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Originally Posted by jnsyr Anyone familiar with both who can highlight some differences? |
Okay, I haven't really used Google Drive all that much, but I use Excel spreadsheets every day... just not for my crafty inventory. Spreadsheets are great for lists, but Evernote is more like a database. I think the two biggest differences, for me, are (1) ease of entering data, and (2) search function capabilities.
When I add a new inventory item in Evernote, I create a new "note". This note can include multiple pictures, texts, audio, links, timed reminders... even spreadsheets, LOL. Each of my notes has a picture of the item, or sometimes multiple pictures (such as "examples using this set"). I include the manufacturer, part number, when & when purchased, how much I paid... all sorts of things. I have a template, so this goes very fast. If it's a stamp set with words, I quickly type out all of the sentiments into the body of the note.
To do this same thing with a spreadsheet, I'd have to decide on what information I was going to track, and give it a "space", creating columns or rows, for lots and lots and lots of different things. In Evernote, I just start typing. Everything I want goes into that one note. I don't have to figure out how to make it fit in the appropriate "cell".
I also add links between items within Evernote. If a die set matches a set of stamps, than there is a line that says "coordinates with...", and I will actually link the notes to each other. Or, if I've used a stamp set in my card classes, I can link to a note detailing the card design. And my card design notes can link back to every supply I used to make them.
And then there's the Evernote search feature. If I want to wish someone a "Happy Towel Day!", I can search the word "towel", and find everywhere that it is mentioned in a note. Yes, you can do that with a spreadsheet, but with Evernote, I can take it a step further. I can look for only dies with the word "towel" in them. I can look specifically for a "towel" stamp by Lawn Fawn. I keep track of current and retired Stampin' Up! stuff, so I can search just "current Stampin' Up! towel stuff", etc. And you can save search parameters, so if you routinely find yourself in need of a towel sentiment, you can have a ready-made search button.
And this works even better with a more common word, like Birthday, where you can get really specific. Evernote immediately pulls up just the results of your search, with the pix all clearly visible.
And it is also available from all of my devices. (I pay the small fee for constant access on as many devices as I'd like. If you have the free account, I think you can only have your info "open" on two devices at a time.) I really hate using my smart phone, for anything other than phone calls... but having the Evernote app on it has saved me numerous times. I use Evernote now for all sorts of things, so if I'm on the go, and I need a piece of information, I pull up Evernote, hit the search button, type in any word or description, and immediately I can see every single possibility. Seriously, if I can do this on my cheap Tracfone, ANYONE can.
Like I said, I use Evernote for anything and everything I can think of. I can type "Lawn Fawn mouse", and find all of my favorite mice stamps in a flash. But I can also type "Monster Cookies" and immediately find the recipe for my favorite cookies. Or "MRI", and immediately find the date from 6 years ago that I had an MRI done on my shoulder, and where it was done, and who asked for it, etc.
Yes, there's a bit of a learning curve, but I'm sure that Google Drive is the same way. Yes, I pay for Evernote, but only because I absolutely fell in love with the program, and it's worth it to me.
But... whatever works for you is what you should use. I did try an inventory of sorts, in Excel, many years ago. It didn't work for me, but it might work just fine for you.
Evernote v. Google Drive
