While I have grown up with Windows products my entire life, I’m willing to admit that not all of their software is sexy or even functional. Particularly in the past, there have been some serious letdowns and awkward interfacing that just leaves you scratching your head or cursing.
However, especially with the new 2010 version, Microsoft has done an excellent job with OneNote. It’s easy to use, versatile, and very sleek. You can customize notes to look however you want, clip things from the internet, add photos, audio, video, you name it; and with Microsoft’s SkyDrive could network, you get 25 free GB of storage!
The problem is, if you own an android operating system (OS) phone, there is no native app for OneNote or any MS software for that matter. Despite the fact that the Android OS is now the leading smartphone platform as of 2011, Microsoft has not developed a native OneNote app for android devices. Microsoft has, however, developed apps for its Windows Phone 7 (not surprising) and even made a OneNote app for the iPhone (very surprising).
This is a pivotal decision Microsoft has made in what seems to be an attempt to edge Google out of the smartphone and tablet market. Rather than ploy a long term strategy to move consumers to Windows tablets and phones, I think they could rule the productivity niche on android systems as I see OneNote as being a little neater than Evernote (though Evernote is definitely still great and nothing to baulk at). There’s an obvious demand for OneNote in the android market, why not capitalize on that market? Instead, they don’t even respond to this demand when it’s on their own website.
I will buy a Windows tablet if it is a good quality device with a good interface. Exclusively (and it’s not even exclusive because it’s on iOS) having OneNote will not be a deal-breaker in my mind. In the meantime, I have an android phone that I am trying to use in my everyday productivity system, and I would rather not have to shell out $15 for a third party app for OneNote that probably doesn’t even perform as well as the native app (although I might shell out $15 for a native app, provided it works well).
So, rather than continuing to use OneNote in a less than ideal fashion, I have setup an Evernote account, plan to transfer all of my OneNote notes into Evernote, and not give OneNote another moment’s thought. I would have probably given Office 2010 a thought seeing as I’m only on Office 2007, but now it doesn’t quite seem as worth it. Great business strategy, Microsoft.
A Guest post by Mariana Ashley, a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online degrees. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.