Web Worker Daily

A while back we took a look at a bunch of applications for online note-taking: web-based ways to track all the little bits of random information in your life that don’t fit into any other program. But not every web worker is online all the time, which is why we were intrigued by a reader tip to check out SyncNotes, a hybrid web/desktop application in the same general arena.

Getting started with SyncNotes is a two-step process. First, you sign up for an account at the SyncNotes web site. Then, you download and install a client on your desktop or mobile client. From that point, you have choices: you can either log on to manage notes in your online notebox, or do the same on the desktop.

A note to SyncNotes is very similar to a paper sticky note: a rectangular colored area on your screen with a title and some text. You can add, edit, and delete notes either on the desktop or through the web. But then, there’s the key step: the desktop (and mobile) clients can also synchronize to the web. So any changes you’ve made to notes on your desktop are uploaded to the copy of your notes on the web, and vice versa, with the ability to reconcile conflicts if you’ve edited the same note in both places.

The synchronization is well executed, and if your note needs are light (there are no advanced features like searching or rich text here) then SyncNotes has the plus of offering desktop speeds and convenience while you’re at your desk, together with universal access any time you can get to the web. One caveat, though: clients are limited to Windows and PocketPC devices, and there haven’t been any client updates in the past two years. So although the app works fine on the current dominant operating system, it does not appear to be under active development.