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What do you use as an Engineer's Notebook? Time for IdeaBook.com?

4ringfan

I'm trying to come up with the best memory archival tool.  Kind of a digital notebook of sorts.  I'd like something that I can store images, scraps of knowledge, notes, calculations, etc. and have it completely searchable. Right now, it is pen and paper, saved internet links in my browser, dropbox, and images on my phone.  My thoughts are probably scattered and saved somewhere, but they are never where I need them of course.  I can't seem to find anything when I need it.  Maybe I'll just have to blog everything on E-14 and have it searchable that way. Hehe, everyone get ready for my grocery list!  Putting the guys that use pen and paper aside (Sorry, but it just doesn't work for me), does anyone use any notebook apps that they are especially fond of?


The tools I commonly use:  Macbook, iPad, iPhone, and Desktop PC.


Ideally this application would be web based and useable anywhere by any device, it would be scalable and able to store vast chunks of data, and indexed for fast searches.  Suggestions?


Might be time to launch a new internet startup company called IdeaBook or something like that.  Just a white graph paper screen on which one can scribble notes, images, calculations, etc and have them stored like a journal and searchable like a database on the WWW.


Has anyone seen anything like that, or what do you guys use to record your stuff?

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    Hi Mike,

     

    I used an old fashioned spiral notebook for all of my professional career.

    The key is to use it daily to record events, and activities, and very importantly decisions and who made them.

     

    Having issues in writing are priceless when you get into urinal Olympics over who said what at a meeting weeks or months past.

     

    I always won because I would pull out my notebook, flip back to the meeting and show what I had recorded as a decision.

     

    I know a lot of people have gone digital with this type of recording, but I just like the feel of a solid paper copy with the time and date nicely recorded in ink and easy to access anywhere I happen to be.

     

    I always urged all of my new engineers to do the same.

    The information is great at review time when you need to show all that you accomplished during the past year.  Otherwise you are at the mercy of your bosses memory or worse, his impression of you.

     

    DAB

     

    PS, I still use them for recording thoughts and ideas now that I am retired.   That is how I documented my thoughts for my book "I Killed Schrodinger's Cat!"

     

    Paper is always valuable if you need to fight for idea protection.

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  • 0

    Hi Mike,

     

    I used an old fashioned spiral notebook for all of my professional career.

    The key is to use it daily to record events, and activities, and very importantly decisions and who made them.

     

    Having issues in writing are priceless when you get into urinal Olympics over who said what at a meeting weeks or months past.

     

    I always won because I would pull out my notebook, flip back to the meeting and show what I had recorded as a decision.

     

    I know a lot of people have gone digital with this type of recording, but I just like the feel of a solid paper copy with the time and date nicely recorded in ink and easy to access anywhere I happen to be.

     

    I always urged all of my new engineers to do the same.

    The information is great at review time when you need to show all that you accomplished during the past year.  Otherwise you are at the mercy of your bosses memory or worse, his impression of you.

     

    DAB

     

    PS, I still use them for recording thoughts and ideas now that I am retired.   That is how I documented my thoughts for my book "I Killed Schrodinger's Cat!"

     

    Paper is always valuable if you need to fight for idea protection.

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