Two limitations of MyInfo
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 2:38 pm
I have given a lot of thought lately to what features are missing in MyInfo and how important they may be to me. My conclusion is that while programs like Evernote and OneNote offer a stupefying abundance of features, there are really only two things of consequence to me that are still missing in MyInfo.
First, both Evernote and OneNote are available in iOS (and other) varieties, so that it is easy to consult or modify one of their files on a phone. Petko reports that MyInfo is gradually moving in that direction, and I also worry about this less than I used to, because it's not difficult to create a temporary Word or PDF file that I can transfer over to my phone. For that matter, I am nowadays using a Surface Pro 4, so that if, for example, I want to bring a list of references with me when I venture into the stacks, I simply fold the keyboard back and can then easily carry my laptop with me to other parts of the library — and using its touch screen, I sometimes even modify a note while I'm on my feet. In other words, this limitation of MyInfo seems less worrisome than it used to.
The second capability that both Evernote and OneNote offer is a more awkward problem with no obvious solution: the ability to OCR text in images inserted in the notes. I find this immensely useful, mainly because of the kind of historical research that I do; often nowadays I just pop a clipping of a few paragraphs from a digital newspaper or book directly into a note. Unfortunately in MyInfo it is not possible to do word searches within that clipping. I then have a choice of either typing a brief summary of its contents or doing OCR with a third-party tool like ABBYY Screenshot Reader. Either of these procedures is time-consuming -- and annoying.
I'm wondering how other users have tackled these two limitations of MyInfo.
First, both Evernote and OneNote are available in iOS (and other) varieties, so that it is easy to consult or modify one of their files on a phone. Petko reports that MyInfo is gradually moving in that direction, and I also worry about this less than I used to, because it's not difficult to create a temporary Word or PDF file that I can transfer over to my phone. For that matter, I am nowadays using a Surface Pro 4, so that if, for example, I want to bring a list of references with me when I venture into the stacks, I simply fold the keyboard back and can then easily carry my laptop with me to other parts of the library — and using its touch screen, I sometimes even modify a note while I'm on my feet. In other words, this limitation of MyInfo seems less worrisome than it used to.
The second capability that both Evernote and OneNote offer is a more awkward problem with no obvious solution: the ability to OCR text in images inserted in the notes. I find this immensely useful, mainly because of the kind of historical research that I do; often nowadays I just pop a clipping of a few paragraphs from a digital newspaper or book directly into a note. Unfortunately in MyInfo it is not possible to do word searches within that clipping. I then have a choice of either typing a brief summary of its contents or doing OCR with a third-party tool like ABBYY Screenshot Reader. Either of these procedures is time-consuming -- and annoying.
I'm wondering how other users have tackled these two limitations of MyInfo.