Developer Abandoned
I was using this App for years, BUT……Developer has completely abandoned this App and the companion App Notes Plus. Both Apps by this developer are no longer supported. These were the best handwriting apps available. But both are now very buggy and unreliable. Many users, like me, have experience loss of important files. For example, I had one research file consisting of 61 pages of notes, created over a two year period. It just disappeared and could not be recovered. Bottom line: look elsewhere unless/until developer fixes bugs and restarts support.
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Find something else
Despite the reviews I really wanted to see what this app could do. I’ve been a long time (but inconsistent) user of the original Notes Plus and really loved it but it was lacking in some table-stakes functionality I really thought should be there.
This app is worse. While it does have more functionality, the bugs are even more pervasive. Just handwriting a note I find myself having to rewrite every other word or half-word because the app deletes it just after I write it.
Honestly I think I’ll just go back to OneNote, even though I had issues with it they were nothing like this, and at least it’s Microsoft and we have a chance of regular updates. 🙏
Save your money, but more importantly save your time and aggravation. Just pass this one by.
This app is worse. While it does have more functionality, the bugs are even more pervasive. Just handwriting a note I find myself having to rewrite every other word or half-word because the app deletes it just after I write it.
Honestly I think I’ll just go back to OneNote, even though I had issues with it they were nothing like this, and at least it’s Microsoft and we have a chance of regular updates. 🙏
Save your money, but more importantly save your time and aggravation. Just pass this one by.
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Stopped working on my iPad
Just stopped working. Shame because I did like the app
Not Impressed with Notes Plus X
I use Notes Plus almost daily when attending meetings and taking notes. It’s always had its issues but never experienced any major issues with Notes Plus.
I upgraded to Notes Plus X and the experience has been totally different. I don’t understand how something that was so good can get upgraded to something so bad….
Files that were imported to X can’t be opened correctly. Even new notebooks don’t display the page lines. I wish there was a way to get my money back.
I upgraded to Notes Plus X and the experience has been totally different. I don’t understand how something that was so good can get upgraded to something so bad….
Files that were imported to X can’t be opened correctly. Even new notebooks don’t display the page lines. I wish there was a way to get my money back.
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Best handwriting engine available
I don’t know if “handwriting engine” is the proper term, but you will be amazed at how the letters look like a fine flowing fountain pen. I see many reviews (mostly 2 years old) that call it glitchy. I’ve not experienced glitch in the new Notes Plus X. It did take a little getting used to to understand the file structure that was improved over the original notes plus.
The app has seen several improvements that I appreciate. I would like to see an easier way to access/mark up/and save PDFs, but it is not my highest priority.
I did use notability at one time, but they have gone the way of perpetual pay. I just don’t use any app enough to keep paying and paying each year. I know the perpetual pay proponents say it is to encourage and support app improvements, but my experience has been that most improvements are simply bug fixes. If an app truly gets improvements, roll out a new version and I’ll pay an upgrade cost. [end of diatribe!]
The app has seen several improvements that I appreciate. I would like to see an easier way to access/mark up/and save PDFs, but it is not my highest priority.
I did use notability at one time, but they have gone the way of perpetual pay. I just don’t use any app enough to keep paying and paying each year. I know the perpetual pay proponents say it is to encourage and support app improvements, but my experience has been that most improvements are simply bug fixes. If an app truly gets improvements, roll out a new version and I’ll pay an upgrade cost. [end of diatribe!]
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Side scrolling pages?
I love the app and it does everything I need, except the pages do not scroll sideways, like a notebook. Can you add an option for pages to scroll sideways?
Best of the iOS handwriting apps
I love this app for two main reasons: First of all, It’s difficult to write cleanly on an iPad no matter who you are, but handwriting in Notes Plus X is unparalleled. I’ve downloaded and tested every major iOS app for handwritten notes and none of the others are able to make my handwriting look so good. When you write, what you see is a slight improvement over what you actually wrote on the screen. It’s fantastic, especially when using the fountain pen tip.
Second, this newer version’s user interface is well-designed and practical. Menus, folders, and tools are mostly where I would expect, and it makes it very easy to navigate and just get to writing. I use a 2nd gen Apple Pencil and this is my exclusive go-to app for note taking and marking up PDFs.
It has been mostly glitch-free and stable on my iPad Pro, so don’t worry about old reviews that might be referencing problems that have been long since solved. The only thing I’ve noticed is that I have to be sure I go out of my document and let it sync up before swiping the app away. That seems to prevent any loss of data.
Second, this newer version’s user interface is well-designed and practical. Menus, folders, and tools are mostly where I would expect, and it makes it very easy to navigate and just get to writing. I use a 2nd gen Apple Pencil and this is my exclusive go-to app for note taking and marking up PDFs.
It has been mostly glitch-free and stable on my iPad Pro, so don’t worry about old reviews that might be referencing problems that have been long since solved. The only thing I’ve noticed is that I have to be sure I go out of my document and let it sync up before swiping the app away. That seems to prevent any loss of data.
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Good but has Google issues
I love Notes Plus and now the newer Notes Plus X. The app is easy to use. My issue with it is using it with Google Drive storage. I have done all sorts of tests, workarounds and reinstallations, but Notes Plus X fails to create documents in Google Drive and crashes the iPadOS Files app. Saving PDFs in Drive is fine, but making and saving notes plus document files just hangs (it shows as not uploaded and greyed out). I have had to resort to saving documents in iCloud Drive which works. I have emailed the developer about this. At the moment, the app is unusable within Google Drive to save notebooks.
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Importing old notebooks causing problems
If I import old notebooks, it seems to break the app. But if I delete the app and re-download and never import anything it seems ok.
If I import anything at all - Imported documents are blank - I cannot see anything on them. Trying a new document - when I write with the pen (not Apple Pencil) the lines show, but if I switch to eraser everything I have written with the pen vanishes and you can’t see what to erase!
Sticking with the old version.
If I import anything at all - Imported documents are blank - I cannot see anything on them. Trying a new document - when I write with the pen (not Apple Pencil) the lines show, but if I switch to eraser everything I have written with the pen vanishes and you can’t see what to erase!
Sticking with the old version.
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Loses work!!
This app is the best handwriting app, period. You experience the joy of handwriting as in no other app.
BUT: lately - which is to say, the last few days, after I hadn’t touched it in a few weeks, I am writing for awhile and then LOSING EVERYTHING I’VE DONE! Sometimes pages of work!
This is beyond unacceptable! I can’t use it if I’m at all afraid of losing what I’ve done. And now that I’m into this ecosystem, it will be awkward to try to change to another system, and yet I HAVE to.
Can you imagine if any other word processing app just randomly lost pages of your work?
This needs to be fixed IMMEDIATELY or else I’ll have to go make do with some app that isn’t as fun but which actually SAVES MY WORK.
BUT: lately - which is to say, the last few days, after I hadn’t touched it in a few weeks, I am writing for awhile and then LOSING EVERYTHING I’VE DONE! Sometimes pages of work!
This is beyond unacceptable! I can’t use it if I’m at all afraid of losing what I’ve done. And now that I’m into this ecosystem, it will be awkward to try to change to another system, and yet I HAVE to.
Can you imagine if any other word processing app just randomly lost pages of your work?
This needs to be fixed IMMEDIATELY or else I’ll have to go make do with some app that isn’t as fun but which actually SAVES MY WORK.
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Response from developer
Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused. We request you to please share details of your issue with info@writeon.cool. We will resolve your concerns with priority.
