Awesome Note

Awesome Note packs an impressive array of features. There's no denying that it's gorgeous, and a lot of the features are really neat: importing notes from Google Docs, for example, is a really great idea. I wish that the implementation was a bit better, and Push notifications would be a godsend, but it's still an elegant replacement for the Notes app that should more than satisfy the average user.

First, a quick run-through of some of Awesome Note's "awesome" features. Your basic organizational features are present: custom folders can be created, and notes can be moved easily between categories; folders can be password protected. (There's also an "all notes" view.) Notes and to-do items are identical; the only difference is that to-do items have due dates attached. Notes can be viewed in a standard list mode, or you can use the nifty Post-it view.

A "Quick Memo" button on the main screen takes you to four persistent Post-it style notes, where you can quickly scribble memos down for future reference. There's a global search feature, landscape mode, the ability to email your notes—you name it, this app has tried to incorporate it.

Everything about Awesome Note is simple and elegantly done, and it manages to cram all of these features in well, considering. The purpose of some icons isn't immediately apparent—take the "edit folders" button, which is a folder with a down arrow on it, for instance. Still, a bit of fiddling reveals all of the features. Creating new notes is simple and fast, especially with the "quick note" function, which lets you type in straight text and save: no title, no due date, no frills. My favorite part of the app is that it's just so simple to use. Isn't that what you want, at the end of the day?

One of the features that intrigued me the most in Awesome Note was the ability to import, export, and backup notes to Google Docs. This function is accessed from the settings menu. You can chose individual files to import and export, or you can perform a mass backup of your notes, which is a great feature to have. Unfortunately, the process isn't seamless. There's no way to sync your notes; it's a one-way transfer, so you'll have to remember which version is newer. Also, formatting, such as lists, is lost once you transfer files into Awesome Note. Still, it can save you a lot of typing in the right situation.

Despite Awesome Note's already-huge feature list, I still want more. At the top of my list? Push notifications. Currently, the app adds a numbered badge, but this only happens after things are due, and there's no way to set a reminder. The coming update, which is in Apple's approval queue, is said to address many concerns: Version 2.5 should add Google sync, hyperlinks in notes, photo attachments, and a master password (as opposed to one per folder). But I'd still like a calendar view, and a better way to set themes for notes...as it is, you have to tap one button and cycle through the themes one by one. Ugh! Plus, the default theme appears to be random.

I've saved perhaps the best part of Awesome Notes for last: this app just looks awesome. You can't beat the visuals here. There are plenty of themes to chose from (though the actual choosing can be difficult) and the app as a whole is gorgeous. The graphics are perhaps the biggest draw, and rightly so; Awesome Notes oozes class. You can customize it a bit, too, between themes, folder colors, and icons.

It's the classy interface that's meant to draw users in, but I love Awesome Notes because of its feature set. I'll be eagerly anticipating the promised Google Sync with the next update, but even now, it's a great app and worth the price.