CintaNotes Free Personal Notes Manager 3.14

Overview

CintaNotes as you might have guessed is a note manager and editor. With this freeware you can create reminders about your schedules, write down your thoughts or quotes you hear and keep any kind of information you want in one place. Features include hotkey combinations to paste text in the program, find already saved notes instantly just by typing and synchronize them between computers with the help of online services.

Installation

The installation procedure is so simple that anyone can do it without problems, expert or not. There is nothing really there that would create any confusion, the instructions are clear and the steps very few.

Instead of installing the software, there is also a portable version available so that you can carry it around in your flash drive and run it without having to install it. Very helpful if the computer you’re using has limited rights.

The supported operating systems are Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 2008 and 7.

Interface

The user interface is very neat and not overloaded with features, giving space for the saved notes. There is the menu bar on top consisting of the usual menus that appear in most windows software (File, Edit, View, Options and Help) and right below that menu bar is a search box with a “Sort by” filter next to it. The rest of the window is kept for the notes you make.

Pros

There are many ways to make a note. Firstly, you can create one by pressing the Ins key in your keyboard. In the new window that pops up there are four boxes: the bigger one is the area where you type your message, and on top is the title box where you pick a title for it. The “Tags” box is used to insert tags for better organizing and easier finding of notes, whilst the last one is the “Link” box, where you can type in a URL and be redirected to it whenever you want. This is mainly used when you copy-paste text from a website and want to save its URL.

Another way to make a note is to paste it normally in the application, or use a special kind of pasting by pressing a hotkey combination. The only thing you have to do is just select the text you want in any application, press the clipping hotkey and the note is automatically created, with the URL already inserted if it is text from a website.

Synchronizing notes between computers is possible as well. You just have to use an online service like Dropbox and SugarSync, which is not difficult or time-consuming but gives you a big advantage if you’re using multiple computers.

Cons

You can’t print the notes, and there is no support for inserting images in them. These are two main features that are missing and should be implemented in the future.

Alternatives

Evernote, Microsoft OneNote, Tomboy (Win, Mac), wikiPad, Springpad, Simplenote, ToDoList, and KeepNote are some alternatives to CintaNotes, with Evernote being the most popular. It supports most operating systems used in handheld devices and various platforms in general, justifying the huge reputation it has.

Conclusion

If you often want to easily keep notes of anything you see or hear, with the ability to retrieve them afterwards fast and without trouble, then make a reminder to yourself and download this software because it is a tool you’ll greatly appreciate.