Awesome Note

There has never been an app that lives up to its own name until now.  Packing in a ton of great features and stunning graphics, Awesome Note by BirdWorks is exactly what it claims to be; the best darn mobile notes app available!

The main screen resembles an antique wooden desk with folders neatly stacked on it while a small notebook provides a todo-like view of what is due today and an “all notes” view.  On the right hand page of the notebook is a handy option to start a new note instantly without having to go into a specific folder first to create it.  Another handy tool here is the “Quick Memo” feature.  This allows you to jot down a note, say a colleagues phone number, and store it there until a more opportune time to file it away arises.

Awesome Note comes stock with a few sample folders which would likely cover one or two of your typical note-taking needs such as Shopping and Work.  However, the folders can be configured to several “views” which dictate how the folders can behave.  This is great for creating a chores folder with tasks using the “To Do” view, a grocery list using the “List” view, while having an idea folder to brainstorm in using the “Thumbnail” view.  It almost makes three applications and crams them into one great looking and super functional app!  Entering notes is super easy.  You have a toolbar on the bottom that allows you choose whether a note will be a todo with due date, a list item, or just an ordinary note.  You also have the option to lock each note to prevent unwanted edits.  Furthermore, each note can be customized with several stock backgrounds and a long list of fonts.  Trust me, there is plenty of eye candy available to make your friends with lesser phones envious.

Stepping away from the pure productivity features, Awesome Note really seems to get its name from how awesome the entire application looks and feels.  Besides the settings menu, there is not one single standard UI element found in the application!  While I am not a huge fan of that, I commend the developers for keeping the human aspect in mind when designing the UI.  Other applications have used custom UI elements and have failed miserably due to user frustration.  Not so with Awesome Note.  Every button and navigation control feels natural and responsive.  A huge benefit is the implementation of full landscape across the application.  This makes entering long notes really comfortable.

Now most todo and productivity nuts such as myself are into sync-ing their data to other destinations like a desktop or a calendar program.  Awesome Note provides two methods of over the air sync-ing: Google Docs and Evernote.  I will be honest, Im not a fan of either option, but I chose Google Docs to test since I wasn’t pleased with my last experience of Evernote.  With Google Docs as a sync method, you get over the air back ups and I suppose you can view and edit them in your desktop browser, but why would you?  I really thought the backup feature was really the only benefit I personally found in sync-ing.  I know as a developer it is next to impossible to incorporate every single option and feature that is requested, however I still think there is room for just a few more popular sync options here especially to be considered a full task manager replacement.

Awesome Note’s feature list is packed full with many of the features every productivity addicts wants and needs.  Though the lack of sync options may not fit everyones needs, it will help you restore your notes if you replace or upgrade your iPhone or iPod.  It would be hard to fully replace my other task management apps, however, it has replaced the native Notes app from Apple in my eyes.  Awesome Note is one of – if not the best looking notes app available now. I can only imagine that the upcoming iPad will bring more functionality and eye candy to this amazing application.  I for one am a very excited Awesome Note user!

[uquery]320203391/uquery]