Apr
27
Written by:
host
4/27/2010 7:00 AM
Anyone who spends a lot of time on a computer has likely encountered the problem of how and where to store website addresses, bits of text, names of books or movies, and all of the other "stuff" one comes across on a daily basis. The bookmark or favorites tool in your browser works fine for websites you use regularly and occasionally, but they really aren't generally well-designed for holding a lot of entries. Storing notes in Stickies clearly has space limitations, and To Do applications are generally ill-equipped for data storage and retrieval.
There are countless other tools that have been developed for storing and searching your "life-text," and many of these are quite good. For example, the products from Devon Technologies are just superb, if you're a Mac user. I've previously written about Instapaper, a free service that works pretty well for saving web addresses, and (until recently) I used that on an almost daily basis. Evernote, which I've also encouraged readers to check out, is my tool of choice for taking notes, doing drafts of blog posts, storing quotes, keeping lists of books I want to read, and much more. But while Evernote's an amazing tool, it just has never fully grabbed me. Partly, this is because I couldn't justify the cost of the Premium version, and partly it's because I just find it's clunky for certain purposes. But after testing Springpad, an even newer, totally free web-based service, I think I'm about to be a convert.
Springpad is incredibly simple to grasp. You simply sign up for an account, drag a button to your toolbar, and you're ready to go. Saving websites is as simple as clicking on a button and, if you wish, adding a few tags or filing it in a folder. It comes pre-configured with a number of types of data you may wish to save, such as books, recipes, contacts, products, and even wine lists. (So far, I haven't determined if I can delete or modify the wine category, so for now I'm using it for coffee-related data!) Springpad can be enhanced through the use of over 75 apps that add additional functionality. You can use it to create task and event lists, making it possible to use Springpad as your one-stop daily organizer. It has many built-in social networking features, so you can share links on Twitter and Facebook, search the posts of others, find out what your friends like, and so on. And of course, because it's a web-based application, you can access your stored notes from any computer with an Internet connection.
But...and here's a big caveat...Springpad does not currently have a desktop application, though one is forthcoming (Mac users get theirs first, this summer. PC users have to wait longer.) That means, unless you have an Internet connection, your data is not accessible. Plus, the only phone app so far is for the iPhone.
For me, this isn't a deal-breaker. I'll continue to use Evernote for those notes I think I may want to store on my laptop, but I'm almost certain I'll be switching to Springpad for storing just about every other piece of data. So far, I like Springpad's format, features, and flexibility more than I do Evernote, though Evernote does win out right now if your needs include being able to back up your notes or access and add data offline. I'll continue to do my own testing before I make a final decision, and I encourage you to do the same.
By the way, both Evernote and Springpad allow you to share data with others. So, for example, you could use Evernote to share documents with members of your congregation, or Springpad to organize your youth group's schedule. Once you get familiar with the power of these tools, you'll undoubtedly find ways they can enhance your shared ministry!
Want more comparison info? Read this article and this one too.
~ by Tim Gossett
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