In its carefully-plotted quest to take over the entire internet, Google yesterday released their “Keep” service. It had been previously rumored and “accidentally leaked” a short while beforehand, but now that it’s out, how good of a job does it do at what it claims?
Keep is clearly taking shots at Evernote, which is currently the most-popular note-taking service available right now. For those of you who haven’t used either, both services are intended to be used primarily on your smartphone, for taking notes, capturing images and sound bytes for later, and basically keeping track of your life. They can be accessed from anywhere, whether it’s your tablet, phone, or desktop.
Keep has Interesting Features: Google Keep comes with fewer features than Evernote, which is loaded with things like tags, categories, and more efficient organization. Keep allows you to categorize your notes by color only.
Although, Keep has some features that Evernote doesn’t, most notably the ability to create checklists, which can be very helpful for to-do lists and other everyday organization tasks.
Upwardly Mobile: Keep is obviously created to be mobile-first, and on smartphones, the interface is great. You can clip things from your mobile browser, take snapshots on the fly, and record voice notes. On the desktop however, you can only create checklists, basic notes, and attach files that are already on your computer.
Simple is Best: The best part about Keep though, and the way in which it most distinctly distinguishes itself from Evernote, is its simplicity. While Evernote’s features are great, they all hit you at once. Keep has none of that. When loading the desktop site at drive.google.com/keep, there is simply a blank box for a new note and your previous notes lined up beneath it. In line with Google’s minimalistic visual style, the notes are organized by a few simple colors and there are no extra frills. While Evernote may be good for those who compulsively take and organize notes digitally, Keep is great for the rest of us. It offers a simple way to ‘keep’ what we’re thinking and have it available to us wherever we are.
Like all Google services, starting out basic signifies nothing in relation to its eventual evolution. Google consistently starts out with a simple, solid product and adds features as people use and discuss it. So while it may not satisfy everyone’s needs in a note keeping app, it will evolve and grow over its lifetime. It may not have killed Evernote yet, but it has certainly sounded what may well be the death knell for any other note-taking software.
About The Author: Andrea Eldridge is CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, a computer repair company that specializes in on-site and online service for homes and businesses. Andrea is the writer of a weekly column, Nerd Chick Adventures in The Record Searchlight. She prepares TV segments for and appears regularly on CBS, CW and FOX on shows such as Good Day Sacramento, More Good Day Portland, and CBS 13 News, offering viewers technology and lifestyle tips. See Andrea in action at callnerds.com/andrea/.
