For those of you who don't know me, I'll let you in on a (not very well kept) secret. I am the typical A-type personality, which means that when it comes to organisation and/or lists, I'm your gal. I'm that person who makes lists of my lists, and I take pride in that fact. So when Tamaryn asked me to review the Blackberry applications Lister and Evernote, I was very keen to try them out.
Evernote:
Evernote is a 'to do' type application that allows you to synchronise written, photographed and audio notes between devices. It requires a log-in, and connects through the internet, much like Dropbox. Installation does take some time, but be patient because the outcome is totally worth it.
Once in, you'll see the possibilities are endless, with options for text notes, snapshots, audio notes and uploading other files. It uses the basic premise of keeping your life synchronised and sepa
rated into little boxes. The little extras that give it credibility are the seemingly obvious titles for your notes, with a space for content below. My favourite would have to be the tagging system which allows you to produce new tags or use older ones. It was love at first site as it forms a type of "mini list" that allows me to further categorise my life into "tags". The use of the app is pretty simple, with the menu button giving you more options, following the same logic of most BlackBerry applications.
While I enjoy the fact that you can e-mail notes and synchronise between various devices, I am not sold on Evernote being the tool for me. The fact that I need to access the internet on my computer is a turn off for me. Perhaps I'm old fashioned but I'd much rather use Outlook or Gmail and synchronise my calendars like that. That way I know that whenever I plug my Bold in to my computer I know that all to do's, events and notes will be easily synchronised with the programs I use daily.
However, I definitely see Evernote's worth, and would highly recommend it if you're always on the go and constantly needing your information to be synchronised across your many devices.
Lister
Lister on the other hand, is much more up my alley. Although the icon is not nearly as interesting as the elephant on Evernote, I find it a far more practical tool for my own needs. Lister is the perfect app for creating lists, especially since it offers reminders and due dates which in my mind is the winning factor. While it only offers written notes and works only one your Blackberry, I felt that it encapsulated everything a 'to do' app should.
Lister offers a basic format that includes the ability to create, edit, delete, star and move list items. Cute extras include the shortcut keys which make the usage of it simple and exceptionally user friendly. Although there is no synchronisation between devices, there is an option to share your notes by sending an email. While this is useful, it certainly does lack the fluency and consistency that a synchronisable application provides.
Conclusion
Although I see the value in both on Evernote and Lister, I find the option to add reminders on Lister far more productive for my needs, than the multiple services offered on Evernote. I believe that both apps are completely worthwhile and that each individual should think about their own needs before choosing one above the other.
