Offline AI for secure note taking

Who this is for / not for

For people journaling, handling private research, or taking confidential meeting notes. Not for teams that rely on shared, cloud-first notebooks for collaboration.

• Use when you need personal privacy or policy compliance.
• Skip if live collaboration is mandatory for your workflow.

Specs that actually matter

8–16 GB RAM and a USB 3.0 port are enough. GPU optional. Keep enough space for your note library and caches.

• Use balanced preset for long notes; fast preset for quick tagging.
• Keep 3–5 GB free on disk.
• Enable disk encryption on your laptop.

Private note workflow

Store notebooks on the USB, launch PortableMind, and run in airplane mode. Use prompts for summarization, tagging, and action extraction. Export sanitized summaries to your main notebook later if needed.

• Avoid synced folders during private sessions.
• Use short prompts to avoid echoing entire notes.
• Back up to an encrypted drive periodically.

Common pitfalls

Leaving cache files on shared machines. Forgetting to encrypt backups. Updating models mid-project and altering summary tone.

• Clear browser cache and downloads after each session.
• Encrypt any backup drive you use.
• Lock in a preset per notebook to keep consistency.

PortableMind vs DIY

DIY note stacks often sync by default. PortableMind keeps everything local with no accounts or telemetry, reducing risk of accidental uploads.

• No background sync engines.
• Simpler for privacy-focused users who want less configuration.

Keep it tidy

Create a simple folder structure on the USB, label backups, and keep a printed quickstart in your notebook. Eject cleanly to avoid corruption.

• Use separate folders for raw notes and outputs.
• Back up weekly if you write daily.
• Store the USB securely when not in use.

FAQ

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