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Evernote for iPad: Latest update broke wireless keyboard support

By | November 25, 2011, 8:57am PST

Summary: The latest update of Evernote for the iPad has rendered it impossible for me to use.

I use my iPad 2 heavily for writing on the go; most days see me tap over a thousand words into the iPad. I have been productively using the Logitech Keyboard Case for that typing, as detailed in several articles I have written. I used Evernote for the iPad for all of that writing, as it worked so well for me and synced automatically to the cloud. More accurately it used to work so well for me until the most recent update by Evernote broke it completely.

See also: Evernote: Secret weapon for writing anywhere; Typical day in the life of the iPad 25 good productivity apps for the iPad 2

Evernote played the central role in my mobile writing machine, as it worked so well with the iPad 2/Logitech Keyboard Case combo. The three pieces combined to form the ultimate beast for writing thousands of words a day, no laptop required. I loved everything about using this kit, from the way the Evernote editor stayed out of my way and let me just write, to the seamless way the app supported the keyboard.

Last week the Evernote app for the iPad had an update show up, and as usual I downloaded it and installed it. Much to my horror, I have not been able to use the app with the Logitech keyboard since the update. When I start typing in the app, after just a few seconds the text stops updating on the screen and nothing happens. Shortly a stream of text will appear, with duplicate letters in most of the words. It happens so consistently I have stopped using Evernote on the iPad.

The issue started for me with the latest update, but apparently it has been affecting some users for months. I have verified that only Evernote is affected, as every other text entry app I use (SimpleNote, Storyist, etc.) work as flawlessly as before.

I can’t state this problem is affecting a lot of Evernote users on the iPad because I really don’t know. It is making Evernote impossible for me to use, so that’s worth sharing. Especially since I have reported how well it worked for me in the past. Please Evernote, get this addressed quickly, before my daily routine is irrevocably changed.

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James Kendrick has been using mobile devices since they weighed 30 pounds, and has been sharing his insights on mobile technology for almost that long.

Disclosure

James Kendrick

James Kendrick has no affiliations or relationships that need to be disclosed.

Biography

James Kendrick

James Kendrick has been using mobile devices since they weighed 30 pounds, and has been sharing his insights on mobile technology for almost that long. Prior to joining ZDNet, James was the Founding Editor of jkOnTheRun, a CNET Top 100 Tech Blog that was acquired by GigaOM in 2008 and is now part of that prestigious tech network. James' writing has appeared in many print publications: Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine, Information Week and Laptop Magazine to name a few. James' coverage of the mobile technology sector has regularly appeared in the New York Times, Salon.com and CNN/ Fortune online. Not just a writer, James has filmed numerous video reviews and how-tos that have garnered well over a million viewers. He has appeared on local news segments and been interviewed by the Associated Press on mobile technology topics. Additionally, James has been podcasting about mobile technology for years.

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RE: Evernote for iPad: Latest update broke wireless keyboard support
UnkleFrank 19th Dec
I can say that I'm having the same problem with my Apple bluetooth keyboard. Exactly this:
"When I start typing in the app, after just a few seconds the text stops updating on the screen and nothing happens. Shortly a stream of text will appear, with duplicate letters in most of the words. It happens so consistently I have stopped using Evernote on the iPad."
Uninstalled, installed, paired again, no success. Hopefully they will come up with a solution...?
Thanks,
Frank
http://southwestfloridainternet.com
Hi James,

I tried to duplicate the issue that you were having using evernote with the iPad and the Logitech keyboard case. I was not able to duplicate this issue, and it seems to work fine for me. I wonder if there is a particular app that you have that is causing the problem?
Try re-pairing your iPad with your keyboard.
Goes to show that a keyboard + slate combination is FAR FROM a full-blown laptop experience. Too many variables at play (app, slate, keyboard accessory) as opposed to a single, effective, hassle-free tool (netbook).

You still want to condemn netbooks James?
@lgpOnTheMove
Are you seriously trying to suggest that notebooks don't also have problems? Wow, how long have you been using technology . . . about a week?
Evernote's crashy behaviour has made me rethink the usability of my ipad for note taking. I'm currently using the native note taking app and seems to work fine, w/o all the bells and whistles of Evercrash...
A good way to diagnose this is to delete the Evernote app from the iPad, then re-install it. By deleting the Evernote app, it automatically deletes any preferences files and data files associated with Evernote. Sometimes it's corrupt preferences or corrupt data files that cause faulty performance.
@thibaulthalpern

Good suggestion but I duplicated the experience that James reported using a Microsoft Mobile 6000 bluetooth wireless keyboard.

Curiously, my Apple wireless keyboard worked perfectly in Evernote.

Both keyboards worked flawlessly in my other apps.
Hmmm, without sounding too much like a 'me too' post, it's working OK with Apple BT keyboard on an iPad 1 with IOS 5.
My wife is having the same issue. I googled and found your article. We uninstalled Evernote and reinstalled. Not sure yet if that helped or not. Would be interested to know any additional info if presents itself to you. Thanks!
I can say that I'm having the same problem with my Apple bluetooth keyboard. Exactly this:
"When I start typing in the app, after just a few seconds the text stops updating on the screen and nothing happens. Shortly a stream of text will appear, with duplicate letters in most of the words. It happens so consistently I have stopped using Evernote on the iPad."
Uninstalled, installed, paired again, no success. Hopefully they will come up with a solution...?
Thanks,
Frank
http://southwestfloridainternet.com

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