Microsoft OneNote explained

Microsoft OneNote for Microsoft 365
Developer:Microsoft
Operating System:Microsoft Windows, macOS
Genre:Notetaking software
License:Proprietary software, Freeware (OneNote 2013 and later)
Microsoft OneNote (UWP)
Developer:Microsoft
Latest Release Version:16001.14326.21942.0
Latest Release Date:2024
Operating System:Windows 10, Android, ChromeOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows Phone, MacOS
Genre:Notetaking software
License:Freeware[1] [2] [3] [4]
OneNote.com
Commercial:No
Type:Notetaking software
Registration:Required
Owner:Microsoft

Microsoft OneNote is a note-taking software developed by Microsoft. It is available as part of the Microsoft 365 suite and since 2014 has been free on all platforms outside the suite.[5] OneNote is designed for free-form information gathering and multi-user collaboration. It gathers users' notes, drawings, screen clippings, and audio commentaries. Notes can be shared with other OneNote users over the Internet or a network.

OneNote is also available as a free, stand-alone app via the official website and the app stores of: Windows 10, MacOS, iOS, iPadOS and Android.[6] Microsoft also provides a web-based version of OneNote as part of OneDrive and Office for the web.

Overview

OneNote was announced by Microsoft's Bill Gates on November 17, 2002.[7] The software allows users to create notes that can include text, pictures, tables, and drawings. Unlike a word processor, OneNote features an almost unbounded document window, in which users can click anywhere on the canvas to create a new text box at that location. OneNote saves data automatically as the user edits the file.

OneNote saves information in pages organized into sections within notebooks. Microsoft designed this user interface to resemble a tabbed ring binder, in which the user can directly make notes and gather material from other applications. OneNote notebooks collect, organize, and share possibly unpublished materials—as compared to word processors and wikis, which often target publishing in some way. The difference shows in certain OneNote features and characteristics:

Users can move pages in the binder and annotate them with a stylus or word-processing or drawing tools. Users may add embedded multimedia recordings and hyperlinks. They can also add embeddable content, such as YouTube videos.[8] OneNote also integrates search features and indexing into a free-form graphics and audio repository. It can search pictures (e.g., screen captures, embedded document scans, photographs) for depictions of text. It also searches "electronic ink" annotations as text and phonetically searches audio recordings on a text key. It can replay audio concurrently with notes taken during the recording. It can also extract and copy texts from pictures and documents using optical character-recognition.[9]

Its multi-user capability allows offline editing with later synchronization and merging. More than one person can work on the same page at the same time using OneNote as a shared whiteboard environment.

On March 17, 2014, Microsoft released the OneNote cloud service API, which allows third-party application developers to integrate the service into their apps. The API runs on Microsoft's globally available cloud and sends data from applications into the user's OneDrive. OneNote can render webpages as snapshot images.[6] [10]

Microsoft also announced several new features in OneNote that use the service API:

File format

A OneNote notebook is stored as a folder with a separate data file for each section. OneNote files have a .one filename extension. A .one file can be a OneNote notebook or a OneNote section.

Microsoft upgraded the file format twice after it had introduced OneNote 2003 — first in OneNote 2007, then in OneNote 2010.[13] OneNote 2003 files can be opened by both OneNote 2007 and OneNote 2010 in read-only mode and subsequently upgraded to the later versions of the file format.[14] [15] OneNote 2010 can read and write OneNote 2007 file formats. It can also convert back and forth between the 2010 and the 2007 formats.

Microsoft has documented the OneNote file format. It is an open format that can store varied multimedia content in a single .one file.[16] [17] [18]

Multiple .one files can be exported to a .onepkg file, which stores multiple .one files (corresponding to the individual notebooks) in cabinet file format.

Platform support

OneNote supports simultaneous editing of shared OneNote documents by multiple users when the document is stored in a shared folder in OneDrive. Dropbox was supported for some time as a sync protocol, but after Windows Live Mesh was discontinued, OneNote supported it for cloud-based storage and synchronization of OneNote files. OneNote clients, including the OneNote web app of Office Online, can view and edit them.

Microsoft made OneNote 2013 for Windows desktop available for free. OneNote for Windows and Mac are both based on a freemium model. Premium features such as SharePoint support, version history and Microsoft Outlook integration were previously available only to Office 365 and Office 2013 customers,[19] but on February 13, 2015, Microsoft removed all feature restrictions, except creation of local notebooks — the free edition only stores notebooks on OneDrive — from the programs, essentially making the program completely free to use.[20]

Windows

The first version, OneNote 2003, was only sold as a separate product for Windows[21] compatible with Windows XP and Windows 2000 as well as for Microsoft Tablet PCs with pen input.[22] Starting with Office 2007 it was then included as part of the Office suite, as the software was positioned more as a student tool rather than business.[23]

A Microsoft Store version of OneNote (formerly known as OneNote MX) was available for Windows 8 and RT, using OneDrive as a storage place. It is optimized for use on tablets by implementing a pie menu interface and invoking operating system's tablet-specific functionality.[24]

In 2018, Microsoft announced that for OneNote on Windows, the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) based OneNote for Windows 10, would be the default experience for Office users on Windows. The Win32/Win64 "desktop" version would remain known as OneNote 2016 despite the release of Office 2019, would no longer receive new features, and would not be installed with Office by default, but remain available as an option.[25]

However, Microsoft reversed this decision in 2019; in the same year, the company announced that both versions would receive active development and the desktop version would once again be installed with Office by default.[26] The desktop application was renamed to simply OneNote, matching the other programs in Office 365. OneNote is no longer installed with Windows starting from Windows 11, but is still available from Microsoft Store.[27]

In 2021, Microsoft announced that OneNote for Windows 10 would be discontinued and that they were working on migrating users and features to the desktop version. They also announced that it would be receiving some user interface changes to be more in line with Windows 11.[28]

Mobile

OneNote is also available for cell phones. Microsoft currently has a stand-alone OneNote app for iOS[29] and Android.

OneNote Mobile for older Windows Mobile smartphones and pocket PCs was included with OneNote 2007.[30] It was released with Windows Phone 7 in 2010.[31] In 2011, OneNote Mobile went multi-platform as it was released for iPhone[32] followed by a version for Symbian as part of Microsoft Apps.[33] In 2012 Microsoft released OneNote for Android in a surprise move.[34]

On July 1, 2013, Microsoft released version 2 of its app for iPad, containing significantly updated features, to correspond more closely to those available on the Windows platform. On August 19, 2014, Microsoft updated OneNote for Android tablets to include handwriting support and touch-friendly navigation.[35] This version supports notebooks stored on OneDrive or SharePoint. In 2022, the Android version got a major refresh.[36]

Mac

On March 17, 2014, Microsoft released OneNote for Mac. It is compatible with OS X Mavericks and above and can be downloaded for free from the Mac App Store.[37]

Version and licensing differences

The desktop OneNote and OneNote for Windows 10 have different functionality and user interfaces, which also differ from the versions for other platforms. Compared to OneNote for Windows 10, the desktop OneNote has a full Office ribbon interface, features the most customization options, runs on multiple versions of Windows, and provides the possibility of local notebook support as opposed to OneDrive cloud storage; it is the only version for any platform to offer the latter feature,[38] even as a paid option.

In addition to the version differences, OneNote features on Windows and Mac vary according to whether it is installed as a free or paid program. If a "compatible" Office license (whether for the subscription Office 365 or the perpetual Office 2019) is present on the machine, the Windows desktop, Windows 10, and Mac versions all unlock additional functionality, which varies depending on the version: the desktop OneNote adds local notebook support, the Mac version adds stickers and OneNote for Windows 10 gains several features including stickers, ink replay, Researcher and Math Assistant. More premium features are in development for the Mac and Windows 10 versions.[39]

Reception

Christopher Dawson reviewed OneNote 2010, titling his favorable review "OneNote is Office 2010's killer app in education".[40] He speculated that the app would be particularly useful as a tool for student notetaking.

Release history

All release dates pertain to general availability. Release to manufacturing is usually two or three months in advance. This table only includes editions released for Windows.

Product releaseRelease date[41] Editions of Microsoft Office included in
Microsoft Office OneNote 2003[42] None
Microsoft Office OneNote 2007[43] Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student, Enterprise, Ultimate
Microsoft OneNote 2010[44] Microsoft Office 2010 Home and Student, Home and Business, Standard, Professional, Professional Plus
Microsoft OneNote 2013[45] Microsoft Office 2013 (all editions)
Microsoft OneNote for Windows 10July 29, 2015[46] Microsoft Office 2019 (until 2020)
Microsoft OneNote 2016 (now known as Microsoft OneNote)[47] [48] Microsoft Office 2016 (all editions)Microsoft Office 2019 (from March 2020)[49] Microsoft Office 2021
Microsoft 365

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Protalinski. Emil. Microsoft makes OneNote for Windows completely free by removing all feature restrictions. VentureBeat. February 13, 2015. September 5, 2017. July 27, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170727191237/https://venturebeat.com/2015/02/13/microsoft-makes-onenote-for-windows-completely-free-by-removing-all-feature-restrictions/. live.
  2. Web site: Microsoft OneNote. Android Market. March 1, 2012. February 12, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120212223126/https://market.android.com/details?id=com.microsoft.office.onenote. live.
  3. Web site: Microsoft OneNote. App Store. Apple Inc. March 1, 2012. March 12, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120312050644/http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246?mt=8. live.
  4. Web site: Microsoft OneNote for iPad. App Store. Apple Inc. March 1, 2012. March 7, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120307222531/http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-onenote-for-ipad/id478105721?mt=8. live.
  5. Web site: 2014-03-17 . It's Official: OneNote is Now Free for Everyone . Paul . Thurrott . 2022-10-23 . ITPro Today . en.
  6. Web site: OneNote now on Mac, free everywhere, and service powered. Office Blogs. Microsoft. March 17, 2014. March 17, 2014. March 18, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140318055323/http://blogs.office.com/2014/03/17/onenote-now-on-mac-free-everywhere-and-service-powered/. live.
  7. Web site: 2002-11-17 . Bill Gates Announces Microsoft OneNote, a New Application To Make Note-Taking More Productive . 2022-10-23 . Stories . en-US.
  8. Web site: Embed content in OneNote. October 1, 2020. November 13, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201113164256/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/embed-content-in-onenote-fd5abf7d-abd4-4902-8e5f-93088c45b11d#:~:text=You%20can%20embed%20a%20wide,Adobe%20Spark. live.
  9. Web site: Copy text from pictures and file printouts using OCR in OneNote. October 1, 2020. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101140015/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/copy-text-from-pictures-and-file-printouts-using-ocr-in-onenote-93a70a2f-ebcd-42dc-9f0b-19b09fd775b4. live.
  10. Web site: Getting started with the OneNote service API. Office Dev Center. Microsoft. March 25, 2014. March 20, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140320030127/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/dn575425.aspx#sectionSection1. live.
  11. Web site: Clip the web, right to OneNote. Microsoft. March 25, 2014. March 22, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140322142101/https://www.onenote.com/Clipper/OneNote. live.
  12. Web site: Email Settings. March 25, 2014. January 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210124171059/https://www.onenote.com/hrd?ReturnUrl=https:%2f%2fwww.onenote.com%2fEmailSettings. live.
  13. Web site: Error message when you try to open a OneNote 2007 or 2010 file in OneNote 2003: "This section is from a later version of One Note and cannot be opened" (Revision 4.0) . Support . Microsoft . September 29, 2011 . September 12, 2011 . September 29, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110929153554/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916888 . live .
  14. Web site: David . Rasmussen . Why the OneNote 2007 and 2003 file format are different . David Rasmussen's Blog . . Microsoft . October 8, 2006 . September 2, 2011 . January 23, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100123185000/http://blogs.msdn.com/david_rasmussen/archive/2006/10/08/Why-the-OneNote-2007-and-2003-file-format-are-different.aspx . live .
  15. Web site: About file format changes in OneNote 2010 . . Microsoft . September 29, 2011 . November 16, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111116181744/http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote-help/about-file-format-changes-in-onenote-2010-HA010386956.aspx . live .
  16. Web site: : OneNote File Format Specification . Microsoft . December 7, 2022 . December 7, 2022 . December 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221207062145/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecs/office_file_formats/ms-one/73d22548-a613-4350-8c23-07d15576be50 . live .
  17. Web site: : OneNote Revision Store File Format Specification . . Microsoft . September 29, 2011 . June 10, 2011 . September 30, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110930121608/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd951288(v=office.12).aspx . live .
  18. Web site: OneNote 2010: XML Schema Definition (XSD) File . Download Center . Microsoft . September 29, 2011 . September 13, 2011 . December 4, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111204112437/http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?&id=27396 . live .
  19. Web site: Sinha . Robin . Microsoft releases OneNote for Mac, makes it free on all platforms . March 18, 2014 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140321223747/http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/microsoft-releases-onenote-for-mac-makes-it-free-on-all-platforms-496874 . March 21, 2014 . March 25, 2014 . NDTV.
  20. Web site: Corob . Brad . February 13, 2015 . OneNote is now (even more) free! . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402120922/http://blogs.office.com/2015/02/13/onenote-now-even-free/ . April 2, 2015 . March 27, 2015 . Office Blogs . Microsoft.
  21. Web site: Microsoft Office OneNote 2003 Preview . Paul . Thurrott . Oct 19, 2003 . 2022-10-23 . ITPro Today . en.
  22. Web site: OneNote 2003 - An Introduction . 2022-10-23 . C# Corner . Sachin . Sanjey . Jan 6, 2006 .
  23. Web site: For Office 2007 at home, Outlook is out, OneNote is in . Ed . Bott . Feb 15, 2006 . 2022-10-23 . ZDNET . en.
  24. Web site: Microsoft's Lync and OneNote apps for Windows 8, Windows RT now in Windows Store . Oct 26, 2012 . Mary Jo . Foley . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130228210530/http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-lync-and-onenote-apps-for-windows-8-windows-rt-now-in-windows-store-7000006457/ . February 28, 2013 . March 14, 2013 . ZDNet.
  25. Web site: The best version of OneNote on Windows . Microsoft Tech Community . William . Devereux . April 18, 2018 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190521115821/https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Office-365-Blog/The-best-version-of-OneNote-on-Windows/ba-p/183974 . May 21, 2019 . November 21, 2020.
  26. Web site: November 4, 2019 . Your OneNote . Microsoft Community Hub . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200929100507/https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/office-365-blog/your-onenote/ba-p/954922 . September 29, 2020 . October 1, 2020.
  27. Web site: Windows 11 Specs and System Requirements . Microsoft.
  28. Web site: 2021-08-05 . What's Coming to OneNote . 2022-11-14 . Microsoft Community Hub . en.
  29. Web site: dead . Microsoft OneNote App for iPhone and iPod free for limited time . https://web.archive.org/web/20110124132601/http://www.newsden.net/download-microsoft-onenote-app-for-iphone-and-ipod-for-free-6126/ . January 24, 2011 . uzair . NewsDen . January 21, 2011 .
  30. Web site: OneNote 2007 review . 2022-10-23 . Alphr . en-US.
  31. Web site: Windows Phone 7 Wins With Office Mobile Revamp . 2022-10-23 . PCWorld . en.
  32. Web site: 2012-10-25 . OneNote Mobile for iPhone: OneNote Mobile Goes Multi-platform An Introduction to OneNote Mobile for iPhone Que . 2022-10-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121025161844/http://www.quepublishing.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1687887 . October 25, 2012 .
  33. Web site: Blandford . Rafe . September 8, 2011 . Microsoft Business Apps for Symbian Belle . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130809184333/http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/13253_Microsoft_Business_Apps_for_Sy.php . August 9, 2013 . July 10, 2013 . All About Symbian.
  34. Web site: The Significance of Microsoft OneNote Mobile for Android Introducing OneNote Mobile for Android InformIT . 2022-10-23 . www.informit.com.
  35. Web site: Delivering improved handwriting capabilities, including OneNote for Android tablets. Microsoft Office Blogs. August 19, 2014. Microsoft. December 29, 2017. December 30, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171230114641/https://blogs.office.com/en-us/2014/08/19/delivering-improved-handwriting-capabilities-including-onenote-android-tablets/. live.
  36. Web site: 2022-07-12 . Microsoft Tests Beautifully Redesigned OneNote Android App . 2022-10-23 . en-US.
  37. Web site: Introducing OneNote for Mac. Office Blogs. Microsoft. March 17, 2014. March 25, 2014. March 25, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140325034753/http://blogs.office.com/2014/03/17/introducing-onenote-for-mac/. live.
  38. Web site: What's the difference between the OneNote versions? . November 21, 2020 . November 29, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201129175004/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-s-the-difference-between-the-onenote-versions-a624e692-b78b-4c09-b07f-46181958118f . live .
  39. Web site: Frequently Asked Questions about OneNote in Office 2019 and Microsoft 365 . Microsoft Support . November 21, 2020 . November 11, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201111232351/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/frequently-asked-questions-about-onenote-in-office-2019-and-microsoft-365-6582c7ae-2ec6-408d-8b7a-3ed71a3c2103 . live .
  40. Web site: Dawson . Christopher . OneNote is Office 2010's killer app in education . . May 12, 2010 . August 28, 2011 . August 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110819131538/http://www.zdnet.com/blog/education/onenote-is-office-2010s-killer-app-in-education/3924 . dead .
  41. Web site: Microsoft OneNote Life-cycle Information. October 25, 2011. July 1, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110701051415/http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/search/default.aspx?sort=PN&alpha=onenote&Filter=FilterNO. live.
  42. Web site: Microsoft Office OneNote 2003 Product Guide . May 7, 2016 . April 20, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190420090921/http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/e/f/6efa631e-00e7-42c0-b819-ed6f7169eaf5/onenoteproductguide.doc . live .
  43. Web site: What's new in Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 . May 7, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160507124427/https://support.office.com/en-us/article/What-s-new-in-Microsoft-Office-OneNote-2007-14231b91-f150-45a0-8fd6-f2736792f556 . May 7, 2016 . mdy-all .
  44. Web site: DavidRas . OneNote 2010 What's new . Blogs.msdn.com . July 14, 2009 . September 2, 2011 . January 30, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100130031357/http://blogs.msdn.com/david_rasmussen/archive/2009/07/15/onenote-2010-what-s-new-for-you.aspx . live .
  45. Web site: What's new in OneNote 2013 . May 7, 2016 . May 7, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160507192104/https://support.office.com/en-us/article/What-s-new-in-OneNote-2013-3e8da086-65a8-4972-b6b9-50879b3ce37e?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US . live .
  46. Web site: Goldman . David . 2015-06-01 . Microsoft announces Windows 10 release date: July 29 . 2022-10-23 . CNNMoney.
  47. Web site: What's the difference between the OneNote versions? . 2022-10-23 . support.microsoft.com.
  48. Web site: Office 2016 for Mac is available now. Macworld UK. October 8, 2015. en. October 6, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151006103955/http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/mac-software/microsoft-office-mac-2015-release-uk-price-video-tutorial-365-subscribers-3456798/. live.
  49. Web site: Protalinski . Emil . 2018-04-18 . Microsoft drops OneNote desktop app from Office, pushes users to Windows 10 version . 2022-10-23 . VentureBeat . en-US.

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