@ my wits’ end

A companion for Evernote

Although I’ve used web-based email off and on for a few years, I didn’t appreciate the value of cloud computing until I discovered Evernote. That gem led me to investigate other cloud options: among them the excellent DropBox.

The concept is simple: imagine a folder on your computer into which you can stuff files that can be accessed from any computer in the galactic neighbourhood. As soon as any change is detected in that folder or its sub-folders, the updated file is duplicated in your account on DropBox’s website. Then it’s automatically updated on your office desk machine, your notebook computer and your home computer.

I can acomplish the same thing with Evernote, but some files—notably Word, OpenOffice, and Excel files—aren’t compatible with Evernote’s free version. Even with the Evernote Premium, Office files can’t be read in Evernote’s local client. You must locate the file in Evernote and then open it in the relevant application before you can read it, search its text or edit it. Because your files are stored in Evernote’s rather cryptic database there’s an issue with finding the file’s actual location on your hard drive if, for instance, you wish to back it up locally.

What’s more, DropBox, unlike Evernote, is fully Linux compatible. I’m hoping that will change with Evernote’s recent raising of $10,000,000 for development but we’re not there yet.

Evernote is outstanding for information which I need to be fully and instantly searchable, but DropBox is more suited for the files I wish to edit regularly.

In a nutshell

Evernote is a full fledged application which allows you to view and edit text files and to view pdf files and images from within the application. Dropbox doesn’t do any of that, it’s just an icon in your notification area which accesses your DropBox folder. That folder can be in your Documents folder or any other location your heart desires.

DropBox has a tiny footprint and its simplicity is its biggest asset.

I use Evernote to squirrel away all the random information I may need to reference later and which needs to be easily and quickly searchable. Some examples:

• image files,
• scanned magazine and newspaper articles,
• web clips,
• pdf files,
• scanned statements, bills, receipts, library slips and business cards.
• scanned copies of wills, marriage certificates and the like.

I use DropBox for working files:

• my website local files,
• my blog notes,
• my Microsoft Office files: to-do lists and inventories,
• my financial spreadsheets,
• downloaded program files,
• data files for utilities like Stickies for Windows and PhraseExpress.
• and anything else which I need to keep synchronised between my main computer, my virtual computers, my Linux test box, and my laptop.

I only use a small fraction of the 2GB of free storage available with the free DropBox account. Because it’s such a simple concept I find it very useful for my everyday files—if I need to backup large files to the cloud I can use Microsoft’s free and generous 25GB Sky Drive but that doesn’t have DropBox’s synchronisation ability.

Bang for buck, which is the best operating system for you?

Over recent months, apart from trying to paint the house, battle my backyard wilderness, sort out my junk overload and save the planet, I’ve been trying to become moderately expert in Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard and Ubuntu Linux 9.04. I’ve not been impressed with Windows lately so I decided to evaluate the opposition with a view to deciding which OS to throw my lot in with for the foreseeable future.

I’ve written more in-depth about my findings here on mistywindow.com

What’s the conclusion?

A plague on the houses of both Apple and Microsoft. Ubuntu Linux wins by a narrow margin.

Apple have an excellent operating system and easily the best hardware, but that beautiful hardware is just too outrageously expensive for me. Yeah, I know you pay for quality, but the extortionate Apple hardware tax will cost you far more than Microsoft’s operating system tax.

With Windows 7, Microsoft have improved their act by a degree of magnitude. It’s too early to be sure but my feeling is that, security aside, Windows 7 is as good as Snow Leopard. They’d become divorced from reality and from the people paying their bills – maybe they’re seeing the light at last.

Windows 7 is far better than Vista, smoother, less bloated. and with a lot of incremental usability improvements. They’ve kicked we long-suffering Vista users in the teeth with their Windows 7 upgrade pricing but at least they’re on the right track. If you’re thinking of upgrading and budget concious, consider buying an OEM copy – it’s the cheapest option.

I’m sticking with Windows for the time being: I’m ready to give up Photoshop and Dreamweaver which I can’t easily run in Linux, but I won’t give up Evernote. Nevertheless, if present trends continue, within a few years I’ll be going full open-source, probably with Ubuntu Linux.

Any discussion over the relative merits of Windows, Mac and Linux usually invokes fanaticism worthy of the Third Reich and degenerates into personal abuse on a scale usually reserved for South American football referees.

If you’ve read my full investgation I’d like to hear your views. I’ve given my biased opinions based upon my own trials, my own software requirements, my own limited budget and my own past experience. Your requirements may be very different so your conclusions may be just as different.

If your mileage varies that’s fine with me, just leave the flamethrower at home.

Evernote for Mac keyboard shortcut cheat sheet

If Evernote is unknown territory for you, you’re missing out on the best free software on the planet. Find out about it here.

After migrating from Windows to Mac, one hassle has been getting to grips with a totally different Evernote local client. There doesn’t seem to be a published list of keyboard shortcuts, so I’m in the process of tracking down all the shortcuts I can find with a view to publishing them on my website as a printable pdf Cheat Sheet.

My Evernote for Windows Cheat Sheet is right here.

If you know of any extra shortcuts which are not on the list, and any corrections or suggestions please tell the world in a Comment below. If you prefer, email me: alan@mywitsend.co.nz

Where there’s a question mark in the Notes column it means that I haven’t confirmed that it works and/or that I don’t yet know enough about OS X to understand it.

But not unreservedly

I’m a very recent convert to the Mac. If I have a regret about that, it’s that I didn’t change ten years ago. After using Microsoft’s operating systems for two decades I’ve had enough of Windows’ tottering edifice. In many areas Microsoft have totally lost the plot. Now they’ve lost me too.

There’s a small irony in this. I run a website devoted to helping Windows users. 

I’m delighted with the switch, but there are issues which I’m not that happy with. The atrocious cost of Mac Pro PCs is the biggie, but there are irksome matters less hard on the wallet. One of these:

Upgrade discrimination

One of the many things which infuriated me about Microsoft was that they provided a really cheap Vista upgrade deal to Home users of XP, but only if they lived in North America. We in the rest of the world were shut out. MS are quite happy to rake in billions from foreign consumers (usually significantly more than US customers pay) for their over-priced products but they seem to think that it’s acceptable to treat us as second-class customers.

More Yankee imperialism

Now I find the same thing with Apple, albeit on a smaller scale. I applied for the much touted US$9.95 upgrade to Snow Leopard for recent purchasers of new Macs with the Leopard 10.5 version of OS X. I registered my new MacBook only to find that as a New Zealand purchaser I’m not qualified to partake of the deal.

OK, upgrading Leopard to Snow Leopard on my two Macs isn’t going to cost me anything like the cost of upgrading two Windows Vista systems to Windows 7. Nevertheless the principle’s the same.

I can hear it now. Legal constraints. We don’t control foreign retailers. Or some other excuse. I don’t buy it.

Bad call Apple.

I still love my Mac.

PS

Actually, it is going to cost me a bundle. My new Powerbook is no problem, but my 3-year-old Mac G5 Power Pro is not upgradeable. If I wish to have Snow Leopard on both my Macs I must trade in my G5 for a newer Mac with an Intel processor.