MemPad

MemPad

MemPad is a free tool for taking plain text notes and saving them in one large, searchable file with a highly structured index that enables not only typical file management features but also the ability to create wide-ranging links between saved notes, Web pages, network locations, and local files and folders. You can even insert variables into links to do things like run programs and open files.

MemPad is compact and fully portable, so it requires no full installation to run, even from a portable device like a USB drive. It stores everything in its data file in the default program folder, but like many aspects of MemPad, you can change settings to suit, including fonts, background, and Hotkeys; as well as configure features such as AutoSave, Diary support, and password protection. There’s also a very good Help menu that explains this versatile program’s options, which include encryption, exporting, and console commands. The simple interface sports a suite of versatile icons above the split-paneled default view: files and folders to the left; main panel on the right. We clicked New Page, renamed it, and started typing in the main field. We clicked to save the page, and then clicked the Add Next icon, which added a second entry in the left-hand tree view. When we’d saved that one, we clicked the Add as a Child icon, which added a sub-entry directed to the selected parent entry. You can do this all day, by the way, in MemPad; it can store a lot of entries and yet quickly retrieve or rearrange them, thanks to good design, such as a set of four-way arrows, similar to your TV remote, right on the icon bar. Clicking these instantly moved an entry up or down an individual directory, or up or down the hierarchy. Other icons made it simple to cut or delete a page or node, perform searches, jump back or forth using the Page Memory function, and quickly toggle word wrap, page lock, always on top, and other useful options.

MemPad is fast, easy, efficient, portable, and, best of all, free. Spend a few minutes learning to use it, and we doubt you’ll want to spend money on a commercial notekeeper.