I had to admit, when I first considered reviewing PhatNotes, I was wondering why anyone would need another Notes application? Granted that the Note application in Windows Mobile is rather basic but then again, if you need something more powerful, why not use Word Mobile? That’s what I thought anyways. But after trying the software for a couple of weeks now, I must say, this is really one great note-taking software. It’s no wonder it won Pocket PC Magazine’s Best Application in the Notes Category for the 7^th straight year running.

Introduction

PhatNotes by PhatWare is a rather interesting application in a sense that it is made up of 2 components, the desktop and Pocket PC. You can use one with the other just as well as using the combo. Currently at v5.1, you can get it for $39.95. For those who are serious note-takers and have already invested in another application, you’ll be pleased to know that you can get a copy of PhatNotes at 50% off, if you have a qualifying product and meet certain conditions. For those interested in a trial, they have a 30 day evaluation, more than enough time for you to decide if this software is the one for you. Those interested in reading up more about the software after this review, you can do so here.

There are so many great features that make PhatNotes a great application. Here are some of the better features which I found useful:

Database

I find file organization a problem on my Pocket PC. To overcome this, I create a folder for each category. PhatNotes does it differently. Instead, it relies on databases to store and organize your notes. Think of databases as folders for your notes. You can create as many databases as you want and you can even group several databases into a group for easier organization. For example, you could have one group for Work notes and another for Personal notes. And in the Work group, you could have several databases such as Agenda Minutes, Projects and To-Do list. This is just one of the many ways you can customize the setup of PhatNotes to fit your needs and lifestyle.

However, unlike folders, databases compact your notes so that it uses even less space than conventional notes. This is a cool feature but unless you have thousands of notes in your Pocket PC at one time (and I am not sure why anyone would be having so many to begin with), the space saved might not be significant.

Organizational Features

What’s more, PhatNotes provides an extensive level of organization that you don’t even see in generic desktop applications.

Category

For starters, you can file your notes according to the various categories that you have created. Instead of lumping all your project notes together, you could have a category for to-do, another for contacts and even one for meeting. Creating a new category is easy, just type select it from the drop down list. If it’s not there, just type it in and you will be offered the selection next time around.

Color

Some people prefer working with color and this feature would sit well with them. You can color-code your notes for easy reference based on your own set of rules. I am not really much of a color-coding person but I could find a use for this if I needed to in the future.

Priority

The notes start becoming more like tasks when you can add priority to them. I am not really sure why I would want to add priority to my notes unless it is a task (in which case I would add it as a task instead). However, if you had wished you had the ability to prioritize your notes, this application is just what you need.

Dates

Sort by created date	Or modified date

Some might find it pretty basic, other’s important and useful. When searching for notes, there are times when knowing the created or modified date would be useful in deciding which is the one you were looking for. PhatNotes does just that, allowing you to sort your notes based on either created or modified date.

Are You Sure This Is Not Word Mobile?

That was the impression I got when I used PhatNotes because of the various tools you had at your disposal for edits.

Font Format

Yes you got it right. You can alter the font by face, size, color and even style. That means you could bold, underline, italicize and strikethrough to your hearts content. With so much customization at hand, you can really make your notes come alive and style it the way you want so that it’s easy to understand when you look at it later.

List

If creating a list is what you normally do, then now you can do it with PhatNotes. This can really make note taking easier instead of you having to put in your own symbol for lists. You can even use number list if that would be more suitable. Just a few taps and you’re all set.

Align

Further enhance your notes by lining them up the way you want it to, all from your Pocket PC. Be it left, center or right, your choice is just a tap away.

Attachments

Now here’s where PhatNotes sets itself apart from generic Notes and Word Mobile. It does attachments and not just the typical files like images, voice and files but also links and ink. For those curious, ink is a feature of PhatPad where you draw instead of write words. And for those who wish they could attach PIMs to their notes, well let’s just say PhatNotes does have the means to add contacts, appointments and tasks.

Adding dates and time is also simple with PhatNotes thanks to it’s menu. Choose from a wide array of formats from short date and time to time only in 24 hour format.

For those of your skeptic about these features because you might need multiple taps and holds, you’ll be surprised that that is not the case. Most of these options are just a tap away and you can even set it up so that your more commonly used actions are close by.

Reminders

Do you write things down but then forget about it later on? Well those days might be numbered if you use PhatNotes because now you can add a reminder (sort of an alarm) to your notes. For example, you need to pick up a suit from the dry cleaners on the way home. So you write a note, and add a reminder for a time that you usually leave work. Come the end of the work day, the alarm goes off and you are reminded of the note. Of course you could set up a task for such an entry but this option provides you with the flexibility.

Your Office On The Go

The reason you got a Pocket PC was so that you could do more on the go. Well now with PhatNotes, your productivity just went up. It does not just allow you to work with notes and customize them to your desire, it also took into consideration what you had to do after the note-taking was complete.

Send Them… Anywhere

With traditional notes, you had to copy the content and paste it into your email client before you could send it out because not everyone could open your note format. With PhatNotes, you don’t have to worry about all that because PhatNotes allows you to send the note as you had meticulously created it with all formats intact. You could also choose to send the note as an attachment and attach the files attached to the note itself. All from one application.

Beam And Receive

Send via IR	And receive too!

Or if the person you are sending the note to is nearby, you can just as easily beam the file (or files) to him. He can also do the same if he is also using PhatNotes and you can receive it directly in the application.

Import And Export

Need to export	Or import your notes?

For those who work with people who do not use this application, you can still send them your notes. Export them in a format that they can read (.txt) using tab or comma separated values and nothing’s wasted. You could also convert their data files into PhatNotes just as easily with its import function as well.

Protect

For those of you concerned with the privacy of your notes, there is a password option that you can apply to them to prevent unauthorized viewing. Each note can be protected with a different password which makes the it even harder for someone to read all your entries (unless they know all your passwords). But on the flipside, it also means that you would have to remember a lot more passwords. Or you could just use one password for all.

Summary

Pros:

• Comes with a desktop component.
• Full-featured note taking application that makes it easier.
• Powerful organizational tools for easy filing and future referencing.
• Ability to protect notes with password

Cons:

• Does not have a clear way to work with categories.
• Does not support sending and receiving files over bluetooth.
• Quite pricey for a notes application

Conclusion

PhatNotes might be pricey to those who seldom take notes on their Pocket PC but for those of you do, this price might be justified. Plus, it comes with a desktop component so you can work on your notes with a large screen and full-fledged keyboard just as easily. I would, however, prefer that PhatWare released a Pocket PC stand-alone version where they charged a lower price for it. Maybe then the uptake would be even higher.

I’ve started switching over to PhatNotes to draft my articles and takes notes when I am on the go because of all the advantages it has over generic Notes and Word Mobile and it doesn’t look like I will be looking back. You should give PhatNotes a try to. They have a 30 day full-feature trial and if you are satisfied, you get get a license for $39.95.

What are your thoughts on PhatNotes?

Tags: commercial software, Reviews