Over the next few weeks, try out and compare the following note-taking applications:
NoteBook from Circus Ponies
DEVONthink Pro from DEVONtechnologies
OmniOutliner Pro from OmniGroup
Will Dropbox and Evernote be important as well?
(The need for taking notes and keeping them together in one place will be crucial over the next six months, so this is high priority.)