Constant sync problems - Looking for alternatives to Evernote

[Randy Cain 5]

As amazing as the Evernote concept is, it's turning out to be more frustration than it's even worth.  It's sync issue after sync issue it seems.  I'm on a wifi connection at work right now, and when I try typing in the web version, it's trying to sync as I'm typing.  I guess it can't keep up with what I'm doing or something, because it starts creating multiple copies of the note that I have open.  Then I have to figure out which one I need to delete.  Then I type a few more words only to find that it has created yet another copy....and so it continues.  So I figured I'd just use the desktop version to finish my data entry and then sync later, right?  Well once I open it, it gets stuck in a super-long sync process.  And once it appears to be finished syncing, I attempt to start typing.  And that's when a message opens on the screen telling me that once the snyc is finished that I can then edit the note.  So I exit Evernote and try it again...with the same results.  The wifi connection is just fine.  But Evernote can't seem to do it's thing.  Bottom line is that I've been battling with sync issues for most of the month that I've been using Evernote, and I'm to the point where I'm looking for a completely alternative (non-Evernote) way of doing things.  I really don't even care if it's a little more work.  I just want reliability, and Evernote doesn't seem to provide that.  Has anyone found suitable alternatives that work more reliably?

[CalS 5,280]

You don't want to be editing the same note on multiple platforms at the same time, that causes sync issues.  Try letting the sync finish on the desktop and then eliminate the "duplicate" notes.  After that, always make sure and sync as you enter/leave a platform.  This should prevent the duplicate issue and keep each platform in good order.

 

There are many threads on the forum relative to EN alternatives, but One Note seems to be the alternative that some refer to for a cross platform solution.  But depending upon use case it may or may not work for everyone.  FWIW. 

[jefito 5,589]

Right here on the main forum page: https://discussion.evernote.com/topic/66103-power-user-discontent-best-alternatives-to-en/

[Randy Cain 5]

csihilling, I should have worded things better for clarity.  I learned the hard way in the very beginning about editing multiple platforms and getting a resulting syc mess.   But today that wasn't the issue.  I had only one platform open.  I was typing in the web platform when the system started creating copies of the note...one after the other after the other.  Actually it happened yesterday too.  As I would be typing along, the page would reload on me mid sentence, and presto...there was another copy of the note.  Over and over.  I literally couldn't type more than a sentence or two before this would happen, so basically I could make zero progress.  That's when I decided to try the desktop version, which I verified is the latest update.  I figured by getting away from the auto-sync on the web version, I could type the information I needed, and then just sync when I was finished.  But multiple attempts at opening the desktop EN gave me the same issue of a box telling me that I'd be able to edit the note once the sync was done.  Yet the little sync arrows at the top had stopped spinning around, and the latest information had loaded that I had modified on the web version, indicating that a sync had taken place.  So basically right now the desktop version doesn't work at all.  I can't type a single character...literally. 

[Randy Cain 5]

Well I'm becoming fairly convinced that maybe my biggest issue is in trying to use EN with anything less than an awesome internet connection.  After trying a couple more times to get the desktop EN to sync, it finally pulled it off, and I'm now able to edit the note I was working on.  So at least I can make some progress now.  In regards to my issue with EN creating multiple copies of my note while I'm tying.... I'm guessing it's trying to sync with a somewhat slow internet connection, and maybe because I'm continuing to type, it confuses the sytem and consequently creates a replica of the note I'm editing???? Beats me.  Is there a way to stop the web platform auto-sync?  Or decrease the time interval?  Seems like it tries to sync every few seconds.  That interval seems okay when I'm at home on a fast internet connection, but at work it creates a total cluster.....  I suppose someone will say, "Just use the desktop version on anything besides a perfect internet connection, you dummy!"...and maybe that's the solution

[CalS 5,280]

Okay,  got it.  

 

I don't use the web version much, but i just tried to create some duplicate notes using the old and beta (yuck) web versions.  Couldn't do it, no matter how fast or slow I typed.  And it did seem to sync with some frequency.  

 

So I don't know if it is web connection or not, but I couldn't replicate it.  So I would agree, unless there is really something you like about the web interface, maybe using the desktop is safer.

[Randy Cain 5]

Seems like every day something about Evernote drives me bananas.  With all the sync errors I get, when I scroll down through a note and see the endless sync conflicts listed one after another, it makes my note multiply in length.  And when I delete all of the needless ones on my desktop and get the note looking the way I want it, I sync.  It seems intuitive that Evernote would sync those changes to my mobile devices, but nope.  It never does in fact.  So the note on my mobile device will be a huge string of sync conflict after sync after sync conflict.  And it's a total pain to try to edit out all the conficts on my mobile device .  So why, when I clean up this mess on my desktop version, does it not sync those changes to my mobile? 

[CalS 5,280]

It should, but if your mobile data is hosed somehow, I would recommend getting the web and your desktop in sync and then deleting and re-adding the EN app on your mobile so as to get a clean data base there.  

 

It's a shame we have to go to such extremes to try and fix things, but that is easier than editing to fix on multiple platforms.  Until all platforms are cleansed you may get backwash from each.  FWIW.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

It's a shame we have to go to such extremes to try and fix things . . .

 

It is worse than a shame, it is unacceptable for any established, professional development team to provide such a poor design, and/or allow such significant bugs.

Sync issues have been going on across all platforms for many, many months now, and have been reported in these forums by a multitude of users.

 

By comparison, I have been using DropBox for years now, and I have NEVER, not once, had a sync issue.

This includes where I am using DropBox to sync the settings and data for apps like 1Password and TextExpander across multiple Macs and iOS devices.

 

Sync in Evernote is like "save" in any non-cloud-based app.  It must be 100% reliable and bullet-proof.  If I can't count on Evernote to save (i.e. sync) my Notes (new and changed) to the Evernote Cloud Service, and then to properly update all of my other devices, then Evernote ceases to become a viable tool for me.