Why Are People Leaving Obsidian for This Note App? | Capacities Review

Shu Omi
8 Sept 202307:06

TLDRThe video script discusses the growing popularity of Capacities, a note-taking app that has seen significant improvements since its inception. It draws comparisons with Obsidian and other note apps, highlighting Capacities' attractive features such as its clean interface, the ability to organize information through daily notes, and the option to customize page layouts. The app also integrates AI for email organization and offers a range of formatting options. While acknowledging areas for improvement, the script suggests that Capacities may appeal to those seeking a simpler, yet feature-rich alternative to more customizable note apps.

Takeaways

  • ๐Ÿ“ Obsidian has been a popular note-taking app due to its free access and high customization options.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Some users are considering switching to Capacities, a new note-taking app with its own set of features.
  • ๐ŸŒŸ Capacities has seen significant improvements since its introduction and offers a unique note-taking experience.
  • ๐ŸŽจ The app has a visually appealing interface with light and dark mode options, but lacks theme customization similar to Obsidian.
  • ๐Ÿ“… Capacities includes a daily note feature and a calendar view for organizing and remembering daily tasks and events.
  • ๐Ÿ”— It allows users to link notes in a more detailed manner, categorizing them as people, places, books, or web pages.
  • ๐Ÿ“Š The graph view helps visualize the connections between different notes and objects within the database.
  • ๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ Users can choose the layout of each page, offering options like profile, index card, and encyclopedia styles.
  • ๐Ÿ“‚ Capacities supports various types of objects like Pages, Images, Files, PDFs, and more, with the option to create custom types.
  • ๐Ÿค– The app integrates AI for certain features, such as content formatting and blog post drafting, available in the paid plan.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ The mobile app for Capacities is not officially available yet, and there is no browser extension for easy information capturing.

Q & A

  • What makes Obsidian popular as a note-taking app?

    -Obsidian is popular due to its free nature and extensive customization options, allowing users to build any note-taking system within the app.

  • What is the main difference between Obsidian and Capacities in terms of note-taking?

    -While both are note-taking apps, Capacities differs in that it offers a more straightforward setup and less customization, which can be appealing to those who find Obsidian's customization options overwhelming.

  • How does Capacities enhance the organization of information?

    -Capacities allows users to organize information by writing or uploading files in daily notes, linking and adding them to different types of objects, and customizing the layout of each page.

  • What are some of the unique features of Capacities?

    -Unique features of Capacities include the ability to choose the type of link when connecting notes, a graph view for visualizing connections, customizable page layouts, and an AI button for context-based inquiries.

  • How does the AI feature in Capacities work?

    -The AI feature, available in the paid plan, provides context-based assistance by allowing users to ask questions about a specific block of text and receive answers or suggestions related to the content.

  • What is the main advantage of using Samebox for email management?

    -Samebox is a productivity tool that scans the email inbox, automatically identifies important emails, and organizes them into folders like 'Say Later', keeping the inbox clean and focused on important messages.

  • What are some of the time-saving features offered by Samebox?

    -Samebox offers features like the daily digest, which summarizes important and read emails, and the 'Same Black Hole', where users can add emails from certain senders to prevent future emails from cluttering the inbox.

  • What are the limitations of Capacities mentioned in the script?

    -The limitations mentioned include the lack of an official mobile app and the absence of a browser extension, which could make capturing information from the web more challenging.

  • How does the user interface of Capacities differ from Obsidian?

    -Capacities has a main panel at the center for note-taking, a list of collections and files on the left, and a calendar on the right for daily notes, whereas Obsidian is more customizable with themes and appearance options.

  • What is the pricing for the paid plan of Capacities?

    -The paid plan for Capacities costs around 10 USD per month, which includes access to the AI chat feature, block referencing, and mobile app access.

  • What is the main reason some users might switch from Obsidian to Capacities?

    -Some users might switch to Capacities because it offers a simpler and easier setup, with less emphasis on customization, making it more approachable and less overwhelming than Obsidian.

Outlines

00:00

๐Ÿ“ Exploring the Rise of Capacities and its Comparison with Obsidian

This paragraph introduces the growing popularity of Capacities, a note-taking app that has seen increased interest as an alternative to Obsidian. It highlights the key features of Capacities, such as its clean interface, the ability to link and categorize information like people, places, books, and web pages, and the visual graph view that helps users see connections between their notes. The paragraph also mentions the app's similarity to Notion and Logseq, and the lack of customization options compared to Obsidian, emphasizing the simplicity and ease of use that Capacities offers to its users.

05:02

๐ŸŒŸ Capacities' Interface and Organizational Features

The second paragraph delves into the user interface and organizational capabilities of Capacities. It describes the layout of the app, with a central panel for note-taking, a list of collections on the left, and a calendar on the right for daily notes. The paragraph explains how users can link notes to various objects and create different types of pages, such as profiles, index cards, and encyclopedias. It also touches on the app's ability to filter and sort information using properties and view types, and the integration of AI for organizing emails through a sponsored feature called Same Box.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กObsidian

Obsidian is a popular note-taking application known for its free access and extensive customization options. It allows users to build personalized note-taking systems. In the context of the video, it serves as a comparison point for the newly considered app, Capacities.

๐Ÿ’กCapacities

Capacities is a note-taking application that has gained attention for its improvements and features. It is described as a cross between Notion and Obsidian with no tabs, offering a unique interface and functionality. The app focuses on organizing information through daily notes, linking, and categorizing objects, as well as providing a visual graph view for connections.

๐Ÿ’กCustomization

Customization refers to the ability of users to tailor and modify software to fit their specific needs and preferences. In the context of the video, it is a key feature of note-taking apps like Obsidian, which offers endless customization for building a note-taking system.

๐Ÿ’กDaily Notes

Daily Notes are a feature in note-taking applications where users create a new note for each day to record information, tasks, or ideas. This method helps in organizing thoughts and keeping track of daily activities or insights.

๐Ÿ’กLinking

Linking is the process of creating connections between different pieces of information or notes, similar to hyperlinks on the web. This feature facilitates the organization of related content and aids in navigating through interconnected ideas.

๐Ÿ’กGraph View

Graph View is a visual representation that displays the connections and relationships between different pieces of information or notes within an application. It helps users understand the structure of their data and navigate through related content more efficiently.

๐Ÿ’กAI Organization

AI Organization refers to the use of artificial intelligence to automatically sort, categorize, and manage information, making the process more efficient and less time-consuming for users. In the context of the video, it is a feature that helps users keep their email inboxes organized.

๐Ÿ’กSameBox

SameBox is a productivity tool designed to manage and organize email inboxes. It uses AI to scan and sort emails, identifying important messages and filtering out less relevant ones, thus helping users maintain a clean and focused inbox.

๐Ÿ’กNote Types

Note Types refer to the different categories or formats that users can assign to their notes or information within a note-taking application. These types help in organizing and categorizing notes based on their content or purpose.

๐Ÿ’กFormatting Options

Formatting Options are the various ways in which users can style and organize the text and content within their notes. This includes features like creating code blocks, inserting formulas, and applying colors to highlight text.

๐Ÿ’กAI Button

The AI Button is a feature within Capacities that provides access to an AI chat, which can assist users by providing context and answering questions about the content of their notes. This is a paid feature that adds an extra layer of functionality to the app.

Highlights

Obsidian has been the most popular note app in the past year due to its free access and extensive customization options.

People are considering switching to Capacities, a new note-taking app with unique features.

Capacities has seen significant improvements since last year, offering a fresh experience to users.

The app combines features of Notion and Obsidian, but with its own unique twist.

Capacities offers a visually appealing interface with a main panel, pinned notes, and collections on one side and a calendar on the other.

Daily notes are automatically generated, allowing users to jot down memories, meetings, books read, and ideas.

Linking system in Capacities is advanced, letting users specify the type of link such as a person, place, book, or web page.

The graph view in Capacities visualizes connections between notes, similar to Wikipedia's hyperlink system.

Users can customize the layout of each page in Capacities, choosing from various styles like profile, index card, and encyclopedia.

Capacities allows users to organize different types of information with ease, offering default types like Pages, Images, and Files, and the option to create custom types.

The AI feature in Capacities, available on the paid plan, offers context-aware assistance and can handle multiple conversations simultaneously.

Capacities' formatting options are robust, including code blocks, formulas, and text highlighting.

The app's workflow is simple, focusing on writing or uploading files in daily notes and linking them to different objects.

Capacities is simpler and easier to set up than other note-taking apps, making it attractive for users seeking less complexity.

Despite its strengths, Capacities still has areas for improvement, such as the official release of its mobile app and the creation of a browser extension.

The app offers a free trial, allowing users to experience its features without the need for registration or a credit card.