements   
However, I prefer to store/organize my files in a Digital File Cabinet service    
for integrated extended features

Make sure you implement data backups; you're losing the Evernote protection

[tkraikit 21]

If you really only use EN as a file cabinet, then yeah, any kind of filesystem syncing solution would work (Dropbox, Box, Files, etc.). I still have a slight preference for using Evernote to house files since the note provides both a place to house files of a similar type as well as space to add annotations. To use a mundane example, I keep all of my utility bill statements. Two approaches I could do:

• file-system sync: put them in a folder structure, like ".../house/bills/gas-and-electric/*". Then name all of the files something useful so they are self-descriptive and sortable, like "2022-04-15-gas-elec.pdf"
• Evernote storage: one note called "gas and electric bills". Add PDFs to the note as I get them.

The things I like about using Evernote:

• don't need to name the files something useful; their order in the note is sufficient to keep them in the right order (newest at bottom or newest at top, whatever, just keep it consistent in the note)
• I can provide some loose structure around them, e.g. dividers between years
• (this is the key thing I use) I can add notes adjacent to specific bills, e.g. "this bill was especially expensive because this is when we forgot to turn off the heater during vacation", etc. ==> I have trouble replicating this kind of annotation in a pure filesystem-based storage form

But as PinkElephant said, you don't need to solve problems you don't have 😄 For a straightforward "store these files" with no additional needs, Files would probably be fine.

 

[copdeb 6]

I agree with PinkElephant. If you just have that one need and it can be covered with Apple, then leave.

In my case, I use Evernote to integrate different elements into one space, in which I do not only capture and store things, but also can create new stuff and link them with related items.

 

[DTLow 5,736]

On 4/22/2022 at 5:42 PM, tkraikit said:

any kind of filesystem syncing solution would work (Dropbox, Box, Files, etc.)

I'd want a file system that supports tag methodology; for example Apple's file system

[donkeyfur 2]

I'm an Apple user for decades, so I do get the advantage of integration on that platform. And I'm a big fan of their software design.

That said, I like tkraikit's ideas and appreciate pink elephant's simplicity. KISS. I can offer two additional thoughts. One is that I think it's helpful to distribute my digital (if there's any difference these days) life among multiple applications. Even with redundant features, I like to spread out a little. I just feel that it is a hedge and keeps one player from dominating too many areas of my life. Second, I like sticking with the group that got the idea right early on. EN has really innovated in this type of content management and they continue to lead and innovate. They understand their objective and do an outstanding job hitting it. That kind of leader tends to innovate ahead of the group as well.

[PinkElephant 8,091]

Thanks for a IMHO well balanced view.

About putting eggs in more than one nest: It has advantages, but it has as well big disadvantages. Information is all about a fast, reliable retrieval. This contradicts the distribution into several „silos“.

For me a very important issue was always the possibility to take my data and leave EN. It is an important reason to stay on. I can keep my data in one place, have the excellent search & find and don’t need to bother about keeping it safe and mobile.

[DTLow 5,736]

41 minutes ago, PinkElephant said:

For me a very important issue was always the possibility to take my data and leave EN.

You might want to stick with Evernote Legacy for the export function   
It's still a problem in their Version 10 product

[PinkElephant 8,091]

If you do the export as it should be done (notebook by notebook), v10 works just fine.

If you want to export "everything" you end up with a heap of notes, lacking the note-notebook information. And as I know you use a lot of AppleScript to do jobs like that, how many users are in the same boat ? 0.1% ? 0.5% ? I think that is probably the range, so nerdy enough to be ignored (sorry) when allocating developers hours for a mainstream app.

Personally I think that exporting is often misunderstood anyhow. It is meant for a number of things:

• Create a container for a single note, or a few notes, to pass on to somebody else, or yourself
• Create a container to archive a group of notes or a notebook, no longer needed in the main database
• Put a note template on your desktop, to be able to start it right away
• Move your data to a different application

However it is NOT meant as a backup media. For creating an easy, fast backup simply copy the Evernote folder containing the full database, or let a backup software do it for you. Some people use ENEX export for a backup instead, but as always with misusing a feature satisfaction is not warranted.

When I need a full export to move to another application, we are talking about a one timer - efficiency is not that important as in repetitive jobs. And it is better to do the import into the new application step by step anyhow - it allows for better control of the process and avoids mistakes. If one wants a replica of his EN setup in the new app for a start, doing it by the notebook is probably the best way.

[DTLow 5,736]

14 hours ago, PinkElephant said:

For creating an easy, fast backup simply copy the Evernote folder containing the full database, or let a backup software do it for you.

Data backup is a different discussion  
Evernote is a cloud service, with data maintained on a cloud server   
Before a "simply copy the Evernote folder" make sure there's a local data copy (setting in Evernote Preferences)   
Also when restoring the database from a backup copy be aware the first online sync will undo the restore  
 

[mikefrommt 0]

Thanks everyone.  I’ll give it a try and have simply begun exporting every pdf note by note.  It’s a bit tedious but my file cabinet needed cleaning anyway.  
My first impression is that Apple copied scannable.  The scan feature of my iPhone 13 pro is pretty amazing.  It instantly takes the scans even from a distance, even if it’s multiple pages one after another.  
 

btw, this isn’t actually a hit against Evernote.  Even with my limited use of the functionality it was always worth the cost, however I between loving the scan function in iOS and getting a little annoyed with the folder/stack restrictions I’m thinking Mac files is going to work well.