root
/
open-notebook
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull Requests Actions Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity
open-notebook/docs/getting-started/introduction.md

8.3 KiB
Raw Permalink Blame History

Welcome to Open Notebook

What is Open Notebook?

Open Notebook is a powerful, open-source AI-powered research and note-taking platform that puts privacy and user control at the heart of knowledge management. Designed as a privacy-focused alternative to Google's Notebook LM, Open Notebook empowers researchers, students, and professionals to organize, analyze, and interact with their research materials using cutting-edge AI technology—all while maintaining complete control over their data.

At its core, Open Notebook serves as your personal cognitive partner, helping you process information, generate insights, and create compelling content from your research materials. Whether you're a student working on a thesis, a researcher analyzing complex documents, or a professional synthesizing industry reports, Open Notebook provides the tools to enhance your learning and knowledge creation workflows.

Key Features & Benefits

🔒 Privacy-First Architecture

Unlike cloud-based alternatives, Open Notebook runs entirely on your infrastructure, ensuring your sensitive research data never leaves your control. You decide what information to share with AI models and when.

🤖 Multi-Model AI Support

Choose from industry-leading AI providers including OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), Google (Gemini), Mistral, DeepSeek, Ollama (free/local), and many more. This flexibility ensures you're never locked into a single provider and can optimize for cost, performance, or specific capabilities.

🎙️ Advanced Podcast Generation

Transform your research into engaging podcasts with 1-4 customizable speakers—a significant improvement over Google Notebook LM's 2-speaker limitation. Create professional-quality audio content with Episode Profiles for consistent, branded output.

📚 Comprehensive Content Integration

Process diverse content types including:

  • Web links and articles
  • PDFs, EPUB, and Office documents
  • YouTube videos and audio files
  • Markdown and plain text
  • Direct text input and pasting

🔍 Intelligent Search & Discovery

Built-in full-text and vector search capabilities help you quickly locate information across all your research materials, notes, and conversations.

⚙️ Fine-Grained Context Control

Precisely manage what information gets shared with AI models through three context levels:

  • No Context: AI operates without your documents
  • Summary Only: AI receives condensed summaries
  • Full Content: AI accesses complete document text

🛠️ Powerful Content Transformations

Create custom prompts to extract insights, generate summaries, analyze themes, and transform your content in ways that match your specific research needs.

📖 AI-Powered Note Creation

Generate notes manually or let AI assist in creating insights from your research materials, with seamless integration between human and AI-generated content.

🔗 Citations & References

Get accurate answers to questions about your documents with proper citations, enabling transparent and verifiable research workflows.

Comparison with Google Notebook LM

Feature Open Notebook Google Notebook LM
Data Privacy Complete control, self-hosted Data processed by Google
AI Model Choice 15+ providers, local options Google's models only
Podcast Speakers 1-4 customizable speakers 2 speakers only
Content Types 10+ formats including video Limited format support
Search Capabilities Full-text + vector search Basic search
Context Control Granular 3-level control Limited control
Customization Fully customizable prompts Fixed functionality
Cost Model Pay-per-use to your provider Free (with data trade-off)
Offline Capability Yes (with local models) No
API Access Full REST API Limited API

Why Choose Open Notebook?

🎯 For Privacy-Conscious Users: Your sensitive research data remains under your complete control, with no third-party data collection or processing.

🔄 For Flexibility: Choose the best AI models for your specific needs and budget, switching providers as technology evolves.

🎨 For Customization: Create personalized workflows, prompts, and transformations that match your unique research methodology.

💰 For Cost Control: Pay only for what you use, with transparent pricing from AI providers and the option to use free local models.

🚀 For Advanced Features: Access professional podcast generation, comprehensive content support, and powerful search capabilities.

Use Cases & Target Audience

🎓 Students & Academics

  • Research Papers: Analyze academic literature, generate summaries, and create citations
  • Thesis Writing: Organize sources, develop arguments, and maintain research notes
  • Literature Reviews: Synthesize multiple sources and identify themes
  • Study Materials: Transform research into podcasts for mobile learning

🔬 Researchers & Scientists

  • Data Analysis: Process reports, studies, and documentation
  • Grant Applications: Organize supporting materials and generate insights
  • Literature Monitoring: Track developments in your field
  • Collaboration: Share insights while maintaining data privacy

💼 Business Professionals

  • Market Research: Analyze industry reports, competitor information, and trends
  • Content Creation: Transform research into presentations, reports, and marketing materials
  • Knowledge Management: Organize and access organizational knowledge
  • Training Materials: Create podcasts and summaries for team education

🔐 Privacy-Conscious Users

  • Sensitive Documents: Process confidential materials without cloud exposure
  • Personal Research: Maintain control over personal projects and interests
  • Compliance Requirements: Meet organizational data protection standards
  • Intellectual Property: Protect proprietary research and development

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

  • Operating System: macOS, Linux, or Windows with Docker support
  • Memory: 4GB RAM (8GB recommended)
  • Storage: 2GB available space
  • Network: Internet connection for AI provider APIs (optional for local models)

Recommended Setup

  • Memory: 8GB+ RAM for optimal performance
  • Storage: 10GB+ for document storage and local models
  • Processor: Multi-core CPU for faster processing
  • Network: Stable broadband connection

Software Dependencies

  • Docker: For containerized deployment (recommended)
  • Python 3.8+: For source installation
  • UV Package Manager: For dependency management
  • Modern Web Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge

AI Provider Requirements

  • API Keys: For cloud-based AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
  • Ollama: For free local models (optional)
  • Hardware: GPU recommended for local model performance (optional)

Getting Started

Ready to transform your research workflow? Here's what's next:

📋 Next Steps

  1. Installation Guide - Set up Open Notebook on your system
  2. Model Selection - Choose the right AI models for your needs
  3. Basic Workflow - Learn core concepts and workflows
  4. Features Overview - Explore all available features

🚀 Quick Start Options

  • Docker: Get running in minutes with our containerized setup
  • Source Installation: Full control with manual installation
  • Cloud Deployment: Deploy on your preferred cloud platform

💬 Community & Support

🤝 Contributing

Open Notebook is built by the community, for the community. We welcome contributions in:

  • Development: Frontend, backend, and feature development
  • Documentation: Improve guides and help others
  • Testing: Find bugs and test new features
  • Community: Share workflows and help newcomers

Open Notebook: Empowering knowledge workers with privacy-focused AI tools. Take control of your research, enhance your learning, and create amazing content—all on your terms.