The productivity application NotebookLM has become a popular tool for users aiming to streamline their work processes. Despite its growing reliance on artificial intelligence, it has significant limitations that prevent it from fully replacing traditional note-taking features. While it excels in document management and analysis, certain core functionalities inherent to dedicated note-taking applications remain unfulfilled.
Quick Capture Experience Lacks Immediacy
One of the primary features distinguishing note-taking apps is their ability to facilitate quick entries. For example, when the thought arises to create a shopping list, users typically expect to open a notes application, quickly jot down their items, and resume their activities without delay. Applications like Apple Notes and Google Keep enable this seamless process, allowing users to record fleeting ideas instantly.
In contrast, NotebookLM requires users to add notes within an existing notebook, thus complicating the quick capture process. Users must first open a notebook, select the “Add note” button, and only then can they write down their thoughts. This additional step detracts from the immediacy that many users value in note-taking applications.
Manual Organization of Ideas Remains Essential
The ability to manually connect disparate ideas is another area where dedicated note-taking apps shine. Users often rely on these applications to track and organize their thoughts, fostering a personal system that enhances their understanding and retention of information. While NotebookLM offers features like Mind Maps to help users visualize connections within a single notebook, it does not facilitate the discovery of links across multiple notebooks.
This limitation becomes particularly evident when users are trying to build a broader knowledge network. NotebookLM’s functionality allows for querying within one notebook, but it does not assist in synthesizing ideas across an entire collection of work. This process of making personal connections is critical for true knowledge retention, which NotebookLM cannot replicate.
Creativity from a Blank Page is Inaccessible
Another fundamental aspect of note-taking is the ability to start from a blank page and develop ideas organically. Users often sit down to brainstorm, outline, and create without the need for existing material. However, NotebookLM is designed primarily to analyze and process content from uploaded sources, making it challenging to generate original ideas from scratch.
While it can assist in drafting outlines or providing idea suggestions based on existing documents, the application lacks the capacity for spontaneous creativity. The human ability to synthesize varied thoughts into a coherent narrative is a process that remains outside the current capabilities of AI tools like NotebookLM.
Overall, the intent behind this observation is not to criticize NotebookLM for its limitations but rather to acknowledge its strengths. The application is not designed to function as an all-encompassing note-taking tool, and expecting it to fulfill that role overlooks its primary purpose. Indeed, NotebookLM serves as a robust research and analysis tool, providing significant value in those areas while leaving traditional note-taking functionalities to specialized applications.