Share the various software and services I have used in 2022, as well as my user experience.
Software#
Dropbox#
I have been using Dropbox frequently this year for file synchronization. It has been very reliable and does not have the synchronization errors that occur with iCloud and Google Drive.
Heptabase & Notion#
There have been significant changes in my note-taking system this year. In the first half of the year, I didn't have heavy note-taking needs, so I used Dropbox to sync Markdown files and stored some content in Notion. However, I didn't use Notion very often. In the second half of the year, I focused more on note-taking. I started using Obsidian, along with plugins and Dropbox sync, which allowed me to use it on all platforms. However, the experience on mobile devices was not great. I encountered some issues while using Obsidian. The main problem was the limitation of hierarchical folder management. I rarely accessed files that were more than three levels deep. Additionally, the document format was not conducive to comparing multiple versions of ideas.
In November, I discovered Heptabase and after researching it, I decided to subscribe for 600 RMB. I have no regrets after using it and feel that it might be the last note-taking software I'll need. It uses cards as the basic unit and organizes them using a whiteboard, which makes the thinking process more fluid. Although Obsidian later introduced whiteboard functionality, I didn't have the motivation to switch back. The main reason, of course, is that I spent money on a one-year subscription and I have to use it until the end (laughs). The limited expressiveness of Markdown and the inconvenience of managing files in document form are also reasons why I prefer Heptabase.
I use Heptabase to organize ideas and research projects, while Notion is used for structured knowledge and schedule management. I tried using Anytype and Obsidian as alternatives to Notion, but ultimately chose Notion because of its powerful database and stable cross-platform real-time sync. Additionally, Notion doesn't require managing images, which is one of the advantages of using an online tool. I use the Notion search assistant plugin on Chrome to sync search Notion content while using Google search. However, the Chinese search results in Notion are not ideal, as it can only search word by word. So, it's just barely usable.
Although Heptabase and Notion are both online software, they can be exported as Markdown files. This means that even if the services of these software were to stop one day, I can still migrate my notes. In terms of backups, Heptabase automatically backs up every time it is closed. Notion can be backed up using the notion-backup project on Github, combined with Github Action to automatically export once, so even if the server goes down, I can still access the data.
In summary, the main change in my note-taking system this year has been the shift from Markdown to online tools. Markdown itself has limited formatting capabilities and cannot support some complex text formats. Although there are plugins in the Obsidian community that extend Markdown syntax, these plugins are private formats that are not recognized by other software. When I wanted to migrate my notes, I found that two notes that heavily used private syntax could only be exported as PDFs for better readability.
Online tools are important for someone like me who needs to use multiple platforms. My devices include PC, Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Although I used Dropbox for cross-platform sync of Obsidian documents before, the software on mobile platforms couldn't achieve real-time sync, which is a limitation of the iOS system. Although iCloud can be used, the experience on Windows platforms is poor, and I lost documents due to the lack of version control, so I no longer heavily use this service. After switching to online tools, I no longer have to worry about sync issues.
SimpleNote#
For cross-platform note-taking, I used to use Telegram, but one of my accounts was inexplicably banned, so I no longer use it heavily. I tried using Discord and Slack, but they were not very convenient and I didn't use them frequently. Later, I discovered Simplenote, a free cross-platform note-taking software that syncs in real-time and is backed by Wordpress, so I don't have to worry about it shutting down. I use this software as my cross-platform note-taking tool, and the text synchronization effect is good.
Readwise Reader & Cubox#
For read-later purposes, I used to open the source app and if I found something interesting, I would share it to Cubox for later reading. But as I started following more sources, I found it cumbersome to open some apps, so I went back to using RSS readers. Unlike before, I couldn't find a suitable cross-platform reading software, but recently Readwise launched a Reader reader, which supports read-later, RSS, epub reading, pdf reading, and many other useful features. The only problem is that the price is not very friendly, but I still subscribed when there was a 50% discount for education. The homepage design of Reader is an advantage that allows me to click on articles to read as soon as I open it. In comparison, Cubox opens to a folder page and I have to click on a folder to see the articles.
Readwise is a good service for syncing and reviewing highlights. Although I don't really need the input services, the highlighting and Twitter saving features in Reader are quite useful. Although I couldn't directly import notes from WeChat Reading into Readwise, I found a tool that allows me to import WeChat Reading notes into Notion and then modify them to generate a CSV file that can be imported into Readwise, saving me the trouble of entering them one by one. As for output, Readwise integrates with Notion and Heptabase. I sync highlights and notes to Notion as a backup, and in Heptabase, if I want to reference a highlight, I can easily drag it into a note.
I used to use Cubox for read-later and web clipping, but then I started using Reader for read-later and Cubox only as a storage location for web clipping. Cubox is a software developed by Chinese developers and it has good support for Chinese websites like WeChat and Weibo. Cubox's Chrome extension can also sync search while using Google search, but Cubox's search only supports exact matches, which is quite different from Notion.
Zotero#
For reference management, I ultimately chose Zotero over Endnote. Although Endnote provides free unlimited cloud storage, the client operation is very slow and it only has one level of categorization. I switched to Zotero and configured the free 15G TeraCloud webdav as file sync, and so far I haven't encountered any problems, it's very convenient.
Day One#
I use the Day One app to record my diary. During the summer vacation in the middle of the year, my life was too boring, so I stopped for two months, but I started recording my diary again in September. I first started recording my diary on October 31, 2021, and now I can see the records from the same day last year. Seeing the content recorded by my past self, I have some thoughts. I hope I can continue recording.
Subscription Services#
YouTube Premium#
Due to the price increase in the Argentine region, I transferred my YouTube Premium subscription to the Turkish region this year. This is my third year subscribing to YouTube Premium.
Spotify#
I subscribed to Spotify this year. I switched to Spotify because changing regions on my Apple Music account would delete my songs. Now I use a US ID for everyday use, and subscribing to US Apple Music for $9.99 a month is not worth it. After using Spotify, I found that the experience is much better, especially on the Windows platform, and there are some good podcasts to listen to.
iCloud#
When I canceled my Apple Music subscription, I also canceled my iCloud subscription, but later I realized that I couldn't do without it in the Apple ecosystem, so I resubscribed to the 50G plan.
WeChat Reading#
I have been using WeChat Reading and recently subscribed to a two-month membership, which has improved the experience compared to the free version. I have been using it more frequently since purchasing e-books from Wenstone.