Agenda is very pretty and holds a lot of promise for the future. I like it a lot, but have some issues with it. I compiled this list after putting the app through its paces with one of my larger notes from Notes.app. I didn’t import the note content. Instead, I recreated it via cut and paste so I could experience the process of creation using Agenda.
Before I get any further, I want to echo the sentiment that the app does not perform as quickly as expected or desired. I created a project and then created 26 notes named A through Z. I would press ⌘N and type the letter, then ⌘N and the next letter, etc. Know what I got? 26 notes named Untitled Note. If I pause for the note to render (why do I have to pause?) and allow the app to highlight the default Untitled Note label for me, only then can I type my replacement text. I think the app’s use of animation is getting in the way. Animations are nice, but they need to stop when I begin to instruct the app to do something.
Is there no way to sort the notes in a project alphabetically instead of by newest/oldest? Sometimes date is important, but not always. I know Agenda has a date/time focus, but surey it understands that not all my notes need to be driven by time. I would definitely appreciate the ability to specify that a given project’s notes are sorted in alpha order.
Scrolling when dragging a note in a project with 20+ notes is an exercise in patience. When dragging a note offscreen there is a narrow band where autoscrolling will kick in. This area is too narrow and not sensitive enough. I often have to wriggle the mouse to get the app to begin autoscrolling. It should be easier to do this than it currently is. Speaking of scrolling, Agenda just crashed as I scrolled quickly upwards through my big note. Hello, EXC_BAD_ACCESS. Bummer. At least it didn’t lose any data as a result.
Why does every new note default to being on the agenda? I’d prefer that new notes default to not being on the agenda. I am critical about what gets to be on my agenda. Right now making a new note means taking the additional step of removing it from the agenda. Creating a new note means typing ⌘N, then mousing to the agenda button and clicking it.
Why can’t I select 10 notes, right click and delete them all? Why must I do it one at a time? This must be a bug because the Delete note from the right-click menu is grayed out, while Edit > Delete is not, but it doesn’t delete anything when I select it. When I select a single note Edit > Delete asks me if I want to delete it, as does pressing the delete key one the keyboard. Right-clicking shows that Delete Note is still grayed out. Of course, deleting multiple notes works fine when I quit and relaunch the app. Right-clicking shows that Delete Note is still grayed out, however. I think there is a bug in here somewhere. Update: moments later I can no longer delete multiple notes via Edit > Delete or by pressing the delete key. Yes, definitely buggy!
There is far too much clicking required to operate the app. If I have a note with 20 lines that I want to turn into minor headings, I have to hover around the line, click in the little circle, click on Minor Heading and then click again to dismiss the popup. That’s a lot of clicking! I can’t select multiple lines and do the process once, because the app is like, “No, that’s in a different note.” Intuitively, after making a line a Minor Heading and while the popup is still displayed, I would like to be able to click on another circle and make that line a Minor Heading, too, but the app won’t let me do that. I have to click outside the popup to dismiss it and then perform the process all over again. This is cumbersome. I thought, “I know, I’ll press ⌘T to bring up some text/font controls.” Nope.
Pressing ⌘T shows the calendar sidebar. No problem, I’ll press ⌘T to make it go away. Nope. If I can press ⌥⌘S to toggle the sidebar, why can’t ⌘T do the same for the calendar sidebar? Instead, I have to drag the thumb to collapse the calendar sidebar, widening the main content window. Why must it be this way?
I have content with actual #'s in it. Now I have a bunch of false tags: for sure, they are tags to the app, but not to me. They are like phantoms. My current solution requires that I change my content to \#whatever. I don’t think I should be the one to have to change in order to work around what the app thinks the norm is. I get it, convenience, but I feel like I should be the one that creates a tag.
There is currently too much clicking required. This is a notes app, so I would like to be able to drive 90% of the experience from the keyboard. More keyboard controls, please. When you make the iOS app, please honor Bluetooth and smart keyboards.
I can’t wait to see this app improve. Keep up the good work, guys!