Microsoft OneNote

With digitalization already taking place in many companies for a long time, note-taking is also evolving. That’s why Microsoft decided to launch OneNote some time ago. To provide potential users with a clear understanding, this article explains what OneNote is, who it is for, and what users can do with it.

What is OneNote?
OneNote is a digital note-taking app launched on November 19, 2003. This app is ideal for storing notes, plans, research, and anything that needs to be remembered in one place. All information is automatically saved in online notebooks, giving users easy access across all their devices. Using a search option, relevant information can be retrieved quickly. Additionally, information can be organized, printed, and shared easily. Thanks to its collaboration options, OneNote is useful for both businesses and educational institutions.
So far, six versions of OneNote have been released:

• Microsoft Office OneNote 2003
• Microsoft Office OneNote 2007
• Microsoft OneNote 2010
• Microsoft OneNote 2013
• Microsoft OneNote for Windows 10
• Microsoft OneNote 2016

OneNote for Businesses
There are several reasons why OneNote is a good tool for companies:

• Promoting collaboration: By sharing notebooks, employees can work together more efficiently, especially on projects involving multiple team members.
• A centralized information hub: OneNote provides a digital location for business plans, notes, and ideas, allowing all data to be stored in one place.
• Easier information organization: With many types of information within organizations, OneNote enables users to separate relevant content, making it easier to locate important data.

OneNote in Education
OneNote can also be useful for educational institutions, creating a personal learning environment for students and a digital workspace for larger classes. Students and teachers can access their digital notes on different devices. With increased digitalization in schools and universities, a digital tool for note-taking aligns well with current needs. Additionally, images and videos can be added to notes, offering support beyond traditional paper notes.

OneNote: Functionalities
In March 2014, Microsoft released a OneNote cloud service API, allowing data from other applications to be sent to the user's OneDrive. This API is used in two relevant OneNote functions:

• OneNote Clipper: Enables capturing and saving web pages or parts of web pages, such as PDFs, images, and videos.
• Email to OneNote: By linking an email address to OneNote, users can email relevant information directly to their notebooks.

Other smaller functionalities in OneNote include:

• Infinite digital paper
• Table creation
• Note categorization
• To-do tags
• Collaboration in a shared notebook

OneNote: Pros and Cons
To make an informed decision about whether to use OneNote, here are some pros and cons:
Pros:

• Free version with full functionality
• Web clipper
• Organizational tools
• Flexible placement of drawings, text, and attachments

Cons:

• Limited OCR
• No geotagging
• Local storage only available on Windows

OneNote: Free vs Paid Version
OneNote is available in a free and a paid version. Differences are minor but exist. The paid version offers various stickers to make note-taking more enjoyable, which the free version does not provide. Additionally, the paid version allows for local file storage on Windows, whereas the free version does not. The paid version also offers more OneDrive storage; free version users are limited to 5GB.