What we use #1: Microsoft OneNote

 

Welcome to the first in our "What We Use" series where our consultants talk about the IT tools they use on a daily basis.  We're constantly being asked about our favorite programs, so prepare yourselves for an ongoing series of posts detailing the software we use and abuse while consulting for TechMinds.

First things first, Microsoft OneNote is the most comprehensive note taking application on the market.  It's designed to organize text (typed or hand written if you have a tablet), pictures, video, task lists, and audio notes in order to keep your life organized.  While there are other note-taking services out there (like the stellar Evernote), only OneNote offers unlimited storage for your notes and a very powerful but easy to use interface.

We use OneNote for everything from client notes (kind of like a mini-CRM), to project planning, to collaboration, and more.  You can sync your notebook to Microsoft Skydrive (their free online storage service) and make your notes available from any web browser.  Additionally, there is a mobile application available for iPhone and Windows Phone so you can view and edit your notes on the road.  We'd really love to see an Android version of OneNote.  However, much like Microsoft Office for iOS and Android it's probably a pipe dream.  Still, we can dream can't we?

We took that screenshot to give you an idea of what we like so much about OneNote, the user interface.  We're a paperless office here at TechMinds, and what you see above is one of the biggest reasons.  On the far left side you can see the notebooks I've created for work, personal, travel, and mobile.  Across the top of each notebook are tabs just like you'd see in an extremely well organized paper notebook (not that mine ever looked that good).  Then on the right side you have a list of pages you can create inside each tab.  The pages are given a title and continuously add more room as long as you keep writing.  To get around the problem of finding a specific peice on information in your notes there's an extremely fast search bar in the top right of the program which will even search your handwritten notes (if you use a tablet like us).  

The last thing we'll say about the user interface is to point out something you won't see in that screenshot above, there is no "save" button.  That's because OneNote automatically saves with every keystroke, something we're looking forward to in the next version of Pages on the Mac, and a feature that Microsoft has long needed throughout the rest of Microsoft Office.

For $80 separately or $165 as part of Office 2010 Home and Business, Microsoft OneNote is easily our favorite program for managing daily tasks and information.  The ability to consolidate everything we need at a glance is invaluable.  To be able to easily share individual pages or notebooks with colleagues and clients is just icing on the cake.  If you're anything like we were before OneNote with a smattering of hand-written notes complimenting a mess of disorganized paper, we couldn't recommend this product more. If nothing else you can finally get rid of those piles of paper on your desk which you're so fond of.