What is OneNote?

OneNote is the killer app for the Tablet PC. Not only does it allow you to take notes like Windows Journal does, it also lets you drop in Web pages and record audio from meetings. This is the application for anyone who attends meetings and seminars, and who does research on the Internet.

OneNote lets you store all the information you have on a subject in an ad-hoc manner, much like paper, yet with the ability to drop in Web pages and other content. It can be used for information storage, note-taking, meeting capture, and research. OneNote lets you capture all your information in one place, making it easy to use and find. the Tablet PC makes OneNote even more powerful because it lets you take notes and sketch in OneNote with the pen making OneNote a true note-taking tool.

Note

OneNote is part of the Microsoft Office System 2003, but is sold separately. At the time of this writing, its list price is $199, but street price is closer to $175. For Tablet PC users, OneNote is well worth the price.

As you can see in Figure 16.1, OneNote accepts handwriting, text, graphics, and Web pages.

Figure 16.1. OneNote can handle text, graphics, handwriting, Web pages, and more fluidly.

Because of its ability to incorporate lots of different media, OneNote is more powerful than any other single application for the Tablet PC. Notes and objects can be moved around in a document even more easily than in Word. OneNote can also recognize an entire handwritten document, allowing you to convert your handwritten notes into text more quickly than Journal or Input Panel.

Tip

If you want to get the most out of your Tablet PC, get OneNote.

For me, OneNote's most compelling feature is its audio-recording capabilities. Not only can OneNote record audio say, at a meeting or lecture but it also automatically ties together the audio recording with any notes you made during the recorded event. So notes and audio are now linked, even when you reorganize your thoughts.

Benefits over Other Applications

OneNote is kind of like PageMaker, Publisher, and other desktop-publishing applications in that you can drag objects (text, graphics, Web pages, handwriting, and so on) to any place in the document.

Unlike publishing applications, however, OneNote has no fixed size for a page, so you can extend to the right and down as far as you want. If you want to, however, you can define specific page sizes (for example, if you'll need to print the document you're using OneNote to create). In any case, the free-form ability OneNote gives you to move objects on the page means you can lay things out however makes sense to you, and then form logical connections between them. This can help in brainstorming and other activities that require linking ideas.

Likewise, OneNote shares several characteristics with Microsoft Word. For example, like Word, OneNote has formatting and outlining tools, and lets you send notes as email messages. Unlike Word, however, OneNote lets you convert handwriting into text, and also lets you add audio to the notes you take. Although Word lets you add voice annotations and handwritten notes, it does not integrate them like OneNote does.

Note

OneNote is fantastic for being able to put together free-form information, graphics, and ink.

Finally, like Journal, OneNote lets you take notes by hand using your pen. This enables fluid note-taking and sketching, similar to paper note-taking. OneNote also enables you to move objects around the page like you can with Journal. With Journal, however, moving objects is somewhat cumbersome. In OneNote, you simply drag and drop. Also, OneNote's audio-recording and bulk handwriting recognition features let you go well beyond Journal's capabilities. OneNote is an alternative to Journal, but also much more.

Tip

Audio recording is one of the coolest features of OneNote. Any audio you record is linked to the notes you take in a time-based fashion.

Unlike any other application, if you drag portions of a Web site into OneNote, it keeps the formatting of the original Web page (most of the time). OneNote treats the pasted Web content as an object, and automatically provides a link to the content source Web address (URL).

Note

OneNote is like Word, Journal, and a tape recorder all thrown together. You can work the way you want.

Overall, OneNote is an application made for the Tablet PC. Through audio recording linked to notes and the ability to handle any type of media, OneNote is a must for the Tablet PC business user.