Scrintal: The App I Didn't Know I Needed

[@pookiepats]

scrintal is a broken pit of promises and removed features , buyer beware

[@vbnv-oz8bj]

Which app do you recommend?

[@pookiepats]

@@vbnv-oz8bj guga hyperboard if you main an ipad like me, if you prefer desktop then it’s Heptabase or Workflowy.

[@scottdellar9360]

Thanks for the great video, interesting to break down the thinking behind the tools. Knowing your tools is one thing, but having an approach to thinking is even better. I loved how the newsletter broke it down: "Stated another way, there’s a mode at the beginning of the creative process called divergence where you are looking to consider your options, but then you shift into a phase called convergence where you actually eliminate options and focus as you bring everything together." Great job Mike!

[@MikeSchmitz]

Thanks! I’m a fan of knowing not just how to use a tool or app but also what job it is being asked to do. It’s easy to get distracted by the new shiny when you aren’t clear on what job you’re hiring your apps to do. Glad you enjoyed the video! 😊

[@rachelschmitz787]

This app looks fantastic… I love mind mapping and the capability to move parts around so easily is pretty great! I love the thorough tutorial. Keep up the great work.

[@MikeSchmitz]

Thanks pal 😉

[@superhadouken]

I like scrintal´s aproach. As a visual designer I always looked for a visual way to manage my notes, knowledge and ideas. What I don't like is that is not local. And its behind a paywall. I like to own my PKM

[@MikeSchmitz]

I do also wish they had a local mode - that's one of the things that I love about Obsidian.

[@kotk05]

There's another video by some Santiago guy called "Scrintal | The app I didn't know I needed". Thought that was weird. Nice review.

[@MikeSchmitz]

Bummer, definitely didn’t see that when I made this. Glad you liked it though 😊

[@sophiejay5111]

Very helpful video, thank you, really appreciate the explanations of different thinking modes and knowledge graphs :)

[@MikeSchmitz]

Glad it was helpful 🙂

[@melgreer]

Another great video, Mike. My only concern is that you mentioned something about the Scrintal servers. So would my work be kept on a company server? Is encryption available?

[@MikeSchmitz]

Good question! Here's what it says on the website: "In short, we provide safe storage, strong encryption, billing, and payment security." Here's the link to the Privacy Policy if you want to dig deeper: scrintal.com/privacy-policy

[@gazell3s]

Is there a free plan or trial?

[@MikeSchmitz]

Looks like right now no, just a waitlist. I imagine once it’s officially launched they’ll have a trial. Subscribing seems like a way to jump the line.

[@JessicaFEREM]

I hate being tied to a $5 a month subscription for a worse experience that doesn't do well offline. I don't like it.

[@MikeSchmitz]

Worse is subjective, but I understand your point of view. Everyone has to decide for themselves what they want to optimize for. Scrintal is great if you want to go back and forth between visual and analog thinking tools easily. And if you want something web-based that syncs across devices, it’s half the price of Obsidian Sync. But that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.

[@jkartz92]

is this an online or offline app? can we share our boards to others?

[@MikeSchmitz]

It's an online app, much like Google Docs you have to have a connection to use it. But you can create public boards and share them with other Scrintal users.

[@threepe0]

Kinda like Logseq or Obsidian has been doing for years 🤔 not sure how to feel about manually linking notes… if you want them linked in Obsidian, then… make sure they’re linked in content. Drawing an arrow that doesn’t actually have any linked content seems a bit silly to me

[@MikeSchmitz]

You don't have to manually link them... Scrintal gives you additional ways to link them. It's not going to be for everyone, but I think the Canvas is Obsidian is still very limited. Scrintal is what Canvas should be.

[@threepe0]

@@MikeSchmitz didn’t say you had to. And having “additional ways” seems like it’s asking for confusion and trouble. But there’s tagging, or just making sure the content is actually related in some way (seems logical to me.) Again, having the ability to draw an arrow and “link” data that may not actually be linked in any way, and wondering whether that link was automatic, manual, or mistaken, seems like an odd thing to look at as a benefit. Scrintal is not at all what Obsidian should be imho.

[@MikeSchmitz]

@@threepe0 that's fair. I think for people who don't care about the visual stuff that Canvas brings to Obsidian, you're probably right - it could be confusing. Personally, I think Canvas is great (use it every day) but is still very limited, and I would like to see it add some Scrintal-like features.