I agree. A note taking app should be high performance and low friction for entering notes, this is one of the key uses of this type of app. If you are walking down a hallway with a coworker and they mention something you'd like to take a note for, the app you use should be fast enough that you can quickly jot that down. If you feel the need to hold the data in your mind or write it on paper because your app is too hard to use, then it's not fast enough.

However, entering notes should also include enough markup to allow quick recall of data at a later date and hopefully allow some intelligence in grouping and analyzing the data (much like your request for digest summaries).

If you haven't already, please send me an e-mail so I can send you the info for the alpha, it's a good balance of what you mentioned!