Lecture Notes: App Ratings and Reviews

Overview

• Discussion on the abundance of apps and the challenge of selecting the right ones.
• Rating scale introduced:
  • S Tier: Best apps everyone should use.
  • D Tier: Apps that are not recommended for use.

App Categories and Ratings

1. Project Management

• ClickUp: B Tier
  • Feature-rich, opinionated, and structured.
  • Suitable for serious project management but may feel rigid.
• Monday.com: C Tier
  • Friendly user interface but lacks depth.
• Notion: S Tier with an asterisk
  • Highly versatile; can manage various tasks and projects.
  • Could be overwhelming for average users.
• Trello: B Tier
  • Simple Kanban board effective for basic project tracking.
• Asana: C Tier
  • Useful for existing workflows but not leading the pack.
• Jira: D Tier
  • Enterprise feel, best for users in compatible ecosystems.

2. Knowledge Bases

• Notion: A Tier as a knowledge base
  • Flexible but cumbersome for relational linking.
• Obsidian: A/B Tier
  • Great for markdown and has a strong plugin network.
• Roam Research: D Tier
  • Innovative but not well-executed to sustain.
• RemNote: C Tier
  • Focuses on spaced repetition and flashcards.
• Tana: A Tier
  • Early-stage, promising with features like Notion and Roam.
• LogSeq: C Tier
  • Open-source with a focus on developers and technical users.
• Reflect: B Tier
  • Simple, modern note-taking app.
• Evernote: D Tier
  • Outdated and overpriced.
• Mem: D+ Tier
  • Initially innovative with AI, but not well-polished.
• Apple Notes: A Tier
  • Simple and effective with Apple ecosystem integration.
• Canopio: C Tier
  • Niche app with a unique retro aesthetic.

3. Calendars

• Apple Calendar: B Tier
  • Standard and integrated with Apple devices.
• Google Calendar: C Tier
  • Functional but lacks intuitive UI.
• Notion Calendar: A Tier
  • Integrated with Notion, efficient with hotkeys and automations.

4. Email

• Gmail: A Tier
  • Feature-rich, but has become bloated.
• Hey: C Tier
  • Marketed with features like auto-categorization but feels gimmicky.
• Superhuman: C Tier
  • High-performance but costly.

5. Creative (Video Editing)

• Final Cut Pro: A Tier
  • Great for prosumers and YouTubers.
• Adobe Premiere: B Tier
  • Industry-standard, powerful but complex.
• DaVinci Resolve: B Tier
  • Excellent for color grading, free version available.
• Descript: A Tier
  • Transcript-based editing; innovative but sometimes unstable.
• LumaFusion: B Tier
  • Best for iPad, intuitive interface.
• CapCut: C Tier
  • Simple and intuitive but has strong competition.

6. Community Platforms

• School: C Tier
  • Simple course hosting with gamification.
• Circle: A Tier
  • Clean and modern community elements.
• Mighty Networks: C Tier
  • Feels like Facebook groups, more structured.
• Discord: B Tier
  • Great for live interactions, chaotic but energetic.
• Slack: C Tier
  • Suitable for business but feels corporate.
• Facebook Groups: D Tier
  • Clunky, not recommended unless necessary.
• Kajabi: B Tier
  • Solid but unexciting for course distribution.

7. Social Media

• YouTube: S Tier
  • High barrier but high reward for content creators.
• Instagram: B Tier
  • Versatile content creation but requires effort.
• X (Twitter): B Tier
  • Good for public professional sharing.
• TikTok: D Tier
  • Lacks effective monetization and creator conversion.
• LinkedIn: C Tier
  • Improving but still traditional.
• Reddit: C Tier
  • Good for research, not for promotion.

8. Note-Taking

• Notability: B Tier
  • Clean, simple, effective.
• GoodNotes 6: B Tier
  • More customization options.
• Concepts: A Tier
  • Unlimited canvas for creativity.
• Freeform: C Tier
  • Basic Apple app, limited customization.
• OneNote: A Tier
  • Powerful, cross-platform.
• Pen and Paper: A Tier
  • Great for creativity and focus, but not searchable.
• Whiteboards: B Tier
  • Excellent for group collaboration.

9. Browsers

• Google Chrome: A Tier
  • Solid and reliable.
• Safari: C Tier
  • Native to Apple, but not innovative.
• Firefox: D Tier
  • Outdated.
• Arc: A Tier
  • Innovative with customization.
• Microsoft Edge: D Tier
  • Basic, not recommended.

10. Design

• Canva: B Tier
  • User-friendly for non-designers.
• Figma: B Tier
  • For professionals.
• Photoshop: A Tier
  • Industry standard, high learning curve.
• Pixlr: B Tier
  • Lighter, browser-based alternative.

11. Music Apps

• Spotify: S Tier
  • Comprehensive library and music discovery.
• Pandora: D Tier
  • Outdated.
• YouTube Music: S Tier
  • Creator-focused, great mixes.
• Brain.fm: D Tier
  • Procedural music for focus.
• Apple Music: C Tier
  • Lacks appeal compared to Spotify.
• SoundCloud: C Tier
  • Niche for creators.

12. Quick Video Recordings

• Loom: A Tier
  • Pioneered screen recording.
• Descript: A Tier
  • Screen recording feature included.
• Komodo Dex: B Tier
  • Cost-effective Loom alternative.
• Screen Studio: B Tier
  • High-quality recordings.
• ScreenFlow: C Tier
  • Reliable but surpassed by newer tools.

13. Productivity Apps

• Alfred: B Tier
  • Versatile suite for macOS.
• Raycast: A Tier
  • Improved version of Alfred.
• TextSniper: A Tier
  • Advanced text extraction.
• CleanShot: B Tier
  • Useful for screen captures.

14. Task Management

• Motion: C Tier
  • AI-driven scheduling.
• Things: B Tier
  • Clean and reliable.
• Todoist: B Tier
  • Solid cross-platform tool.
• Apple Reminders: A Tier
  • Simple and effective.
• Structured: B Tier
  • Good for structured task management.

15. AI Image Generation

• Dolly: B Tier
  • Good for creative prompts.
• Gemini: B Tier
  • Better for photorealistic images.
• Artforge Labs: C Tier
  • Thematic focus.
• Midjourney: A Tier
  • Highly versatile and innovative.

Conclusion

• Exploration of a wide range of apps across various categories.
• Encouragement to experiment and find the right tools for individual needs.
• Importance of giving new apps time to gauge their effectiveness.