The Winner: Google Notebook
We're getting a little tired of giving Google the nod, but it's the truth: Google Notebook is the perfect solution for organizing clips of information you find on the Web, and makes searching and browsing far more productive than you might imagine. The site lets you create "notebooks" that you organize into sections. You can copy clips from Web pages, or entire Web pages, into each section. The clips and sites contain the full content of the page, including graphics, multimedia, and so on. You can drag and drop clips among sections, and rearrange sections easily.
  Google Notebook offers a great way to organize the info you clip from the Web. Click image to enlarge and to launch image gallery. |
Finding information you've saved is exceptionally easy, because not only can you browse by section, but you can also use Google's search tools to search within your notebook. The interface is typical Google minimalist, which is ideal, because it lets your clips and information take center stage.
Start by installing a mini-app that works inside your browser (versions are available for both Firefox and Internet Explorer) and runs as a small, discrete icon. Click it when you come across something on the Web you want to clip and store. In addition, you can highlight a section of a Web page, right-click it, and store it directly to the notebook.
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• Introduction • Calendars • Info Managers • Spreadsheets • Webtops • Word Processors |
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• Image Gallery |
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That said, I had some problems with Google Notebook. In testing, it occasionally choked when I pasted in very large amounts of information with many Web images. And it can be a bit confusing to use the mini-app that runs in your browser -- it's not always easy to know into which category you're placing clips. But these are minor quibbles. Anyone who needs to organize bits of information online should use this site, and that pretty much means all of us.
The Runner-Up: Backpack
Think of this as a pumped-up note-taker and to-do list organizer. For each project you want to organize, you create a page, each of which can include to-do lists, freeform text, notes, and reminders. You can even create reminders that are automatically sent to you via e-mail or to your cell phone via SMS. And if you use Apple iCal, Mozilla Calendar, or any program that supports the iCalendar format, your reminders will be automatically added to your calendar.
 One of Backpack's best features is its ability to create automatic reminders. Click image to enlarge and to launch image gallery. |
If you want to have a calendar, store files and images, or create more than five pages or ten reminders, you'll have to upgrade to a for-pay plan. Depending on how many pages and reminders, and how much storage you want, the cost ranges between $5 and $14 per month.
Also Available:
Voo2do: Want to get organized? It's hard to tell if this site will really help. On the one hand, it includes plenty of tools for keeping track of projects, including the ability to create to-dos, write notes, track deadlines, and collaborate. On the other hand, the site is so confusing to use, you may decide it's better to revert to paper and pencil. (Click here for image.)
TimeTracker: Do you charge computer tasks by the hour -- as a consultant, perhaps? Need some way to keep track of the time you spend? Then give this site a try...but don't expect too much. Create a task, start the timer for it, then come back when the job is done and stop the timer. You'll be told how long you just spent on it. Yes, you could also do this with a stopwatch, but that wouldn't be as much fun, would it? (Click here for image.)
--Preston Gralla
