Notability Review: An Excellent Note-Taking, PDF Annotation Tool

App Name:	Notability
Platforms:	iPad
Publisher(s):	Ginger Labs
Version Reviewed:	4.20
Genre(s):	productivity
Release Date:	March 7, 2012 (updated)
Price:	$0.99, 66% OFF! (Was $2.99)
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Let’s be honest, taking notes probably wasn’t one of the possible uses that got 
you most excited about getting that new iPad. It’s easy for productivity apps like
 Notability to become overshadowed by all the great gaming, photography, music,
 and entertainment apps that litter the App Store… But some of us are interested
 in taking things to the next level when it comes to getting the most out of our
 tablets, and that’s when something like Notability can’t be ignored. It might be
 drab on the outside, but spend a few minutes learning the power of this note-
taking tool, and I think you’ll quickly deem it worth the asking price.

I first realized my need for a tool like Notability after taking a new job. My first 
few weeks were spent studying for certification exams, with all the necessary 
information being provided to me in the form of long PDF documents. Staring at
 a computer screen for hours on end looked daunting, especially when I knew I
 was going to be needing to re-read and do some extensive noting and
 highlighting… Enter Notability: the app is perfectly suited for creating new notes
 and annotating PDFs, which made it the ideal candidate for making my studies just
 a bit more pleasurable.

Though the note creation of Notability is incredibly useful (and blows the built-in 
Notes app out of the water), let’s start by talking about the annotation features.
 Once you get a document imported into the app–which can be easily 
accomplished using Dropbox or the “open in” feature–you’re all set to start making colorful 
notes and highlights, or even adding sections of typed text. All the icons are
 located in a toolbar at the top of the screen (which can be hidden to maximize 
document visibility), and changing the width or color of your writing implements 
is accomplished with a double tap. When a writing tool is selected, navigating the
PDF document is done by scrolling with two fingers or opening up the page view 
represented by the stack of papers on the right side of the screen… For the most 
part, the process is intuitive and easy to navigate, though you’ll probably find that
 your efficiency won’t meet it’s potential till the navigation becomes second nature 
and you stop accidentally marking up the document.

With the ability to annotate tucked in your back pocket, it’s time to turn to the
 creation of new notes. At the risk of getting preachy, I’ll share another firsthand 
example of how Notability can be used… I’m writing this review from inside the 
app, and let’s say I want to insert a hand drawn figure (such as a graph or a funny 
illustration). All it takes is a few taps before I’m taken to a blank slate. After the 
drawing is done, I’m taken back here to the text where I can tap to insert (Side note: stylus or not, making marks is fluid and accurate).
 Notability offers great options for resizing such hand-drawn objects, and the text wrap works 

wonderfully… Similarly easy processes are used for inserting things like web clips 
or photos. With the basics under your belt, you can blow the roof off your
 productivity by getting familiar with more advanced features like audio recordings
 and the zoom feature… While the potential for creativity and variation in your notes is endless, the app doesn’t position itself as a pure text creation tool–meaning it’s more useful for dynamic note-taking that can change direction at any moment (with the end result being packaged as a PDF).

Now that you’re aware of what Notability can do, it’s time to offer a word of 
warning: Don’t be turned away by the app’s lack of flair…Yes, it’s pretty plain and
 doesn’t boast any of the appeal or style of an Apple app, but that has no bearing 
on how it can expand your productivity once you get through the slight learning
 curve. Notability is one of those App Store gems that is worth your investment of 
time and money even though it doesn’t get much time in the spotlight. Pick it up 
now and discover a great example of what you COULD be doing with your iPad in the classroom or 
workplace.

Our Score: 4 Out of 5

About the Author

Devin Wieland

 

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