Evernote 5 for Mac launched with 100+ new features

Evernote 5 for Mac users is here. As per an official blog post, Evernote 5 boasts of over 100 new features and it is now available at the Mac App Store. In Evernote 5, Mac users will be able to spot a new left panel from where they can see and organise their notes and memories. 

Shortcuts

Using the Shortcuts options, users can gain quick access to the notes, notebooks, tags, and Saved Searches that are the most important. Users have to drag items into the Shortcuts area, and arrange them as per their requirement. Suppose you are working on a project; then you can drag everything that’s relevant into shortcuts. If you’re a GTD pro, then arrange the notebooks to match your needs. If you want, remove items from Shortcuts by dragging them out.

Shortcuts on the Evernote 5 for Mac

Recent Notes

The Recent Notes option is where users will be able to view their five most recently edited or created notes. Now users need not go searching for the note they were working on a few minutes ago, because it’ll show up in this area.

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Notes

To view their complete notes list, users will have to click on notes. “Think of this as the equivalent of the old All Notes option, but more powerful,” adds the blog post. Evernote 5 for Mac means that now when a user views his list, he is essentially seeing all his notes in a single view, even those that have been shared with him. They can switch to see only their notes from the View Options. 

Notebooks

Evernote shares that Notebooks are “all new in Evernote 5 for Mac". Users will be able to instantly see those items that have been shared with them, and their own notebooks. Moreover, users can sort the list by notebook name or owner. In fact, to locate a notebook quickly, users can start typing the notebook name and the list will instantly start filtering.

The company also shares an advanced tip in its post. It says that if a user prefers to see all of his notebooks in the left panel like in previous versions of Evernote, all they have to do is right click on the Notebook icon in the left panel and choose ‘Show Notebook List’ to view their list of notebooks below the icon; ditto for Tags.

Tags

The tag list displays the tags either alphabetically or by the number of notes that the tag contains. To view the tagged notes, users will have to double click on a tag. To view the other tags that have been highlighted that share notes with the same tag you’ve picked. 

Atlas

“People are wired to build rich contexts around their memories. It’s more than just what the memory is, but also where it was created and who else may have been there". With the new Atlas view, Evernote 5 on the Mac users will be able to see all of their notes on a map, even those created in Evernote Food or Evernote Hello. 

Once users are on the Atlas screen, they will be able to see Place Cards. Using Place Cards, users will be able to jump directly to a particular location (locations likely cluster around a few areas on a world map). Click on a Place Card, then zoom in to the area you want.

Evernote adds that items will only show up in Atlas only if a user has a device that has location services enabled. 

The Note List

For the Evernote 5 for Mac, the Note List received a redesign, too. Evernote shares in its post that it has added Card View, which it claims places one’s notes as ‘beautiful squares’. The Card View frames notes containing images, and also gives users a preview of notes with text. One can click on the Note View options in the top corner of the Note List to switch to the classic Snippets View, which has been updated to also include notebooks and tags. If users want to view their notes full screen, they’d have to pick the Expanded Card View option.

Evernote 5 for the Mac comes with two sorting options right into the top of the Note List. There’s a notebook selector drop down and a tag selector drop down. Users can click on them and either start typing or select the item they they’re looking for - this way the Note List will instantly switch to only showing notes related to the selection.

The Note Editor

The Note Editor panel on Evernote 5 for Mac has been backed by some subtle but critical improvements, which Evernote claims make it more useful and effective. Among the first things, users will spot a border around all side of the notes. “This framing makes the note taking experience surprisingly different and enjoyable,” shares Evernote.

Those looking for editing sans any distraction, they can double click on the note to pop it out of the Note List, then click on the full screen arrows in the top right corner of the window. This way the note will take over the screen, allowing users to focus on your writing.

Then there is the Sharing Bar, which the post adds, indicates the number of people that have access to the note and also their names. Evernote claims that this is a quick way of seeing who has access to the information in the note, while also being a reminder, in case the user wants to add someone new.

Make Plain Text

Evernote has also added a new option to the Formatting menu, which it claims will “make some of our users very happy”. Using this option, users can now completely remove all formatting from a note.

Major Search Improvements

Interestingly, Evernote shares that Search also underwent a major update. How this would help is that as the size of an account grows, users will be able to adjust the way they search for content. “Whereas a single word search used to be sufficient, now you find yourself searching across multiple dimensions of the app. The new search features are designed to make finding anything easy, no matter how large your account,” adds Evernote further. 

Type Ahead Search feature

Type Ahead Search

Another one of the interesting additions to Evernote 5 for Mac is the Type Ahead Search option. The way this works is that users can start typing a search term and the Type Ahead algorithm will begin suggesting searches based on content inside your account. Evernote shares that everything will appear right below the Search Bar. Users will be able to see related keywords, notebooks, tags, Saved Search, recent notes, and more. Users can click on the menu at the bottom of the search popup for advanced options.

Share and Stay Informed

With Evernote 5 for Mac, Evernote claims to have focused on the sharing aspect. “We made sharing your notes and notebooks easier, while also bringing more shared content into plain sight,” it notes. The Activity Stream has been updated, too. Evernote claims that it is now adept at grouping events. Users can click on it to see exactly what’s happening in the notebooks they have access to and those that they have shared. They will also be able to view the updates in the Notification Center on Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8).