I’ve been chasing the perfect note-taking system for years. At one point, my phone had a dozen apps dedicated to filing away every stray thought.
I used Google Keep for quick checklists, Obsidian for long-term knowledge storage, Docs for drafts, and numerous screenshots and PDFs in Drive.
On paper, it appeared like a well-structured setup. But in reality, I’d waste more time hunting for a half-remembered note than actually using it.
That’s when I decided to try something new: letting AI handle the organizing for me.
I compared NotebookLM with my current workflow using Obsidian and Google Keep, two of my most frequently used note-taking apps.
The question I wanted to answer was simple: Can AI make sense of your notes better than you can?
How I tested the organization setup
Creating a fair playing field
I set up three note workspaces, each containing the same mix of material:
- Research PDFs I’ve been meaning to read
- Random clipped quotes from articles
- A few voice-transcribed thoughts (in text format)
- Task lists and ideas for upcoming projects
In Google Keep, these looked like sticky notes, tags, and color-coded boxes. In Obsidian, it became a network of markdown files linked together with backlinks. And in NotebookLM, I uploaded the exact files and snippets into one project that the AI could summarize, query, and cross-reference.
Then I used each setup for a week to plan, research, and draft ideas.
NotebookLM: The AI-powered hub
AI does the heavy lifting
The most notable change with NotebookLM was the minimal amount of manual work.
Instead of building my folder system or links, I dumped everything in: PDFs, copied text, notes, and bits from Docs. Within seconds, the app treated it as a connected knowledge base.
The summaries were the killer feature. I could upload a dense 40-page paper and ask NotebookLM to extract the key arguments or recurring themes.
Instead of manually skimming, I got bullet points in under a minute. It also added citations pointing back to my uploaded files. That way, I could verify the results myself.
Even better, I could ask questions in plain English.
When I tested it with some research notes on motivation, I asked: “How do goal-setting strategies connect to long-term performance?” NotebookLM pointed me to the papers I’d uploaded and quoted the relevant passages.
That’s something I could never get from Keep, and even in Obsidian it would’ve required careful tagging and linking.
However, the downside is that NotebookLM doesn’t replace a good annotation tool. It’s not great if you want deep manual control over your files.
You also need to trust Google with your data, which may not be acceptable to everyone.
Obsidian: The networked brain
A powerful yet demanding note-taking system
Obsidian is a Markdown-based note app that lets you link notes into a web of connected ideas. I’ve used it as my “second brain,” and it’s one of the best tools for long-term knowledge.
Obsidian has one of the best manual linking systems. For example, I connected an audio transcript, a summary of a research article, and my notes into a cluster of related ideas.
Later, when browsing my graph view, I could see those links visually. That’s something NotebookLM can’t replicate yet.
But there’s a catch. Obsidian requires maintenance. If I forget to tag something properly or neglect to link notes, they get buried. On busy weeks, it just became another cluttered vault.
Google Keep: The quick capture champ
But the system is messy
Google Keep is the opposite of both NotebookLM and Obsidian. It’s light, fast, and perfect for jotting things on the go.
I’ve relied on it to capture fleeting ideas, whether it’s a book title, a shopping list, or a design concept.
Keep worked best in terms of speed and accessibility. A widget on my home screen helped me open a note in seconds, and a search usually got me what I needed.
However, it fell flat when it came to organizing. Tags and colors are the only tools you get, and after you’ve accumulated hundreds of notes, that system buckles.
For this experiment, Keep was the least effective at making sense of my scattered material.
Where NotebookLM wins (and where it doesn’t)
The AI edge
What surprised me most about NotebookLM was how it organized my notes with almost no effort.
I could upload 10 articles, ask it for a comparison of viewpoints, and get something coherent in seconds. That would have taken me hours with Obsidian or Keep.
I didn’t have to remember where I’d filed something or what tag I used. I just asked questions in natural language.
That said, NotebookLM never felt like a proper replacement for my manual systems. It’s a powerful layer on top, but I wouldn’t trust it as my only repository.
Obsidian is still better for building a personal knowledge base that will last years, and Keep still wins for jotting down quick notes on the fly.
The future of note-taking
If your notes are cluttered and spread across multiple apps and devices, consider giving NotebookLM a try.
Whether you’re managing research, writing projects, or trying to remember what you read last week, AI can help lighten the cognitive load.
It is worth noting that it won’t replace the discipline of a well-maintained vault in Obsidian or the convenience of a sticky-note app. However, it can transform disorganized notes into something usable.
