Wednesday, January 14, 2009 6:30 PM
At Google, we're constantly working to innovate and improve our products so people can easily find and manage information. At times though, we have to decide where to focus our efforts and which technologies we expect will yield the most benefit to users in the long run.
Starting next week, we plan to stop active development on Google Notebook. This means we'll no longer be adding features or offer Notebook for new users. But don't fret, we'll continue to maintain service for those of you who've already signed up. As part of this plan, however, we will no longer support the Notebook Extension, but as always users who have already signed up will continue to have access to their data via the web interface at http://www.google.com/notebook.
If you haven't used Notebook in the past, we invite you to explore the other Google products that offer Notebook-like functionality. Here are a few examples, all of which are being actively improved and should meet your needs:
- SearchWiki - We recently launched a feature on Search that will let you re-rank, comment, and personalize your search results. This is useful when you've found some results on Google Search that were really perfect for your query. You can read about how to use SearchWiki in this blog post.
- Google Docs - If you're trying to jot down some quick notes, or create a document that you can share with others, check out Google Docs.
- Tasks in Gmail - For a lightweight way to generate a todo list or keep track of things, we recently launched Tasks in Gmail Labs.
- Google Bookmarks - For a tool that can help you remember web pages that you liked and access them easily, take a look at Google Bookmarks. You can even add labels to your bookmarks to better organize and revisit them.
UPDATE, January 22.
Since this post went up, we've received lots of feedback. In particular, many of you seem concerned about what will happen to the information and data you've already put into Notebook. So we'd like to reiterate and clarify a few things.
First, since we're maintaining the service via http://www.google.com/notebook, every single notebook and all the existing features of the web interface will still be available. Those of you that already use the web interface should see no change in how the product behaves. Second, we guarantee that you will always have access to and control of your notebooks; we completely appreciate the effort and knowledge that your data represents and are committed to making sure you don't lose it. Finally, if you're looking for a way to easily export your information out of the product, the feature already exists. In the upper right corner of the web interface, under the "Tools" menu, there are two export options: "Export to Google Docs", and "Export as HTML".
We hope this addresses some of your concerns. Thanks for all your feedback and suggestions.
1,919 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 801 – 1000 of 1919 Newer› Newest»This is a big loss. Google Notebooks is a great product.
I think it just needed a big more marketing.
Most people don't seem to know about it or how great it is for doing research.
I urge you to reconsider.
I am more than just disappointed. Can't you open registrations again? None of the other note taking tools have the option to take web snippits. Please! Im begging! I depend heavily on google notebook! PLEASEEEE!
Wow, that's really disappointing. I was pretty sceptical about Notebook at first, but I've really come to rely on it as an easy way to not only share info & bookmarks across different OS and different computers, but to organize it as well.
No other Google product allows you to easily and quickly do that.
Google notebook is really a cool tool. Will it still work with Google patent, like capturing images? I like that you can have a minimal window for the notebook (like post-it), unlike the docs.
I can't find any other product so great as Google Notebook.
I was not using bookmarks on it or clipping web pages, but for just taking notes and have a place where I could find everything from any computer it was perfect.
Specially since already had mobile version, and the "sidebar" (gadget) version which was so great ( http://www.google.com/notebook/ig ).
I tried with gmail tasks but those are beta too, so they can disappear, also you can't print them or export them and they are not as easy as
I don't want to continue using it if it's not going to be develop, but I can't find a good alternative :-(
I cant believe its happening.....
Killing NOTES a vvvv good product by google, proves that its not looking at the users requirements but just keeping some Egos happy in the company from the Doc department.
Notes was over shadowing Doc ( but who cares right, GOOGLE
I've been using Bookmarks for a long time now and kept being told (by Google) that I should move over to Notebook.
Notebook is even slower to load than Bookmarks (try having many tags and loading the Bookmarks page over an average (i.e. not on Google's internal network) connection), so I was reluctant to move over.
So I'm not too bothered that Notebook is not going to be further developed, but I would love to see more effort being put into Bookmarks. It doesn't really need more features, just a little speeding up.
Now, this is something very gibberish . I would not expect somebody like Gooooooogle doing this. I had relied heavily on this product have been advertising like any other true googler.
1 last wish, atleast put up the notebook plugin for FF. I would be greatful. Finally adieu to late NB :(
Dear Google,
I really hope you reconsider terminating Google Notebook. There is no other app out there that even comes close to the quality and simplicity of Google Notebook. As a former Genius at the Apple Store, I relied heavily on Google Notebook to assist me in my job at the Genius Bar because I could keep tons of useful information at my fingertips with just a web browser, no matter what terminal I was using.
I also love it's seamless integration with Google Docs and mobile phones (iPhone). I very very very very very much hope you will reconsider keeping this valuable service around - it was one so valuable to me that it was my home page when I launched my browser at home!
If Google really can't continue development would they please consider outsourcing it to another company so the technology isn't lost and more people can benefit from it?
Thanks,
Ninjahippies
This is insane! No other tool is able to capture and categorize a web page so easily. I use Google Docs and Bookmarks too but they are not even remotely close in terms of functionality. The 'folding' of sections is also something I will badly miss. This puts a big blow in my trust that Google will continue providing cool and efficient products.
Does this mean that the Data feed API for notebook is being dropped?
JL said...
This is insane! No other tool is able to capture and categorize a web page so easily. I use Google Docs and Bookmarks too but they are not even remotely close in terms of functionality. The 'folding' of sections is also something I will badly miss. This puts a big blow in my trust that Google will continue providing cool and efficient products.
Good point JL. They (MAY THINK) they are saving money but they are really going to be (LOSING TRUST) and that will cost them much much more. Like... Why should i bother using their products when they may just drop them. Why should I develop software apps to work with their products? Why should we even bother.... I bet Microsoft is happy. I guess i will have to buy OneNote now...
I think Google notebook is a great tool. How can they just stop developing a great tool. STUPID...
Did they even think that some of us might even PAY to use this tool?
I would!!!
This really saddens me because I've used google notebook quite alot. but if you can don't kill it, users also still can use it.
Please can you don't stop developing it,and can i still use google notebook:(
Please reconsider your decision to stop development on Google Notebook. I can't find anything better to replace it. It meets my needs and i can share notebooks with others who use the gmail login. I've searched, and searched and searched. Nothing compares to Google Notebook.
As per your update, our notebooks will always be available. I will continue to use your product and the awesome plug-in for firefox.
Even if development has stopped, I'm stayin!
As a facilitator for our Senior Project required course, I am most disappointed in the decision to more or less abandon Google Notebook. I have restructured the program to incorporate Google Apps-notebook, docs, gmail, calendar-into the course. It has truly brought the students into 21st century technology; other teachers in our district have "bought in" to the products. I'm sure many other educators are dismayed at this decision. Notes is fantastic for storing sources, rationales for sources, and paraphrasing of sources all on one page. Hopefully, this decision will be reconsidered.
I am extremely disappointed to see Google Notebook left behind. I think it is a great product, and would be happy to pay for it. I use it for keeping notes for myself, documenting research, and bookmarking pages I want to return to later. I have tried Evernote, and found it to be far too sluggish. I have tried Ubernote, and found it to be lacking in features and polish. Google Notebook provides EXACTLY what I need without anything extra that will make it sluggish.
I really wish you guys would reconsider this decision.
Didn't think it would happen, but this does shake my confidence in Google.
Notes is what sold my on the "cloud" in the first place and over the months I have moved everything into Google products--this however really concerns me--what other products might you discontinue after I have spent hundreds of hours compiling data into them? I use Docs as well, but it lacks many of the features that make Notes great for sorting and organizing simple entries. I would hope that you would migrate these features into Docs so that is can have all the functionality of both -- that would be ideal! Please consider merging the two.
This really does shake my confidence in the idea of the Cloud and in Google though.
Hello everyone. Google has been very clear on this: It will continue to support the current user base by continuing to allow access to notes. While there may not be any new sign ups if you wish to continue using this wonderful tool there is no reason you can't. The only disappointing thing I saw was the discontinued development and support for the FireFox extension. This problem can be circumvented quite easily by using the bookmarklet that google created and mentioned back in July in a post on this very blog.
http://googlenotebookblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-can-has-bookmarklet.html
And for the actual bookmarklet go here: http://www.google.com/googlenotebook/bookmarklet.html
All that being said, I do hope they reconsider.
Online shopping
The more I think about this the more angry I get -- I feel like I have wasted so much time collecting my data in notebook. To make matters worse, I feel betrayed...I have been backing up my calendars and contacts and docs because now I don’t know what will die next. I desperately wanted one place to store everything (as in one company) and I have been evangelizing these apps to all of my friends, co-workers and family--now I feel like a heel for suggesting that they put their time and faith here. Is iGoogle going away too? Please let us all know what other products you are thinking of discontinuing so we can migrate to something more stable. Sorry for the rant but to say I am disappointed is not strong enough. I feel betrayed. Honestly, this is a huge blow to Google’s reputation as a company to trust—this is a little bit evil.
Beyond what has been said, about the Notebook FORCLOSURE, old user have been also affected since Sharing Option, which is at the moment enabled, is not functional anymore but between old users. I understand the development could stall, but virtually closing a legacy application just because you don´t like it anymore is at least very disappointing. I proudly love Google, please don´t loose the race.
I feel it hard to see the development of notebook has been stoped.I am using the note book for longtime and i am a heavey user of note book.It is rraly hard to find as if i was going to miss one of my favorite google product.It is one of the great product in recent years i have seen.I think it can be kept in the back of the development and it may be used for later use. But killing the one the favourite development is not good.
Raj, please please please reconsider this. This is a bad.
Oh no!! This is such a shame!
I use Google notebooks all the time - all my information about holidays, work I'm doing on the house, days out for my daughter, wish lists, and countless other things are on there. As well as collecting website addresses, I can clip useful bits of pages, add on my own thoughts, and even sometimes manage to get my husband to comment as well.
It's so much more than just bookmarks, and something that Google docs (which I also use) can't replicate.
I'm begging you - please, please think again! Notebook is pretty unique and fabulous - and I'd really hate to see it die!
Notebook is great. It automatically dates your notes, and since you are jotting notes not long documents, it's a great way to see multiple notes/lines of thought at the same time. Also, it's very easily searchable, and again it automatically organizes your notes. I use it as my lab notebook/scratchpad for computer-based work...
Is is possible that you underestimated its use? I use it daily (just discovered it about 6 weeks ago) AND there is nothing else that even comes close. Instant access to lots of notes, which are all organized. Golly!
hi all,
i just started using gnotes and really like it. i understand the development is stopped but i wanted to share a few thoughts for future applications.
first of all free is best. i can afford it.
its linked with gmail and iphone.. big help for people who are meeting new employers all the time
also i like the simple colors and easy to use design.
google is really helpful for people now a days. please keep it up. thanks
Please revive Notebook. I have been completely sold on Google apps it would be a shame to have one app stick out like a sore thumb ( ZOHO ).
Really disappointed with this news, but good part is I'll still be able to access and use it.
I love notebook for its simplicity and usage. Integration with fire fox is just awesome... I really dont think google docs can replace the usability and flexibility provided by google notes. notebook is lighter in weight and have simple interface which makes it possible to use it on any platform - pc, mobile and also on as low internet band width as dialup connections.
Wish and hope Google comes up with some similar extensions of google docs as notebook.
Cheers!!!
Jay
I just discovered Notebook a couple of weeks ago and it is already indispensable and totally changed they way I surf the web. I am so sad this is going away. I hope the Zoho version is as good.
I agree. Notebook provided features that most closely but simply competed with MS Office OneNote.
I've not found any other google products that provide these features:
- collapsible sections
- tabbed document organization
- treeview navigation of content sections
exporting notebook content organized by section into a google docs single long document is painful to edit
The loss of Notebook is terrible! My writing students use the Notebook application to create and organize their notecards for research rather than relying on old 3x5 cards. Is there another application out there that would allow the flexibility that Notebook offered in terms of filtering and sorting of labels and material?
I agree that the Firefox extension was the best part of notebook and other Google products sadly do not provide this functionality.
Don't do it Google! I have pretty much completely crossed over to your products and do practically everything online through your services. I love the integration and solidity and recommend them to everyone who could stand to benefit (which is most folks!)
i was, and still am, a heavy notebook user. NOTHING has the simplicity, ease and functionality that notebook has. i've looked into every other note taking program and none is as versatile and simple.
i've tried importing notebooks into other note programs and found that the notes were not nearly as well organized and layed out....
don't do it google!!
:(
Google Notes is great. It's also accessible from my work and home PCs. My employer (a defence company) has to put a corporate block on some web pages (unless there is a justifiable business need). That block includes webmail and Google docs, but thankfully Calendar and Notes are not block and are thus great for consolidating my thoughts whether I am at home or at work.
Spid
I'm extremely dissappointed about this decision. This is one of the best organizational tools Google has developed. I hope you guys will reconsider this decision, or at least provide the same functionality in Docs.
I am absolutely gutted about the loss of Notebooks.
I have lost faith in many things but always feel I can trust and rely on Google to keep me safe online.
All of my research, study notes and clippings are kept here - I love Notebooks.
Please Google reconsider - we LOVE Notebooks.
I am very disappointed of this decision. I think Notebook is realy useful and user friendly tool. With firefox extension it is the fastet way of collecting information. I use it along with Docs and they supplement each other. I don't belive when google tells me to feel safe, becauce i can use it further. Now development is stopped and new users are denied. In a year they will close it completly. Don't like it.
I am sorry that Google has made this decision. Had I known, I would have chosen another product last year. Perhaps this goes to show that one cannot trust Google to follow through with its product launches. Too bad.
Why don't you ditch something that is less useful and full of problems like the piece of crap called Chrome. Starting to wonder if Google has peaked and their better days are in the past now.
@StandingUp,
"piece of crap called Chrome"???
I agree with you that Notebook shouldn't be ditched... but I use Google Chrome every day and ever since, I cringe every time I am forced to use Firefox or IE or Safari on another person's computer. Chrome is fast, isn't over-burdened by useless add-ons, and currently supports most of the add-ons I need (except for true integration with Google Bookmarks)...
Why do you think it should be ditched? Just wondering.
Chrome has the potential for putting IE and FireFox in third and second place.... I LOVE!! Chrome!
Plus this blog is about the abandonment of Notebook a vital service that we all think Google has underestimated it's use and fan base.
But while were on chrome, it has the best interface of any browsers its clean using almost 100% of my screen without suffering functionality. It has its share of issues but FireFox 1.0 and 2.0 weer not AMAZING in the since of what they are today. I applaud them for the delivery of a quality browsers in generation 1 that makes their already finely tuned services run even faster! and making the internet experience better... and the possibilities for mobile and web-based computing is closer with every release of Chrome. Let go of what you knew in other browsers and look at it as a different approach and i think you'll find it to be better than anything out there including Firefox (which i enjoy and currently is holding thinly onto my primary browser spot)
but if you wanna discuss this more I'd be interested in starting a new blog.
Via La Notebook! :) thanks for everything you do google!
Apart from its other features, Notebook is fantastic as it allows you to create a lot of document sections in any order and organise them easily - you can't do this with Google Docs. Given the number of fans, wouldn't it make more sense for Notebook to be kept open to new users and maintained at its current level, even if active development is put on hold indefinitely?
If one service rules all, why substitude it with 4 services??
Besides, There are many great features cannot be replaced by other services.
I am just starting to promote it to my friends. And now what should I say to them? The reason to choose Google is the faith. The faith that Google services are going to be available forever. Now the faith is broken. Google just gives the opportunity to Internet companies, why?
I find Google Notebook to be a great product and personally feel it is the most useful of the Google products after Google Analytics. As a user with multiple devices I find it an invaluable tool in keeping data "sync'd".
Looks like many of us are hoping that Google will reconsider.
I trust that Google will preserve our data and give users a heads up if any decision is made to drop Notebook entirely.
It is sad that notebook is being closed. I was so confident of it staying forever that i never really checked up the main site or the announcement. Though i had been using notebook for a while and as u have announced, i am still using it, but yet it is sad to see it end.
I hope that Google will be writing a migration tool to get all my bookmarks back into Google Bookmarks after they forced the migration across to Notebook on me. I would have preferred to continue using Bookmarks but apparently Notebook was the new direction and now they are throwing that away.
I use a lot of Google apps because they are really useful but it sucks that this sort of thing cannot be better coordinated.
@Ben Dunlop,
Google didn't force a migration FROM Google Bookmarks TO Notebook. They merely merged the data. Google Notebooks never went away.
All of the bookmarks created and managed within Google Notebook can also be found in Google Bookmarks.
You can still visit Google Bookmarks here:
https://www.google.com/bookmarks
Please keep Google Notebook. Add ads if that is needed. Hell, I'd pay $20 a year to keep it and the Firefox extension, it is perfect for research.
I would like to see a free ad based service or a paid ad free version... like the gmail apps are now. $20 sounds a little rich when email and all that goes with that (Docs, Cal, ect ect... with 25GB of storage. is $50 but i agree with the concept
I use this almost ever day! and would like to reconsider its development and for those saying its ending its not going away your data is safe they just aren't allowing new users and have stopped development but their offical statement says our data is safe.
I have nothing new to add that differs from 99.99% of the other users. Bummer.
Curious; I just installed the firefox extension for note book. I thought this was discontinued?
They're discontinuing development of the FireFox exension. I'm assuming this would mean as firefox upgrades that extension will become unusable or obsolete.
I would have to agree, but with Google having an open API (or whatever it takes) i would hope someone smarter than i can create a similar extensions to work with the continued Google notebook and further upgrades of firefox.
The API for Google Notebook only lets you READ notebook information, it does not let you WRITE notebook information.
Furthermore, new accounts are not given access to Google Notebook... which pretty much means that the service itself will eventually stagnate like Dodgeball did.
Thank you for such a fantastic product (while it lasted). We fully appreciate that you didn't have to create a free service like this in the first place. It is a wonderful tool with it's ability to organize notebook hierarchies. I hope in the future that Google either resurrects this product or produces a new one with similar capabilities. I will really miss this product.
I miss Notebook, even though I wasn't to involved I liked being able to add something from my phone and view it later on my PC. I use documents for my school notes but you can't edit the documents via my phone :(... maybe that will change in the future?
Very poor decision to can Notebook: I use it regularly, but have seen your notice today for the first time. It could certainly have done with some improvements, but with all the suggestions you have been given, your talented people ought to have been able to incorporate the most important of them and leave users with a stable product.
Don't shut down Google Notebook!!!
I don't know how did you made that decision, but apparently, a notebook service is needed by users and google docs is not a replacement of notebook.
Just like you already have Word on your computer, but you also need to use notepad sometimes...
Please don't be evil! Although you promise we can continue to use Google notebook, it's impossible if you buy a new computer or reinstall your OS because it is IMPLOSSIBLE to download the browser extension. I can't find it anywhere. This is really, really, really bad for me.
Please don't be evil! Although you promise we can continue to use Google notebook, it's impossible if you buy a new computer or reinstall your OS because it is IMPLOSSIBLE to download the browser extension. I can't find it anywhere. This is really, really, really bad for me.
Someone from google notebook, is sending porn links to my 12 year old daughters email.
Here is the email link sent to her.
http://google.com/notebook/public/07270131463604180004/BDQ18DAoQyeesxfsj
Stop Him!..
Google does not make it easy to find help with anything. Fix this!
Dont give ne the 12 year old should have limits crap... I moniter it all. She has an email to keep in contact with friends.
But it is wrong what this person did and google should have this persons information.
First it was Google Sync for Firefox, now it's Google Notebook. They were the best programs Google had. What's going on?
@Kris,
You should contact the provider of the email address to trace the emails themselves rather than the middle-ware. The issue is not whether or not the porn exists, but the fact that someone is sending it to your daughter. So, this is a problem perpetrated by the sending of the email, not the utilizing of Google Notebook. If your daughter uses Gmail, I would suggest creating a filter to automatically send emails from the individual to SPAM. In the meantime, I would suggest reporting the individual to Gmail. If your daughter uses another email provider, I would suggest you look into contacting that provider or looking into filtering options provided by that provider.
Hope this helps.
Although killing off the best done "web 2.0" app there have ever been, namely this Notebook, Google still has humour: in http://www.google.fi/intl/de/options/ it says that Notebook is new. Well gg, new but dead. Just like aborted baby-Jesus.
Hi,
I just wanted to thank you for this great product.
I use it regularly and it improves my productivity and efficiency.
Very handy to organize information.
Nice to know it will still be up and running.
All the best,
If you want to keep notebook... FIGHT BACK... Spread word that Google is dying and watch its stock fall. Crash even. Yet another victim of our economic crisis. What you don't think giants can fall? Where is Netscape now? Kick them where it hurts! I love Google but they need a good slap in the face. It will take the giants of this country to fix our problems and not by cutting jobs by ripping off it's own limbs. Google is killing itself and we are going down with it!!!
I too was disappointed to hear of this but now I've realized the full potential of docs and google's possible future for it. If you have the "send to gmail" enabled on your gtoolbar, you select information and email it to your writely email address, which I have saved in my addressbook as "new google doc". Otherwise look for a "gmail this" bookmarklet on the web. It will show up in docs for final tailoring and better organization via folders. In my opinion, it is also more useful and easier to view in the iphone browser than the notebook app. It won't be long before you can edit docs just like the new spreadsheet feature release last month. Give it a try!
Google notebook, is indeed, irreplaceable. Actually, while I see that you were trying to replace Notebook with Bookmarks, the two work very well together. With Google Docs there is no way to add tags and descriptions to your notes, and then have a uniform way of searching through both. Being able to note something very quick for yourself while working or doing research + ability to bookmark anything on the fly + access to that data from anywhere = superb product which kept me using Google even more and which it was an utterly stupid decision to decide to kill.
@Sean,
You could also easily do the same using the Google Reader bookmarklet, then unchecking the box so that you don't "share" the note (assuming you want to keep it private.)
The problem isn't the fact that there are no alternatives to capture the data... the problem is that there is no way to view such notes in the same way as notebook.
With notebook, you can capture notebooks to a specific notebook... you can move a note between notebooks... you can create headers quickly, then expand and contract headers easily... as well as notes... you can drag and drops notes... you can share whole notebooks... etc, etc...
With Docs, you can't share just a portion of a document... you have to share the whole document, or none of it. So, in order to accomplish similar functionality, you'd have to treat a document as a "notebook"... then you'd have to manually create headers which cannot be expanded and contracted... and to move sections from one "notebook" to the next would involve some complicated copying and pasting from one document to another document.
In other words, the way Google Documents is currently structured... and the way Google Reader is currently structured... both give SIMILAR functionality as notebook, but not the SAME. Google Docs is perfect for writing essays, dissertations, papers, technical documents, etc, etc... Google Reader is perfect for reading feeds, sharing feed posts, etc... But neither is perfect for researching information and keeping it all organized... Google Notebook IS perfect for this.
If they add all of the remaining missing elements of Google Notebook to either Google Reader or Google Docs, then a replacement will be welcomed... but by not adding such features, it is a step backwards. Google Notebooks was a much more structured way of organizing information... the others are just a dumping ground for information. Google is missing the very important "organizing" part of their mission statement with this faux paux.
I would like to join into the crowd of Notebook users who thinks Google is just overlooking a fantastic tool.
Of course, Google is not stupid. If they choose this way it's probably because Notebook has a VERY SMALL user base when compared to other products (notably, Docs).
However, like was already said, Docs are not even CLOSER to Notebook in certain specific features. This comment (http://tinyurl.com/b8s379) from Bob summarizes it well.
I never saw a strong "advertising" campaign for Notebook, and maybe it really doesn't need one. Many users found it by pure chance (myself included).
But why to prohibit new users to sign in? I would bet many people only discovered it after the announce of its closing started to roll on blogosphere. Please, do reconsider this.
Do you want to stop Notebook development? Fine. But please don't kill the opportunity for new users.
BTW: Only TODAY I discovered this, reading the message at Notebook login (I always do my login from Gmail start page).
Interesting!
Regards
SBL Software Development Solutions
http://www.sblsoftware.com/web-development.aspx
Very disappointed with this decision, the notebook was close to perfection. Thanks to every on on the Notebook team for doing such a good job.
It did start to feel a little bloated at times but was still excellent.
What a sad loss. Notebook is a great simple tool, very effective, extremely usable though not fancy. Now I've got to go back to Evernote.... Sigh!
"K," looked at objectively, Evernote is clearly the better notetaking program.
For one thing, Search in GNotebook is poor. It won't find a fragment of a word. If you search for "meeting" it won't find "meetings." And it won't highlight what it finds. It's a dismal search, oddly enough, being that it comes from Google. Gmail search is lousy too, by the way, and for the same reasons.
Evernote's search is everything you could want. It will find that meeting for you even if all you have in your note about the meeting is some variant of the word. And it will beautifully highlight every instance.
Good search is the sine qua non of a notetaking program and GNotebook didn't have it.
This is tragic; Notebook is one of the best Google products around. I have looked at and tried the alternatives, but none are as good for the way I work and get things done.
Granted, I can hack something together (especially since I am a software developer and have the skills to do it) but I don't know that I have the time and besides, Google Notebook has been perfectly fine. I don't get it - I mean, money needs to be made, I understand that, but surely the brains at Google can figure something out?
tragic. i disagree like others here that we can use searchwiki, docs, or bookmarks (haven't tried tasks) in place of notebook.
Why not just ad some ads and make some $. this is a great and necessary app.
I am hesitant to continue to use notebook, because one of the benefits was being able to share notebooks with other users.
Bring it back!!
KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNN!!!!!
Seriously though, this is evil.
Why not cut that bookmarks app, I blame internal politics at google for this one!
I'm sorry Notebook is offically gone, too. What does google suggest within google as an alternative - Documents? How about adding a TODO list in Calendar perhaps from some field in an event? And link to info/docs related to the event (inside documents or outside google). Google seems to want to go toward a personal semantic web.
Wow, it worries me that Google has been quiting production on so many products as of lately. Google has a lot of great ones, and notebook was one of the best. Though, I do prefer docs. As long as they don't get rid of sms, docs, mars, maps, & chrome I'll be happy. I mean I use nearly all of there services every day, it's just those are my favorites.
With so many people upset about the cancellation of Notebook. I was wondering if we could hear something more from a Google Employee....
Are we being heard? or are we trying to ride a dead horse?
PS Notebook Kills the competitors even without more development. But keep the extensions and new commers at least... Please!
As a power user of notebook. I cannot tell you how gutted I am so see this functionality be dropped from google.
Ironically I was making an online notebook project of my own around the time when google made notebook so I dropped the project.
I am wishing I had carried on now!
This sucks.
I've come to love this application and was unaware of Google dropping the support when I started using it in February. As a serious on-line researcher for pertinent news for projects, I will continue to use Notebook until they pry it from my hands.
Warren
Ditto! to the hand thing! i've grown too attached to it so see it disappear quietly.
Really amazed and disappointed about that, for first time for Google.
I dream someday the development of notebook will continue.
I know it's been two months, but I'm still sad to see this product dropped.
You recommended a couple of alternatives to Notebook (SearchWiki, GoogleDoc, etc...), but none of them singularly has the functionality that Notebook has with an integrated browser tool (like with Firefox).
Please reconsider this product when the economy picks back up... or better yet, even in the economy's current state.
Thank you,
Zach
Very sad they disconnected it.
Will the Notebook iGoogle gadget still be functional?
I know Notebook is a little odd to use but it worked fine for me since I have my iGoogle open most of the time. Maybe I'll give Bookmarks a try too, since saving links is what I use Nb the most for.
This really is disheartening. To think, I was just praising the wonders of Google to a colleague today. I think this is definitely a huge blow to the education community as well.
I am also very saddened by this news! I am a Google Evangelist, and use almost all of Google's products. I've turned many companies onto the benefits of using gmail, google docs, etc. as their choice in business, to great success!
I started my own management company and run my employees using gmail, calendar, docs, etc.
NOTEBOOK is ESSENTIAL to our business functionality. It is such a wonderful product for so many different uses, I'm surprised that you would can the project. Also, I do not see how Google Docs can in any way substitute for Notebook, as they are two entirely different things. Notebook is so useful for research, for sharing projects, for organizing my mind! Docs cannot replace it!
I'm thrilled that I will be able to continue to use it (thank you!!) but now I cannot bring new employees on board with notebook, as they will not have access to it. We cannot share info in that way.
I haven't seen anything that can replace the ability to quickly take notes, then sort them into sections within an area.
WAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!
PS - thank you for everything you have created that has made my life so easy. I still use google page creator heavily and rely on it for our clients to access information. Don't like Google sites as much. thanks for keeping it running.
Oh, please don't stop development for Google Notebook, It's really good and you should develop it more. And you should improve security in Google Chrome and you should make it have advanced features like Internet Explorer and you should keep them clean by putting all the advanced features in one button.
Most of the comments I've seen revolve around use of the Notebook extension in Firefox.
I really liked and used Notebook alot but was curious why it wasn't integrated better with Chrome? And why it couldn't be made part of the product like Opera has in providing a Notes feature?
Interface issues continue to hamper my use of Google products. As soon as I get comfortable with the page makeup in iGoogle, the Tabs are removed and replaced by a sidebar. But not the same kind of sidebar as in Gmail. And in Google Docs, the Save and Close button is available for Documents but was removed for Spreadsheets.
Google as a whole needs to work on consistency as well as tighter integration between their products. Microsoft should not have the upper hand there. I mean, really...if Hotmail was the best, why would we use Gmail? Is Opera's mail feature going to outshine Gmail? They already have voice-enabled accessibility aids. C'mon Google. I've been a big fan. Notebook was better IMHO than the similar feature provided by Yahoo until I ran into a problem with a notebook being trimmed because of excess characters. That failure which could have been avoided with a word/character count feature didn't make me abandon Google Notebook, just wish for improvements. Docs will not replace Notebook any better than MS Word replacing Write or Notepad. C'mon Google, replacing products is hard enough on customer enthusiasm. But abandoning good products that have not just happy users, but advocates of Google offerings?
Me as many users I am very sad. I use it a lot. For me was great. simple but powerful. I already tried Zoho but actually I like more Notebook.
This feels to me that maybe Google will be aswell stop development another appzs as bookmarks or picasaweb.
Regards
I'm highly disappointed in Google for making this horrible move. This product is the most well designed online notebook I've ever used, and I'm very sad to have to now spend my time searching for an alternative which will undoubtedly be an inferior product. This product made my life so much easier, and it could have done the same with the vast majority of the population if only it had been marketed properly.
Thanks a lot Google. You just lost a load of respect from this fanboy.
I depend on notebooks for its fast right click feature
I do lots of research and depend on the tags to help find everything.
As of finding out about this product being dropped I have lost some faith in Google and if things like stock begin to drop ,they can look back on these kind of decisions as what happens when the public no longer has faith.
Just look at Microsoft and maybe now Google has just lost its cool image.What a shame.
please donot close this service. i use this service a lot. it's an awesome way to access my notes anywhere.
Why on earth are Google stopping one of there best products?! I think they are making a mistake here Notebook is one of the most useful tools I have come across I use it all the time it's a real shame and feels like a step backwards!
Don't do it Google this is one of your best tools ever and is a step backwards!
Ah well...Zoho's works better anyway.
Z,
Zoho hasn't got a search option! So its in many ways superior, then it shoots itself in the foot!
Cheers,
Nem
Anyway this is a Great product, those who came up with this idea are great.. :)
It IS great for me
Seriously Google...where's the love?
I was pretty distraught over the loss of Google Notebook. But turns out, it was a blessing in disguise. Because, it forced me to discover Zoho Notebook. It even has an "Import Google Notebook" feature. But better yet, from there I discovered Zoho's other products, including superior online applications! (Spreadsheet, word processor, etc.) Better and more apps, with better MS-Office 2007 compatibility. Besides, Google is becoming a little too big for my comfort. And as the loss of Notebook goes to show, bigger does not mean more dependable.
I am dissappointed. For my kind of academic research and work with online-magazines, blogss a.s.o. it was the perfect tool to handle millions of information.
Google-docs wil NEVER be a adequate resolution. You have a lot of work left to become your office-package a useful application.
I use Google Notebook to write down my ideas on diffrent subjects. I think a lot on personal and other issues and if i have a valuable or useful idea i always write a simple note. This way i am relaxed that i won't have to remember it. If an issue is pressing again later, i can reread my notes and continue from there. Sometimes i organize them but not always. It's also useful to see when i took a particular note. I can't make these things in Google Docs or any other application.
I am using Notebook inside Chrome as a cool nifty little web notebook app on every computer. It is still the best app around. I will continue to use it. Hopefully i will not loose my data.
For me Notes has been a really handy tool for gathering together web clippings by categories according to my interests. Unlike Docs it is a very quick, lightweight and simple way of doing a very useful task... I thought this was what Google did best?! I too had been looking forward to an extension to Chrome, and if I'd known there was a Firefox extension I'd have used it a lot more. I'm really disappointed that you are not developing it further and hope that you can possibly include it in another product. Or maybe you could make it available to the open source community?
I don't see a good (Google) replacement for what Notebook does. Docs isn't the answer. Notes are not word processing documents. Notebook lets me jot or capture things quickly for future reference and get back to work. I appreciate everything Google offers and hope they come back to this little gem.
It is obvious that there are many, many Google Notebook users for whom this decision is really bad news. Count me as yet another very disappointed Notebook user.
Perhaps as others have suggested, you could at least make the extension open source so that others can keep it up to date with browser changes.
It's ironic that on this page: http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en/options/
Google Notebook still has a New! caption next to its name.
Jermey
I can't believe this, I only just started using this tool, and it is hands-down the best research tool I have ever used.
Google, this tool is genius. Please re-consider.
Don't make me go to TiddlyWiki.
Wow, looks like the slump in the economy is hitting Google now too. Google, if you abandon one of the most useful features of your suite, you're pretty much publicly stating that you're no longer at the top of your game.
Just a few days ago, I was telling a friend distraught over the stock market that they couldn't go wrong to invest in Google. Now I'm not so sure...
Hehehe... These comments will NEVER stop, until
a) the Google Notebook team change their mind ;) or
b) they block new comments on this post :(
I would bet on a) :)
re:"these comments will never stop"
I hope that's how it works.
I posted something about it in my twitter account and got a reply from
http://twitter.com/brianrose
who is a Customer service rep for Google Toolbar.
Maybe thats a good place to go and write to someone from google too :-)
Cheers,
Nem
http://twitter.com/Nem
Yes, Google, PLEASE re-consider. As you know, many users are attracted to your service offerings by the combination of uniquely useful applications that you provide. Without that magic combination of search, email, docs, and notebook, I would surely begin to look for another provider of these features that are tied together the way google has done so beautifully up until now.
Let's make our voice heard also at Google Moderator - their engineers are supposed to follow the questions, so hopefully we get some answers as well. Just do a search on notebook, e.g. http://moderator.appspot.com/#9/e=c9&t=notebook and vote for the issues that are important for you.
Oh come on! Google Notebook is the most revolutionary feature Google has ever created!
From all of us at Georgia Tech, graduate students and faculty alike, please resume development as soon as possible!
One word: gutted.
I thought Notebook was one of Google's better products - use it all the time!
Ah well.
I am very disappointed to hear that notebook is going away -- I'm a teacher and I literally use it daily! It is a fantastic way to consolidate my research for multiple classes and topics, plus making notes to myself on which sites are worth it. Is there really nothing that can be done to save it?
there is nothing yet in the google suite similar to notebook. the searchwiki leaves all comments in public domain and it takes much work to move the searches around as new stuff is constantly coming in.
the tasks feature has little to do with what notebook was doing..
same applies to bookmarks. if if one adds descriptors to each bookmark, unless one has saved sections/;pages that one can add comments to, annotate etc, not much use, besides hard to aggregate information sitting in different bookmarks.
and docs while could do some of notebook work seems like lot more steps and not so friendly as notebook, nor the same features...
adding clips and comments/notes into reader does some of this, but still not the same.
one feature still needed even in reader to do this is to allow ability to edit/add to an older note..that would be good..as it would allow one to put various clips/ideas together in the same place...
Still wishing Google would reconsider. Please bring Notebook back!
Very bad news !
This was the most free app I ever saw on the internet. I have thousand of snippets in my Google Notebook :o(
Before Google Notebook, I were using Net Snippet - also a superb tool - but they, too, close the door.
In a sens, Google Notebook is now my main memory.
Very sad news.
But thanks for what you have done !
Please don't kill it...It helped me with my research and I keep recommending till someone told me about this. PLEASE I IMPLORE YOU! let it run and continue...Google never let me down- dont start now. Take care my friends at Google.
With the doubts I now have over the robustness of the Google Cloud, the mothballing of Notes has prompted me to do the following:
1. Search for an alternative solution.
2. Discover that Opera offers in-built Notebook synch via Opera Link.
3. Further discover that Opera as a browser is not a bad alternative to Chrome.
4. Install Opera on my PC, my laptop and my win mobile.
5. Consider Google alternatives. Find Clusty. Impressed!
6. Realise that my previous longing for Android has evaporated.
7. Tell my friends!
Cause and effect, and it's a shame because iGoogle under Chrome was almost perfect.
Google Notebooks is a good example of Google at it's best. Small, pervasive, and addictive.
It's sad to see it discontinued due to some internal Google turf war. The talking points don't stick and the touted comparable products like searchwiki could be pointed to as classic Google mistakes with their designed by committee feel and marginal usefulness.
After somany comments and request from all over world, Google still seems to stick to their decision of discontinuing with Notebook.
Fine, but as it allows to use for the existing users, Google, is it not possible for you to continue with the almight firefox plugin? I guess at least this should not harm you in anyway since you are allowing to use Notebook without any support or further development.
Cheers
BeerCoder
What really burns me about this is I bought my Android phone partly because I thought I would be able to sync with Google notebook.
This is one of your best products. I actually use it more than docs, but not for web clippings. I use it instead of MS's note pad.
The ability to keep separate notes within a single notebook allows me to manage aggregated information more efficiently than a static text document.
For example, I use it to take notes while on phone calls. Each person gets their own note w/in a notebook, but if I put their name at the top, I can collapse all of the notes, scan the first lines, find the one I want and open it rather than looking through a very long text document. It is the interface which rocks, not the ability to clip web content.
For example, it would also be great for recipes. You could have a notebook for baking, one for stirfries and one for dessert and then collect individual recipes as notes within the notebooks. Think web clipping without the web.
This doesn't affect me much since I'm already a user, but I don't know that you understand what you have created with notebook.
Ok, I've tried evernote, zoho, ubernote, springnote, yada yada etc. NONE of them are what I want. They're all just clunky text editors w/ tagging.
So let me be 947th in saying "BRING NOTEBOOK BACK GOOGLE!"
But the Google Notebook is soo GOOD. I am very sad to hear it is go :-( The "Duly Noted" and clipping features are awesome. Just hope you guys continue to support it.
Wow what a bummer. There sure are alot of unhappy comments. Obviously some people liked this service. I guess just not enough.
At least we'll still have access to it - but for how long? Do they mean it will be there indefinitely?
Surely they're going to pull the plug altogether eventually.
This is very bad indeed. I have thought of some replacements and I have found some but since I have spend much time and effort to make myself fluent in Google Notebooks and since these efforts are now ....
Please provide a personal Wiki service (if not a complete one). MoinMoin is an already developed Wiki on Python. You can do your magic things around Google App Engine and make it work. It would be a good replacement for GN.
Thanks
Please sign the petition if you haven't done so.
http://www.petitiononline.com/gnoteb/petition.html
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO-OOOOOOOOO-O-O *sigh* OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.... 2 hours later .... OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-O-O
Why are you doing this? Notebook is perfect for the cloud?! Why on earth would you do this?
Please move notes to GNU license program under the SPI projects. Thus the code will be available to everyone and it will grow as postgreSQl has grown.
Okay - if, Google Doc supports paragraphs and headings in the same ajax-like way, then okay to me.
It could be a great innovation of Google Doc supporting every paragraph/section with commenting, taskinfo, ajax-like cut-copy/paste.
The menu-bar with other documents in active folder with heading-overview... very useful too.
I do not use Firefox-extension, but if it is that great as other user write, then add it as a doc-extension too.
Dangit, i use it all the time and hate the fact that its going to be gone.
I just started having my middle school students to use Google Notebook to organize their learning. It is easy to use. Please at least reconsider to let new users join in to use this great tool.
Please reconsider. Lots of folks depend on this application. In fact, I would pay a small fee each year to keep it running (and current)...especially if you got it working with Gears. That is an easy way to monetize non-ad-revenue generating products :)
Google Tool Bar 6 Beta... no notes support in the tools. Well I suppose you are doing what you said you would do!
But I think you'll regret making such a short term decision. Notebook brought me into the Google cloud... much less useful for me to be here without it. And I think that's true for lots of others.
> I think notebook is great. Why not just put it on the back burner for now instead of just killing it?
I couldn't agree more... Google notebook is great! Even when you don't use it everyday like google search it's always helpful to have it around.
Thanks,
Patrick
Notebook was perfect for me. I was actually wishing someone would invent a program like it when I found it. It has made my life so much easier, and so much more organized. Googledocs has some good uses, but it won't replace Notebook. I knew it was to good to be true. For all I care we can shut down the internet if we don't have Notebook.
Google Notebook Team, is it possible to open up the Notebook project as open source and release it to the community for development?
I'd be ready to own and lead an initiative like this.
Let us know?
Misteka,
I'm not the most advanced coder,(HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript)... but i'm a graphic artist and i would be willing to lend any help i could.
My main concern is now the Android OS will not design a non-browser-based Google Notebook program. That sucks.
I use Notebook, Docs, *and* Gmail to keep track of various things -- each has its own "best use". E.g., I don't want to start cluttering up Docs with the piles of miscellaneous snippets I keep in Notebook. I don't think there's a good replacement for Notebook available at the moment (from Google, anyway.)
Well, I could join the list of disappointed users, but actually, I am not disappointed, I am annoyed.
Notebook has been one of my most used google products (following gmail), and there is just no way the suggested alternatives could replace it.
This is the behaviour of companies interested in profit solely, ingoring the users interests (as long as there is no financial hit).
Besides, I lost a great deal of confidence in the sustainablility of googles products. When is gmail going to be abandoned? Docs? ... Not only is my information in googles hands, but I also invest time in learning about the tools google provides, and adapt my workflow accordingly.
I am just annoyed.
if anyone is listening, add me to the list of disappointed notebook users.
the power and ease of use of google notebook has not been duplicated yet, and the integration cannot be. the closest thing i've found to a replacement is ubernote, and it's not close.
it makes me sad that google would pull the plug on such an excellent tool.
Hey people, for all those disappointed and angry about this, would you consider coming together and approaching Google as a group to maybe work and promote this project as open-source?
please let me know.
Misteka.
Google Note Book was the best writing app on the internet. The best feature was web clipping. Sad to hear that google has stopped development on Google notebook.
Google Docs is not so intelligent and does not support some formats also.
Please kindly reconsider. I am still using it today! So disappointed ...
i really appreciate the idea of retaining tbe notebook service to existing members, as it is one of the most powerful tools provided. i hope it remains forever
It is a shame... I think this is one of the most interestings products that google has and is really superior, there is no other Internet app that meets my demands like this one...
In any case, congrats for this idea...
I am very sorry on this decision.
Despite Google notebook did not work well on IE, I use it heavily with Google Notebook add-in.
I expected Notebooks as well as other Google Toolbar apps to be implemented in Chrome.
Very, very disappointed.
I don't get it. Google Notebook is much more useful (in the sense of everyday use) and personally much more frequently used than Google Docs...
Notebook is in my opinion the best Google App. Google Docs can't do the same job, as far as organizing information is concerned. Please reconsider suspending further development!!!
Highly disappointing!!! How much research and thought went into this?
I am a small business owner of an IT consulting company. I see many clients a day. Google Notebook holds all of my client notes. I can quickly browse to it from any client or computer I am working on to take my notes. The other solutions you offer as alternative are a laugh. None of them provides the quick note taking ability provided by notebook.
As a long time Google user for both business and personal use I would happily pay a nominal annual fee to Google to continue development.
I'm sure the majority of Google Notebook users would too. This would add millions of dollars to Google's bottom line each year with little or no extra costs involved and it would more than fund ongoing development.
Come on Google...the people are clamouring out for this product to be continued....either do so or release the source code to open source developers or sell the rights to interested commercial developers.
I don't favour the last option at all but if it keeps the product available and the other options are not available then so be it.
This and the delay in providing a decent search function in Google Contacts (at least this one has been fixed) are the two biggest blights on Google's record in my opinion. Now fix this Notebook fiasco and continue development.
Peter Wills
Notebook is going because the masses dont use it? Preposterous! In a democracy you really do end up getting governed by your inferiors.
Google listen, Notebook fills a need that none of your other products do. It's just incomplete. It needs to accompany your other products which use tagging. Notebook allows users to identify informationand aggregates in your own notes for your own reference. It take bookmarks to the next level by allowing users to identify the specific information on the page they're interested in. It's like a highlighter which saves and tags the info on the page that you're interested in. Do you get it? You need to improve it, not drop it. It should also work like shared comments or shared annotations. It's like blogging about a page then adding tags to categorize that blog to to reference your notes later, but this is more convenient because it's closer to an augmented web page, which is what it should be.
I would just like to add to what Dathan said. He is spot on about the usefulness of Notebook and how other Google products just do not compare. However, I would also like to add that Notebook fills the need to keep this information private without accidentally sharing the information.
Just because the information came from a web page doesn't mean it wasn't private information. Imagine, for instance, after submitting a form on a website, it gives me some private information that I want to capture. I can just capture that into a Notebook. If Notebook goes away, my next best option is to capture it as a note in Google Reader, then uncheck the box which makes it public... however, this is DANGEROUSLY close to making me accidentally publish otherwise personal information. With Notebook, I never had to be worried whether or not I was "accidentally" making stuff public. With Reader, I have to worry about it all the time.
We need a private (and for those who choose to publish their stuff, optionally public) way to capture content from webpages to organize in a more useful way for our own use. Google Docs would work IF there was a quick-capture method which stored this into a document. Google Reader notes would work if there was a better way to make sure some captured stuff stays private.
Both, however, are lacking in easy ways to organize the information once captured. Reader just lumps everything into a "Notes" section. In Docs, you'd have to visit the doc list after-the-fact to start organizing things and hiding documents that you don't want to clutter your "all documents" view, etc...
Please, please please reconsider.
Google Notebook, especially with the bookmarklet & firefox extension, makes the spontaneous, ad hoc collection of "information of interest" easier than any other product out there.
The missed opportunity, possibly for Google in terms of monetization, is the potential of a more rich & sophisticated way to associated specific, targeted content-within-content (e.g., a highlighted chunk of text or image inside a web page, in other words a human-validated search result) with tags or search history.
By adding tags as has been suggested, Google could allow us to initially react/capture a piece of information simply because it is interesting (current function), and then later build more of our own network of meaning (different notebooks/sections) and then by tagging the note, provide the potential to create a semantically meaningful overlay of human-edited information.
The mobile interface worked as a perfect on-the-go scratchpad, assuring me that I would be able to find whatever note I made no matter which device sourced it, or even if I had access to that device.
I've tried the replacements, while they have lessons for some future Notebook, they fall short of the shining strengths of Google Notebook, namely, 1) dead simple UI and 2) the ability to instantly capture a "chunk" of information with no further requirements, it's simply an item of interest--but then it's persistently available for further categorization, refinement, inclusion etc.
Evernote: captures text from pictures - its primary value for me, but has an awkward UI and awkward integration between local/web interfaces.
Zotero: actually quite wonderful, but too focused on its scholarly functions to realize what a marvelous general information capturing tool it is. While the new version offers good online synchronization, it also doesn't have the same extremely fast/easy UI that characterizes GNotebook.
Google introduced Tasks with their tongue-in-cheek-yet-earnest justification of the product as a competitor to paper -- but the sad truth is they already had it - Notebook!
Here's a respectful request for a product variation that I think would yield great results for Google in terms of growing the base of users who work almost exclusively in their product domain:
1) Make Google Tasks appear as a type of Note in Google notebook, and provide an option for each Google Note like emails to 'make this a task'
2) make Google tasks a type of calendar event, simply adding the 'completion' attribute.
Thanks again for providing this product, hopefully persistence in this forum will help convince Google that notebook is a product which is not only passionately appreciated by its users, but which has real potential to deliver on Google's business objectives.
I too am extremely saddened by this news. As a grad student, I keep notes on every article I've read in my Google notebook. So far, my notes span 200+ articles, plus references to the authors and publication dates of each article. I also keep class notes in separate notebooks. The class notes could perhaps be transferred to Google docs, but the article notes could not. For one thing, Google docs does not have the easy functionality that Google notebook does. Also, information stored within Google docs is not as easily searchable as information in Google notebook. I will continue to use Google notebook, but I may start searching for product alternatives if Google is abandoning active development of notebook. Other Google applications simply do not cover notebook's functionality.
Patrick said: "I too am extremely saddened by this news. As a grad student, As a grad student, I keep notes on every article I've read in my Google notebook."
Indeed. You really have to wonder about the marketing nous of Google these days. They would obviously like to target the educational market with Google for Eduactaors - http://www.google.com/educators/index.html and they presumably have a not insignificant revenue stream from Google Apps for universities. And then they kill off one the best online tools for students and researchers ever created. For what? Notebook was a mature application that did not need great amounts of developer resources, bandwidth or memory.
why oh why ? boohoohooo
It really was a very good product.
Hope google reconsiders
I'm bummed! It's a cool tool!
SO sad. I loved the simplicity of notebook and how visually well organized it was... Google docs doesn't even come close to this. VERY bummed about this. If anything deserves a user vote back in, it's this. Heck, I'd donate a few dollars... as I'm sure others would, too. But I know, it's not about that. Having to find an alternative is going to be a lengthy process and of course, it won't be nearly as well integrated with Google's suite, either.
I'm very disappointed!
Right choices,congratulations...
Don't do it.
This & gmail are the best Google tools.
Ditch something else if you have to.
to bad, google notebook was for me a realy good notebook where to save many things (text/images) that i want to remember from time to time.
Please think again and maibe it would need some reviews so ppl to know about benefits
I am very upset as hearing of this bad news! I use Google Notebooks, like I use my right hand. Evernote is limited and for more you have to pay. Zoho Notebook Helper is not as good as Google Notebook. I love One note, but Google Notebook is free and the best! I know company's discontinue products that are in their best interest, but surely from the outcry here.....
None of the suggested products in Google blog about this, can even compare to Google Notebooks!
Please give us something better or bring it back! Meaning what happens to us with the Firefox extension and a new Firefox version comes out????
It makes me wonder what am I going to get hooked onto next that they will take away!
Very displeased!
I LOVE Google Notebook!!!!!
Explain this to my kids when I'm gone...
I'm really surprised honestly. I didn't learn about this until just today (almost 3 months after the announcement). I can understand ceasing active development on the project to re-focus efforts else where but the product (Google Notebook) is a very good product and valuable to the consumer and end user in my estimation.
I would hope that Google reconsiders Notebook's value when they have a bit more bandwidth for other projects.
Damn, I was just going to switch from Backpack to notebook, guess that wont be happening. Google should really reconsider. Their other new products don't quite have the integrated feature set that notebook does.
Huge fan of Google Notebooks. Sorry you won't be doing anymore development but happy to see that I'll still be able to use the application and maintain my notebooks. I don't find Docs to be as useful for the way I use Notebook. If you every integrate the features, then maybe that's a way to go. I still have problems with docs and haven't been able to really use it the way I'd like.
Sorry to hear this. I loved the light-weight interface.
Sad news. Notebook is great. I prefer notebook to docs and use notebook frequently.
Just found out Notebook was discontinued (must slipped past me) and it saddened me so much but for the way of progress there must be sacrifices. Goodbye Notebook!
Cough Plus I wanted to be the 1000th poster!
So this is progress! Sorry, I just didn't recognise it!
Both Zoho and Google Docs are blocked in my office.. Google Notebook is the only app of its kind that is not blocked.. Anyway, I am fine if whatever is there stays there. It is good as it is, and I do not *need* any new features.
Please consider working on this project. It has by far been the most amazingly useful tool that I have found for searching the web in the quest to compile answers to assist me with my own development.
J'ai trouvé www.blocnotesenligne.com comme solution de rechange.
Facile et intuitif, ce bloc-notes gratuit remplacera facilement le google notebook : éditeur WYSIWYG, conserve la mise en forme du copier/coler, même les images ou vidéos, accepte malgré tout le html, et permet même de partager ses notes avec un lien du style http://www.blocnotesenligne.com/exemple, on peut aussi exporter ses notes en .pdf, .doc, .txt ou .html
Not to be negative, but this sucks.
I live by Google Notebook.
I noticed Google just launched Friend Connect. How in the world could that possibly be more important than Notebook??
ANYWAYS, PURPOSE OF MY POST:
Google should AT LEAST make a 1-click method for exporting ALL NOTES IN ALL CATEGORIES for us heavy users. I can't go category to category to export.
Plus, there should be multiple XML driven formats for exports, such that would allow an import into another note specific system.
"Why not just put it on the back burner for now instead of just killing it? "
Exactly Harry.
There are two actions that Google have taken, they have:
1.Dropped Notebook development.
This cannot be opposed and fits in with their "no harm" motto. Google must decide where they place their resources.
2. Stopped new users from signing up. Notebook is an excellent application and preventing new users BENEFITTING creates harm. Action 2. is against their "no harm" motto.
No doubt action 2. is related to some cynical marketing plan to shove more ads at us or sell our data.
I'm so delighted to see that this blog has gone on and on. A lot of people have cared enough to find their way here to place good natured, well considered comments and suggestions.. and yet the primary coloured monolith doesn't seem to be listening.
It's got to be of interest that so many people find the easy simplicity of Notes really attractive. And that other Google offerings are not providing the same satisfaction. Come on Google, surely 1007 (and counting) posts have got to make a second look at Notes, or Notes technology, worthwhile?
Google - I love your work and use many of your (free) apps in my daily life. Notebooks is one of them, and while I appreciate google docs, Notebook has several advantages over Gdocs. For one, it takes much less time to load up the notebook, edit/add content and switch between notes. I use it as a place to drop snippets and knowledge gained from days surfing the web. Additionally, I'm not concenred with formatting or spreadsheet concerns - for that I'm happy to use Gdocs. I think of notebook as that big cork board you have in your house/office upon which you tack up your thoughts, ideas and questions. It's a great product! Keep developing it!
thanks,
j
I too am sad to see Notebooks go. I have yet to find a solution that matches it's functionality and integration with the other Google products.
Please re-evaluate your decision, Google.
I too am sad to see Notebooks go. I have yet to find a solution that matches it's functionality and integration with the other Google products.
Please re-evaluate your decision, Google.
I love notebook and use it all the time. I post this in the hope that you reopen it when financial crisis is over :P
Here's the deal folks, I wanted Notebook continued just like you but, I just figured it out, I posted about two weeks ago on how Notebook allows me to save comments about a web page (in addition to allowing me to tag that comment), which is unlike the the other products because Google Bookmarks doesn't allow Notes. However, Google Reader has integrated into it a feature for saving and tagging Notes – which is better! In your Notes page/feed in Reader Google provides a bookmarklet to add a “Note in Reader”. Hence, you can apply your tags that you have already created for Reader to your Notes! Hence, you can use the same set of tags for your Notes, RSS feeds, and this can work as your Bookmarks as well! You don't have use Google Bookmarks which use a different set of tags. Reader does it all! I just figured out how to use this bookmarket on my iPhone and it works beautifully (it pops up a form in Safari that lets me add my Notes and tags then posts it to my Notes in Reader):
1.Open a URL containing the bookmarklet in you iPhone (such as by sending an email to your iPhone): http://javascript:var%20b=document.body;var%20GR________bookmarklet_domain='http://www.google.com';if(b&&!document.xmlVersion){void(z=document.createElement('script'));void(z.src='http://www.google.com/reader/ui/link-bookmarklet.js');void(b.appendChild(z));}else{}
2.Safari will say, “Can't open Page.” Bookmark that page.
3.Edit that Bookmark, delete the “http://” just leaving the “javascript...” part.
In conclusion, All your Bookmarks, RSS feeds, and Notes are all in Google Reader and they all use the same set of tags! And you can Note/Bookmark pages to add to Reader in your iPhone too!
@Dathan,
I'm not sure I'd call Google Reader's "Notes" option "better". For one thing, each time you capture a note, you have to uncheck the box (which is always checked by default) which will make your note public, posting it to all of your friends. Not very good if most of the notes you captured with Notebook were private, personal, sensitive, etc...
Secondly, once a note is captured in Google Reader in this way, you can't manually sort them. At best, you can give them tags (the same tags you use for feed items)... but you can't manually drag these around to define the other you'd like them to be read in.
Thirdly, once you save the note, you can no longer modify it after-the-fact. It's read-only from that moment on.
So, while Google Reader's Notes option is fine for people who are just looking to share web page snippets with friends, it's not very good for actually keeping NOTES organized.
For a real note-taking tool to be useful, I need to be able to modify my notes after-the-fact. So, this means Google Docs would be a good solution, except it takes a bit for Google Docs to load. The Google Notebook applet loaded fast. If they make a Google Docs applet which loads just as quickly, I will likely start using Google Docs more often to capture quick notes.
As for the Google Reader notes option, we should be allowed to modify the note and our comments to it after-the-fact if it is a private note. Also, there should be an easy option to capture private notes from pages without concern that it might end up being published. Perhaps Google Docs could be used for private notes and Google Reader could be used for public notes. Again, in order for this to be feasible, we'd need an applet for Google Docs which loads as fast as the Notebook one.
@Bob
Indeed, I fully agree and you have valid points, the way that Notebook functions is superior to the Notes feature in Reader (i.e. the dragging, editing, and "sections"). However, I'm just pointing out, the Notes feature in Reader is the most functional solution currently because you don't need a different set of tags and because it's combines your saved Feeds, Bookmarks, and your Notes in a central location. Hence, to know what you saved on a specific topic you don't have to check Bookmarks, Reader, and in Notebook.
Actually, I think that Notebook should stay and that Bookmarks, Reader, and Notebook just need to be better developed and synced. I don't want to have to manage all 3 and their different sets of tags when they serve the same purpose, in the meanwhile, using Notes in Reader is the most functional solution.
Regarding your comments on the privacy, you're absolutely right, by default your note is made public, Google should fix that. If Google is reading this, please also allowing renaming of tags and allow sub-tagging. (Also, I have a Reader request, please allow the Feed items to be marked as read in the list view!) Thanks.
@Bob
Correction: the Notes posted in Reader are not made public unless you check the “Add to shared items” checkbox. As for editing your notes, I just post a new one and delete the old one.
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