Friction vs. Features

Posted by satis
Mar 17, 2023 at 01:24 AM

To me frictionless notetaking apps means effortless writing (fast launch, lack of lag, implementation of quick-capture, simplicity in UI with obvious keyboard shortcuts, attractive and customizable formatting), but also involve other abilities without which I’ll quickly abandon the app.

(For example, I know a lot of people who migrated (or whose companies made them migrate) to OneNote, but I encounter a discernable lag when typing in the app which makes it unsuitable for my writing. And I know people who love using Bear and IA Writer but the UI and limits to font/background customization drive me up the wall.)

Foremost is good app and in-note search, but close behind are cross-platform document accessibility, easy sharing, output options. And given this site’s focus, levels of hierarchy are also of interest.

Other capabilities involve of and how the app handles linking and tags (a deep and complicated topic) and multimedia.