Sidebar, Search, Attributes, not keen to the mac experience

I find the whole idea of how Evernote uses Attributes to filter search results (via side bar and not a slide-down box with a (+) for more rules), how you have to "save a search" that creates another icon item, rather than straight forward Smart Folder. Also, when you click a saved search, all other items that are associated with it in the sidebar are automatically highlighted in a way that you can tell what are you looking at in the main window. I haven't seen such a way of displaying search results in ANY mac app I came a cross (read: MANY). It also does not allow you to select a single item from the sidebar from ones that are already highlighted.

The "Search Explanation" is a cumbersome addon and should be dismissed as a way of filtering results. If you take my notes into account you will see what a burden it is. It's nice if you like a quick way of EXPLAINING what the main window displays... but filtering through it is not a the way to go.

The side bar has an "Option" menu item at the bottom (the wheel), which includes the "Add Folder, New Tag, New Saved Search (Smart Folder!), which has to appear in their own menu item - with the "+" icon. you have to treat the Options Wheel, as kind of a Right Click Option Menu for the current selected item...

Attributes are just a function of the Smart Folder, and shouldn't reside in the sidebar. They should appear when either: you start a search from the search box (look at the Finder) or when you create a Smart Folder (look at iPhoto).

Increasing and decreasing the item's size in Icon view mode is important, but the slider at the bottom is just TOO big (again - look at iPhoto functionality).

Also, try to match its design with the rest of Apple's apps... no cross lines (before the Trash)... no Icons before Category names... the icons have to be next to the item (yes, for each Tag there should be an Tag Icon next to it, not near the Category "Tags" itself)... Also the category font is a bit too light, and needs to move bit more to the left.

These things are very important if you would like to see a wide adoption of Evernote in the mac crowd. Not everybody like me has the patience in writing posts for the devs. most people ditch it after day one.
I see you want the user to be able to filter and look at only the things he is interested in but the experience you deliver is very hard and not intuitive at all to mac users. Don't try to invent the wheel when it's already there.

The functionality is in there - i know, but now make a way to evoke it.