StickyNote Review

How the heck can StickyNotes work without a sticky strip on the back? I got it: They electromagnetically stick to the backside of your screen! I'm being facetious of course. This software is simple, yet robust enough that you can have fun tailoring it over time to fit your needs. One can start using it immediately while learn more about it's more sophisticated features. But, compared to the iconic Post-it notes it's patterned after, one gets the same "love-it-hate-it" feeling from StickyNotes. Years ago with Post-it notes, we were like "Yay! At last! I won't forget anything every again!" But then, "OMG sticky note fridge from Hell!" and "I wonder how many important ones fell off and what did I forget?" And indeed the StickyNotes do "fall off" the desktop if you close the program, but they come back when it's restarted. And best of all, unlike Post-its, these notes will stick and unstick (to the backside of your screen like a decal,i guess) many times.

The StickyNote software seems intuitive, easy to figure out for any moderately knowledgeable PC user. That's because like most other Windows based software, it has the same navigability look and feel. All I had to do was explore the menus to figure out how to use all of it's features. Like Post-it's, at first I had a nightmarish visual of Post-its all over my screen hiding everything, but I grew to like them for bringing the positive aspects of real Post-its, to my virtual desktop. All the typical Windows capabilities are included like copy&paste, drag-ability, changing fonts, colors and transparency settings. In addition there are some very thoughtful capabilities built in such as AwareNet that lets your friends post notes on your desktop from their own PCs. Two other nice features are the alarm and expiration, which is a "time to die" instruction you can assign to any note. Sticky Notes has to be running in the tray to see your notes. There is a password mode for hidden notes.

That's it for the smart stuff about this software. Hereare acouple annoying things about it: Just like the real Post-its, these things are 3X3 inches but unlike Post-its you can't take a pair of scissors snip them down to size. I mean PLEASE!, why do I need a 3X3-inch chunk of my desktop obliterated by a three-word reminder? Lesser complaints are: One has to right-click in the empty note and in the "general" tab in "properties," write the note and then close properties. IDK, call me crazy but I think it would be coolest if I could type on the note as stuck on my desktop.

Compared to Post-its, Sticky Notes are: Greener, um, that's not a real trash can on your desktop, things in it don't go to a landfill like Post-its; readable, unlike your handwriting, unless you select some really messed-up font like Weltron Urban; and inedible, dogs, babies can't digest them; and non-rollable, When out of papers, potheads can't use them to roll a joint. A quick search on Wikipedia reveals that an Apple may have originated the idea of adapting Post-it like notes for the Macintosh desktop in 1994. Wikipedia says that Apple employee Jens Alfke developed Stickies in 1994, which has been subsequently improved and used in Apple's operating systems.