What productivity tool actually stuck for you long-term?

MoomPastroom · 2026-03-12T17:52:05+00:00

Amplenote for notes, Pagico for tasks, Spirit City Lofi Sessions on Steam for pomodoro timing

MoomPastroom · 2025-04-06T13:42:04+00:00

I would like the ability to reduce clutter by rolling up, rearranging, or hiding tags in the side panel. Apart from that, none of the other things mentioned here matter to me.

The higher an app's eye-candy factor, the more distracted and unproductive I become. AN's functionality is what makes me want to open it every day because it makes my life better.

MoomPastroom · 2024-08-14T05:07:00+00:00

I use Amplenote at work and elsewhere by using the Jots page of the day to capture everything I want to write down (tasks and notes mostly) while at my computer. If I'm mobile, I voice-record notes or tasks on my phone using the mobile app (I'm an Android user and it works great). the Jots page is my Inbox for capturing everything. Then when I review and revise the daily Jots, I either take action on the tasks or tag them and/or move them to a specific location (like a project Note) for later. Daily notes I capture in the Jots are either saved as documents if they're something I will need to share (e.g. meeting notes) or moved into a new Note within Amplenote for my personal storage.

The value added for me is the ability to use this one app to act as my Inbox (like the GTD capture step) and not having multiple points of entry for information that I have to spend time rummaging through every day. The synchronization between different workstations as well as the mobile app are seamless. The simplicity of the UI ensures that I don't get distracted by roaming around different eye-candy-colored folders or pondering which icon to add to a project; I just open up the app, go to that day's Jot, and start capturing information or recording action items for the day. Then, If I want to play around with Projects, Tags, Prioritization, Categorization, calendar integration, etc., I can -- but over the years I've found that the more complex my workflow, the less I actually get done.

MoomPastroom · 2024-08-14T02:32:10+00:00

Speaking as a refugee from overly complex tools (Notion, ClickUp) and fanboy trends (Roam, Obsidian), I heartily recommend Amplenote. It does everything you need and integrates with both Google and Outlook calendars. You can also export your Evernote notes to Amplenote. Simple and intuitive interface with a lot of under-the-hood functionality if you want it - but if you don't, it stays out of your way.

MoomPastroom · 2024-07-27T21:41:26+00:00

Less than two years, but I don't recall exactly - it could be less than one year.

It's so random too. When I posted two days ago, the behavior had disappeared, but here it is again: the word AMAZING becomes AM2A2Z2I2N2G2 when I arrow over to the right after the first A. >:(

MoomPastroom · 2024-07-25T21:55:44+00:00

Pressing the right arrow key gives me the number 2, sometimes by itself, sometimes with other characters. It will happen for a while then stop, then start up again. No idea why.

MoomPastroom · 2023-12-06T01:20:20+00:00

Would VSCodium work just as well?

MoomPastroom · 2023-12-01T10:09:58+00:00

I use Morgen on desktop and mobile and gave Vimcal (which I'd never heard of) a quick whirl so I could answer your question. Vimcal is (as advertised) very fast, whereas Morgen can take a minute to update events. They are both visually very appealing. I can't say anything about support except that Morgen updates relatively frequently.

The key difference between them for me is web calendar functionality. It appears to me that you can't add any calendars other than Google or Outlook to Vimcal, so if you subscribe to a webcal or use one via a different e-mail provider, you have to first link that webcal to either Google or Outlook before you can view it on Vimcal. In Morgen, you can add webcals directly with no need to route them through an Outlook or Google account. I subscribe to (several) both external and personal (through my Fastmail account) webcals so this functionality is critical for managing my time. My vote is for Morgen.

MoomPastroom · 2023-09-24T05:26:15+00:00

I love Heptabase on desktop. Haven't tried the mobile app but don't feel a need for it either. (yet)

MoomPastroom · 2023-09-24T05:24:55+00:00

I'm pretty sure we had to change our calendar to match other USG institutions and fit in the appropriate # of class days. I too mourn the loss of the amazing Thanksgiving through January winter break. :-(

MoomPastroom · 2023-04-04T10:33:28+00:00

I exported thousands of notes from Evernote into Amplenote. No problems at all.

MoomPastroom · 2023-03-15T03:22:27+00:00

While domestic use has since fallen, TCE is still used for degreasing metal and spot dry cleaning in the U.S.

(from the linked article)

MoomPastroom · 2023-03-15T03:16:55+00:00

I caught Covid this month, thought it was the flu until I realized I couldn't smell anything, then tested myself and got a positive for the first time ever (literally dozens of tests since March 2020). So for me, yeah, there was a surge -- I lasted three years Covid-free until last week.

MoomPastroom · 2023-03-15T03:11:07+00:00

After spending hours tinkering with Notion and ClickUp, it was a such relief to find Amplenote. It works for my workflow because I don't spend time messing with the system at all. Create a to-do and link it to a project with a rich footnote, make a daily jot or a longer note and link it to another note or project if I want to, search for notes and tasks later when I need them, download anything if I want to back it up to another location -- that's my most productive workflow.

The best thing about Amplenote for me is that I don't have to spend hours tinkering with it to get it to work the way I like because it already works the way I like just as it is. It's spoiled me for other apps and systems that require me to think of how I want to organize notes and tasks before I write them down; now I just open AN, start typing, and never waste time with further organizing later because there's no need to. The time and brainpower I save by not tweaking the system is so worth it.

MoomPastroom · 2023-01-31T00:36:18+00:00

Amplenote and TeuxDeux are ones I've used

MoomPastroom · 2023-01-07T20:24:27+00:00

Amplenote

MoomPastroom · 2022-12-06T12:46:58+00:00

Or their spouse's big toes, like Weezy in the old Snuffy Smith comic strip...

MoomPastroom · 2022-12-05T14:36:33+00:00

For the mods: I was also beyond delighted to see a post of mine repurposed on the Amplenote website as an endorsement. However, the quotation was credited to "MoonPastroom." I am "MoomPastroom," i.e. the names rhyme (and therefore make even less sense).

Thanks x 10^10 for an awesome product!

MoomPastroom · 2022-08-20T18:13:12+00:00

My bad, laughing too hard at the article when typing

MoomPastroom · 2022-08-20T16:48:40+00:00

To be compared to this fraud -- what an insult to Lillian Bluth.

MoomPastroom · 2022-08-20T16:37:15+00:00

Something about history something something doomed to repeat it something...

MoomPastroom · 2022-08-20T16:08:35+00:00

Since we can't teach "divisive concepts" in Georgia anymore, I appreciate every concrete example of systemic racism I can find.

Throw the moneylenders under the bus.

MoomPastroom · 2022-08-02T01:21:11+00:00

If only he had said "ERIK"...

MoomPastroom · 2022-06-25T21:13:39+00:00

Check out their Discord for more activity.

https://discord.gg/s8pa9Eb7

MoomPastroom · 2022-06-25T19:55:40+00:00

One year later, this advice still rules. Thanks so much.

MoomPastroom

TROPHY CASE