Use the Pen to Take Notes

OneNote is your digital notebook. You can use it much like you would use a yellow legal pad or spiral bound notebook. You can enter text, handwriting, graphics, external content, and diagrams on your OneNote page. Figure 5.1 shows a diagram in OneNote with some highlighting and text mixed in.

Figure 5.1. Using the Tablet PC's pen, you can add diagrams and handwriting.

As you can see, it can be helpful to mix different objects on your OneNote page. It would be difficult to convey the appropriate relationships in that diagram if you had to do it via text, and attempting to draw the diagram with the mouse could be quite time consuming.

All Tablet PCs are different. While the instructions in this chapter should work well for any Tablet PC, refer to the manufacturer's instructions for further information on writing on the screen.

When used with a Tablet PC, you can take notes directly on the screen in OneNote. Simply place your pen on the screen, and you should see a small dot appear on the screen. The dot will be the same color as your ink color. As you move your pen over the screen, OneNote transcribes exactly what you write onto the screen.

Comparing Writing to Typing

There are definite advantages and disadvantages to using handwritten ink in OneNote instead of typed text. Handwritten ink can be more flexible and functional. You can draw diagrams, arrows, and pictures that you couldn't with a keyboard and mouse. However, as Figures 5.2 and 5.3 illustrate, you can't capture as much information on the screen when writing unless you have exceptionally small handwriting. Figure 5.2 shows meeting notes captured on a Tablet PC using handwritten ink.

Figure 5.2. Handwritten meeting notes often take up a large amount of space.

Figure 5.3. The same notes, typed, take up significantly less space.

Figure 5.3 shows those same notes as typed text. As you can see, you can fit significantly more information on the screen when typing.

You'll need to try taking notes with the pen and the keyboard to determine which method works best for you. In many cases, the situation can dictate which method works best. For example, if you need to take notes quickly, and you're a fast typist, the keyboard might be the input method of choice. If speed isn't an issue, or you need to draw diagrams, the pen might be the more appropriate choice.