Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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pda journal/sketchbook

an app too simple for someone to have written
 
(0)
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i have redescribed this idea:

this is all i want on my pocketpc: a single button that turns it on and launches an app, that, stores text or scribbling in a page by page format, just like the paper pocket calendar journal i use (see link).
the paper pocket journal is a classic design that is well liked. why should i have to look for my note in an alphabetical list? i just want to flip back a few pages- there is it, exactly where i left it.

here is a spec-ish description:

the database records or the base data elements of the app should be pages, not dates.

two modes (but same filetype) sketchbook or calendared journal:

SKETCHBOOK
- blank pages upon which you can attach text, drawing, or a recording.
- a way to flip forward and backward between pages to browse the sketchbook.
- no dates are displayed, but a page-creation date is stored for each.
- only one color ink and one pen thickness is necessary.
- one sketchbook is one file which can be opened, saved, or saved-as.
- there must be some way to export each booklet so that (1) it can be shared with people that dont have this app (2) and it can be printed.
- im sure you have to limit the sketchbook filesize, i hope it would be possible to have at least 30 sketches in one book/file.
- an option exists to display the page's creation date in tiny grey text
(- someday: allow the pasting of a picture. then you can call it a scrapbook as well.)
- not necessary to make urls/emails hot. (but nice.) it's better to be fast.

CALENDARED JOURNAL
- same as above, but
- each page always displays its creation date.
- an option exists to display only pages (dates) that have entries, or to display a blank (null) page for each date with no entry.
- it IS legal to "go to" a future date to add an entry.
- not necessary but nice to have an iconic "week view" that lets you browse 7 days at time, but instead of the actual data, you see 1, 2, or 3 icons per date (or colors) which indicate the presense of a text, drawing, or audio annotation.

on startup, you see the last page viewed in the last format viewed (sketchbook or journal).

screen buttons:
- next page
- prev page
- goto today
- insert page after this one ("new page")
- attach audio recording to this pg
- toggle writing/drawing mode
- clear drawing (not text)

- forward 7 days or pages
- back 7 days or pages

options to:
- search the text entries
- delete current page
- popup calendar to go to date
- overwrite next page with current page (simple duplicate) (if select-all, copy, & paste works, then that's fine instead.)
- move current page to end (simple rearrange)
- go to last page
- go to first page
(- someday: slideshow the following pages for N seconds)
(- someday: change the creation date for this page)

i would make the pages all screensize instead of larger scrolling things. id rather turn a page than scroll around.

all data should be encrypted.

it might be tempting to tie it into the pdas appointment database, but i wouldnt add this until lots of people say they want it. i dont.

gnormal, Nov 15 2002

MS OneNote (for TabletPC) http://microsoft.com/office/onenote/
19 Nov 02 | Announced at Comdex and, lousy name aside, looks neat-o. [bristolz, Oct 04 2004]

what the people need http://www.perannum.com/pocketpage.asp
a page layout from the dailylife item the pda is supposed to replce [gnormal, Oct 04 2004]

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       Journal on TabletPC will do this (and very well, except the .pdf part) but as far as PocketPC is concerned . . . I don't know of a solution.
bristolz, Nov 15 2002
  

       Made a note in my diary this morning. Just one word. 'Croissant.'
st3f, Nov 16 2002
  

       Being a child of the twentieth century, I prefer pen and paper. Nevertheless, as the sole advocate of pubwan, I voted croissant because information in machine-readable form is always more valuable than information not in machine-readable form. I prefer paper because the latter doesn't require batteries. Sometimes I can't wait long enough to get to somewhere I can get batteries.
LoriZ, Nov 17 2002
  

       there is nothing like this on tucows. it's not necessary print from the pda, printing from the pc is fine. im just suggesting that, as obvious as this interface is for a skratchpad-sized pda, and as easy as it is to code, it is not yet offered. if you take notes often, info gets buried in your pda, whether you use the "notes" app, or even a fancy tree interface. its silly. why should i have to use an export function and reformat everything? im a computer engineer. i love to play with these bells and whistles. but sometimes im just a guy who wants to jot something down without #$^&* having to classify it and prioritize it and have my writing "recognized". i am not the only one. i am 100% certain that if this app i described existed, and if my parents had a pda, this is the ONLY app they would ever use. and goodness knows there are lots of parents/newbies with pdas out there, more coming as of 12/25.
gnormal, Nov 18 2002
  

       yes, much like doodlenotes, but with text, and dates, and as a pocket-pc app. note my new description.
gnormal, Nov 20 2002
  

       i would like it even simpler. just like a paper notepad. power button, next/last page buttons. use back end (with magnet) to popup menu, or slide back end left or right to flip pages or some direction to turn off. bluetooth enabled. toss in videos too!   

       how about a one-way transparent solar cell over the screen to charge the batteries and nvram to store pages?   

       and you should be able to open pages networked with others' notebooks so you can all draw at once.   

       that would be the killer app.   

       contact me to discuss specs. lets build a prototype!
ironfroggy, Nov 20 2002
  

       //i would like it even simpler.//   

       today i learned that simplicity is just as subjective as beauty.
gnormal, Nov 21 2002
  


 

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