Earlier this month, I gave a five
app round up on some note taking applications for Windows that I felt were well
designed and helpful for staying organized throughout the day at the
workplace. Due to the excellent feedback I received on that entry, filled with
plenty of excellent alternatives listed in the comments area, I opted to push
out another five apps round for my readers on this topic, since there were so
many other gems that deserved to shine in the spotlight.

This
article is also available as a TechRepublic Screenshot Gallery.

Five Apps

1. Google Keep

As part of the Google Drive package, Google Keep is a basic
service for cloud-based notes and lists. I was able to cobble a sample piece
together, complete with embedded images as well. Lists of items can also be
made for tracking parts of an agenda or whatever else using the handy checkmark
boxes to strike out completed steps.

2. Notepad++

If you are looking for a tool that takes Windows Notepad out
to pasture, Notepad++ is definitely worth a good look. With a tabbed window
mode and additional text editing functions that can also double up as a
multi-programming language editor in a pinch, including full on syntax
recognition, this free utility is quite flexible for most anyone’s needs.

3. Zim Desktop Wiki

Jotting down notes doesn’t have to be limited to a single
document. If you prefer a web-like structure for spanning out your content, Zim
Desktop Wiki can offer this and more. You can create pages that can be further
developed in layers using sub-pages, which can be easily navigated through the
side pane or via the back and forward buttons, much like browsing the web.

4. NoteTab

If you truly wanted to have it all in an editor app, simply
look no further than to NoteTab. I have never seen a text editor software
package with so many features before. In addition to creating your notes in the
form TXT files, you can also create OTL text outline files for keeping tabs on
sections of content, utilize a wide variety of web services to help you craft
more thoughtful prose, use a clipbook to keep commonly used snippets of text
saved for future use, and so much more.

5. NoteCase Pro

Just like NoteTab, another truly diverse and well-featured
text editor suited for note taking with added flexibility is NoteCase Pro. Not
only can you create notes at your leisure, but you can create Lua-based
automation scripts and sync all of your saved files to a service like Dropbox
or Box. Simply set your sync server settings and you can rest assured that your
musings won’t be lost forever in the unfortunate event of disk failure.