What is NoteShare?
NoteShare is a powerful desktop application for creating, publishing and sharing media rich, multi-page notebooks. Users can instantly share their notebooks with other NoteShare users for presenting, viewing and editing information. NoteShare can be used in the same room, same building and same planet for connecting anytime, anywhere.

Who should use it?
NoteShare is an ideal collaboration tool for NoteTaker users who work on team projects or have a need to share notebook information with one or more users in a small group. NoteShare allows users to work on a single shared, interactive notebook from the same room, same building or even remotely from another location via the Internet or gateway. NoteShare also allows home or small office users the ability to work from a single notebook remotely while away or in a different location than from where the notebook is being shared. Presenting, viewing and editing a shared notebook can be done on-demand as needed. Any NoteShare user can view other shared notebooks as well as share notebooks.

What can you do with it?
Like NoteTaker, NoteShare is a powerful information processing platform for organizing both structured and un-structured information. It is an ideal tool for organizing written projects, keeping journals, creative brainstorming, doing web research, tracking project task, managing meeting notes, outlining study or lecture notes, aggregating client information, exchanging and presenting ideas, tracking tasks, group authoring and more.

Key users include students and teachers, scientists and researchers, creative artists and authors, consultants and strategic thinkers, small business and work groups, home users and hobbyists, just about anybody who uses a personal computer to organize information, brainstorm new ideas, track a project, write a story or outline a presentation or present research. With NoteShare, users can now extend and enhance their use of notebook-based information by sharing and collaborating on-demand or ad hoc as needed. There has never been an easier way to share and work together between two users or many users.

How is NoteShare related to NoteTaker?
NoteShare has all the same features of NoteTaker for creating and managing information as multi-page, media rich notebooks using tabs and sections to organize ideas and notes. Only NoteShare provides sharing features in addition to the standard notebook features.

Are they compatible?
Notebook documents are 100% compatible between the two products. Any notebooks created in NoteTaker can be opened, edited and then shared using NoteShare. Notebooks created in NoteShare can be opened by NoteTaker.

Do I need both products?
NoteShare is designed for users who need to share their notebooks while working with other NoteShare users.

What are the system requirements?
NoteShare currently runs on OS X 10.3.9 or higher. Like NoteTaker v1.9.10, NoteShare is a Universal Binary Application which can run on both Power PC and Intel Macs.

Is it technically complicated to use NoteShare to share a notebook on the same network or in the same room?
NoteShare uses Bonjour to automatically detect if any other copies of NoteShare are running. Bonjour can then identify the names and addresses of these other NoteShare users for one-step sharing.

What is Bonjour?
Bonjour is an Apple OS X built-in technology that provides zero configuration discovery service. In short, NoteShare leverages the power and convenience of Bonjour to detect if other copies of NoteShare are running on the local area network (wireless or wired). By using Bonjour, NoteShare users don't have to know the machine name or local IP address of any other active NoteShare user on the LAN.

Does NoteShare run in a classroom environment with multiple students using NoteShare?
Yes. NoteShare has been tested and certified with 36 machines running NoteShare at the same while accessing the same notebook. Using synchronized page turning, the owner of the shared notebook can also control the presentation and page display on all 36 machines at the same time for convenient lecture-style mode. Page turning control can also be assigned to viewers as well.

How many users can view a notebook at the same time?
AquaMinds has tested and certified up to 36 simultaneous viewers on the same network. However this number may be less or more based on network speed/capacity, owner's machine that is sharing a notebook and the complexity or size of the actual page being viewed or downloaded by multiple users at the same time. Remote access and viewing via Internet connection may vary as well based on any number of these same factors.

How many users can edit a notebook at the same time?
NoteShare is based on serial editing or first user to grab the pen or secure it for editing. An Auto-Edit mode can be enabled to make group editing more responsive to pen exchanges as it becomes available. Users can also drag and drop information from a local notebook that is not being shared to add their information to a shared notebook. This is especially useful when multiple users are waiting to add their own pages via Page Folios. If the current owner's pen is idle for more than the allocated time (an owner controlled preference), the pen automatically becomes available again.

What if I want to share a notebook with a remote user via the Internet?
NoteShare allows remote users to view and edit shared notebooks via the Internet. Some network limitations may prevent remote access or sharing if a firewall is blocking NoteShare's designated port which is 8474 (approved by IANA.org).

Can just two people share and work together using computer-to-computer if there is no LAN available?
Yes, two users in the same room or location with wireless or wired connection (Ethernet) can share and work on their notebooks together. If using wireless, a computer-to-computer network can easily be established to share between two users. Users may have to check if their personal software firewall is running and configured to allow NoteShare traffic on port 8474.

What are the networking requirements? Is it secure?
NoteShare can be used with just two users working computer-to-computer or with multiple users on the same LAN (wired and/or wireless) or even multiple users who are remotely connecting via the Internet. NoteShare is an ideal solution for home and small office networks where users need and want access to the same notebook and information. NoteShare uses 128-bit encryption for passing messages and also provides password security/privacy at the NoteShare Space level as well as the individual notebook level.

What about cross-platform sharing and solutions for Windows, Linux and PDA users?
AquaMinds will be releasing additional add-ons and new tools that will provide universal access to viewing and editing shared notebooks on as many platforms and Internet-aware devices as possible. The NoteShare Express product line will be available starting 2nd quarter of 2006.

What documentation or training comes with NoteShare?
NoteShare includes a quick start guide to sharing basics (on-line notebook format). For new users, a copy of the current NoteTaker documentation (now searchable at http://www.aquaminds.com/manual/index.jsp) is also available for learning about the basics of creating and managing notebook information.

What languages does it support?
NoteShare supports multiple language users including English, German, Japanese and French.

Sales questions

What is the pricing?
NoteShare's SRP for a single user (three concurrent machines) license will be $149.95 from AquaMinds on-line store. We also offer a six-machine Family license for $199.95 as well as a discounted three-machine Academic license available to qualified users for $99.95. Customers interested in volume or site licenses should contact our sales team at info@aquaminds.com.

What about updates?
NoteShare will be updated based on maintenance and system fixes as needed. Like NoteTaker, registered NoteShare users can expect several free updates. Additionally, NoteShare users will be kept in synch with NoteTaker as new features or fixes are released for it.

What about demo or trial versions?
Go to our Downloads page to get a free 30 day NoteShare Trial license.

Where can I learn more about NoteShare features and specifications?
AquaMinds will be releasing more information and details about NoteShare in the coming weeks prior to the early access promotion release. Interested users should also check or subscribe to the AquaMinds company web log for new information and commentary about NoteShare.