orchid notebook
 

I was wondering if anyone has gotten the orchid notebook app for apple and what do they think of it?

I saw this the other day and was wondering the same thing. The only reason I didn't get it was because it said it was still under development and did not have a lot of orchids listed yet.

i liked how you can now add a photo for each plant would like to be able to add more than one pic...new spike repot ect..

Seeing this post makes me pine for an iphone even more!!!! I will definitely be buying this when I finally get one--sure, it might be a little basic at first, but the more people that purchase it, the more they will upgrade the info to meet demand.

I would like an iPhone as well....I have read rumor that the iPhone 5 will be released late this year. I'm going to hold out for the iPhone 5 release. I have looked at some of the other smartphones on the market, is this application specific to the iPhone?

Right now, yes, because it is an Apple app. Which means you could get it if you had an ipad (or maybe a Mac, I'm not sure how that works).

I haven't heard anything about iphone 5, but that makes me feel like holding out too. Then again, my mom bought the iphone 3 last year because it was so much cheaper than 4 and it still works perfectly. Right now we have Verizon and I'm not sure if I want to keep them, the phones that we get through them are junk :P

If you google the iPhone 5 you will find stuff on it. I have verizon too, so far I like their phones better then Sprint. Where I live, Verizon has the best coverage. I know different carriers get better coverage in different areas.

an alternative to an app is...
 

It's not an app and certainly isn't as easy as carrying it around on your iphone or ipad, but I use Microsoft OneNote. It's pretty versatile. I keep all of my records of my plants, orchids or otherwise, as well as notebooks for my marine aquarium, project of home improvement and so on-- it holds a ton of info and you can sync it with SkyDrive (think of google docs) and share it/back it up with whomever you want... (or is it whoever?).

No, it doesn't contain a database etc but you can add your own photos as much as you'd like-- even drag and drop files into it. I love it!

I got it...
 

I find it pretty useful -- the most recent update allowed the uploading of your orchids. It keeps me organized with my "records".
Jared

...Forgot to mention...every app you download is "under development" -- This developer was pretty responsive to the user needs...almost everyone commented that it was lame you could not upload your own images .....less than two weeks they released an update with an image uploader. Apps are only as good as the people/companies that develop them AND if users provide feedback to make it better!

thanks for the replies

Thanks for all the comments.

I am part of NerdsGeeksGurus - the developer of the Orchid Notebook iPhone app.

One of the comments I've received lately from people using the Orchid Notebook app is that they would like to have the ability to add more than one image of a single plant. While the app currently doesn't provide that feature, I use another app to get the job done. The app is called Diptic by Peak Systems (available for $1.99 at the iTunes App Store). It allows the you to combine multiple photos into one exportable image. Once the images have been combined, simply select the combined image from within the Orchid Notebook app. I usually combine three images: 1 large of plant in bloom, 2 small - one of the spike and the other of the plant itself or a close up of the bloom.

We have received a lot of good feedback from users and will be implementing some of the ideas in the next couple of months. The multiple photos of each orchid feature will most likely not be a part of those updates, but we hope to make it available at a later date.

I will let you in on a little secret. The next update will have the gallery view. This will let you see a thumbnail view of your photos in a grid format. You will be able to select the image and it will take you to the data for that orchid.

Please feel free to continue to post your suggestions here on the board since I read the orchid board on a regular basis. You can also contact me via our company website at: Orchid Notebook Support

Thanks,
John

I used to keep a notebook in Microsoft OneNote, with a representative picture of each plant, the day I got it, and when it flowered for me (along with any special cultural needs, dimensions of the plant, the medium it was potted in, etc). I kinda forgot about it until now LOL. :)

OneNote doesn't have the ease-of-use an app might but it is definitely a powerful program for keeping journals of your plants.

I sync mine with Windows Live (SkyDrive) and am able to share my journals with others and even edit things when I'm not at home via the net. I love it!

Hey all,
I just wanted to let you know we have released a free version of the Orchid Notebook.

It has all all the features of the full version but is limited to 5 entries in your collection.

So, if you wanted to try it out, but didn't want to splurge for the full App, now is your chance. You can download it for free on the iTunes store.

For more information on the full version, you can check it out on the Orchid Notebook section of our website.

Thanks,
John
NerdsGeeksGurus, LLC

i have the full version. i havent ad a chance to really use it yet. but seems user friendly and complete. i just think its a little difficult on my ipod touch. an ipad would be ideal

Just downloaded the free version to see what it's all about.

Thanks so much for making this. :bowing My iphone has made my life easier, as I am terrible at keeping track of things and being organized. I just downloaded your app today on a recommendation, so it was funny to see this thread.

It is pretty thorough, but I have a few suggestions that might be convenient? Having your "want list" organized separately from your Collection would be great. In the section for temp/lighting etc. having on option like "Needs Winter Rest," and having a tab like feature to organize different species within the same genus would be convenient too.

Sounds like a fun app. Any plans to port it to Android?

-Tristan

Thanks for the replies.

Help - I think it would be great on an iPad too. I have not gotten a change to try it out on one of those yet. Once I do, I will probably have to take some time and optimize the Orchid Notebook for the iPad. Since the screen is so much bigger, it would open it up to some more features.

Paul Mc - hope you like it. Please feel free to post your thoughts after you try it out.

JungleMel - thanks. Funny how things work out like that. Also, thanks for the suggestions. We are always looking at ways to improve the Orchid Notebook. As an orchid collector, I have a certain way that I keep track of my plants and I realize that everyone does it a little differently, I welcome any suggestions on making it easier for everyone.

tcrane - sorry. We have no android plans at this time. We started to port one of our other apps a few months ago and realized that it was a lot bigger job learning how to program for a new platform. Maybe once my kids get a little more involved in the App business, we might be able to look into it.

So, here is a funny story. I was out in my orchid room (ok, so it is just a few 2x4's with some screen over it). It was early in the morning and I found an orchid that was blooming (not sure how I missed the spike on that one). Anyhow, it had a rather unusual fragrance. It is a Bulbophyllum pectenveneris. It kind of smelled like an armpit. It made me think "It is probably good that we can't add smells to the Orchid Notebook".

Thanks again,
John
NerdsGeeksGurus, LLC

armpit! :rofl: i smells would be two sided for scents! it would be cool though, lol :)

You know what would be really cool? If you could use usernames and add friends and let them access your notebook and vice versa, like some of the games have. Have the ability to add people's usernames who also have the Orchid Notebook and get updates on what they've added, or what they have blooming. Probably a bit much to ask for though, kind of a social networking thing going on there!

JungleMel, That is a great idea. That is something we will have to look into adding in the future. It would be a big undertaking (online database and a bunch of other stuff).

But, when you posted that, I thought that maybe we could take advantage of some of the other sharing services that are already out there. I am not sure if you have heard of Instagram. Well, if you haven't, then head on out to the app store. It is a free photo sharing app. It allows you to share your pictures and follow the photo streams of other users. You can also "like" the pictures to make them show up on the popular page.

I went ahead and made a user "OrchidNotebook" on Instagram and have started sharing photos using their app. I post them with a tag of #OrchidNotebook.

If you want to use Instagram to share photos, just add the #OrchidNotebook tag to the photos you want to share as being in your Orchid Notebook collection. If I see photos posted with that tag, I will look and see who the user is and start following them. It will be fun.

I have even set up a way to preview all the pictures on Instagram with the #OrchidNotebook tag. It needs a little work, but you can check it out at the OrchidNotebook website.

John
NerdsGeeksGurus, LLC

I recently downloaded Orchid Notebook and have been using it for a while. I like it, as far as it goes, and hope the developers continue to improve and enhance it.

There is one feature that I'd really like to see (well, there are a number of features I'd like to see, but this is top on my list). In fact, it's the one thing I was looking for when I found Orchid Notebook--an orchid journal. The only application I found that does this is a functional, somewhat ugly, and relatively expensive PC app.

I far prefer an iPhone/iPad app (my iPhone is much more portable than my PC). While Orchid Notebook is great as is--and way more than worth its $2.99 price tag--it has the potential to be a lot more. I look forward to future versions.