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"It's better to do this by hand than on a computer" was a common saying before software was sufficiently advanced. That word has always changed. And now is the time. The moment when the utility of doing digitally exceeds the utility of doing it manually.


It was never a utility problem, digital always beat physical in almost all regards there ('flicking through' notwithstanding). It's an input problem: some (many?) people just prefer to write.

(And maybe output? I didn't realise at first, but now seems more likely GP is referring to e-paper devices being easier on the eyes.)


It’s not only that some people “just prefer to write”, there is published research[0] showing that writing things down by hand performs better in context of learning.

[0] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.0181... / https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24714990


The reason handwriting is helpful for learning is that handwriting naturally induces structuring of content. And in Note Garden, the content is naturally structured while taking notes.


Did you read the paper?

> We conclude that because of the benefits of sensory-motor integration due to the larger involvement of the senses as well as fine and precisely controlled hand movements when writing by hand and when drawing, it is vital to maintain both activities in a learning environment to facilitate and optimize learning.

There is nothing about structuring content.

Which does not mean your statement is necessarily wrong; it’s just a speculation presented as a fact with no supporting evidence in the name of promoting your product.


Ah, I confused what you suggested with another study. I'm sorry. If so, what I can say about the study is that the utility of organizing content well and making it possible to review it using SR algorithm may be greater than the utility of taking notes by hand.


To be clear, I 'prefer to write', I wasn't putting it down.


Physical input always beats keyboard when it comes to sketching things out quickly. I don't want to spend an hour trying to get a diagram correct on a PC when I could spend 2 minutes drawing it on a tablet.




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