SmartphoneNotes is a single solution to handle all text notes related needs on your Windows Mobile Pocket PC. It lets you create and manage text notes directly on your device, also allowing you assign categories and background colors just like the way you do in Outlook. These text notes can then be filtered and arranged in groups accordingly and even be saved on internal phone memory or storage cards depending upon your own needs. You can also assign a password to the saved text notes, blocking access to any unauthorized use.
The program will even allow you to call a contact or send an e-mail or open a URL address in Internet Explorer from within the app. While also providing synchronization between these text notes and Microsoft Outlook on your desktop PC.
SmartphoneNotes is developed by SyncData and can be purchased from their website for $19.95. You can also download a trial version by clicking on the download link provided at the top of the products description page.
The app is compatible with all Pocket PCs operating on Windows Mobile Classic 5.0/6.0/6.1 and Windows Mobile Professional 5.0/6.0/6.1 platforms.
SmartphoneNotes can be easily installed on your Pocket PC by connecting it to a desktop computer and then using Microsoft ActiveSync to run the downloaded .EXE setup file.
Then I opened the app by tapping on Start Menu → Programmes → SmartphoneNotes which directed me to the main window which was initially empty and asked to click on the Menu tab → New to create a new text note on my device. This further presented a window where I could enter text to create a new text note.
You can access the Menu tab if you want to insert editing tools or common note text like date, time, brackets, web address or if you want to use the copy-paste function to import text from a certain document.
After I had created a document, I named this note and then tapped on the ‘Done’ button to save the note on my device.
All the saved notes are then presented as a list on the apps main screen and can be accessed and opened any time by simply selecting and tapping on the required entry. All the entries are then marked separately so that these can be easily identified, for example a password protected entry is marked by a red circle with a ‘minus’ sign and the text note saved on the storage card memory is marked by a ‘save’ sign.
If you want to search for a specific text note, you can enter the first few letters of its name in the search box and the app displays a list of all the entries beginning with these letters.
If there is a link in the note, you just have to tap on it and SmartphoneNotes will automatically open the associated app, for example tapping on an e-mail address will open the messaging app and tapping on a URL address will open the Internet Explorer. I could easily assign a password to a saved text note by tapping on the ‘Menu’ tab that displayed the ‘Protect’ option, allowing me to define a password so that that note is locked and will open only after providing the defined password.
Memory location can be changed by tapping on Menu → Properties → Memory Location. I could then assign categories and background color to create text notes by tapping on Menu → Categories/Color.
Here, I could also assign note subjects and define a date when the note was created. The Menu tab also allowed me to sort and filter notes and this can be done by tapping on Menu → Sort and Filter that further allows you to sort notes by subject, creation date, colors, size and much more.
After the app is installed on your device, you can also take notes while making or receiving a call by tapping on ‘Menu’ and then selecting the ‘Create note’ option. The app even allows you to save call details from call history log by tapping on ‘Menu’ and then selecting ‘Save in SmartphoneNotes’ option.
If you have Microsoft ActiveSync installed on your desktop PC, you can synchronize text notes created on your Pocket PC with your computer. Now whenever you start the synchronization process in ActiveSync, along with synchronizing contacts, calendar, e-mail and tasks, you will also see a SmartphoneNotes option that automatically synchronizes text notes saved on your Pocket PC with your computer.
SmartphoneNotes takes care of every task/notes related requirement on your Pocket PC and works exactly as advertised by the developers. It includes a long list of options and settings but that doesn't necessarily mean that the settings are difficult to configure.
I was a little bit confused several times during the configuration process but the application is quite easy to use and each time I found my way out. It is also useful just like using Outlook on your desktop PC, allowing you to assign color-code and categories.
I particularly liked the feature that allows taking notes while making or receiving a call which comes in quite handy while saving important text memos over the phone conversation.
While some users might find the app to be slightly overpriced at $19.95, considering the loads of features, usability and convenience it has to offer, this price can be overlooked quite easily.
SOURCE: SyncData