# I Need a OneNote Replacement | Workflow Challenge ![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/shIAq89u1XA/maxresdefault.jpg) ## Introduction [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=0s) - The host, rsy with Paperless X, is exploring someone else's workflow in today's content [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=0s). - The workflow has been pending for months, possibly even years, and the host apologizes for the delay in addressing it [(00:00:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=10s). - The delay was due to the team's limited size, which made it difficult to handle the volume of inquiries received [(00:00:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=17s). - The goal is to clear the existing backlog before accepting new workflow submissions [(00:00:25)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=25s). ## The problem [(00:00:33)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=33s) - Louis, a university student, is looking for a replacement for [[Microsoft OneNote | OneNote]] due to several reasons and has previously used Good Notes [(00:00:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=42s). - Louis's workflow involves annotating lecture [[PDF | PDFs]], which is the first thing that needs to be replicated in the new replacement app [(00:00:48)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=48s). - Lecture materials are often provided as slides, so the ideal format for replication is slides [(00:01:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=62s). - To replicate Louis's workflow, a sample lecture PDF was created using Keynote, which can also be done using [[Microsoft]] PowerPoint [(00:01:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=68s). - The created PDF is then saved to Files, ready to be imported into OneNote for annotation and adding more notes [(00:01:41)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=101s). - Louis imports PDFs, including question and answer materials, into OneNote as part of his workflow [(00:01:57)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=117s). ## PDF Printouts [(00:02:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=126s) - The print function in [[Microsoft OneNote | OneNote]] allows users to see all the pages of their document and annotate lecture notes, which is a crucial part of Louis' workflow [(00:02:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=127s). - OneNote provides ample space around the [[PDF]], and when users run out of space, they can write on the app's infinite canvas, which is essential for Louis' workflow [(00:02:52)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=172s). - According to the workflow, question and answer sheets must be in one document, and Louis can print out the answers on the side of the questions to check them [(00:03:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=188s). - However, this setup may not work if the number of pages in each document is large, but there is a workaround by deleting or moving pages [(00:03:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=230s). - This setup is not possible in Good Notes, which is why Louis was initially happy with OneNote [(00:04:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=256s). - Louis encountered a bug in OneNote on the [[IPad | iPad]], where the print out function displayed blurry text on the PDF when zooming in, which has been a long-standing issue that [[Microsoft]] has not fixed [(00:04:32)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=272s). - The blurry pages in [[Microsoft OneNote | OneNote]] can also be caused by a slow internet connection, as the app constantly downloads and uploads content online [(00:05:05)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=305s). - Due to this bug, Louis needs an alternative to OneNote that imports [[PDF | PDFs]] on an infinite canvas [(00:05:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=317s). ## Tried Solutions [(00:05:26)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=326s) - The first option tried was [[Apple Inc. | Apple]] Notes, but it did not work out due to its inability to zoom in and the lack of an infinite canvas for handwriting notes at the time of inquiry [(00:05:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=327s). - In [[IPad | iPad]] OS 18, Apple Notes allows zooming in and out of PDFs, making them as large or small as desired in notes [(00:06:24)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=384s). - A problem with this setup is that all documents are stacked on top of each other, making it difficult to compare them side by side, although using multiple instances can be a decent workaround [(00:06:41)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=401s). - An advantage of using Apple Notes is the ability to open a document to freely work on questions without much distraction from the rest of the app [(00:07:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=432s). - However, using Apple Notes means losing the infinite canvas to write lecture notes, which is likely why this solution did not work for Lou [(00:07:37)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=457s). ## Apple Freeform [(00:07:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=471s) - [[Apple Inc. | Apple]] [[Freeform (Apple) | Freeform]] was considered as an option but was ultimately ruled out due to its inability to display [[PDF | PDFs]], instead only allowing attachment with no interaction capabilities [(00:07:56)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=476s). - The app also lacks folders, making it unsuitable for a student who requires organization [(00:08:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=486s). - As a result of these limitations, Apple Freeform was deemed useless for the intended purpose and was eliminated as a potential replacement [(00:08:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=490s). ## Our Solution [(00:08:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=502s) - Prodraft is an app that solves the problem of creating notebooks with infinite pages, allowing users to drag and drop questions and answers, such as PDFs, into the app, providing a similar experience to [[Microsoft OneNote | OneNote]] [(00:08:23)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=503s). - The app enables users to write around their [[PDF | PDFs]], but writing directly on the PDF itself is not straightforward, as the ink does not move with the page when scrolling [(00:09:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=558s). - To annotate or write on PDFs, users must do so in a separate window, which then appears on the PDF itself, not on the infinite canvas [(00:09:35)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=575s). - The app provides a huge infinite canvas for writing, with PDFs displayed side by side, and also allows for annotating PDFs, checking all the boxes for Lois's needs [(00:10:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=602s). - The solution meets the requirements for the workflow challenge, and users are encouraged to share their own solutions and provide feedback [(00:10:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shIAq89u1XA&t=618s).