OneNote aims to replace all those bits of paper

By RICHARD WOOD

Amid Microsoft's new Office 2003 "System" launched last week is a new piece of software aimed at revolutionising the way notebook computers are used in the office.

OneNote 2003 ($480) can be used on any modern PC but is really designed for use on a notebook and works better still on a Tablet PC, using its "Digital Ink" input system. Combining the functionality of a pen and paper notepad, a word processor, a digital voice recorder and a file organiser, OneNote aims to replace all the notepads and various junky bits of paper that lie around people's desks and get lost in drawers.

It looks much like a word processor when opened, but the user can put handwriting, typed notes and diagrams all over the page in different spots. If sound is being recorded by microphone, those notes will be timestamped to the recording.

This means note-taking in meetings can be done in a similar way to written notes, but with direct access later to what was actually said. Items from other applications like browsers and PowerPoint can be dragged on to a OneNote page.

Having notes in electronic form means they're easier to search through using the "find" function, or by tagging individual notes as "to-do", "important", "questions", or any other defined meaning. Another feature is the side note, which is a small window for putting notes that stay on top. The software can also recognise handwriting and turn it into text - although the success rate depends a lot on how legibly you write. Mark Bishop, business development manager at CD duplicator Software Images, a Microsoft strategic logistics partner involved in the Office 2003 launch, has been using OneNote in beta form on a Tablet PC for three months.

He said that in using OneNote daily, the ink form of input proved handy in meetings for taking notes at speed and he has found the recording feature useful - allowing him to contribute more to meetings, rather than getting caught up writing so many notes. He also liked the automatic saving of notes.

Digital ink diagrams done in meetings were able to be dropped into proposals, where they were readily recognised as the collaborative effort of those at the meeting.

Another key feature was the ability to share a notepad with other colleagues running OneNote, using Microsoft Windows Sharepoint services system.