Popular note-taking app and PDF editor GoodNotes has been updated to support document sharing over iCloud for the first time.
After updating to version 5.5.0, users will be able to share individual notes and entire folders of notes using unique URLs, as well as collaboratively edit the same note with others at the same time.
Users can share documents from their GoodNotes library by tapping a document title, which opens a context menu containing the new Collaborate option. If a user is already working in a document, they can tap the share icon to reveal the same option.
Shared documents display a special icon in the GoodNotes library, and can also be accessed from a new Shared tab in the app's navigation bar. Changes to shared documents sync via iCloud and take around 15 to 30 seconds to show up on other devices, and anyone with the link can open and edit a shared document in GoodNotes.
The developers concede that this way of working is unlikely to replace real-time collaborative whiteboard apps, but it does offer a means of working together on things like calendars, meeting notes, grocery lists, and so on over an extended period of time.
GoodNotes 5 costs $7.99 and can be downloaded for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
In comparison to Notability I think a prefer the fact that the text of PDFs can be directly selected, highlighted and copied as text.
Writing and text recognition seems a little worse to me.
One feature I would really like to see is the option to scan excerpts from books into documents, ideally with OCR. Currently it is only possible to either take photos and add those or turn scans into entire pages.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084237PKK/ref=dp_prsubs_1
The best combination of a real matte screen and great Pencil friction I have found. Better than Paperlike, better than many others that reduce the screen’s clarity while actually adding glare to it.
Comes with a handy installation tool, too ;)
Notability is great too and it has the audio recording (which is done really, really well). There's also something about my writing in Notability - it's just smoother and more pen-like. That sounds minor, but somehow, they have really got the inking feel nice in Notability.
The thing to do is to buy and try both. Apple will refund you for the one that you don't like if you ask nicely via 'Report a problem' and don't do it too often. I ended up keeping both - I mostly use GoodNotes, but sometimes use Notability when I need to use voice recording.
There is also the app that no-one mentions and that is Noteshelf. It's killer feature was Evernote sync, and when I had to use a Windows PC for work that was invaluable to me to get my notes on that platform.
I have used both Notability & GoodNotes on my iPad and Mac.
I prefer Goodnotes over notability of the organization capabilities. There Is not enough actual not taking differences (to me) for that portion to matter. Notability does not allow for folders, goodnotes does. I have tons of notes that I wsnt to easily manage and rarely use. Notability felt clunkier in this area.
Notability pros:
* Both sync to iCloud, but Notability has a version history for each document.
* Audio recording
GoodNotes pros:
* Great organization
* This new document collaboration
Both have Mac apps, I do not remember the cost of them to compare. They might have even been free.
I only use the Mac apps for importing PDFs, and reviewing notes. I rarely edit with Mac.
1) Shapes. Notability gives you control over modifying your shapes
2) Audio recording. GN doesn't have any. Notability allows you to record audio while you take notes - and in playback of the audio, your note taking plays back too so what you wrote is shown in sync with what you heard!
But, those two features weren't enough for me.