26   Advisor Reviews  /  The Charleston Advisor  /  April 2013 www.charlestonco.com Advisor Reviews—Comparative Review Taking Notes: Notability & PaperPort Notes doi:10.5260/chara.14.4.26 Date of Review: February 15, 2013 Notability Composite Score: PaperPort Notes Composite Score: Reviewed by: Claudia McGivney HHHH Dowling College Library Dowling College 150 Idle Hour Boulevard Oakdale, NY 11769 HHHH 1/4 Abstract Notability and PaperPort Notes are note-taking applications for the iPad. There are a number of note-taking apps available, but not all have the same tools and each has a varying level of functionality. These apps can be used to annotate content, collaborate on documents, work with PowerPoint presentations and PDF files, manipulate images, and create unique materials for the classroom. The wide range of features also includes audio capabilities that can enhance classroom sessions or improve communication in library administrative duties. Using these apps a librarian can easily create and change documents, work collaboratively, and seamlessly share all content with others. In meetings or teaching courses a librarian can record someone else’s speech, take notes, or pass the tablet to another for additional thoughts. The apps can also be used by librarians who teach information literacy courses to promote interaction in the classroom. Students can work together on a document and the content created can be uploaded to cloud storage, Blackboard, or shared via e-mail. Notability and PaperPort Notes stand out as the most comprehensive note-taking apps, ideally suited for use in libraries and specifically as tools in information instruction sessions. Pricing Options Notability: Normally $4.99, at the time of this review it is on sale for $1.99. PaperPort Notes: This is currently listed as “Free” in the iTunes store. Product Description Notability Of all the note-taking apps currently available, Notability stands out as one of the most visually pleasing. A variety of tools and custom features allow for tight control over freehand writing and drawing. Unique materials can be created using a variety of paper choices and inserting Web clips or photos. There is a large selection of paper styles, but the drawback is only one style can be used per document. PDFs and PowerPoint presentations are extremely easy to work with due to the large selection of editing tools available in Notability. The home screen of the app includes an interactive instruction manual and is where documents can be organized into subjects and categories. The sorting feature allows documents to be displayed by name, date created or modified, subject, size, or when the document was last exported. There is also a search feature that looks for document title or scans for text within the notes. Items can be imported here from cloud storage or e-mail. Once a new document is opened a main toolbar is displayed across the top. The ‘t’ icon represents the typing function, once tapped the user can click anywhere in the active document to begin working. For ease of use the app’s keyboard has its own toolbar that can be customized, tapping and holding a finger on the toolbar allows the user to make modifications. (Figure 1) The user is then free to drag preferred “At a Glance” Comparative Review Scores The maximum number of stars in each category is 5. Notability PaperPort Notes Composite HHHH HHHH 1/4 Content HHHH HHHH 1/4 User Interface/ Searchability HHHH HHHH 1/4 Pricing HHHH N/A Contract Options N/A N/A The Charleston Advisor  /  April 2013 FIGURE 1. Notability keyboard feature www.charlestonco.com    27   FIGURE 2. Notability freehand sample functions onto the custom toolbar for quick access. A particularly useful feature is the three heart buttons that allow a user to choose favorite typing settings for font, color, size, and style. The keyboard toolbar allows for quick editing the style and positioning of text within the document. The pen tool, used for freehand writing and drawing, is one of the best compared to like tools in similar apps. Writing with a finger or stylus in Notability does an excellent job of capturing handwriting naturally and gives each document a personalized look. While there is a palm rest, it is definitely worth purchasing a stylus in order to take notes as accurately as possible. The stroke style can be adjusted between a regular pen stroke and one that looks more like a calligraphy pen stroke. The color and thickness of the pen tool can also be adjusted through a variety of options. Freehand writing is smooth within the app from the first stroke on a page, but there is an additional feature for fine tuning. A magnifying glass icon is located at the bottom right of the screen and this tool can be used to zoom in to any point of an open document. The magnifying tool will split the screen, open a text writing box on the main document, and create a space to write at the bottom of the screen. (Figures 2 & 3) The bottom portion, the magnified piece, of the screen will continue to move as the user writes, or left/right tab buttons can be used. It is also possible to hold and drag the text box in the active document, thus changing the area that is magnified. Pinching and swiping with two fingers will alter the size of the text box. There is an eraser tool, which is standard in most apps, but this one is a bit of a hindrance. The eraser can often be overly helpful as it will erase all lines connected to the portion touched. This is a major drawback as a user can spend time creating a detailed document only to have a wayward swipe remove a large portion. Fortunately the eraser tool does not work on text that has been typed and text must be erased with the backspace key. The undo and redo tools often come in handy in these cases, but the redo feature is hidden and can only be accessed by pressing down on the undo icon. A very useful tool included in Notability is the cut tool which allows the user to quickly relocate any selection of handwriting or drawing within the document. Holding a finger down on the selected portion will bring up a menu of choices including the option to copy, delete, or cut the selection. Additionally, there is an option to change the style and this allows the user to completely change previously selected color and thickness of the line. Using the cut tool, a thick red arrow can change to a thin blue arrow with a few touches, eliminating the need to erase and redraw. FIGURE 3. Notability magnifying tool The audio tool, represented by a microphone icon, will begin recording so the user can record a meeting or lecture while taking notes, or voiceover an original document. Recording can be continuous or paused and restarted to create multiple files. The loop icon in the audio menu calls up a list of recordings and each audio file can then be shared separately or exported entirely with the document. The volume of the recording can also be adjusted and there are advanced features for audio tuning to adjust frequency and speakers. The media tool allows the user to insert a variety of photos, notes, and clips to a document. The photo option allows the user to pull existing images from the camera roll or take a new photo with the iPad camera. The add figure option allows the user to freehand draw or select a variety of shapes to create a custom image. All of these options open the editing tool which has a choice of shapes, line styles and text, choice of fill, and stroke colors for creating figures and adjustments for line width. The user can also crop an image or annotate over photographs. There is an undo button in the editing screen, but there is no redo button so the user should use caution when editing. The media tool also allows for a Web clip option which will pull screen captures from the internet. The default bookmarks are for Wikipedia and Google, but the user can enter a URL or choose to set any number of custom bookmarks and the browser remembers the last page selected for quick access. The entire browser screen can be captured or just a selected portion, but the image can easily be cropped further once imported to the editing tool. The last choice on the media tool is for adding sticky notes for handwriting that are blank, lined or grids, as well as a sticky note for typing. All of the notes can be resized and maneuvered around the document and can be cut and copied with ease. Tapping the top of the note will bring up a menu for changing the paper style and adding a typed caption to the bottom portion of any note. There is definitely a learning curve when working with these as a slight press can easily alter the note and they each function differently. Once finished editing a document the user had a multitude of choices for exporting the work. Documents can be sent via e-mail or moved to cloud storage, such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Finished items and recordings can also be exported into iTunes and as PDF files or RTF documents. (Figure 4) PaperPort Notes Previously known as Noterize, Nuance Communications, Inc. bought the application, made some additions, and launched the app as PaperPort Notes. Fortunately, for those already using Noterize, the layout 28   Advisor Reviews  /  The Charleston Advisor  /  April 2013 FIGURE 4. Exporting files from Notability www.charlestonco.com FIGURE 5. PaperPort Notes opening screen of PaperPort Notes basically remained the same intuitive interface as the original. A major change and benefit is the incorporation of a dictation tool since Nuance is the developer of Dragon Dictation. It is certainly worth noting, when working with apps, that apps created by small developers may be absorbed by larger companies, altered, merged, or cease updating altogether. In the case of Noterize changing to PaperPort Notes, the app was definitely improved and everything that made Noterize popular to begin with was kept. PaperPort Notes does not include a user guide, but they do have a very informative 20-page guide that can be downloaded for free within the app. There is no home screen, the application opens directly into the active document and all other documents are available in the sidebar on the left-side of the app. (Figure 5) The sidebar can be hidden with a tap and this is recommended as it can become cumbersome when trying to edit. ture of PaperPort Notes is the ability to have a variety of paper choices within a single document. Although it is not intuitive, the text button is also where the user will access functions for adding images, Web snapshots, and photos. For each item added the user must create a new text box and then choose whether to add just text, a border, a sticky note, or an image. Multiple images may be added to a page (Figure 6) and then annotated. Sticky notes, images, and text boxes may all be layered or annotated (Figure 7) to create distinctive note pages. A pen tool can be used for freehand writing and drawing, but there are a limited number of color choices. Zooming into the document is recommended for writing clearly, and it will take some practice ad- The toolbar runs across the top of an open document and can be hidden away or the annotative tools, called the “options drawer,” can remain open for easy editing. In editing mode the user cannot zoom into the document, this can only be done in viewing mode. It can be a bit frustrating to toggle between the two modes, especially when attempting to zoom in for accuracy when handwriting. The text button allows for typing options, a slider changes the line width, and the color and font may also be adjusted. There are a large number of fonts that can be selected, but in order to have different fonts in the same document the user must create separate text boxes. The text typed outside the text boxes remains consistent throughout all pages of the same document. Text can be added anywhere on the page by tapping and typing, inserting a text box, or creating a sticky note. Text added directly to the page can be altered in size, but this will impact text on all pages. Although only one text can be used outside the boxes, the text itself will automatically align with the lines on ruled paper. A very nice fea- FIGURE 6. PaperPort Notes page with images and annotation The Charleston Advisor  /  April 2013 www.charlestonco.com    29   ibly useful as audio will match to pages as notes are being taken, rather than as a lengthy, continuous audio recording. As helpful as the audio capabilities are, there are some drawbacks since the audio files are quite large. Due to the size of the audio files they cannot be exported and shared via e-mail; they must be sent to iTunes and the app’s document folder for file sharing. In order to do this the user must connect the iPad to a computer, open iTunes, and find PaperPort Notes in the apps tab. Once PaperPort Notes is selected the files can be located under Documents and this can be very helpful to move large files. FIGURE 7. PaperPort Notes page with images and annotation justing the line width in order to write effectively. A highlighting tool can also be accessed for annotating over text or images and there is a slider bar to adjust the line width, but the color choices are limited. The eraser tool can be used to erase portions of the document and the slider tool will adjust the width of the eraser, but it is a bit large regardless. The user must take care when erasing not to swipe too quickly or more content than desired will be removed. The eraser does not affect typing, only the highlighted areas and freehand drawing. Fortunately there are prominent undo and redo buttons in the toolbar to quickly correct mistakes. PaperPort Notes has extensive and highly useful audio functions beginning with all audio being assigned to whatever page the user is working on when audio is being recorded. (Figure 8) Tapping the microphone tool, represented by a mic icon, will begin a recording and turn the icon red; tapping the microphone tool a second time will turn the icon blue. As the user changes pages, the current audio file will close and a new audio file will begin on the new page. This happens seamlessly with no reduction in audio quality or loss. This is incred- There is a clipboard tool that allows pages to be copied between documents and note sets. A very distinctive feature of PaperPort Notes is the inclusion of their Dragon Dictation software. Creating a new text box will call up the keyboard and attached to the top right of the keyboard is a tab for the Tap & Speak feature. Tap & Speak uses Dragon Diction’s speech recognition software to transcribe the user’s speech into the text box. It is recommended that a headset with a microphone is used, or the speaker must talk directly into the iPad’s audio jack. Another interesting feature is the Image to Text function which is also attached to the keyboard. Selecting this function calls up a screen where the user may import an existing photo or take one with the camera. Inserting the image into this tool will then pull recognized text into a notecard to the right-side that can then be copied into the original document. This feature is not perfect and it can be impacted by lighting, image clarity, font size, direction of text, etc., but it is an interesting option. PDF files and PowerPoint presentations can be imported easily and if the app is linked with Dropbox files can be imported from there, as well as screenshots from the internet. There are also a variety of options to export documents and audio files. When sharing documents, files can be broken into select pages and password protected. Critical Evaluation There are a wide variety of note-taking applications available from free to paid, with most being under ten dollars. More important than price in selecting the ideal app is functionality and these apps don’t all offer the same tools or comparable functions. Some apps don’t allow the user to annotate over imported images and some only allow for typing in certain areas. Most allow for screenshots from the internet, and many have audio features, but the level to which the user can edit and share each of these varies. Penultimate ($.99) is a popular app in this category, but is rather limiting in terms of adaptability for both personal use in the library and as a tool in information instruction. It is better for sketching, doodling, and sharing quick notes or books of notes. Goodnotes is another popular app ($4.99) and, while it has some beautiful drawing features, it does not have audio capability. It is a matter of preference and individual comfort in working with these apps that will ultimately decide which is best. FIGURE 8. PaperPort Notes audio feature Notability and PaperPort Notes are two of the most comprehensive note-taking apps and their features do not require an extremely tech savvy user. Note-taking apps are obviously useful to students, and in an academic library they can certainly be recommended on campus for use in classrooms. It might be less obvious that these apps can be effectively used by librarians to maximize efficiency in their daily duties, as well as in information instruction sessions. 30   Advisor Reviews  /  The Charleston Advisor  /  April 2013 www.charlestonco.com Notability Review Scores Composite: HHHH The maximum number of stars in each category is 5. Content: HHHH Overall the available features are outstanding, and the app allows for precise, freehand note taking. The magnifying tool is seamless and allows the finger or stylus to glide when writing or drawing over any content. User Interface/Searchability: HHHH The interface is fairly easy to use, but the lack of a redo button and a more accurate eraser tool can be limiting. The Web clip tool and editing functions allow the user to create some beautiful presentation materials, or work collaboratively on documents in class. A major drawback is that the application does not have VGA capability. Pricing: HHHH Price varies. Currently the app is on sale for $1.99, but it is usually $4.99. Check for sales when new updates are released. Contract Options: N/A PaperPort Notes Review Scores Composite: HHHH 1/4 The maximum number of stars in each category is 5. Content: HHHH 1/4 PaperPort Notes allows for a range of paper styles and content to be manipulated, but toggling between editing and viewing mode to work with the document can be frustrating. The audio features in this app are remarkable, and the ability to split audio recordings as the user changes pages is very useful. Sharing the audio files is limited, as the size leaves the user unable to share audio clips through e-mail. Additionally, the capability to transcribe what is said in class into a text box with the Tap & Speak tool is a unique feature. User Interface/Searchability: HHHH 1/4 Sharing documents is very easy and the user is able to share select pages or the entire file. The interface is one screen and everything can be accessed via tabs and drop down menus. The set-up is fairly intuitive and the user guide (which can be downloaded within the app) is very comprehensive and easily understandable for new users. Pricing: N/A Contract Options: N/A In meetings, librarians can take advantage of the recording functions in order to not miss what is said while being able to jot down personal thoughts or notes. PaperPort Notes is particularly useful in this way as it attaches audio to specific pages. Day-to-day functions in the library can be made easier as the iPad’s portability allows it to be taken into the stacks, compact shelving or storage areas where notes, lists, or project outlines may need to be composed. Rather than having to use a legal pad and transcribe the information, data can be typed quickly; photos can be taken and annotated all in the same note to be shared later. With more students purchasing and more libraries lending iPads, their incorporation on campus is increasing. These note-taking apps can be used for information instruction sessions since the iPad can easily be handed off to students. Composing documents and creating class projects that can be worked on collaboratively is an excellent way to promote interaction and increase participation. PDF files and PowerPoint presentations are compatible with both Notability and PaperPort Notes so they can be marked up as the iPad is passed throughout the classroom. The Charleston Advisor  /  April 2013 www.charlestonco.com    31   writing and drawings that can be dragged across the screen. Images can be cropped and moved easily by tapping and dragging each image, captions can be added to each image, and a word wrap feature will split text around an image if necessary. Layering is very easy in both Notability and PaperPort Notes, but only PaperPort Notes allows for sticky notes to be tilted and rotated. Currently neither app allows for images to be angled within a document, but they can be layered and cropped in both. FIGURE 9. Artistic flexibility using Notability One feature to note, depending on how the user plans to incorporate the app, is that not all note-taking applications have VGA capability. A number of applications are not capable of VGA Output so understanding the major functions of each app will play a major role in determining how to most effectively use them. In the case of Notability and PaperPort Notes only PaperPort Notes supports VGA Out to view documents on a projector in a classroom or lab. If the priority is using the iPad as an interactive tool this may not matter, but being able to display the notes as they are being created is a major benefit. While this might be incorporated into Notability in a future update it does not currently support VGA. If the priority of the user is displaying documents in the classroom PaperPort Notes would be the better choice, while Notability’s smoother writing tools may be better for passing the document around the classroom via the iPad. If the intent is note taking in meetings, either application would be suitable. Aesthetically, Notability’s writing features are more visually appealing than PaperPort Notes’ because of the diverse tool choices and color options. There are also a greater number of paper choices in Notability; various colors, textures, grids, and graphs are available, however a user can only select one paper type per document. In PaperPort Notes there are only four paper style choices (plain white, yellow or white lined, and graph paper), but they can be used interchangeably within one document. Artistically, more can be done with Notability and the editing functions allow for the creation of original figures and graphics. (Figure 9) When editing a document, maneuverability is much greater in Notability since the cut tool allows for the selection of individual hand- Contact Information Ginger Labs (Notability) Palo Alto, California E-mail: URL: Nuance Communications, Inc. (PaperPort Notes) 1 Wayside Road Burlington, MA 01803 Phone: (800) 654-1187 Fax: (781) 565-5001 E-mail: URL: Another feature to consider, though it may seem insignificant, is the ability to correct mistakes. The eraser tool in Notability can be very frustrating as it will erase everything connected to the point the eraser tool touches. Normally this can be corrected with the undo and redo tabs in an app, but it will take a little practice to become proficient using them in Notability. It takes some getting used to the corrective capabilities in Notability and, considering there are a lot of functions in the app, there is definitely a learning curve as users are bound to make mistakes. PaperPort Notes is a little more forgiving of mistakes, although there are decidedly fewer color choices and drawing options available. The eraser is definitely a better tool in PaperPort Notes, but the user must still take care to go slowly and set the width as tiny as possible for this tool. Luckily, the undo and redo buttons are prominent on the toolbar so just about anything done can be undone. Audio functions are prominent and easy to use in both apps, but recordings are assigned to pages in PaperPort Notes and the entire document in Notability. It is possible to separate recordings in Notability, but labels will have to be created or the user will need to guess where in the list of recordings a particular section of notes corresponds. The benefit to these separate audio files, tagged to individual pages, is when reviewing the document a user will not have to scroll through twenty minutes or more of audio to find the two minutes that correlate with a particular page. Although audio cannot be exported by email in PaperPort Notes, the ability to link audio to particular pages is highly desirable. Another useful option of this feature is coordinating it with a PowerPoint in class. A question can be recorded, as well as the answer and be attached to the slide to be shared later. As mentioned, sharing audio is not as fluid as with other apps, but sharing documents does have more options. Both apps can be linked to cloud storage, and documents can be shared via e-mail or exported to iTunes and social media sites. With Notability the entire document must be sent, while PaperPort Notes allows for individual pages to be selected and shared. This can be particularly helpful both within a library department or an instruction session as it is not always necessary to share the entire content. Arguably, both apps are extremely useful and each has its own advantages and drawbacks; it will depend entirely on the user’s intention and personal preferences which app sees the most regular use. Given that PaperPort Notes is free it is definitely worth trying and can be used to gauge whether or not to invest in one of the more expensive note-taking apps. Since both of these apps are primarily for note taking, they will serve a librarian better in meetings and for personal editing. What is attention-grabbing about both is that they can, with a little ingenuity, be incorporated into information literacy courses. They are both exceedingly worthy of recommendation to students in an academic library environment for taking notes in their courses. Tablets and their myriad applications are used by librarians in a personal capacity, to enhance instruction sessions and as tools at the reference desk. Librarians are frequently recommending apps to stu- 32   Advisor Reviews  /  The Charleston Advisor  /  April 2013 dents and colleagues, as well as instructing them in the usage of these applications. The varying possibilities librarians have for using these apps make it a bit more difficult to sift through them since an app may be excellent for one use and mediocre for another. Overall, it is important to examine the features of similar applications and decide which will best suit the specific goal desired. As tablets become more common in libraries, librarians will find it necessary to test and experiment with multiple applications before being able to determine which will become mainstays. www.charlestonco.com About the Author Claudia McGivney is an Assistant Professor/Reference Librarian at Dowling College. She holds an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Hofstra University and an M.S.L.I.S. from Long Island University. She currently oversees Government Information and Serials and also frequently teaches information instruction at Dowling College Library. Her recent research interests include anime and graphic novels in education, emerging technology, online learning, perception of librarians, and poetry.  n