Ask HN: Offline / Paper Notetaking at Online Companies

[z3ugma]

I just can't focus on taking notes on my work computer - I get distracted and switch to email, browsing, and other work.

Does anyone have a good system for offline notetaking that is easily searched and archived after the fact?

[tonyarkles]

I'm on mobile right now, so apologies that there are no links. I have an app on my phone called TinyScan, which allows you to take a photo of a piece of paper and do perspective correction on it to get a normal rectangular copy. I'll take a stack of notes on a particular topic, scan it with TinyScan, and then upload the resulting PDF to Evernote. Then, I'll sprinkle some keywords into the Evernote doc/tag it/move it to the appropriate notebook so that I can find it later. Not ideal, but it's been working pretty well so far.

[ayejay]

I don't use the 'Sony Digital Paper System' but I wish I did! If you've got a spare $1k it might do the trick.

Not that I've had the chance to try it out but the concept seems great, especially for people aged 50+ IMO.

http://store.sony.com/digital-paper-system-zid27-DPTS1/cat-2... [Sony]

[philwebster → ayejay]

That looks sweet! A less expensive option (that I haven't tried) is the Boogie Board: http://www.myboogieboard.com/na/products/boogie-board-sync-9...

[Karawebnetwork]

If you have access to a laptop, change room to take your notes. Or if you have big desk, more to a corner you never use.