Evernote loves tablets. We’ve got a long and storied history with tablets of all kinds. Got an old tablet lying around somewhere? Chances are we either developed technology for it, had applications that ran on it, or both. Usually both.
Remember the awesome Apple Newton? Evernote’s current R&D engineers developed the handwriting recognition technology that made it so notable (and ahead of its time). Remember those Doonesbury strips making fun of the Newton? You know who cried when those came out? We did. Well, not me personally, I was in college and the Newton was at the top of my unattainable gadget drool-list, but the guys sitting next to me right now clutching their Newton prototypes while watching the Apple liveblogs did. I’ve got those Donnesbury strips in my Evernote account now.
We’ve also been on just about every other form of tablet known to man. The original version of Evernote was written to run on Tablet PCs and the digital ink technology in the current version of Evernote for Windows is still the best in the industry. I even use an old Hitachi slate as a drink tray at home. Tablets are our roots, man. Our roots.
So naturally, we’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about our plans for supporting Apple’s hitherto-mythical tablet device, but we’ve avoided answering them just in case it turned out not to be a tablet but, um, a shoe or something. Still, we always hoped it’d be a tablet. You always remember your first love…
Anyway, now that the iPad has officially gone from “imminent!!” to “just announced!!” we can officially spill the beans on our official plans for Evernote on it. Here’s we go:
Evernote is going to support the Apple iPad. Oh Yeah. We’re gonna support the hell out of it. We’re glad to see that the current Evernote iPhone app will run on the iPad without modification, but we’ll be modifying it anyway to optimize the experience on the larger device. Oh how we’ll be modifying it! Expect rapid improvements to our iPhone app which will benefit all of our iPhone, iPod Touch and, now, iPad users in the near future.
Ok, so we’re excited by the iPad itself, and by the HP Slate, and the Sony VAIO L series, and the Nvidia Tegra, and by the added light that these and other devices will shine on touch computing in general. I’m looking at some happy engineers right now.
113 Comments
Mike
Audio recording synced to note-taking, that would for me be killer Evernote/iPad feature.
S!ick
For me, this could make it worth purchasing an iPad: after learning of it’s limitations, that it’s just a larger iPod Touch, I was not planning to invest in one. Evernote on the iPad makes it more than “just” an iPad…
Jongoloid
In my dreams, the iPad version of Evernote supports digital ink notes that I can optionally convert (within the application or using a separate app) to text. With a tablet this size, I’ll want the option of using a stylus for notetaking (as well as paint programs).
Kevin Mellott
Evernote on iPad might just get me to buy one. I was very dissapointed that iPad didn’t run full OS but Evernote might just make it worth it.
Brett Patching
I’m praying that you’ll fully implement annotating by finger in this. I would love to copy something into Evernote and then draw all over it with my finger (and of course have Evernote recognise any text I have hand written).
Jim Hanlon
Great that you will support the iPad but if you don’t do offline editing on it (like you don’t do offline editing on the iPhone), it will be just as far below potential as the iPhone app is.
William D
Hello,
I’ve just read your newsletter, and come here to thank you for your plans for the iPad.
Echoing the voices of the previous commentators, the value of Evernote on the iPad would, I am sure, make it so much better an experience. Now, obviously without a camera on the hardware (grrr!), it cant be perfect, but Evernote will, i am sure, do something as atheistically pleasing and useful as I can hope!
I look forward to it.
dmccall
The iPad will have limited use as a data entry/creativity device, but I’ll bet that in this realm Evernote will be the best app, and one that actually makes this device mostly useful.
Bdat
A really great App for the IPad. Voice recording and hand writing input essential to round up a great experience. I am looking forward to the touch interface.
pro2type
How about a bit of yellow annotations, that can be collected in a seperate document, with reference ?
Soundrecording which sync with notes ?
Bo
YEAH… you guys rock my world with iPad support. Now if they would just include a camera for “scanning” handwritten notes.
Mike O
Thanks for the trip down nostalgia lane. I splurged in my university days on the Newton 130 and then the 2000, and watched in horror as Apple quashed it. Left Mac and haven’t looked back since … well, i don’t count my iPhone. It’s just been tiding me over until Android could get off the ground and into decent mainstream hardware (go Droid!).
Perhaps I’ll use my iPhone as a cocktail coaster. (Bitter, party of 1!)
Tony C
Will it allow editing of any note at any time and work while not connected? And how about subfolders??
Lou
I think the iPad is going to be bigger than most critics envision. I’ll order 4 (one for me, three for employees) the minute I can; and Evernote will be used on all of them! Glad to hear Evernote will be supported.
Oh, and I wish I’d kept my Netwon, it was great!
Peter Norman
I understand that the iPad is all about consuming media, but I would like to be able to collect data with it too – as I do already with Evernote and the Clipper extension for all the various web browsers: highlight content on a webpage and click the clipper! (as opposed to clicking the clipper and saving the entire page)
I hope you are able to provide a slick method for doing so with Evernote for iPad.
Can’t wait!
Rey F
The thought of an enhanced Evernote for iPad makes me drool! I’ve already been planning to use the iPad with my bluetooth keyboard and Evernote to take notes in class.
Here are some thoughts:
-Handwriting would be cool for notetaking on the fly, like when I am at meetings.
-I’d need a better way to cache the notes on the iPad, so that it doesn’t have to access the internet everytime I pull up notes. If I get the wifi iPad only, I’ll need this version of Evernote to act more like my Mac desktop version of Evernote.
-And I agree, audio recording + note taking would be hot!
Erik
@Sl!ck @Kevin Come on guys, that is exactly for what the iPad is meant for: great companies like Evernote make great apps for it. The iPad is just hardware with a 9.7 inch glass multitouch plate. It’s the software.
And it’s not only Evernote, it/s a buch (a lot) of other developers too…
Charles H. Leggett
++ on Jongoloid’s the idea of using a stylus for notetaking. This plus a Pogo Sketch Stylus (or Evernote Branded one) would make me smile and be more productive.
P.S. Let me draw boxes that become checkmarkable todos.
mayadanteamihan
Evernote using Pogo Stylus for handwriting and doodling! Wow!
Hanzo
So the obvious would be to allow drawing on the iPad. The capacitive screen will not allow it to be a Wacom, but for simple sketches it would be valuable. I, of course, have a Wacom on my Mac but that is NOT supported, something I see as a severe oversight. And I do not see buying new hardware for the purpose of getting sketching on Evernote…
Mike
“In my dreams, the iPad version of Evernote supports digital ink notes that I can optionally convert (within the application or using a separate app) to text.”
Me too! I have two Newtons in the drawer, and the iPad could be so much more. I’ve been waiting for years for someone to match the capability of the Newton and as of yet is hasn’t happened. Lets hope the iPad is “the one”.
Carlos Caballero
I knew there had to be a reason why I had decided to buy the iPad!
Bart
Local notes database on Ipad and fully-functional PDF preview (with zoom-in/zoom-out trigered by gestures) would mean a lot for me.
Ben
Agree with most of the above comments. The iPad is as good as the apps running on it, and Evernote is a potential killer app. Overcoming the limitations of the keyboard interface and allowing for truly natural note-taking on a form factor like the iPad would be phenomenally useful. Excited to see what you all bake up!
Dustin
Would Love a highlighting feature where you could highlight in a book you’re reading and they would automatically sync with evernote.
John Davis
it occurs to me that Google wave is more valuable as an integration point or api than an actual piece of “beta” software. what if Evernote could integrate with a Google wave account and allow wave like cooperative communication from across the room or across the world.
Just and idea.
Davosian
Having an ultimate note taking application on a device like that is actually my main decision factor. Nothing has to be in my way when I am taking notes, be it text, graphing snippets (e.g. math formulas or drawings), auto-links / e-mails and maybe even handwriting recognition or even converting handwritten math formulas into pretty looking computer fonts (alternatively offering specialized keyboards for math and drawings).
I could see gestures as the fastest way to perform actions like switching key boards or input modes, but I am sure you will figure out the most intuitive user interface.
Any ways, surprise me with the ultimate note taking application and I will make Apple $700 richer (and on the flipside making myself an Evernote pro user).
Matt Rees
would dearly love a stylus/drawing/doodling option in evernote for the iPad.
please, please, please, please, please?!!!!
Jago
I’d love to see Evernote on the iPad as a more tactile experience, something similar to the Microsoft Courier demo, little touches like being able to move photos around within posts, by touch, and giving the whole app a more “real” feel so that you seemed to be ineteacting with a phyically notebook, would be lovely. Kind of like the iPhone app Momento, but even better…?
Ritchie
How about a tool to prepare notes for reading on e-books (like the fabulous Bookeen device, so light !)
Thanks,
Ritchie
Anyhow, I’ll get an iPad …
jonathan bowden
like jago mentioned, i would love to see the evernote ipad app do everything the microsoft courier app is demoing, and even more. this would actually make me consider buying an ipad. this app could actually transform the device from a consumer gadget, to a digital (and virtually endless) moleskine. really looking forward to where you guys will take this!
Jakob
Om the iPad we will be able to organize notes by multi touch finger drop, preview notes individually and then share notes to different drop boxes.
Erik Hansen
I’ll probably never be an iPad user, but I’m glad to hear that the iPad developments will result in improvements in the iPhone app.
Kevin Mellott
Evernote has the opportunity to be the premier note taking application for iPad. For many you’ll make the device worth purchasing. I hope you do!!
Note taking is what’s making the decision for me as to which device to buy, the iPad or the HP Slate with OneNote.
Sonia Paquette
Would love to have a note taking capabilities in digital ink on my iPhone. It would make me rethink about having an iPad because right now, I’m not sure I see the advantage.
Nanette Purcigliotti
I need the iPad. I need EVERNOTE. I am a writer but what more can I say. OH, I’m a Mac Addict.
Steven Dukarm
I understand the corporate need to hop onto the latest fad and get a leg up on the competition in the new markets, but why does Evernote pander to Windows and the iPad and ignore iMac OSX? Do Mac users not deserve access to the same improvements that 98% of everybody else gets? I notice there is no mention of Linux either.
coopertino
Good stuff. iPad does need some killer apps to justify its existence.
Small rant : could you please, please fix the EDITOR. It constantly messes up all text pasted in a note. I spent hours re-formatting just to come back a few days later and see all my CR’s gone again, and all just a continuous line. I have to use Notebook (circusponies.com) on the side just for text notes.
Jim Russell
I would love to see Shapewriter integrated. Fast and efficient one finger text entry!
Lardo
Handrwritting capabilities would be enough to buy an iPad, something like “Microsoft Courier” thing, highlighting in a “Yellow post it” way it is amazing, and I will be able to pay some sort of pro version of Evernote if I can do the same thing that MS courier shows in that gizmodo video…
Joel Hickenbottom
Anything that will allow the iPad to be more like what I see in the rumored Courier from Microsoft (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USbkrk8-pjw&fmt=18) in terms of adding text with my finger or a stylus, drawing both sketches, check boxes, bullet points, etc, would be amazing. I’m surprised that the iPhone/iTouches, let alone the iPad, don’t allow for the for handwriting recognition. But should all the weight fall on Evernote to make me purchase an iPad from Apple? More so, it would be totally worth it for an upgrade to Evernote Premium for such technology across the three devices as well as the Macs using a tablet pen. We’ll see—Excited to see what you guys work up.
Mr. Reeee
The iPad will be a game changer and it’s great to see you guys jumping on board. Stylus input (with a Pogo Sketch) will be great.
With iWork, Evernote, Bento and OmniFocus most of my basic work needs are taken care of. Now all we need is a decent CAD or vector-based drawing application, like Vectorworks.
I agree with Steven Dukarm about your Mac OS X support. With Apple’s constant rise in marketshare, you guys need to step up and FULLY support Mac OS X.
K Zuse
I’d like to concur with a few people:
Jongoloid: digital ink notes with optional conversion to text, stylus use – yes please !!
Brett Patching: being able to edit/draw on existing notes with finger (or better/optionally stylus!) input (look at OneNote…)
Jim Hanlon: agreed, it definitely must have offline capability, otherwise: no good
question to William D: why please only the atheists?
But: “Remember the awesome Apple Newton?”…surely you are joking?! I do and I still am angry at Apple stealing what little money I had (I was in college then too) from me with a patently non-functional product. “Evernote’s current R&D engineers developed the handwriting recognition technology that made it so notable (and ahead of its time).” Not joking, then? You might want to keep silent about that connection…
Jake
Does that mean you have stuff for the Nokia N-series Internet Tablets? I’d love Evernote on my N800…
K Zuse
I see now that I was really just asking for what dozens of others had already asked too. Oh well…at least I added one more vote…
But now for something completely different: could you develop something like Canvas for OneNote, for the iPad and for EverNote (at least on the Mac) in general?! Because that would be *awesome*!!!
Justin
For your handwriting engineers: what does handwriting look like from underneath with a capacitive screen? Without the actual ‘stylus’ in your hand, you can still ‘write’…
Eric Baird
With any luck, 2010 should turn out to be Happy Tablet //Year//.
I won’t be getting an iPad (lovely screen, lousy peripherals support), but I’ll most likely get an ASUS EeePad if you can put Ubuntu on it. I already have Ubuntu on my netbook. Evernote for Linux?
geoff ryan
I too would love full support for snow leopard.I would like offline access to notes synced on my iPod touch.I love the ability to clip only what I want and not the full page as with delicious.I must say,tho,that saving a note is a lot quicker and smoother with delicious.Is that because Macs are not yet fully supported?Its a pity cos I really like the other aspects of evernote,but it is definitely clunky compared to delicious when used on my iMac.
John.
Excellent Idea for EverNote to integrate with the New iPad.
But make audio recording please longer than 20 minutes. Many thanks for your fine application!!!!!.
Chris Pope
The iPad should be/could be a paper-killer. I am a commercial real estate agent, and have significant trouble keeping endless client notes organized. EverNote would be the cosmic link to computerized note-taking — a substantial contribution to a paperless society. Please make a stylus part of the design/package. Many thanks. With a robust EverNote product, I become an iPad purchaser.