Evernote 2.0 Beta For Mac - Now With Sharing And Notebooks Stacks [Plus: Mini Review]

As all you Evernote lovers on Macs might already have expected (and requested), the new version of Evernote will be including two of your most requested additions: Notebook Sharing and Stacks! You can get this Beta release today by clicking "update to beta versions" in your software update tab of you Evernote for Mac preferences and checking for updates. Before you do so, take a look below at what you'll be getting and be forewarned that because this is a Beta, there may be bugs that still have to be worked out.

With this new version of Evernote, you no longer have to leave the application in order to share your notebooks with your friends and affiliates. You can access this by looking to your left, where you'll see that your panels have been split into two, one for Account, where you'll see your own notes, and one for Shared, where you'll be able to access all of your Evernote sharing functions. At the top of this tab, there'll be a Manage Sharing button which will display a list of your notebooks. Click the Start Sharing button near any notebook to begin sharing it. You may share with either a select group of people or to the public. NOTE: you may allow others to edit the contents of your shared notebooks if you have a Premium account. Cool beans!

Another Premium feature is the ability to see different versions of notes, histories of edited notes which will become useful if you've got your Premium editing function turned on and several people are accessing your notes. Linking notebooks is another feature, accessible at the top of the page and titled "Link to my Account" – this feature appears when you receive a sharing invitation from someone via email or visit a public shared notebook.

Once you click it, hit Sync and it will show up in your Shared Notebook panel. The first time you do this and view a notebook, you'll be asked to configure how often you want Evernote to check for updates – this can also be adjusted manually.

Hooray organization! Evernote now has a simpler way for you to keep your stuff nice and tidy. This is Notebooks Stacks, a visual grouping for notebooks which act basically like folders on a desktop. To create a new stack, simply drag and drop one notebook onto another to create a new stack, or command-click a notebook and choose Add to Stack. This feature is currently synced to your account, so any changes you make now will automatically stay when this Beta release turns into a full release.

Finally, the left panel has a bit of a redesign. This update is, like the other features, meant to improve the way the system works as far as organization goes, helping users keep track of notebooks, tags, and saved searches. You can resize and minimize sections inside the left panel by dragging the headers up and down, and scroll within each section. The gear icon at the bottom of the left panel adds or removes elements as you wish.

Evernote is one of those applications you use and get heavily addicted to supposing you have a need for it – if your friends and family members use it, you'll feel obligated and find yourself in love with the many features. On the other hand if you're in the blogging business and want a way to share your life, times, and links with the world in a way that will make your blog reach the top 100, you might want to check out something like WordPress instead, especially if you plan on using only the non-Premium version of the software. On the other hand again, if you do take a peek at Evernote and find yourself in love with the look, feel, and functionality like so many have, you're going to find these updates to be welcome and so effective you were surprised you ever lived without them.

You'll find the system a bit buggy, as can happen with any Beta release, like for example the Notebooks menu under your Account tab can sometimes get stuck in closed mode, which can be a bummer when you're trying to get a decent screenshot of the new stacks feature. New notebooks on your shared list also don't always show up right away (and sometimes not at all) on your list – as shown below in this preview shot from Evernote:

So there's some work to be done. But the updates are exciting! Take a look at the Beta yourself and try it out, and feel free to share your notebooks with us, or just me, here: chris@androidcommunity.com – do it! Also, everyone who isn't on a Mac – you'll have to wait for this update. They're coming, coming soon. They're working on it.