Credit where it is due, and my issues with Third Party Applications of Evernote..

[Sugeeth Krish 476]

1. The EN App Experience improves for me in last couple of months, over all - Over the last couple of months, one major thread emerged in this forum - the Rant thread, https://discussion.evernote.com/topic/66103-power-user-discontent-best-alternatives-to-en/

 

over which many users, myself included expressed our displeasure at where Evernote was going. But strangely, I have sensed in the past one month, that my App user experience is immensely improving. The bugs are reducing. Now whether EN increases its Premium prices or how it takes its EN business forward and its overall direction and continued lack of transparency continues to obviously worry, but in general, i find that the note taking experience has improved immensely.

 

I clearly observe this for Android, especially. I didn't realise that the pale green ( which used to be earlier) is now gone, and the plain white screen helps note taking much more easier ( and less distractive, maybe, because i have ADHD), adapts seamlessly when smaller screens, notes are pulled down, hiding the note title and adding more space. It really is awesome, much much better. 

 

And with IOS8, EN seems like it has got an Emergency booster thrust. It is simply that much more powerful now. It just rocks.. and as we know that EN on IOS was never much of a problem. 

 

Hopefully, we will just keep getting better with time. 

 

2. Value of Third Party Applications - In theory, the Third party applications are supposed to immensely add value to EN. I agree, but somehow for the life of me, very very few actually do. The EN integrations are awesome - the Webclipper, the Image annotation feature built with EN ( which was originally a part of skitch), the Camera integrations, Penultimate ( barring this last week botchup), Skitch on IOS is awesome, but all these are built by the parent company. 

 

But, what abt the 3rd parties? They are supposed to be filling and adding immense value to functions that don't extend in EN. Say GTD, a Journal App, a Calendar, Better integration with Google Calendar, Task management.. I have tried several of them, that work good for a few days ( some i even paid), but beyond a week or ten days, i just don't feel like using them anymore. Not only do they present a security risk in themselves, but the experience with EN is simply not there, in most cases. They feel aloof. Only 2 or 3 work for me, like Reeder/Pocket which push stuff read from Feedly - one touch into Evernote, Voice Dream Reader which reads long notes from EN and Tiny Scan Pro which does a better job taking pictures. 

 

My biggest problem is that, i do everything within Evernote, but why do i have to keep going back to Google calendar? This is crazy. I have tried several third party apps to bridge this gap, but the experience just sucks. I mean, EN need not build a calendar for us Free or Premium guys, My question is how is EN even selling it to its business customers without a Calendar? Wouldn't a Calendar be a great add on to your awesome 'Reminder' integration, which you have with your notes? Get off selling socks and shoes and give me a good Calendar and give me a complete experience. I don't care even if you raise your Premium prices, a bit, Maybe I'd even sell my own real shoes and socks, in case i coulnd't afford EN premium, just iron out some of the other issues like Encryption, and I promise to stay with you, But please don't treat me like s**t just cos I can't afford something for 300 or 400$. Maybe, i love you and will be more faithful to you, than the guy who can afford that.