Reviews

That’s where BugMe! Notepad comes in. You may be wondering why I’m so excited, especially considering that fact that many Palm OS handhelds already ship with a Notes application that allows you to write handwritten notes. BugMe! does a lot more than that though, adding some extra features that you may not have known that you wanted, but after using them you’ll realize that they’re pretty cool. For starters, you have a lot more color choices (24 in all) as well as a choice of 6 different pen styles. You can change the background color of your notes too. But the really cool stuff comes in when you start investigating what the buttons at the bottom of the screen can do.

The first three take you to the listing of notes, create a new note, and trash the current note, respectively. The middle button that looks like a picture in a frame is just that— tap on it to access photos stored on your memory card so that you can annotate and draw on them. This is an incredibly fun feature, though I haven’t quite figured out how to make productive use of it yet. The icon next to it that lools like a magic wand allows you to insert a clip art image into your current note. Twenty-four images come with the application, including a clock, a heart, a phone, arrows, dots, and a light bulb.

Next we have the color preferences screen, which I’ve already mentioned. Finally, the button in the bottom right hand corner allows you to change drawing tools. Freehand mode is right at the top, and other tools include text entry, lines, circles, squares, background fill, and an eraser to take care of any mistakes. While BugMe! Notepad is not a full-featured drawing program by any means, the addition of these tools makes it more versatile and useful for drawing quick little maps or sketches.

Of course BugMe! wouldn’t be right without the ability to set alarms to bug you at the right time. The alarm icon at the top right corner offers a variety of options, from one minute to seven days, or you can set your own custom options. It’s very easy to set up a repeating alarm, and BugMe! comes with several fun new alarm sounds that are guaranteed to get your attention. My personal favorite is Ah Yeah, but you can also choose from Alien, Belch, Bessie (cow moo), Buzzer, Car Horn, Crow, Foghorn, Gong, Got Milk, and others.

Something you might not expect from BugMe! is the ability to capture screenshots. This function is always available using the command bar and tapping the BugMe! icon. This takes a quick shot of the screen and opens up BugMe!, where you can draw on or annotate the screen as you see fit. The idea is very similar to the “electronic ink” available in the new PIM applications on the Sony Clie TH55, and it’s really handy. You can use it to remind you of meetings in a more visual way, for example, or show you the grocery list you need to run to the grocery store and fulfill.

So if you’re looking to clear all of that clutter off of your desk and get organized, you might want to take a look at BugMe! Notepad. It’s available now for $19.95 at the Electric Pocket web site.

PocketGoddess Rating for BugMe! Notepad: