I like Field Notes notebooks. Their just the right size to fit in your back pocket, so you always have it with you.

http://fieldnotesbrand.com/

I'll try one sometime, thanks. Moleskine has a model in same size, except both softbound and hardbound, and black. I used to use really cheap, softbound or loose ring bound, pocket notebooks, and found the pages got mangled too often, plus, they were harder to write on when you didn't happen to have a table nearby.

Moleskine is hardly cheap.

That was just an example. Scrap paper was also mentioned, but I see that you ignored that.

Probably because there aren't cults devoted to free marketing for scrap paper.

depends on perspective

  cheapo paper notebook:   $1
  Moleskine:              $10
  iOS device:            $200 - $700 plus opt $30-100/mo (forget cur rates)

Yes, I know you can do more with an iPad/iPhone, obvious, but there is some overlap and paper is arguably better in certain common use cases. Always use the best tool for the job. And I have way greater confidence that the content of my Moleskines will be around in 10 years, than the content of my iPhone/iPad/PC/Mac. And no company can shut me out of it.

I'm certainly not arguing that iPhone/iPad is better.

I have cheapo paper notebooks from ten years ago. I don't understand how Moleskines are better.

Just Works (tm), until you have to search something in it, or make a copy to your friend, or backup, or write down things from an electronic medium.

That being said, there's nothing better than paper & pencil for note taking.

Best of both worlds: www.livescribe.com

I find that these 2 solutions tend to nail 99% of my needs, either:

  1. vi (+ opt Dropbox or GitHub for share/synch/ver)
  or
  2. Moleskine or bulk blank white printer paper (depending on needing quality or cheapness)

With sometimes taking photos of notes or hand-drawn diagrams, as a transitional state before preserving/translating in computer form. But this is rare.

I haven't had a use case where LiveScribe would be a net-win and worth it. Teaching? Live virtual classroom?