Substack · Nicolas Cole
The Right Way To Write With AI
Saved Tuesday. The part about outlines first.
Where did you save that screenshot? Type what's in it.
Not just screenshots. Notes, web clips, photos and video on your boards too. All on your Windows PC, no account.
Recipes, reading, screenshots and ideas you haven't finished, all on one board you can actually find things in.
Apply for the betaFor Windows · Free during the beta · After launch, one purchase, no subscription
Example board · This week
Note
To try this week
Bake the long-ferment loaf on Saturday. Call about the frame. Finish chapter four.
Reading 2 items
Image
Note
Sourdough, day 3
Starter doubled in 6 hours. Feed at 9, bake at 7.
Video
Image
Kitchen 4 items
Image
Image
Image
Reading and writing 3 items
Image
Image
Image
Out and about 3 items
Image
Image
Video
Home 3 items
The real app
The same idea, recorded on Windows.
Above is an example board drawn on this page. Here is Field Notes itself: two Substack posts and a chart are pasted in, then a search for "23 days" brings up the chart, labelled "Text in image", because those words are only inside the picture. Then a group of notes becomes a Substack draft to review. Nothing tagged, nothing sped up.
The words in a screenshot are read by Windows' own text recognition, so your PC needs the Windows OCR language pack for your language.
Search also finds photos by what is in them. The sunset photo is two stacks deep, in Travel, then July trip. Type "orange sky" and it comes up, labelled "Matched by image." One click opens both stacks and selects it.
You shouldn't have to label your life to find it.
Search by what a picture shows needs a one-time model download that you start.
One app, any kind of collecting
Pick the board that looks like yours.
Each link opens this page with that board on the wall.
For everyday thingsThis weekRecipes, reading, screenshots and ideas you haven't finished, all on one board you can actually find things in.For photographersLight studiesYour own library, never tagged. Type what's in the picture and it comes up.For writersIssue researchEvery source for this week's issue in one place, and a draft that lists them.For designersSpring moodboardCollect, compare and shortlist. Pull a palette from any image. Send a contact sheet to the client.For learning from videoWatch boardYour Watch Later list, turned into notes, quotes and a plan for tonight.For trips and plansLisbon tripPlans, places and screenshots for the things you're looking forward to.For studentsEssay researchEvery quote on one board, each one click away from its page.For plannersJune wedding at the barn (example)Venue photos, vendor options and the run sheet for one wedding, on one board.
- No account
- Stays on your PC
- AI changes wait for your OK by default
- 200 4K images and 20 video cards, about 60 fps on Intel UHD graphics in our benchmark
Questions before you apply
Do I have to throw away my folders?
No. Your boards live in a folder on your PC, every note is also saved as a Markdown file, and you can export a board as a file.
What happens after the beta?
It is free during the invite-only beta. After launch the plan is a one-time purchase. No price is set yet. Export keeps working even after beta access ends.
Apply for the Windows beta.
A few questions about your PC, so we invite the people it will run well for. Beta news about every two weeks. Unsubscribe in one click.