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Each year, I revert to Apple’s default apps (Mail, Calendar, Reminders, Notes) with new developer betas to see if they suit my workflow. This year is no different. Let’s see how long I stick with them before switching again. :)
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TRMNL
The TRMNL is an e-ink display that serves as a dashboard for your calendar, weather, stocks, RSS feeds, Apple Photos, and more. Its open platform allows developers to build and share their own apps. I won’t get one now, but I’ll keep an eye on it.
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Boox Go Color 7
A few days ago, my Boox Go Color 7 arrived. Yes, I did just start using a Kobo Clara, which I wrote about here.
The main reason I wanted to try the Boox is that I can run any Android app on it. This means Readwise, Kindle, Kobo, Libby, and even Micro.blog.
It took me a couple of weeks to make the decision to even try the Boox. I had the device in my cart several times, then removed it, then added it back later. I couldn’t make up my mind. I decided I could try it and then decide which device I’ll keep and return the other.
- The Boox Go is slightly larger than the Kobo Clara. The Clara was noticeably small, and I found myself thinking it needed to be slightly larger but still very comfortable and light.
- I’m still able to read Kindle, Kobo, Libby, or transfer my own books to the device.
- I’m a pretty heavy user of Readwise Reader, and the app works great on Boox (with some minor configuration tweaks).
- I like the hardware buttons.
- The Clara shares a name with my mother-in-law. Weird.
I’m going to return the Kobo Clara and keep the Boox Go Color 7.
If someone asked me which I would recommend, my answer would be it depends on if you want it to just work (go with the Kobo) or want options and are willing to tinker a bit (go with the Boox).
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Starting 2025 with the Reflect notes app
On the surface, Reflect is as simple as it gets. When I open the app, I’m right on my daily note, when starting a new note, I get a blank screen. No toolbars, no bright shiny Share buttons, no distractions.
Under the covers, there is a lot to like:
- End-to-end encryption
- Markdown support
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Backlinks
- Image and PDF OCR
- A simple tasks interface
- Voice note transcription
- Built-in AI (OpenAI or Anthropic) for manipulating text, creating custom prompts, or even chatting with AI about selected notes
- Readwise (or direct Kindle) sync
- Import and export of notes in Markdown and other formats
Reflect feels like writing in the default notepad app on my OS, but with superpowers. The one big downside is the price tag: a $120 annual subscription. I’ve been using Reflect for a year and tried switching to Obsidian, but I keep coming back.
The Reflect YouTube channel is a great resource for anyone interested.
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Obsidian Web Clipper works on iOS
I just discovered that the Obsidian Web Clipper also works on iOS! I’ll need to use Safari since it’s a Safari extension, but that’s okay.
I struggled with importing my settings. I had to import each template manually, and configuring the Interpreter was a bit of a pain, but it works!
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Default Apps 2024
Inspired by the Hemispheric Views podcast, here is my annual list of Default Apps for 2024. My list seems pretty boring (to me). It’s changed a good deal over the year, but this is what I’m currently using and what seems to be sticking with me for now.
- 📨 Mail Client: Hey 1
- 📮 Mail Server: Hey 1
- 📝 Notes: Obsidian 2
- ✅ To-Do: Things 3 iOS
- 📷 iPhone Photo Shooting: Default camera app.
- 🟦 Photo Management: Apple Photos
- 📆 Calendar: Apple Calendar
- 📁 Cloud File Storage: Apple iCloud
- 📖 RSS: Readwise Reader
- 🙍🏻♂️ Contacts: Hey 1 and Apple Contacts
- 🌐 Browser: Edge on Windows. Orion on iOS
- 💬 Chat: Apple Messages. Signal.
- 🔖 Bookmarks: Obsidian 3
- 📑 Read It Later: Readwise Reader
- 📜 Word Processing: Obsidian
- 🛒 Shopping Lists: Our Grociers iOS
- 🍴 Meal Planning: N/A
- 💰 Budgeting and Personal Finance: YNAB
- 📰 News: RSS
- 🎵 Music: Apple Music
- 🎤 Podcasts: Overcast
- 🔐 Password Management: 1Password
- 🔎 Search: Kagi 4
- 🌍 Blogging Platform: Micro.blog and Pika
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I like Hey, but is it worth $99 a year? I’ll reevaluate when its time. ↩︎
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I’m working on transitioning all of my notes (worth keeping) from Apple Notes, Upnote, Reflect, Evernote, Drafts, and anywhere else I may have them stored. ↩︎
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I’ve been using Obsidian Web Clipper to save bookmarks into Obsidian. It’s lacking on mobile though. ↩︎
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I love Kagi, but have been experimenting with Perplexity and even ChatGPT Web search. ↩︎
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One of my goals over the next couple of weeks, while I’m off work, is to move all of my notes from various places into Obsidian.
Somehow, I get notes scattered all over we then place in various apps. I need to move them and cut out these other apps from my system.
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I moved our company development Wiki from Azure DevOps into Obsidian Publish. With local markdown and one-click publishing, it’s been the solution that stuck with us. My company gladly paid for the commercial license and the Publish service.
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I’m starting to enjoy using the sidebar in Vivaldi. It’s been useful for showing email from Proton, notes from Reflect, RSS from Sublime Feed, Mastodon, Micro.blog, and more. I’m trying to get more familiar with the keyboard navigation and Quick Commands feature as well. Overall, I’m impressed.
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I’m seriously considering installing Linux on my Surface Laptop 3 to try it out again. If it sticks, I’d buy a new laptop.
Most of the apps I use already run on Linux, so I don’t think I would lose much on the software side.
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Apple Is Not the Reason I’m Buying Apple Products - These People Are
The things Apple makes and does isn’t the main reason I keep buying Apple products. It’s all the fantastic third-party developers, mostly indie, who make great software for the Apple platforms.
This is a great point. When I switched to iPhone and Mac years ago, it was for the unique, high-quality apps that were missing on Windows and Android.
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My Inoreader subscription expires today. I didn’t auto-renew. I’ve grown to truly enjoy Inoreader in many ways. On the other hand, I’ve enjoyed Feedbin in the past, and it’s cheaper. I started a Feedbin 30-day trial to give it another go. The countdown begins.
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A purpose for Obsidian
I’ve had an off and on relationship with Obsidian for some time now. I want to love the app, but after using it for a period, I always end up frustrated, and I move to something else.
I’ve started to use Obsidian in a way that works for me. More on that in a minute. First some venting.
I don’t know exactly what it is that I don’t like about Obsidian.
I think it’s the way you interact with files. It’s also the ugly search, file presentation, backlinks, and so many other things that irritate me. It all seems to work okay, but not for me. If I were to try to pinpoint a part of Obsidian that I don’t like, it’s the Organization of my content. It all makes sense in theory, but execution is where it gets me.
Obsidian has failed me when I tried to use it as a Notes application. When I attempt to use it as a Capture tool, then make connections between notes, etc. All of that PKM jargon I’ve come to find pretty useless for me.
The other thing that I have a love/hate relationship with is the Plugins. On one hand, Obsidian can be very overwhelming with everything that’s possible. On the other hand, I can make Obsidian work the way I want it to, by enabling or disabling third-party and core plugins.
Now that the venting is out of the way, I’ll talk about how I started to use Obsidian and make it work for me.
What I do love about Obsidian is that it is local-first. My files are simple Markdown text files that live on my computer. I can take them anywhere, and use them with other applications.
I also like the writing experience in Obsidian, mostly. The Live Preview Markdown mode can be weird sometimes, but for simple writing, it’s pretty good.
The other thing I’ve come to quite enjoy is how I can write something and publish to Micro.blog using the Micro Publish plugin. It’s pretty seamless. I can’t wait for image support!
I now open Obsidian to a blank screen, which creates a new note in the Drafts folder. I use CTRL-N to create a new note. Then I write. When it’s ready, I publish. Then I drag that file to a folder named Posts, where I store my published content. I also have a Pages folder where I can keep Pages on my blog updated.
If I need to find an existing note that I need to update, I use the built-in Quick Switcher (CTRL-O).
That’s mostly it. I’m using Obsidian solely as a writing tool. And I find I’m truly enjoying it now.
I have a few plugins that help me accomplish this: - Micro Publish : Post to Micro.blog. - Focus Mode: To toggle into focus mode where I only see the note itself - Language Tools: Built in Grammar checking. - Border theme: My favorite theme at the moment. - Style Settings: For tweaking the Border theme to my liking.
My Obsidian Plugins Here is a screenshot of what Obsidian looks like when not in Focus Mode.
My Obsidian with Focus Mode Disabled And here with Focus Mode enabled.
Obsidian with Focus Mode enabled I’m sure I’ll keep tweaking things now and then. That’s how I work. But overall, I’m loving the simplicity of this setup.
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Consolidating my notes
I know I have notes scattered all over in various apps. Evernote, Bear, Ulysses, Apple Notes, Reflect, Mymind, and Obsidian to name a few.
Since I never know where a note is, I don’t use them often and even create duplicate notes because if forget where it is or forget I already have the note.
I want to consolidate them into one place.
But where?
Currently, I’m strongly considering Obsidian, but I need to sit on that for a while. I have a strange relationship with Obsidian. Every time I look at it fresh, I remember how powerful it is and possible to organize any way I want. But then I use it for a while and quickly get frustrated for one reason or another.
🤔
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Tools I use Page
While moving things around on my sites a few weeks ago, I realized I lost the “Tools I Use” page that I had set up. This is one of the downsides to changing things too often.
Anyway, I created a new page. I decided to use my Obsidian Publish account since I still have an ongoing subscription. I think pages like this would be effortless to update from Obsidian. I may add more pages to that site, including a list of search engines, static site generators, favorite newsletters, podcasts, etc. Obsidian Publish should work well for “static” pages that are updated over time and independent of the chronological order of a blog.
Here is my current Tools I use page.
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I prefer simple email clients like ProtonMail over the flashy Hey email. I rarely get emails since using InoReader, so simplicity is nice. Please don’t say “I told you so” when I switch back to Hey in 6 months. Experimentation and change is my nature.
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🔗 Inoreader I’ve enjoyed Inoreader as my one stop for all RSS, newsletters, YouTube, and even Micro.blog.
I have turned off unread counts and have the All Articles view set to Cards. An excellent way to scroll through everything without jumping in and out.
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I create a more permanent NOW page where I’ll attempt to keep all the hardware, apps, services, Newsletters, Podcasts, etc. that I currently use. I’ll also show what gets cut from the list at the bottom.
It’s helpful for me to reflect on all this now and then to help clean things up.
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Don’t allow AI to take over your knowledge management
Curtis Mchale writes about The State of Notetaking for 2024 – PKM Weekly Issue 100.
I think that the appeal of AI hits the same chord for many people looking at their notes. They want to have neatly compiled notes with clearly thought-out ideas that resonate with others. They want to be done with the hard work of writing their ideas down poorly 20,000 times until they come up with a single good idea that they can run with.
People figure AI will do this for them, but if your notes are crap to begin with, the output of any AI will also be crap.
This is a good reminder that while many apps are gaining AI superpowers, the LLMs can’t replace our thinking and ideas. Sure, they can help spark ideas and maybe some other use cases, but they won’t do the hard work for you. Especially when it comes to personal knowledge management. What’s the point of handling over your learning to AI? The real learning comes from doing the work to understand something and how it relates to other things, not by letting some software do it for you.
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I’m still using Ulysses for writing and notes
After giving iA Writer another brief go, I’m sticking with Ulysses.
Ulysses has a customizable writing experience, handles images well, has built-in grammar tools, and, most importantly, has seamless publishing to Micro.blog, where my sites are hosted.
These reasons make Ulysses the easiest to open up on mobile (which I’m doing now) or the Mac and start writing. If it’s something I want to share, I hit publish.
I’ve also tried Obsidian, Typora, and Reflect. Each has some excellent features, but from a writing and publishing perspective, none are as simple and reliable as Ulysses.
My biggest issue is that Ulysses is Mac and iOS only. If I want to write a blog post for The Power Architect, I must do it from my Mac. Maybe that’s a better experience anyway.
As far as notes go, I’ve been dumping private notes into Apple Notes and everything else into Ulysses. Much of it gets posted to my blog. I’m not a big note taker lately.
