ZoomNotes vs Notes (Apple)

I've used a lot of iOS notetaking apps. Most of them do well with emulating a traditional paper notebook (Goodnotes, Notability, OneNote, NoteShelf). ZoomNotes is completely unique. There is really nothing else like it. Pros: - feature-rich hypertext, outline and cross-reference workflow for handwritten documents - You can link pages together with custom buttons, pictures, or text. These links export to PDF so you can make interactive documents. - Pages can have sub-pages, to any level of hierarchy. So you can use one document as a dashboard for a bunch of notes, or store a book and its notes together as one file. - You can open multiple views of the same file. - Make custom animated slideshows from your handwritten documents(!) - Export to many formats. Cons: - The learning curve is STEEP but the payoff is enormous. - Syncing across multiple devices can occasionally produce conflicts that have to be reconciled by the user. - The UI is less "Apple-like" and more like a full desktop app. The features in the UI can be cluttered and overwhelming. However, you can make your own custom workspace with fewer tools and options if you prefer. Verdict: - Make a pot of coffee, settle in with the ZoomNotes manual, and put in the time to learn all the features. If you want power and flexibility with your handwritten documents in iOS, nothing else comes close.

- forums poster

This is the most versatile note taking app I have found. I use it for all my note taking. I really like the ability to insert handwritten notes with pdf files, including adding pages etc. It takes a bit to get used to all the features but it is well worth the effort. The ease of zooming in and out and writing in the margins of PDF files is also very handy. Still very happy with it. I love the infinite whiteboard option. It really feels like having a large whiteboard where you can write anywhere. It’s also great for annotating a pdf file when you need to write more than just minor comments. This continuous to be my favorite note taking app. One of the features of traditional writing and note taking is that you can spread out multiple sheets of paper in front of you. This allows you to keep a good overview of what you are working on. I really missed this aspect of physical notes when I switched to my iPad. However, the whiteboard mode with infinite zoom of ZoomNotes allows me to effectively have a virtual desk with many sheets of handwritten notes. (Tip: lay out a grid of letter size boundaries on your whiteboard before starting to take notes. You can easily fit 25 pages that way. Well, of course you could do millions but you want to mimic a physical desk.)

- John25642

So I tried ZoomNotes a while back and gave up on it pretty quickly. I began using NoteShelf. However, I started a new job (so now I work 3 jobs). The other apps worked okay for the journal and the different notes, folders, etc. I had to keep for each job, but they were lacking in some areas. I needed an app to fill all my needs. I came back to ZoomNotes and spent a little time learning. ZoomNotes has the fill feature, so I can easily fill in a bubble or a cell on a “spreadsheet”. Just to make me happy while I’m doing my work, ZoomNotes has different types of pens that no one else does (I love calligraphy and lettering). I can pull images from my photos or from the web, and I can make stickers on the fly to reuse again & again. I don’t have to switch between writing and pointer in order to go to a linked page, which I hated with GoodNotes. There is an endless whiteboard. I have rulers and protractors. I have to admit that I am still learning, so I occasionally hit a hiccup. However, I also know there are features I haven’t even tapped into. ZoomNotes is currently meeting all my needs and then some.

- Miami Xami

The notes app has been a love hate relationship as an iPhone user. The sheer amount of words that it holds is incredible. Though with that comes lagging. Over the course of the past month I've used this app for larger note taking such as random ideas to safe keep, places to go, bucket lists, etc. Yet even though it has a low amount of words the typing slows down and lags behind significantly. I've noticed this issue more as I've gone into the recent software update that gave the Notes app more qualities. This update also comes with flaws of its own. I attempt to scroll down my note when it flings me back to the top at random. Or even to the middle at any given time. It also freezes when a collaborator edits, leaving you with a stuck drop menu that's at the bottom and who edited it at the top. I hope these things can be fixed, whether adding a higher word limit to slow lag or to look into the new update for bugs. I appreciate your time and hope the best for new downloaders! Don't be discouraged by this review, the Notes app is highly recommended for reminders and ideas!

- Alliegator96 , 01/15/2022

This is just pure awesomeness! I love to come home, relax and write things down on my notes that I can’t tell others after a long day. Like my crushes, what I’m feeling like, anything. The app is my on the go diary. I tend to get on notes a lot, more than I think I should. Writing is one of my passions, and I also have been writing stories down on it as well. I don’t think that was the original purpose of the app, but it helps me out. I love the notes app so much, it’s like a fresh start. Sometimes, I do get carried away, and write too much. Right now, my app is struggling to stay open and even open in general. I’ve tried resetting my phone a few times but I’ll just keep trying. I love this app so very much, and I find it very useful. I also like to schedule my daily plans and/or last minute trips. I feel like this app is my getaway to a world of writing, I just wish the app would work for me. I believe it might be my fault, I’ve written so much on just one note, that it has trouble loading. I’d hate to delete the whole thing though. Maybe their should be an update for an option for pages? Other than that, I love the app! I don’t know how I could live without it!

- Serenity Burden , 12/07/2021

Random note deletions & glitches Within the past 6 months or so I’ve been a lot more adamant about using notes on my phone to keep myself organized. However, when I swipe out of a note then click to go back in, the note disappears and it won’t show back up until I completely close out of the app and reopen it. Another thing that really made me angry was that I had a note in my phone that I’d been adding onto periodically since probably 2019 or earlier. A couple of months ago, it randomly deleted. The title of the note was still there but all of its contents- gone. I looked at deleted notes and every other file that I could and nothing. I’ve also never been able to lock any of my notes like I can on my MacBook. I have the most recent updates always but this has been an issue for as long as I can remember. I’m going to be downloading a different notes app and stop using Apple Notes completely. Hopefully I’ll have a better experience.

- 21browne , 06/20/2022