Thinking of using OneNote as your main notes-taking app?
Well, you’re not alone in this. Many people already view Microsoft OneNote as the best note-taking tool there is.
In this article, I will explain the reasons why OneNote is one of the best apps you can use out there for taking notes.
Disclaimer: There are a lot of note-taking tools out there. Some are better than others. But it all depends on your specific needs.
What is Microsoft OneNote?
If you’re not familiar with OneNote or haven’t experienced using it yet, it’s basically Microsoft’s note-taking tool.
It’s not a simple notebook-style app. It’s a big bag where you can create a notebook on almost everything you can think of.
I dare say it’s the most robust digital note-taking application out there and might be an overkill if your use case is only to-dos and checklists.
Note: If you need to read more about Microsoft OneNote, check out my introductory article about the topic and its main benefits.
Why OneNote for taking notes?
I will now explain the reasons in a more simplified manner why OneNote might be your new best friend when it comes to taking notes.
Microsoft Office Familiar Interface
Have you used Microsoft Word before? How about PowerPoint?
If you had, then you may already be more than familiar with OneNote’s interface since it pretty much has the signature Office 365 interface in it.
For example, this is what the browser app looks like:
Meanwhile, here’s what the Word browser app looks like:
See what I mean?
Though both apps have different functions, the familiar interface looks more or less the same — only the color separates them.
Naturally, OneNote has some extra buttons here and there and a unique left-side panel. But if you’re already familiar with Office 365 apps, then you know which buttons to press.
Deep Organization Hierarchy
Do you know how other note-taking tools out there only have a one-page type feature?
In that regard, OneNote will seem multi-dimensional. It’s like a bag where you can have different notebooks.
Now think of a notebook as an actual, digital notebook, where you can have one for each project or need that you have.
For each notebook, you can have:
- Pages
- Sections
Note: If you want to learn how to make full use of OneNote’s deep hierarchy, check out this step-by-step guide for beginners.
A page is a document or canvas where you can write your notes or save multimedia files related to the project.
You may then want to organize your pages into different sections.
For example, in an actual notebook, you may want to divide it into different sections like meetings or issues, right?
OneNote can let you emulate the same functionality by creating sections:
If you want a note-taking app where you can create deep hierarchies, then you will have a good experience with OneNote.
Although you can still use it for simple tasks, it might seem a little overkill. For that, better check out Microsoft To Do or Microsoft Planner.
Integration with Microsoft Outlook
Do you use Microsoft Outlook a lot? Perhaps, for meetings?
If that’s the case, then you will be glad to know that OneNote has a really nice integration with Outlook (and other apps).
In the Outlook browser app, you can open a OneNote feed in the right panel as well as add a new note right into it:
On the Outlook desktop app, you can also send notes from OneNote to Outlook messages and appointments:
This is helpful since you don’t need to attach notes or copy-and-paste them from OneNote since you can do it directly from Outlook.
The OneNote feed in the browser is helpful as well, especially if you want to take a quick note while browsing through emails.
Integration with SharePoint Online
Did you know that you can easily create a new OneNote notebook from a SharePoint team site with a Microsoft 365 Group?
You will see a notebook link on the left panel of a team site with a Microsoft 365 Group:
When you click on the notebook link, it will create a new notebook in OneNote. Its file will be saved in the site assets folder on the team site:
What’s amazing is that once you created a notebook for that team site, the notebook option will start appearing on various apps (like Planner) linked to that Microsoft 365 Group.
Other apps also have a OneNote button which will bring you to the app straight away. You will never be able to escape from OneNote again.
Available apps for mobile devices and browsers
What if you’re on the road? Can you still use OneNote?
Well, one of the best selling points about OneNote is its availability in almost all kinds of devices that you can think of.
You can use it on:
- Android devices (smartphones and tabs)
- Apple devices (smartphones and tabs)
- Desktop computers and laptops
- Browser (through the web app)
It’s usable on any device even offline — as long as you were able to download the notebook and its contents beforehand.
It will then sync with the cloud and through all devices once you’re online again (though you will have to open the app on other devices to sync the updates).
Example use cases for Microsoft OneNote
There are a lot of cases where you can use Microsoft OneNote. Here are some of them:
- You need to manage a project. Using OneNote, you can create notes regarding the project, and agendas, and even create a sort of status dashboard.
- You need to create a wiki or a knowledge base for your organization or department. SharePoint pages and sections will allow you to easily organize the help articles and create a structured format.
- You need to manage a lot of tasks for various projects or purposes. Because of the hierarchy feature in OneNote, you can easily organize tasks so you can manage them more efficiently.
Once again, for simple task management and checklists, you may want to use simpler tools. You can still use OneNote though but it might come off as a little overkill.
Out of all the reasons I indicated here, which one is your favorite? Share your thoughts about OneNote in the comment section below.
For inquiries and other concerns, kindly use the site’s contact form and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
The post Why Use OneNote From Microsoft: The Best Notes-Taking Tool? appeared first on Mr. SharePoint.
