The newly released Google Notebook can be used to take notes when you search the web. You can also save parts of web pages for research purposes. The screenshot below shows how to save a Wikipedia article about asthma by right-clicking on the selected text:
Regular Google searches now feature a "Note this" link below each search result. The "right-click to save" function is nice but you need to install a Firefox/IE extension to use it. Once installed, I like the keyboard "Alt + N" shortcut that opens and closes the notebook.
Digital Inspiration explains how he plans to use Google Notebook: "I frequently encounter websites that I want to cover in my blog later. Now with Google Notebook, I could just create a new Notebook session called "To Do" and quickly insert the website URL with a short description in the notebook."
Check the references below for a complete coverage.
Summary:
Google Notebook is an interesting service which may need some fine tuning in order to be more useful.
Update 6/2/2007:
Web Worker Daily reviews 7 Apps for Online Note-Taking.
References:
Note this. Official Google Blog.
Google Notebook Is Live. Google Blogoscoped.
Google Notebook - the good, the bad, and the ugly. ZDNet.
Google Notebook is live: Here's how I plan to use it. Digital Inspiration.
Google Notebook First Look. Micro Persuasion.
The Basics: Google Notebook. Google Tutor, 11/2007.
Google Notebook Adds Labels and Bookmarks. Google Operating System, 11/2007.
Image source: Google Notebook.
Related:
I Can Has Bookmarklet? Google Notebook Blog, 07/2008.
Updated: 07/10/2007
i'd still like to see some competition for google just because i like having some semblence of oneupsmanship. with only one company dominating, that "don't be evil" mantra won't really mean much.
ReplyDeleteN.P.:
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Google suffers from lack of competition, especially with Microsoft determined to spend billions to catch them.
I'm curious about what sort of "simplification" you think Google Notebook needs. I've only played around with it very briefly, but I'm pretty impressed. Doesn't seem complicated to me at all.
ReplyDeleteMichael:
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that needs "simplification" is the browser extension install. I should not need to install anything to bookmark and save pages.
Have you ever tried Clipmarks?
ReplyDeleteIf you thought that the GNotes concept sounds nice, Clipmarks is the one you should use!
Let's compare GNote to Clipmarks:
Here is what I see that Google's new product does:
1) Creates a bookmark to the page that you were on when you did the notebook thing.
2) Takes whatever text you had highlighted at the time and makes that sorf of "your notes" about that page that is now bookmarked in their system.
3) Allows you then to go in and edit those notes to add your own text, or whatever. With a little html-like editor.
4) Allows you then to go in and look at all your notebook items in the typical Google ugly fashion.
5) No Tagging
6) No Community
Meanwhile, the Clipmarks featureset is completely different:
1) Allows you to clip many pieces from one site or page, or several sites or pages and make them together into ONE NEW PAGE.
2) Allows you to tag these entries for later search retrieval, sharing, networking, etc. Tagclouds help you to find interesting tags easily.
3) Allows you to then quickly and easily send those clippings into a set of "bookmarking" sites like Delicious, etc.
4) Provides an absolutely beautiful, fast, fabulous in every way UI to go and look at your clippings, search them, etc.
5) Provides a great commenting and popping system to foster actual social interaction around your clippings.
6) Provides a way to subscribe to an RSS feed for a tag or a person.
7) Provides a way to make Clips public or private.
8) Lets you subscribe to other Clipmarkers ("Follow"), to have a quick access to their Clipmarks.
9) Provides a print function that really rocks and let you print out pages which originaly can't be printed well because of design errors. Due to the fact that you can clip content from different or multiple pages in one Clipmark, printing was never been easier.
10) All of this is completely integrated into your browser.
Go to http://clipmarks.com and test it! You will love it!