Try out this amazing data capture and organizing tool - Evernote

I've been using Evernote for over six months now. I learned about it while searching for products that would help me synchronize data between my various compute platforms. I have many platforms I want to be able use to gather material when I'm doing my genealogy research. I have an iMac, MacBook, Dell Windows XP laptop, Blackberry Storm, and an iPod Touch. All have their functions for work and play, and I wanted to be able to capture data regardless of which machine I was using.

I found Evernote while searching for products to synchronize multiple platforms. Like DropBox (see my earlier post), Evernote is based in the Internet "Cloud". The Cloud is the latest term used for Web-based services, unlike the typical localized tools we use on our PCs and laptops. With the Cloud, all you need is an Internet connection and a browser, and you can get to your information from anywhere. You don't have to worry about carrying along a CD, USB stick, or memory card with your data and then remembering to sync it back up when you get home. In Cloud computing, your data is securely stored on servers that you can access from anywhere. They are backed up and reliable. Best of all, many of these services are free up to a certain level.

Evernote.com provides downloads for Mac, Windows, iPhone/Touch, and Blackberry. They have two levels of service. The basic level is free and is a great place to start. You can try out the service and do most everything you would need to do with the free service. The Premium service adds functions like indexing of PDF files and a much higher number of monthly uploads. There is no storage limit, just the total data transfer per month.

Imagine being in the library, finding that page in a book you've been needing, not having a copy machine available and only a minute to make some notes. Take out your Blackberry or iPhone, snap a photo of the page and save it to Evernote. The image is automatically copied to the Cloud and synchronized with all your other devices. When you get home, log into your PC or Mac and there it is, the page you needed ready for further analysis.

Give Evernote a try. I recommend it. They keep it current (including the recent Snow Leopard update from Apple).