Note app that really works....

[guthrien]

I used Underscore a little bit. I thought it had more fluid handwriting than PhatPad (unless that's been improved lately). It was a decent, versatile program, but I did have stability issues which left a bit of a bad impression.

In my opinion, if you use a handwriting app, one of the most important features is how fast and smooth it renders the ink. That's one reason I can't use many of the apps like NoteTaker. It's distracting if it's not as fast as true handwriting, mimicking as well as possible pen on paper. UPad and Noteshelf are excellent for that, as is Penultimate though they might have other reasons that make them inappropriate as everyday note-taking.

[Ads]

[chowdown]

The blue dot on the left of auto advance screen. It tells you where you left off instead of showing the words like notesplus.

Are you using an iPad2? I'm using an iPad1 running iOS4.3 with the latest version of NTHD (v6.5). I've been using the app for 11 months and have never seen a blue dot on the left of the auto advance screen. I see a grey area in which I can position the next letter quite easily.

[chowdown]

In my opinion, if you use a handwriting app, one of the most important features is how fast and smooth it renders the ink. That's one reason I can't use many of the apps like NoteTaker. It's distracting if it's not as fast as true handwriting, mimicking as well as possible pen on paper. UPad and Noteshelf are excellent for that, as is Penultimate ...

For the life of me I can't see any difference in speed/smoothness between those four apps.

[juniorgolf18]

Are you using an iPad2? I'm using an iPad1 running iOS4.3 with the latest version of NTHD (v6.5). I've been using the app for 11 months and have never seen a blue dot on the left of the auto advance screen. I see a grey area in which I can position the next letter quite easily.

I will screen shot it or try to

[juniorgolf18]

Here is shot of the blue dot - can see in the gray area, it is supposed to be exactly where you left off on the right side so you could essentially pick up in mid-word.

[chowdown]

Whoah, there it is! I've never noticed it before. Shows you how little I use auto-advance. After playing with it for 30 seconds I've got to say it makes using auto-advance even easier. Thanks for the tip, and sorry for implying that you might have been hallucinating.

Btw, on my computer and iPad, that dot doesn't look blue to me. More like a shade somewhere between puce and taupe.

[juniorgolf18]

Whoah, there it is! I've never noticed it before. Shows you how little I use auto-advance. After playing with it for 30 seconds I've got to say it makes using auto-advance even easier. Thanks for the tip, and sorry for implying that you might have been hallucinating.

Btw, on my computer and iPad, that dot doesn't look blue to me. More like a shade somewhere between puce and taupe.

LOL, funny. It's there for sure. Glad its helping.

One tidbit - Notability just put out an upgrade - now has default paper options, and more...

[jsh1120]

What about Underscore Notify? It is $1.99 in the App Store. I'll have to admit I haven't used it much, mainly because I'm hoping for a good handwriting recognition app. But this thread seems to be about hand written notes wo/ recognition. Notify does to impress me in its ability to pan around a page to edit or insert text. Also able to move text around on a page.

That said Underscore Notify also has hand writing recognition as a $2.99 in app purchase, which I do NOT like. It uses the WritePad engine, but seems to be less effective than PhatPad in actual use. And that's why I haven't tried it as much.

After trying a lot of hand writing recognition apps, I'm starting to think I'd be better off trying to relearn my childhood hand writing skills leave real text entry to the keyboard.

Underscore Notify has gotten some mediocre reviews lately in the App Store, some of which don't match my experience. I do agree with jsh1120's comment, that you need to buy a number of apps and try them and that is takes practice. My iPad is littered with many such apps.

This is my shameless plug for Underscore Notify. And your mileage probably will vary...

It does bear noting that PhatPad and WritePad use the same handwriting recognition engine.

[skallal]

It does bear noting that PhatPad and WritePad use the same handwriting recognition engine.

Agreed! I think 7notes has the best recognition outside of MyScript Memo. Finding I'm such a keyboard person that the Apple Bluetooth keyboard is simply the best for me. Need to take a few weeks and learn handwriting all over again. A doctor called it atrophy when you lose a skill to non use. I have handwriting atrophy and there isn't an app out there that will work until I overcome it, lol!