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Evernote comes to the BlackBerry
While I'm not as big of an Evernote devotee as some other Download Squad bloggers, I do love the idea. For the uninitiated, Evernote is a service/app combo that is designed to let you capture all the bits of information that you want to save for future access -- business cards, to-do lists, audio messages, photos, screenshots, web links -- and organize those bits so that they are searchable and accessible from multiple computers and mobile devices. It's a great idea, and a great service -- but it's really only valuable if you either use more than one computer frequently (so your work machine is separate from your home machine), or if your mobile device is compatible with t he service.
Although Evernote has a GREAT iPhone app, as a hybrid BlackBerry/iPod touch 2G user, it really isn't the best solution for me. Chances are, if I'm away from my primary computer, my BlackBerry is what I'll end up using, unless there happens to be WiFi around for my iPod touch. If I had a Windows Mobile phone or an iPhone, that would be one thing, but I'm a BlackBerry user, and I'm used to getting short-changed on the mobile app front.
Fast-forward to this morning, where I see a post on the Evernote blog, announcing Evernote for BlackBerry. Unfortunately, before I could get too excited about the possibilities of keeping my handbag clean and consolidating my various notes in one digital space, I saw the system requirements.
Evernote for the BlackBerry requires OS 4.6 or higher. That means, you must have a BlackBerry Bold, a BlackBerry Storm (ick) or the new Blackberry Curve 8900. If you're one of the millions of users, who has the BlackBerry Curve 83xx (like me), well, you're still Evernote-less. On the mobile front anyway.
Don't get me wrong, I don't blame the Evernote developers for wanting to make the app as robust as possible, thus, they want to use the best OS framework available. I'm just a little peeved at RIM, who is continuing to sell BlackBerry 83XX series Curves by the truckload seems pretty content to let Curve owners languish with OS 4.5 (an OS that has made me hate my BlackBerry, yet I need 4.5 if I want to actually use the device for more than phone calls and e-mail), and thus, miss out on cool apps like this.
If you do have a BlackBerry that works with OS 4.6, you can download Evernote for the BlackBerry from the BlackBerry App World. Since I can't test, it, tell me what you think in the comments.
Comments
12
Subscribe to commentsBobMay 11th 2009 2:24PM
It's not available as of 15 minues ago. I tried looking and it's not in the list.
InsomnicMay 11th 2009 2:27PM
That is really irritating. I was really hoping for Evernote for the BB ever since Google Sync came out. If I could get OTA note sync I would be set... and then this. So no Pearl support either (and I love the Pearl).
Dang it.
BigligMay 11th 2009 3:29PM
I'll join the clamor of BB users who have been waiting for this. And I'm still waiting. The download link on Evernote's web page takes me to a download for the BB app store, which I already have installed. Odd, but I am a version or two old on the app store so it won't hurt to download.
Searching the app store for evernote finds nothing. I'm just rebooting after the app store upload but I can't imagine that's required.
BigLigMay 11th 2009 3:34PM
Goodness, this is rather an own goal for the BB App World. I know the iPhone App Store approval process has a lot of faults, but once you get an app in there, everyone can see it straight away.
fikhlMay 11th 2009 3:20PM
Evernote for Symbian please!
Regards,
Devoted Evernote user.
PiersMay 12th 2009 5:09AM
Now just need to wait for android...
BigLigMay 12th 2009 6:08AM
This morning I was able to find it in App World at last. I've written a quick review at
http://biglig.blogspot.com/2009/05/evernote-for-blackberry-review.html
The executive summary:
> The install sucks (but that's RIM's fault)
> Once it's installed it works great and I love it.
> It's only half a client but that may not matter.
That last line needs explaining. The local application on your BB only captures new notes - reading existing notes is done (in a very slickly integrated way, mind you) by the existing Evernote Web client.
So if your BB is off the network - say in a plane - then you can't read old notes, just capture new ones (that get uploaded later).
The executive's executive summary:
Not as good as the iPhone version, but enough better than the web client that every BB+Evernote user should get it now.
Christina WarrenMay 12th 2009 11:38AM
Thanks for sharing your review BigLig!
KayzaMay 18th 2009 10:08AM
I must disagree that Evernote is only really useful if you use it on multiple computers. I started using it before it had the web sync as part of the free package, and I can tell you that I loved it. It has some really good features for people who sit at the same desk all day, although this version did drop a couple of things the old one had, which is a shame.
You do have to fairly disciplined about using it to get the real benefits from it, though.
robJun 2nd 2009 5:18AM
Just tried this out.
Honestly, other than the OCR feature, I don't see how evernote really improves on email.
I can just as easily make a voice recording on the bb, then email it to myself. Or I can snap a picture and email it. Or even...you betcha...write a note!
I guess I don't really see the benefit here.
Steve MJun 3rd 2009 10:08PM
So many things. First of all this works on OS 4.5. The information is wrong. I have it on my Sprint 8330 Curve running 4.5.
It may be better or worse than iPhone edition. I've heard the iPhone version crashes a LOT. So I haven't tried it on my iPod Touch.
I use multiple computers, and having data at my fingertips without having to remember where I put it is excellent.
I'm still working out all the ways to use it, but for me it is a nice addition to my productivity tools.
Christina WarrenJun 4th 2009 12:27PM
Thanks for the update, Steve! When this was first launched, it was 4.6 only -- I can 100% confirm that. It appears they have backported it to 4.5, which is great news. I just downloaded it and will give it a try and try to write-up an update post in the next couple of days.
As far as the iPhone version crashing -- a bunch of my TUAW colleagues religiously swear by the app, so I think the crashing bugs have been sorted out. I've never had an issue with it on my iPod touch, granted, I don't use it a whole lot. It's been my experience that apps that crash hard on the iPhone don't often have the same issue on the iPod touch because of increased device memory (the lack of a dialer really makes a difference, websites that won't load on an iPhone do just fine on an iPod touch), so it might be worth checking out.
Thanks for the heads-up on 4.5 compatibility.