(Archived) Using Evernote when on the road

[frankbradz 3]

I'm doing some research on how people typically use Evernote when out and about i.e. not usually tied to the same location. What kind of work do those of you using Evernote remotely typically do? In what ways do you use Evernote when mobile and how does this help you be more productive?

[martyscholes 23]

I am a new EN guy but am starting to consolidate notes for various things into EN, spanning back to the 1990s. Previously, I had electronic notes scattered all over in different formats. I also hope to use EN some in my graduate courses.

What surprises me most about your question is the implication that mobile usage was somehow secondary to fixed usage. My limited experience so far is just the opposite. I will use EN at a desktop much less often than I use it mobile. EN is starting to take on a role similar to Google Calendar where I use it now and again on the desktop but its primary mission is when I am away from a PC.

Just last week I sat down with my wife to brainstorm and plan a project. We sat in a room and I grabbed the tablet, snapping pictures (with the cell phone) of handwriting and jotting down notes on the tablet. After a couple of hours of planning and refining, I shared the notes with her where she can now view them any time on her tablet or cell phone.

Could we have huddled around a laptop or gone to the office instead? Of course, but that would have constrained the session.

Hope that helps.

[jbenson2 2,147]

I find Evernote way too sluggish when used in a Mobile environment. (20,000+ notes)

So I use a super-fast app called FastEver to send stuff (reminders, to-do tasks, etc.) to my Evernote account when I am on the road. But I never look at Evernote while traveling - just too slow.

[gazumped 11,656]

12,000 notes here - and my mobile device doesn't have the storage to hold a complete local copy, so I have a ! ToDo notebook with current and upcoming meetings plus related lookups. About 100 notes are easily available for references, agendae and information on whom I need to talk to before the session starts. I also have a local notebook called ! ShowReel which are the projects I can use for demonstrations and examples - pretty much exactly what it says on the can.

I use a Samsung GS2 and a netbook for mobile access - the GS2 is more for travelling updates and remote data input. I replaced a headlight bulb in my car recently forinstance, and documented the date, the cost and the process with various photos of the receipt, the bits and the guts of the lighting system in case I have to do it again.

In other news I use a separate app to read ISBN barcodes on books so I have a record of what I read (there's a lot) - that backs up to Evernote so it's searchable.

I also use Meshin Calendar (phone) Outlook (laptop & netbook) and Google Calendar (Android) to record and keep track of appointments.

Since not all of what I want to record is scannable, or even portable enough to photograph I regard the mobile device mainly as a roving data collection point. Plus I'm often in places where I don't have access to a keyboard, so its a handy notepad for random thoughts. Which seem to happen around here a lot...

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

Almost entirely mobile devices this week, but usually a mix of Android, iOS, OSX, Windows, and the Web. I have about 10,000 notes, all downloaded onto my various devices. See my website (in my signature) for details. I do almost everything from scheduling to research in Evernote.

[skellam 114]

I use Evernote mobile photos to document and capture just about any paper or document that I run across that I need to archive. I use ZenDone on the iPhone to manage my GTD system which uses Evernote for document storage and Google Calendar for appointments and time sensitive tasks. I use Drafts to create notes short notes on iPhone as it is quicker than Evernote mobile app. I have started using the Evernote iPad app to take notes during presentations and lectures and record audio. I have over 10,000 notes as well which makes offline storage more difficult but I use Evernote mobile occasionally to find a needed document when I'm on the road although the mobile search is much less functional than the desktop (I find that the exact same search parameters in the mobile app will not turn up the documents that I can find on the desktop app.)

[jbenson2 2,147]

Even though I do not use Evernote on my iOS, I decided to test it out again. The sync process for just the note titles (no content) took 35 minutes to complete. I will run it again tomorrow to see if it takes less time.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

Since I have so many notes (over 55,000), I do not use the EN app (regardless if I'm out & about, on the road or just in another room of my home.). Instead, I rely upon third party apps. When feeding EN, I use Fastever for text, Fastever Snap for photos (or email directly from my iOS camera roll to my EN account). And Clever to do many things. I also use a roundabout method of using Logmein on my iPhone/iPad to connect to my main computer (which is on 24/7) & run EN remotely.

[C6REW 416]

When mobile I use a Samsung Galaxy S2, but looking to change this for the slightly larger Galaxy Note 2. Also an iPad, without which my life would be much harder! I also carry with me a mifi modem which allows me to log on with either of these devices to give me a much higher speed access over the awfully slow mobile phone one.

In the office and in my study I use a Windows 7 laptop. In my study I also, but rarely use an iMac 27 and MacBook Pro.

Key data for me is a Notebook which has Notes for every day. As tasks come in via phone, email or in person, these go into the Note for the day. Each task has a tick box and line. As each task is worked on information is typed and email data copied.

Final part of a task is often a quotation which is created in MS Word and saved to a directory on the laptop. This automatically creates a new Note under Quotes for that year. Obviously once the task is completed the 'box' is ticked. Once the day has all the boxes ticked the Note is added to the Completed Diary Notebook for that year. I have records going back like this to 2007 when I started using OneNote.

Whilst on the road I can update any relevant information or seek out what I may have quoted a customer back to 1998. All the Word docs can be easily read along with the 'days' note to tell me how the price was arrived at.

My latest project will be to add all of my key pdf datasheets. Again this allows me to be able to access a datasheet when with a customer or when asked a question on the road.

Having moved over to Business Evernote, all our data is shared in the office. Also if an enquiry comes in whilst I am on the road, it is added into the Diary Note ready for me to deal with when I am stationery or taking a break.

Having used paper based systems which I designed, that did this going back to the 70's I just love the way technology has made it so much easier. The arrival for me of Evernote in January 2012 heralded a whole new era and one that I am still working on and developing now.

Best regards

Chris

[CaptainTime 94]

I use mobile daily for Evernote on my Galaxy Note. Two main uses:

1. "Found" Time: While in waiting rooms or waiting for my wife, I use the mobile app to work on my seminar outlines or to take notes on projects.

2. News: All my news comes from RSS feeds in Pulse.me that I read on the Galaxy Note. If I find and article I want to save, I just click on the save to Evernote link and send it to my Evernote inbox to capture it. Later, I check my inbox, add some tags and drag it to the appropriate notebook.

[lxp121 0]

I find Evernote way too sluggish when used in a Mobile environment. (20,000+ notes)

So I use a super-fast app called FastEver to send stuff (reminders, to-do tasks, etc.) to my Evernote account when I am on the road. But I never look at Evernote while traveling - just too slow.

FastEver is a great app in iOS, and postEver is the alternative on Android.

[frankbradz 3]

Thanks very much everyone for your response I really appreciate them.