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FlorenceArt · 07-05-2012, 01:58 PM

OK, here is a more detailed review of CaptureNotes 2.

It certainly won't replace Noteshelf for me. The handwriting is a bit rough and the palm protection doesn't move automatically as I write. There is no selection tool to delete or move a part of your writing, all you have to go back on what you write or draw is the eraser tool. No shapes tool either to draw rectangles or circles, but that's not a requirement for me.

The interface is OK but not as good looking as Noteshelf. It works best in landscape mode, where you have access to the page list and the flag list on the right side of the screen. Flags are an interesting feature, they are arrows that you can place anywhere on your page to mark it. There are a few default ones such as urgent, important, to do, and you can create your own set too. You can filter your pages in the page view based on flags.

The typed text functionality works fine. You can create text boxes on your page and move them around. You can change the width of the box. The length is automatically determined by the length of your text. However it seems that if your text is too long, it's impossible to scroll back up to the beginning of the text to edit it if you're in landscape mode. I hope this bug will be corrected soon. One thing that would be nice when typing text is an additional toolbar with punctuation, like many note apps have. But not CaptureNotes, at least in this version.

One feature that Noteshelf doesn't have is the ability to import PDF files to annotate them. I gave it a try with a file of 50 pages or so and it took a while to import it but it seemed to work fine afterward. However since then there is this annoying Adobe icon pulsing in my toolbar. I don't know if this is a feature or a bug, or a sign that something went wrong with the import.

Another feature is the ability to record audio as you take notes, but I haven't tested this as I won't be using it.

All in all, this could be an interesting app in a few versions, but IMO it needs more work. A note taking app should be reliable first and foremost, I don't think it's a good idea to implement too many features if you can't make them work flawlessly. Noteshelf remains the only app that fulfills my personal criteria.

07-05-2012, 01:58 PM	#50
FlorenceArt High Priestess Posts: 5,761 Karma: 5042529 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreuil sous bois, France Device: iPad Pro 9.7, iPhone 6 Plus	OK, here is a more detailed review of CaptureNotes 2. It certainly won't replace Noteshelf for me. The handwriting is a bit rough and the palm protection doesn't move automatically as I write. There is no selection tool to delete or move a part of your writing, all you have to go back on what you write or draw is the eraser tool. No shapes tool either to draw rectangles or circles, but that's not a requirement for me. The interface is OK but not as good looking as Noteshelf. It works best in landscape mode, where you have access to the page list and the flag list on the right side of the screen. Flags are an interesting feature, they are arrows that you can place anywhere on your page to mark it. There are a few default ones such as urgent, important, to do, and you can create your own set too. You can filter your pages in the page view based on flags. The typed text functionality works fine. You can create text boxes on your page and move them around. You can change the width of the box. The length is automatically determined by the length of your text. However it seems that if your text is too long, it's impossible to scroll back up to the beginning of the text to edit it if you're in landscape mode. I hope this bug will be corrected soon. One thing that would be nice when typing text is an additional toolbar with punctuation, like many note apps have. But not CaptureNotes, at least in this version. One feature that Noteshelf doesn't have is the ability to import PDF files to annotate them. I gave it a try with a file of 50 pages or so and it took a while to import it but it seemed to work fine afterward. However since then there is this annoying Adobe icon pulsing in my toolbar. I don't know if this is a feature or a bug, or a sign that something went wrong with the import. Another feature is the ability to record audio as you take notes, but I haven't tested this as I won't be using it. All in all, this could be an interesting app in a few versions, but IMO it needs more work. A note taking app should be reliable first and foremost, I don't think it's a good idea to implement too many features if you can't make them work flawlessly. Noteshelf remains the only app that fulfills my personal criteria.