Apple Accessories, now at Staples
Jot down quick notes and passing thoughts with Pop for iOS
This simple app has a humble goal: to act as a scratchpad for your iPhone and iPad and nothing more.
This post could be more accurately titled, "How to not be disappointed by Pop for iOS."
I say this not because I dislike the app. I do think it can be useful if you are the type of person who often employs sticky-notes reminders or scribbles down notes throughout the day. If you have yet to abandon your reliance on pen and paper for your iPhone because note-taking apps require too much tapping and a file hierarchy you'd rather not deal with, then the 99-cent Pop for iOS might hold some appeal. But be warned: it's a digital scratchpad and little else.
Pop for iOS lets you type (or speak, if using an iPhone 4S) notes in plain text. Unlike Drafts, which has a seemingly endless list of sharing options, Pop for iOS offers but a lone export option: you can copy your note to your iPhone's clipboard, from which you can then paste it in another app.
To decrease the odds that you'll be disappointed by Pop for iOS's minimalist nature, let's review the things the app does not do:
It doesn't save notes. If you want a clean slate, you'll need to delete the current note.
It doesn't feature a running character or word count.
It doesn't offer search functionality.
It doesn't sync between your devices running the app.
It doesn't recognize links, addresses, or phone numbers.
It doesn't let you adjust the font or background.
What the app does do is offer you a dead-simple scratchpad for hastily jotting down notes before your passing thoughts pass.
This image shows you some of the handful of features of Pop for iOS:
(Credit:
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)
The other three actions are:
3. Tap-and-hold for the magnifier for finer control of the cursor.
4. Tap the folded icon to hide and unhide the keyboard (that is, toggling between read and write modes).
5. Rotate to landscape mode and back.
For more note-taking apps, check out Jason Parker's top note-taking apps for iOS roundup from last year.
