Microsoft releases free OneNote information organizer on Apple's Mac App Store
Microsoft on Monday released an all-new Mac OS X edition of its popular OneNote application for free on the Mac App Store, taking the venerable digital notebook cross-platform amid stiff competition from Silicon Valley startup Evernote.
The new Mac version bears a striking resemblance to its Windows counterpart, and notebooks can be shared between platforms -- including the existing OneNote for iOS -- using Microsoft's built-in OneDrive cloud storage service. The app also provides a limited set of collaboration features, allowing users to share notebooks with friends and coworkers and see edits in near realtime.
Microsoft promises that notes will maintain a standardized look-and-feel regardless of platform, including annotations and link formatting. The company has also added a new OneNote Clipper function that allows web pages to be saved as notes and introduced an open API to enable other applications to interact with users' notebooks.
OneNote's Mac debut is widely viewed as a response to Evernote's rapid expansion, which has seen the freemium suite gain popularity in former OneNote strongholds like college classrooms and small businesses. Evernote came to Apple's platforms in 2011 and has been camped out near the top of the Mac and iOS App Store charts since its release.
Formerly tied to Microsoft's Office suite for Windows, OneNote's platform transition could be a preview of what Mac users can expect in the next edition of Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft's Office for Mac. That update, the first major revision to the Mac version in nearly four years, is expected to launch later this year.
To use OneNote, consumers will need a Mac running OS X Mavericks as well as a free Microsoft account. Microsoft says the app will be offered at no cost for "a limited time," though there is no indication when that deal may expire or what the company plans to charge once it does.
Microsoft OneNote for Mac version 15.0.1 is available now as a free, 235-megabyte download from the Mac App Store.
The new Mac version bears a striking resemblance to its Windows counterpart, and notebooks can be shared between platforms -- including the existing OneNote for iOS -- using Microsoft's built-in OneDrive cloud storage service. The app also provides a limited set of collaboration features, allowing users to share notebooks with friends and coworkers and see edits in near realtime.
Microsoft promises that notes will maintain a standardized look-and-feel regardless of platform, including annotations and link formatting. The company has also added a new OneNote Clipper function that allows web pages to be saved as notes and introduced an open API to enable other applications to interact with users' notebooks.
OneNote's Mac debut is widely viewed as a response to Evernote's rapid expansion, which has seen the freemium suite gain popularity in former OneNote strongholds like college classrooms and small businesses. Evernote came to Apple's platforms in 2011 and has been camped out near the top of the Mac and iOS App Store charts since its release.
Formerly tied to Microsoft's Office suite for Windows, OneNote's platform transition could be a preview of what Mac users can expect in the next edition of Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft's Office for Mac. That update, the first major revision to the Mac version in nearly four years, is expected to launch later this year.
To use OneNote, consumers will need a Mac running OS X Mavericks as well as a free Microsoft account. Microsoft says the app will be offered at no cost for "a limited time," though there is no indication when that deal may expire or what the company plans to charge once it does.
Microsoft OneNote for Mac version 15.0.1 is available now as a free, 235-megabyte download from the Mac App Store.
Comments
If this was a Google product I would avoid it like nuclear waste, because I would know that Google is selling every bit of data I put in to the highest bidder... lowest bidder... anyone really.
Will Microsoft be doing the same?
Would be a great offer if it wasn't tied to OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Not all of us are are enthused by Apple's new OS and what a FREE upgrade costs us with collateral upgrades that are not FREE.
Would be a great offer if it wasn't tied to OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Not all of us are are enthused by Apple's new OS and what a FREE upgrade costs us with collateral upgrades that are not FREE.
Then live in the past and slowly fade away. Nobody cares if you’re still using System 7.
I've never been a fan of MS Bloatware and the overly complex Office suite for what the average user needs it for. But...I did pick up the Home/Office Suite 2010 for my work PC and i'd have to say One Note was hands-down the best App in the entire Office suite. My only reservation is that it's probably tied to the MS One Drive instead of iCloud. Which is not surprising since it is a MS product. I still prefer iWork Apps in general but as a note taking app for the student in your household or just creating random lists and notes and what-nots, i really loved the 2010 version. I might try this out for a while, since Apple will probably never add the features I want to their standard Notes App.
update: i stand corrected. It's tied to a "OneNote.com" account that appears to use a similar login to OneDrive. It also has a web browser version too. That's nice.
Would be a great offer if it wasn't tied to OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Not all of us are are enthused by Apple's new OS and what a FREE upgrade costs us with collateral upgrades that are not FREE.
I am pretty sure OS Xs and their updates are gonna be free from now on.. what on earth makes you think otherwise?
If this was a Google product I would avoid it like nuclear waste, because I would know that Google is selling every bit of data I put in to the highest bidder... lowest bidder... anyone really.
Which is my fear, as a long-time Evernote user: a Google acquisition. My years of info collection instantly assimilated into Google's servers. Perhaps it's time to take a look at OneNote as protection from such a scenario.
BUT...the lack of a OneNote clipper extension for Firefox (Mac) makes OneNote a no-go for me at this point.
I think that Onenote.com is tied to the rest of office online, much like outlook.com and onedrive.com is. I installed OneNote and it pulled my notes out of onedrive automatically, you might be able to set it to save locally now.
BTW - before you hate on onedrive/skydrive you might want to check it out first. It works (IMHO) pretty well and I'm able to synch my data across several OS platforms/tablets including my Mac, iPhone, iPad and a Win8 tablet pretty seamlessly. It can be a little slow sometimes but M$ actually has a pretty good offering in their cloud storage service.
Quote:
I've never been a fan of MS Bloatware and the overly complex Office suite for what the average user needs it for. But...I did pick up the Home/Office Suite 2010 for my work PC and i'd have to say One Note was hands-down the best App in the entire Office suite. My only reservation is that it's probably tied to the MS One Drive instead of iCloud. Which is not surprising since it is a MS product. I still prefer iWork Apps in general but as a note taking app for the student in your household or just creating random lists and notes and what-nots, i really loved the 2010 version. I might try this out for a while, since Apple will probably never add the features I want to their standard Notes App.
update: i stand corrected. It's tied to a "OneNote.com" account that appears to use a similar login to OneDrive. It also has a web browser version too. That's nice.
i've had skydive on my work PC for 2 years now and every time i try to login, it fails to login. so i close it and never use it, until i have to reboot, then it tries to open and login but fails. So i close it and never use it. Plus, I'll be going Bootcamp in the next 6 months, since my work PC is only used for AutoCAD and some legacy graphics programs that my wallet doesn't want me to replace anytime soon, i'd rather it just sync in another way besides having to install another app to sync.
If this was a Google product I would avoid it like nuclear waste, because I would know that Google is selling every bit of data I put in to the highest bidder... lowest bidder... anyone really.
Will Microsoft be doing the same?
unlikely. My Theory This is a blocking position to start getting Mac users 'back' to the Office Fold. MS is pivoting to be the 'best personal management software company on any platform', away from 'you need to buy Windows 8 to have the best experience with MS Office/365.'
MS wants to be your SOHO cloud platform. If any business has a privacy concern, they will steer clear of it. It's a differentiator from Google, and a major selling point to current MS Office suite customers.
Would be a great offer if it wasn't tied to OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Not all of us are are enthused by Apple's new OS and what a FREE upgrade costs us with collateral upgrades that are not FREE.
Why are you not enthused by 10.9? Which iteration are you on?
Would be a great offer if it wasn't tied to OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Not all of us are are enthused by Apple's new OS and what a FREE upgrade costs us with collateral upgrades that are not FREE.
Then live in the past and slowly fade away. Nobody cares if you’re still using System 7.
Would be a great offer if it wasn't tied to OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Not all of us are are enthused by Apple's new OS and what a FREE upgrade costs us with collateral upgrades that are not FREE.
It happens. price of progress. But we are in a world today that you can't expect every possible integration to be supported for ever.
This is the anchor that Windows XP caused. All of a sudden it's 'lowest common denominator' vs 'greatest common factor.'
Remember, developers aren't writing for a series of OSes anymore... They are writing for multiple platforms (iOS, OSX, Windows, Android[in 20 different makes and models!], WinPhone, HTML5, etc.) To backwards support every operating system with your latest SW is a recipe for failure.
I don't fault MS for hitting the current OS version... Apple users have a very short 'comet's tail' and it makes no sense to release a .0 product on legacy platforms. Lowers their cost, and maximizing [I hope] the delivered functionality.
I am pretty sure OS Xs and their updates are gonna be free from now on.. what on earth makes you think otherwise?
Not Mavericks/iOS, but all the SWs that you bought for the prior version that now 'charge' for their mavericks/7.0 compatible versions.
In the past it was the hardware tax (everything got slower, required more memory, a better CPU [I'm suffering the angst of upgrading my 4 year old Mini because of wanting to AirPlay]), now it will be the 'AppStore Tax.'
Which is my fear, as a long-time Evernote user: a Google acquisition. My years of info collection instantly assimilated into Google's servers. Perhaps it's time to take a look at OneNote as protection from such a scenario.
BUT...the lack of a OneNote clipper extension for Firefox (Mac) makes OneNote a no-go for me at this point.
Not only that, but I've been trying to read up on the robustness of the ON web clipper as compared to EN, and as of right now they aren't even close. EN is still the champ.
Not only that, but I've been trying to read up on the robustness of the ON web clipper as compared to EN, and as of right now they aren't even close. EN is still the champ.
Sadly, Evernote is still far inferior (for me) in its ability to capture the full formatting of web pages to the Sticky Brain/SOHO Notes app I once used.
Evernote, OneNote, Android. A rose by any other name is still spyware.
Operate your own webdav server.
I hope not.
Google is in advertising, so what they do comes with the territory.
MS is primarily in corporate, and a lot of things they offer to end-users also exist as their offer in commercial segment. Outlook.com is sharing backbone with Office 365/Exchange Online, and this includes OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) as preferred way to sync OneNote's and other documents between devices.
Not so long ago MS made (advertising) point in underlining that Outlook.com services do not share users' data with anyone, unlike Google services; proving the otherwise would not be good for MS image at all. In addition, Microsoft needs that "your data is safe with us" image for corporate users, and any disaster even remotely related to Office 365 could basically put a nail in MS's corporate cloud efforts' coffin.
In short, I think they have much more to lose than gain with sharing users' data with anyone. Compared to Google who live from sharing users' data (yes I know I'm simplifying this a bit), I'd always bet on Microsoft. Until proven guilty.
Beware free smack from a dealer. Thats all I am saying.
If this was a Google product I would avoid it like nuclear waste, because I would know that Google is selling every bit of data I put in to the highest bidder... lowest bidder... anyone really.
Will Microsoft be doing the same?
I don't mind MS doing it though....whatever it takes to destroy google!!