Springpad note-taking service gets interface overhaul, now an even worthier rival to Evernote

Springpad may lack Evernote's commercial clout, but it makes up for it in a number of ways -- not least with free-of-charge features like offline access from its mobile apps (which certain rivals charge for) and Pinterest-style sharing options. The interface hasn't been a particular strong point, but that could be about to change as version 4.0 has just gone live for at least some users of the web interface. The new UI centers everything on three key buttons along the top:

• Springs -- which gives you immediate access to your latest notes, regardless of which device you made them on

• Notebooks -- for organizing your notes into projects

• Search & Do -- which, needless to say, lets you search your notes, but also suggests activities based to-do tasks you've created.

The same, simplified philosophy is due to hit Springpad's iOS and Android apps soon, although there's no sign of that happening just yet. In meantime, check out the web interface for yourself at the source link.

Update: The iOS and Android apps were just up'd to version 4.0, with same approach to creating and viewing recent Springs without worrying about which notebooks they're assigned to. With both apps, we'd say this is a definite improvement.