How is an edge deck different from separate sticky-note windows?
With separate sticky-note windows, you decide where each note sits on the desktop. An edge deck gives your working references one consistent place: tabs at the screen edge. In MINO, hover a tab to read and click to edit. Choose a few notes for the current task, and leave the rest in the library. If arranging individual note windows around a document suits you, that is a different workflow worth keeping.
The aim is to keep a reference nearby without turning your whole screen into a collection of open notes. Try one agenda, one specification or one working checklist first. The deck should reflect the work you are doing, rather than every thought you have saved.
What belongs on an edge deck?
Start with information that helps you complete the task already on your screen. It might be an agenda, a specification you keep checking, or the next three steps of a process. The useful question is simple: will you need to glance at this while doing something else? If the answer is yes, give it a place at the edge.
A deck works best as a selected working set. The library can hold notes you want to keep, while the deck stays focused on the current task. This distinction gives you a reason to unpin things. You can return them to the edge later without treating every saved thought as something that needs to be visible today.
Pin, peek, edit, then keep working
- Pin: Create a note or find one in the library. Give the reference a clear title, and pin it to the edge.
- Peek: Hover its tab to read. Keep the content short enough to scan for the detail you need.
- Edit: Click when a change is needed. Update the note or working checklist, then return to the document or conversation.
- Clear the deck: Unpin the note when its task is finished. Search the library when the reference becomes useful again.
You can try these interactions in the homepage’s example deck. The example is a browser demonstration, separate from your desktop library; edits reset when you refresh. The Windows and Mac downloads provide the desktop application that keeps your own notes locally.
Three references you can prepare today
Talking points for a call
Write the question you need answered, the detail you must mention and the next decision. Keep this note available during the conversation. When the call ends, update the next action and unpin the agenda. Prepare your own talking points; do not rely on the deck to record or transcribe the meeting.
A specification beside your document
Keep the dimensions, constraints or small excerpt you need to consult while writing or creating. A short, clearly titled reference is easier to scan than a long document pasted into a tab. Reopen the source material when you need its full context.
A checklist for a repeatable task
List the steps that are easy to miss: review the file, check the details, send the final version. Update the checklist as you go. At the end, decide whether to keep it as a reusable reference or leave it in the library until next time.
Keep a working set, not a second backlog
If the deck starts to feel crowded, ask which note helps with your current task. Unpin the rest and bring it back later through search. A good deck changes as your work changes. You can keep a longer collection in the library without making every reference compete for attention at the edge.
MINO is free on Windows and Mac, needs no desktop account and supports offline writing, searching and organizing. Notes live on the device where you use the app. Back up important data, take care with readable exports and review platform requirements before installing. Choose the Windows or Mac guide for package-specific setup information.