Why no love for OneNote?

[nathanb131]

OneNote coupled with the "family" room is a major game changer for how my family organizes task and shopping lists. Anyone can edit it on their individual phone and it's synced to everyone's, then the room tile shows that a note has been updated. I agree, it is the killer app.

-E

Thanks for the tip. We weren't using family room to share it, didn't see a point since our notebooks are already shared. Change notification is a good reason. Thanks!

 

[nathanb131]

The ability to share Onenote workbooks with people is fantastic. My one complaint about the RT is that there is no pen support (which I knew before I purchased) but Onenote with pen support is such an awesome application and then being able to share with others via Skydrive and have multiple people update the same workbook is very productive.

As a long time tablet pc user I would have been first in line if it had pen support. I think MS missed a big opportunity there because OneNote with a digitizer is something they do better than anyone. Glad the surface pro will have a pen though!

A good scanner is a pretty good substitute. I like to scan my physical notes them 'set them as background image' in OneNote so I can digitally tag, highlight, and comment.

 

[nathanb131]

I have just started using onenote, so far its awesome, however it seriously lacks deep browser integration and cross platform features of evernote.

I agree that OneNote isn't integrated cross platform as well as Evernote. Especially when it comes to browser embedding. Hopefully it will get better but I think the gap isn't as big as it used to be and it's no longer a big enough gap to make me second guess my decision to no longer use both but to be 'all in' with OneNote.

Here's a list of cross platform uses for OneNote that you may or may not be aware of.
Mac- MS office is on Mac
Iphone/Ipad- I've been told the OneNote app is pretty great on these, especially the iPad. MobileNotr is a good 3rd party app for it.
Android- Just came from Android, MS's official app as well as MobileNotr are on there. Worked ok but I wished I could make shortcuts to notes. Nope, have to open the app and navigate to your note every time. Evernote is way better on 'droid'.
Web- Skydrive app version is very good
Browser Integration- Obviously Internet Explorer has great integration, though I think there are 3rd party plugins for Firefox and Chrome that give you 'send to OneNote' functionality.

Evernote has had a syncing advantage for years. The reason that it's the same everywhere is because it has very simple formatting so a web browser version of it is pretty much the exact same capability and use experience as their desktop version. So they started with the lowest common denominator and spread it around. Not trying to be insulting, I like E-note and think it's awesome. But if you compare the two desktop versions, it's night and day difference. Like how excel is so much more powerful than the gdocs spreadsheet app. For some people's use, that difference doesn't matter. If you are making a grocery list, then the difference doesn't matter? but if I'm taking lecture notes or tying together a big project then I want to do that in OneNote.

MS had to take a powerful and elegant best-in-class note application and try to make it accessible via browser and mobile. E-note built theirs from the opposite direction. Only now has MS started to get sync and ubiquity 'right'. Evernote still does some things better but the sync and ubiquity advantage has almost disappeared to where the only E-Note advantage is a vast user base and 3rd party developer support. That is still a huge difference but I hope it starts to change in the same way that I hope WinPhone becomes a solid #3 in the smartphone world.

 

[FinsUpDNC]

I just set up a room with my wife (iphone) and it works pretty damn well. The only cross platform feature that does not work is chat.

 

[rdubmu]

Here's a list of cross platform uses for OneNote that you may or may not be aware of.
Mac- MS office is on Mac
.

Onenote isn't available for the Mac/

 

[jaimeastin]

Yeah, I really enjoy using Onenote. And to think, I have had it for years and never used until I got it on my ipad a while back. After using it, I tested the syncing with my windows phone. I loved it. I then upgrade from office 07 to 2010 with the high point being the syncing of one note with Skydrive.

I have since sold my iPad, but use one note weekly in school, church, work, and personally. Whether I am at my desktop, my laptop, my surface, or web interface, I have my information. Shoot, I will will be typing in class or somewhere, pull out my phone, take a snapshot or audio memo and insert it directly in to my project from the phone, then finally go back to using my laptop. So seemless.

I agree with others, I used to hate the fact that the formatting was so basic on the iPad version... One of the reasons I am happy to have my surface and Onenote now.

I use Onenote on my phone way more than I use work/excel on my phone.

If you are working person or in school, the microsoft ecosystem is so nice to be in. Skydrive syncing my files and computers (even my mac) has been wonderful. I have many 5 personal computers, 2 at work (web based skydrive only), a surface, and 920 and I have ZERO issues with osx, windows 7, or 8. and microsoft.

 

[Funky Cricket]

I've been loving one note since office 2k7. One of the reasons I am looking to switch. I have a few hundred workbooks and I'd love to sync them all.

 

[stmav]

Are there any get started with Onenote sites or links anyone can recommend? Thanks.

 

[nathanb131]

Onenote isn't available for the Mac/

Wow, I don't use Apple anything but know there is Office for Mac. OneNote is excluded from that suite? Thanks for the correction.

 

[nathanb131]

Are there any get started with Onenote sites or links anyone can recommend? Thanks.

Not many that I'm aware of which is why I started this thread. There are note pages that come loaded with it that highlight features and some basic use scenarios. The best thing about is the flexibility. Because of linking, searching, and note/section nesting, you can choose to organize your info countless ways. Is there any particular thing you want some ideas on?

 

[rdubmu]

Wow, I don't use Apple anything but know there is Office for Mac. OneNote is excluded from that suite? Thanks for the correction.

yeah, it is the one app missing from os X
Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express

 

[GoodThings2Life]

I have no greater joy on a PC than using a Tablet PC with an active digitizer (not capacitive touch) with OneNote and its inking with a Stylus. For years I have carried Tablet PC's around (Toshiba and HP) and have enjoyed the bliss of OneNote with ink.

For 3 years at college, I used it and wowed everyone around me with my ability to write on my computer screen and yet "search" it as if it was typed text. In meetings, I can look up documentation on the fly that takes people minutes to punch in on their precious iPads.

And yet, the OP is right... OneNote is the best kept secret at Microsoft. I think it's a shame, because it's the best tool they have, and I often wish that OneNote on WP supported the ink notes.

It's one of the reasons why I'm looking at the Surface Pro over an alternative, since I know the Pro has a digitizer. I guess I can't help but hope they will advertise this capability with Pro.

 

[foxbat121]

I've thought that OneNote has been MS's best kept secret for years. The desktop version (especially on a tablet PC) is awesome. The SkyDrive app and cloud sync is pretty good. But combined with WP8's native integration it rocks!

This is probably my number one reason for leaving android for WP.

Just so you know, MS released an OneNote Android App as well (free).

 

[nathanb131]

Just so you know, MS released an OneNote Android App as well (free).

Yep, I used that along with a good 3rd party app (mobile note). Both pretty solid. Problem is shortcuts/quick access. If I can't quickly jot or look up on mobile then I won't use it as my grocery list, quick notes, etc.

On Android, I had to open the app, navigate to the page, then often had to wait for it to sync before I could jot down that quick thought. Evernote is way better at shortcuts and quick entry on Android.

 

[Laurence Hansen]

. It even has a full featured web app if you don't have access to the desktop application.

Unfortunately the web app is far from full-featured. I do not have the PC app but am making do with the WP8 and web apps for now. Hoping to upgrade my office suite early in 2013 and have the real OneNote app.

 

[ImmortalWarrior]

Unfortunately the web app is far from full-featured. I do not have the PC app but am making do with the WP8 and web apps for now. Hoping to upgrade my office suite early in 2013 and have the real OneNote app.

What's your definition of full featured? Of course the feature set doesn't match the paid desktop version, but I'm sure it has as many features as evernote.

 

[nathanb131]

What's your definition of full featured? Of course the feature set doesn't match the paid desktop version, but I'm sure it has as many features as evernote.

You identified a strange problem/advantage that one note has. The desktop version simply can't be reproduced on web or mobile so even if the web version is every bit as good as evernote, it is still contrasted unfavorably with the desktop version. Evernote doesn't have the same problem because they designed their desktop version to not have more bells and whistles. Its like MS offers a Cadillac on the desktop and Chevys online/mobile. Where evernote is offering Fords across all platforms. Now instead of comparing the ford/chevy web versions, people just notice that one note web isn't a Cadillac.

Sorry about the outdated analogy. Need to find a better one. Point is the same.

 

[ImmortalWarrior]

You identified a strange problem/advantage that one note has. The desktop version simply can't be reproduced on web or mobile so even if the web version is every bit as good as evernote, it is still contrasted unfavorably with the desktop version. Evernote doesn't have the same problem because they designed their desktop version to not have more bells and whistles. Its like MS offers a Cadillac on the desktop and Chevys online/mobile. Where evernote is offering Fords across all platforms. Now instead of comparing the ford/chevy web versions, people just notice that one note web isn't a Cadillac.

Sorry about the outdated analogy. Need to find a better one. Point is the same.

Makes sense. I get a good laugh at people who think like this though. The point is that Microsoft does offer the Cadillac.

 

[nathanb131]

Makes sense. I get a good laugh at people who think like this though. The point is that Microsoft does offer the Cadillac.

This is a strange trend in that software in many cases is way more watered down than it used to be and people have much lower expectations than they used to.

Examples: excel a decade ago was better than the gdocs equivalent today. Same for the whole office suite.

The game changer has been ubiquitous access. Microsoft probably didn't realize that non-power users would flock to Gmail, gdocs, evernote, etc and give up better software for more universal access.

I'm guilty of it too and have been waiting to once again use high end tools AND have my ubiquitous access. It saddens me to think of what I could do with a tablet PC many years before the iPad came out. The surface pro with pen input will finally close that gap between an uncompromised one-note/office experience with good syncing and great form factor.

 

[cgk]

I'm going to bring this thread back to life rather than start a new one because I've been playing with one-note for a while and I just don't get it - I get evernote, it makes perfect sense to me - I just can't seem to get one-note in the same way - what am I missing?