Microsoft OneNote iPhone App Review

Posted by on Jan 19, 2011 | 64 Comments

If you are familiar with the Microsoft Office suite, then you know of Microsoft Office OneNote. This note taking application is essential for any student or individual who needs to keep notes and create checklists for themselves. Microsoft’s first iPhone app tied to the Office application suite looks very promising.

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For a limited time Microsoft is letting iPhone users download the application for free to let users access, edit, and create notes from their iPhone. With Microsoft’s new marketing for “the cloud,” all OneNote documents are synced with your Windows Live SkyDrive account to easily access via the Web app or OneNote 2010 on your computer.

Similar to Evernote, OneNote ties in the Office cloud network to store all your files for later use and retrieval from any Internet connected device or computer. I took some time to play with OneNote Mobile and I was very pleased with the design and navigation of the app. The ability to synchronize with my existing OneNote files was amazing.

With this iPhone application just launched, Microsoft plans to have a Mac OS X version very soon, so OneNote can be a universal note taking application.

Because of design limitations of iOS, OneNote on the iPhone will enter your data as plain text, but some rich text formatted notes will show up if you synced them from the Web app or OneNote 2010.

One amazing feature that I am very lucky to see is formatting buttons on the keyboard. When typing out notes, users can quickly and easily create bulleted lists or even check marked items so they can go back and check off once a task is complete.

Another feature I am excited to see is the in app camera feature. Enabling you to take a picture of, let’s say, a white-board, and pin it in your notes for later reference. One ability Evernote does have over OneNote is the ability to support audio recordings.

For the most part the app is attractive and easy on the eyes, providing a clean usable interface that lets even the most unorganized find their way around.

The performance of the app is very speedy and synchronizing is a breeze. On even slow Internet connections, like my own, it compared will with the Evernote app sync speed.

This app caters more towards the existing OneNote users who want to find an easy way to access their notes on the go. It currently isn’t at the point to compete with other services like Evernote, but they both are very nice apps and I recommend that users try both apps to see what works for them. I am also curious to see what else Microsoft has in store for future iPhone apps, hopefully breaking some type of basic word editor to the iPhone as well.

Download it here from the iTunes App Store!

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  • http://blog.clsllc.com Brandon

    I don’t see it replacing Evernote for me…

  • Xander

    “The item you’ve requested is not currently available in the Australian Store…”

    That’s that, then. Sticking to Evernote, can’t even kick the tyres here.

  • http://twitter.com/no_substitute Kim Nilsson

    To only in the last paragraph insinuate that clean, safe nuclear power is the only way to go, is to me a bit vague. I’d have appreciated a stronger stance earlier in your text. Right up until then, I was sure you were against use of nuclear power altogether. Maybe I should say “against current use of nuclear power”?

  • Anonymous

    Look up the term “half-life”, and then check on it for U-235, Pu-239, and the rest of the chain of fission products. While it is true that things like cesium-137 is only around as a problem for 30 or so years, most of the other radioactive products have half-lives in the thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of years.

    Cesium and strontium do heavy damage early on, but there is more of both of those anytime fission is occurring.

    Also, if you read the materials put forth by Greenpeace, or the Ukraine government, you’ll see no one is living anywhere near the reactor 25 years on – and it will remain that way for another few thousand.

    It is you that does not seem to understand radioactive decay. As for clean energy, I’m all for it, but there has to be a transition period, as otherwise the iPods, televisions, and electric cars of the masses will sit idle for a long time while enough solar panels are produced.

  • Anonymous

    I’d use it live on a DJ-set.

  • darkheart dsires

    would be perfect for my son , who loves to create music :o )

  • http://twitter.com/cgranier Carlos Granier

    I wish I could beatbox a comment… then maybe I’d win a copy.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ryanchapp Ryan Chapp

    hmm wounder if this would work for ustream like plug in the pc and use this as an amp thing that plays and does other sounds ect… kinda like a switch

  • Anonymous

    I would use it to create sounds for my next sound art project, creating sound and music on a touch device would be a new experience.

  • Anonymous

    Love to have one! Thanks in advance

  • Patrick Virgadamo

    This could be a fun and creative way to create new and totally original intro music for youtube videos and podcasts.

  • Anonymous

    We homeschool our daughter. This app would be great as part of her music class. She already writes the lyrics to her songs but she could actually put them to music with this, I think.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t have anything creative, because it’s all been said before. I will say this…of all the worlds we’ve looked at, we haven’t found so much as a worm…we are unique…the universe is one big bass note, starting with the big bang and vibrating still…so stay in key…keep up with the rhythm…and play what you see…harmony harmony harmony, just look at those.

  • Jeff DuVall

    I’d use it to create background audio for podcasts, import into home movies and to exercise my creativity muscle.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1450386088 Jack C Nicolas

    I used DJay for mixing songs but I’d try this app for more features

  • http://twitter.com/silnan Shane Tilton

    I could see either teaching digital music in one of my classes or using it to create music for video projects.

  • http://twitter.com/Livegeek The Geeks

    Whell, i would make a little song for my mom since i forgot her birthday a few days ago, i had it too busy doing my job

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Alex-Clover/100000591838217 Alex Clover

    I would use it to make wonderful dance songs for my friends to mob to.

  • DJ Frankis

    i would use it to make music for my record company!

  • Anonymous

    Hey lockergnome. This looks amazing. I am a dancer a performance artist and a programmer and have been playing with new ways to mix music creation and movement, via the arduiono platform and other such fun. I would love to use this music playground to expand these possibilities and write some interesting plugins if all goes well.
    Deimos

  • ben ullman

    Definitely could make some cool soundtracks for home videos & mtn biking videos!

  • http://thetechzonelive.com Anthony Di Iorio

    I would use this app in a live set to add some loops to the music I’m DJing with my real turntables.

  • Anonymous

    I would use it for my videos i make.

  • Anonymous

    Hey Matt,
    I would use this with our non-profit KID’z program called Diabetic KID’Z 4 LIFE. An organization that helps kids with diabetes realize they can do anything they wat to do in life in they just try. This would be perfect in working with some of the school kids in band and the performing arts that do videos for our organization.
    Thanks for the chance
    Mark

  • Anonymous

    I would let my cat run over it and create feline music.
    I would of course film this and it would go viral since I have a cute cat…

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NVLZLS5JKOKZ6AYQJXAGCCDAMQ Melvin Bowman

    I just paid $22.87 for an iPad2 (64GB) and my girlfriend loves her Panasonic Lumix GF 1 Camera that we got for $38.76 there arriving tomorrow by UPS. I will never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Especially when I also sold a 40 inch LED TV to my boss for $674 which only cost me $62.81 to buy. Here is the website we use to get it all from, CentHub.com

  • Ian Manubens

    I would use it for entertaining guests, or heck, maybe even trick a record company in to the thinking I’m a boss with music, before you know it, i’ll be crankin’ out a 6 album record deal with Universal, and doin’ more drugs then Ossy Osborune….. Just kidding I’m only 13…. =(

  • http://twitter.com/Toastmaster7727 Zack Stamm

    I would use this app to create deep emotional electronic music.

  • Lansing Pugh

    I would use it to create a simulation for people of what the world sounds like to people like me with normal hearing in one ear and an acoustic neuroma (tumor) distorting audio in the other ear. Sometimes what I “hear” is actually pretty funny and other times dangerous or annoying. Any kind of deafness tends to be isolating, because you want to avoid having to keep asking people to repeat themselves.

  • http://www.leblog.se PeterNilsson

    I would try to learn how to make music :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Constantius-Solvang/649470195 Constantius Solvang

    I would use TableTop to try to create music fore my animations and cartoons.
    I study Animation an interaktiv media and it is always a pain in the ass to find Music fore my projekts

  • http://twitter.com/windogtx Doug Boehner

    I would use it to entertain my sister (and myself) while we go through her chemo treatments. They can take HOURS! Then later, I can share our creations with my nieces… they can add their input. Then after that, we can enlighten (torture) my parents with our final songs.

  • daryl siosan

    i love music. itd be cool if i could make my own =D

  • Anonymous

    Hi! I’m currently enrolled at Berklee Music’s online school, and I feel like I have a lot of musical ideas in my head that I can’t quite express through electronic equipment, because I am a little tech-challenged. This app seems right up my alley. I feel like TableTop would get my creative juices flowing, and give me the freedom I’ve been looking for. Thanks for your consideration. Oh, as much as I’d like this app, the diabetes, chemo, and ear tumor-related posters should get it before I do.

  • Robert Echten

    I wouldn’t, because I don’t have an iPad, but I would give it to my parents (65+) to see what they can do on the iPad I gave them. Sounds like a lot of fun! :-)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Carl-Speller/1166529842 Carl Speller

    i would use it to make sound tracks for finalcut pro x

  • http://twitter.com/DonQTX DonQTX

    As a new iPad user I will use it to for my children school projects. They love to use their Apple products and create interactive projects. It may come handy in including music or music fusion…

  • http://twitter.com/hzsurfer hz .

    I Would start making music to travel the world with just a single tablet on my hands.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=872530166 Eduardo Gomez

    I would write and write and write Dub Step/House for people around the world; while still being able to play Metal. which tells everyone that I love music, all kinds.

  • Pedro Visoso

    I would give it away to my nephew edeer hes 21. He works
    with a lot of youth in need. he a musician him self “drummer”
    him self n I know him n his kids would have a blast making music
    for there youth christian band. thanks

  • Anonymous

    With this app I would be able to put the ideas in my head down immediately, whereas now I just have my recorder app where I can just sing the tune in my head…not very useful if I have multiple tracks running in my head lol. This is my music studio on the go and wherever I am, because my iPad is attached to my body!

  • Jeremy Wyrick

    I would use this app to create songs like rebecca black’s Friday!!!

  • Danton Dubier

    apps like this are why I have an iPad

  • http://twitter.com/DipolarFish Manmit Mitbawkar

    I would mix sound recordings of my year old nephew with some cool effects and gift the final cut to my brother for my nephew’s second birthday.

  • Christopher Rubarth

    I would use it to create hipster pretentious body-gyrating electronic music.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001604021497 Vladimir Chrome Chomeini

    I would go to the zoo and play a monk to the elephants

  • Steven Hibbs

    I would use it to create original music for my YouTube videos. That way I wouldn’t get flagged for copyright infringement.

  • Dexter Belgrade

    I’d use it to create music to end all music! Tiesto made a return to Ibiza so he’d get inspiration for In search of Sunrise 6, I’d make music on Ibiza’s beach, how’s that for inspiration!

  • Ethan LaFreniere

    I would use it to create mixes that i can use to play at shows!

  • http://twitter.com/rgritt Ryan Gritt

    I would use it to brainstorm musical ideas wherever I am :D

  • http://www.facebook.com/Martini1986 Ian M. Mitchell

    I would use it to create music, to get my creative juices flowing

  • James Jelinek

    I’d create live dubstep mixes

  • Clifford Miller Jr

    I would use it to create music for local plays that cannot afford pay for such things. It would be very much appreciated.

  • Dean Wall

    I would use it to make my own one man electronic band

  • http://www.facebook.com/djthomaswei 魏巍

    i’ll use it make electronic music

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_S54JCFQ4SBVSX6OW4KWK2LOJOQ Joe Randini

    I would start making music. I have always wanted to make some house, or Drum&Bass.

  • Jose Luis Perez

    I would use it to create music and effects for Powerpoint presentations

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bryan-Phillips/1066720526 Bryan Phillips

    i would use it in my live setup, alongside a loopstation and indigenous instruments from Southamerica.

  • http://twitter.com/WuzzAppDoc WuzzAppDoc

    I would use it! ;)

  • Jim Buchanan

    I would use it in my live music. It would be onstage with me. I’m a bass player, so basically i do nothing anyway. My bandmates would LOVE to have samples and “transition” music; this app would definitely let me do this. It would also allow us to add that “missing piece” in some of the cover tunes we do.

  • Sam Shobaki

    I would plug myself as a module

  • Mordecai Querty

    I would use Tabletop to rework some of my old my original recordings from 20-30 yrs ago with new material created with the possibilities presented with Tabletop and it’s various modules. It would fascinating to realise.