Price/Platform: $7.99 (iOS)
Review Version: 6.1
Developer Website: http://www.gingerlabs.com
Features: Notability is one of the top note taking app in the app store. It combines a simple interface with strong audio and text input features. The note taking interface itself is very simple- it only has what you need and it is very responsive. The tools that it offers are the usual pen, highlight, text, eraser, selector/scissor, and reading mode. To change the size or color of the individual tool, all you do is long press on it, and a simple menu pops up with all options available. You can also add different types of media to your notes, including photos, web clips, figures (via separate input window) and “stickies”- basically they are like real life “post it” notes, you can stick them throughout your notes. Another strong point is the apps text input capabilities which adjust to the iPad or iPhone size width. It offers a wide range of fonts and size, and supports lists, indents, and bold/underline/italic. One of the most intuitive features though is its audio recording. When you choice to record your audio, they are linked to your notes. So when you enable note replay, you will see you notes grayed out, and as the recording goes along, they will return to color at the corresponding point in the recording. It is pretty neat as it is like watching a replay of your notes. Finally, the app has a simple organization structure revolving around subjects and dividers. It also supports Auto-Backup via Dropbox, Google Drive, Box or WebDAV and you can import media files via the aforementioned services.
Summary: Notability is simple responsive note taking app with some very clever features.
Pro:
- Audio Recording and Note Replay is a great way to provide context when reviewing your notes
- Text Input Feature is very good and really blends well with your handwritten notes
- Stickies and Figure input tool is really cool, especially for math and science applications
Con:
- Eraser Tool is unforgiving- you touch one part of the word and the entire word is deleted
How I use it: While Notes Plus is my primary note taking app, I really find Notabilty’s audio recording feature awesome. I use Notability in certain lectures or situation in which I know that I will have to re-listen to my notes again. (And I find myself in that situation quite a bit.) Being able to use note replay is incredibly helpful for me as it provides context as to the order I wrote things down. It is similar to Voice Dream Reader’s synchronized text highlighting, expect that it is your notes instead of text.
In-App Purchases: The app offers two IAP, $2.99 and $4.99, respectively for altering the theme of the subject area.
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