Tag Archives: OneNote

Tools

OneNote is dead. Long live OneNote.

If you are a OneNote user you’ve likely heard the news that Microsoft has decided to stop adding new features to the Windows 32 version of OneNote. Ongoing development will be focused on the UWP version of OneNote for Windows.  Now those people who have tried both and are dedicated OneNote desktop users will tell you this is a terrible thing with much gnashing of teeth. I’m here to say that there is a silver lining to this tale and a light at the end of the tunnel that doesn’t happen to be an oncoming train.  To understand though you need to take a closer look at what a UWP app is and how it differs from a desktop application.

UWP in a nutshell

UWP stands for Universal Windows Platform. The basic idea is to create applications that will run on any Windows based device regardless of form factor. Keep in mind this doesn’t impact mobile devices such as Android and iOS. Nor does this directly impact the web versions of Windows applications. The primary impact is how new features are implemented in the UWP version and what the user experience is like.

Emotions running high

There are mixed feelings about the loss of the Windows 32 user experience and the notebook design metaphor being left behind for a more modern look and feel. The consensus concern I’ve heard from the users I’ve polled is the concern that the UWP version is not feature equivalent to the desktop version. Many of the capabilities you’ll find on the desktop (including some of my personal favorites) just aren’t there in the UWP version. So does this doom the future of OneNote? Hardly.

Mistakes were made.

Microsoft jumped the gun in sharing the end of life of OneNote 2016. Yes, I know they’re announcing Office 2019 and that OneNote on the desktop isn’t going to be included as part of the package. Yes, I’m aware of the consternation that causes the OneNote user community. That being said, holding off on the end of life notice until the UWP version was more feature equivalent would have minimized the backlash.

We want it all

UWP means updates can come fast and furious rather than waiting for software installation packages on the desktop. The plan Microsoft has shared so far is to roll out new features over the summer to push the capabilities of the UWP version closer to that of the desktop. They have even gone so far as to ask the user community what features are most important to work on in the UWP version. I for one like the outreach to the user community but as we all know there will always be those who want every feature duplicated from one version to the next.  Honestly that’s not realistic.

Next steps

So where does OneNote go next? With the change in management, the change in platform strategy, and the growth of the tool in the education markets, up is the only direction OneNote is headed. We’ll see it continue to spread and become an even more integral part of the Office 365 environment. Only time will tell as to how successful the UWP strategy is for OneNote, but in the mean time we still have the desktop and UWP versions to meet our OneNote needs.

Tools

Some interesting updates made on OneNote for Windows 10

Always on the look out for new features in OneNote, they’ve now released:

  • The ability to take your pens and highlighters that you have selected with you from device to device
  • Suggested recently opened notebooks from other devices
  • Notifications on changes to shared notebooks in OneDrive

OneNote continues to grow and mature as an organizational product.  Now if they could just make tags uniform across platforms…

Tools

Using Todoist to manage reminders for OneNote

One of the recurring complaints about Microsoft OneNote is it’s inability to handle reminders on tasks. (Yes I know Evernote can do this…but we’re talking about OneNote right now.) I needed a way to create action lists in OneNote and then be able to track and follow up on items to do in the future without having to remember to check the OneNote task list frequently. Fortunately one of my favorite tools comes to the rescue…Todoist. 

Here’s the process I use to generate multiple tasks in Todoist from OneNote so I can ensure everything gets done on schedule: 

Step 1 – Create your action list in OneNote 

Type in your list as you would normally in OneNote. You don’t even need to use the To-Do Tag, just put in a return at the end of each line. 

Step 2 – Use Todoist syntax in OneNote 

For example, if I have something on the list to do on Friday at 3:00 p.m., I would enter: 

Call the vendor Friday 3pm 

Todoist can leverage this format to turn the last part (Friday 3pm) into a scheduled reminder when the item is added to a list. If we expand the example a little we get: 

Call the vendor Friday 3pm 

Follow up on meeting action items Next Monday 8am 

Follow up on vendor action items Two Weeks 

Step 3 – Copy and Paste 

Creating the Todoist tasks from the OneNote list is nothing more than a matter of copying the list from OneNote and then pasting the list into a new task field in Todoist on the web. Todoist is smart enough to recognize you are pasting a list AND will read the date formatting to create reminders for each task it loads. (It’s pretty impressive to watch the first time.) 

From this point you can complete the tasks in Todoist, get reminders, and know nothing is falling through the cracks. 

Pro TIP: 

If you add in the label and project syntax on an item, Todoist will assign the task automatically as well. For example: 

Call the vendor Friday 3pm #cloudhosting @Art 

Finding ways to make the tools in your productivity toolkit work together can make all the difference between just getting things done and truly being productive. 

Strategy, Techniques

Three ways to help a college freshman succeed

Capture all the things

College freshman have stuff.  Lots of stuff. Lots of that stuff is papers, forms, and other information necessary for day to day college life outside of classes. Rather than trying to keep track of all that stuff use a cloud based tool like Google Drive, OneNote, OneDrive, or Evernote to make digital copies of things.

Each one of these supports taking photos of printed materials and then making the text in the photos searchable. Now when you get that flyer for the glee club meeting (I know, I know) you can just take a picture of it and be able to find out when and where it was at any time with a simple search.

Getting from A to B

You’ll hear suggestions about using an online calendar to track your class and activity schedules so you don’t miss your commitments while on campus. What these suggestions normally miss is allowing for how long it takes to get from here to there.  When you create entries in a calendar such as Outlook or Google Calendar, put an entry before your commitment with enough time to get from where you would be when reminded to where the commitment is.  So for example if it takes you 15 minutes to walk across campus, put an entry 15 minutes long before your class so you are reminded when you need to leave to be there on time. Some calendars allow you to adjust the timing of reminders, but I’ve found it easier to be able to see everything on the calendar as blocks rather than trying to remember to adjust the alarms one at a time.

Use Facebook to keep the parental units in the loop

One of the ways a college freshman can keep parents in the loop without dozens of text messages back and forth is the “letters home” approach with Facebook.  Yes, I know Facebook isn’t the cool thing for college students, but since Facebook has over 56 million users between 35-54 it might just be the easiest way to keep them in the know.  So how do you accomplish this without broadcasting your need for more dining hall money to the rest of the world?

You can set up custom lists of people in Facebook to limit who will receive an update when you post it.  This way you can write up an update (letter home) and then share it to the custom list. Another option is creating a private, unlisted group in Facebook and sharing information there.  It may feel like a lot to ask, but remember while you’re steeped in the day to day of college life, the people at home are always wondering how you’re doing and how college is going for you.  If you don’t tell them, they’re going to ask…and ask…and ask.

A little prep makes for less stress

Productivity on a college campus is no different than anywhere else.  It’s about doing the right things at the right times in the right ways. Take a few minutes to set yourself up for success and you can enjoy and benefit from your time at college that much more.

  

Know a college freshman? How are you helping them in their first big year. Tell me all about it in the comments. 

Techniques, Tools

Power user tip for OneNote and Action Launcher

If you’re running an Android device and have Action Launcher as your launcher of choice, you can take advantage of a nice feature to streamline your use of OneNote.  As you can see from the screen shot below I have OneNote (it’s the big N…I’m using an icon pack) in my dock.  The marker in the bottom right corner indicates this icon is a “cover”, which means that by swiping up on the icon I can open a frame that will contain a working Android widget.

I’ve used the large OneNote widget as the one attached to the cover for the app, so now with a single swipe I can see my most recently accessed pages, add new notes, photos, and voice recordings right from the home screen. Talk about being productive!

What’s your favorite OneNote / Android tip?

Tools

New features are released for OneNote on the iPad

Looks like OneNote for iPad is getting some new features.  Microsoft has added the Notebook toolbar with features to make it easier to work on assignments as a teacher as well as new stickers for classroom use.  Microsoft is continuing their press in the education space with OneNote and I for one am glad to see it.  The more students who are comfortable with OneNote early on, the more that will be able to use it in the working world. 

Microsoft’s OneNote gets new UI plus stickers and Notebook Toolbar on iPad– onmsft.com 

Techniques, Tools

OneNote and Security

One of the unspoken challenges with OneNote is when it comes to security. By definition, the tool is designed for open collaboration. Unfortunately this can introduce a plethora of issues around protecting content and access to that content.  Let’s address some of the most common questions: 

Can I protect content in OneNote using OneNote? 

Unfortunately the only way currently to protect specific content within a OneNote notebook is from the desktop application and this is by applying a password at the Section level.  You cannot protect individual pages nor can you protect specific notebooks.  Honestly it’s a strange level to apply password protection but that’s where it is and we’re stuck with it. Keep in mind these passwords are not recoverable nor do they cover multiple sections. 

Can I share a notebook in Read Only mode? 

Yes, you can share a notebook with someone else in read only mode. Just go to File > Share > Share with People. Enter the email address of the people you want to share the notebook with and then select “Can View” from the drop down, add your own message, and send it on it’s way. 

Can I protect a notebook using SharePoint? 

SharePoint treats a OneNote notebook in the same way it would any other file.  Your best practice to protect one or more notebooks in SharePoint is to put them in a SharePoint document library and then set the permissions on the library accordingly. OneNote creates a number of secondary files and folders when in use, so protecting the main notebook by itself can yield some unpredictable results. 

How do I protect an archival notebook? 

This requires a couple of steps but in the end you’ll wind up with a secured copy of your notebook.  First export the notebook using the desktop application as a OneNote package. Now using a compression tool such as WinZip compress the package and apply a password to the compressed file.  Keep in mind the contents are not searchable without extraction, but you can put this ZIP file away and be able to retrieve it later with it’s password protected contents. 

So OneNote really isn’t a secure tool? 

Not in the traditional sense.  Let’s keep in mind it’s designed to focus on collaboration and sharing and defaults to that thinking in just about everything it does.  I can imagine over time Microsoft will expand the security capabilities of the tool but for now plan ahead and think carefully about what content you’re placing in OneNote. 

Techniques, Tools

Five Ways OneNote is my Secret Weapon

When it comes to daily life outside the professional world, being able to count on a tool is critical for it to be worth using day in and day out. OneNote is my tool of choice for so many things, but here’s five specific ways I put it to use. 

Technology Inventory 

I’ll admit I have a large collection of technology for various uses both personal and professional. One of the hang ups that happens though is when I need information about a piece of gear, from a serial number for support reasons to part numbers for ordering supplies.  By snapping pictures of my gear, model numbers, and other associated information OneNote renders the images searchable and puts the information at my fingertips. 

Maintenance Records 

As part of a family that owns more than one vehicle (thank you teen drivers) keeping track of the maintenance and details about the vehicles can be daunting. OneNote photos coupled with links from the web and YouTube videos I’m able to keep on top of what needs to be done when and what was done on what vehicle.  This has proven invaluable when it comes to parts warranties as well as figuring out how to get a part off and back on more than once. 

Manuals 

Washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, etc. all come with manuals.  The printed manuals get lost, are difficult to store, and are basically not worth the effort. As an alternative I download the PDF version of the manuals whenever possible (which is almost all the time anymore) and upload a File Printout into OneNote of the manual.  Now the manual is easy to find and searchable by OneNote.  

College Information 

As the parent of a college student, there’s an amazing amount of information we need to keep track of when it comes to our student’s time at school.  Between financial aid, schedules, and other critical information (double it if you have an athlete) you can spend far too much time trying to keep track of all that information. Using OneNote sections and sharing, I not only store all the student information I need access to but it’s also available to my student as well as my spouse.  Knowing is half the battle, after all. 

Personal Pinterest 

Yes, I’ll admit, I spend time on Pinterest.  Between finding things for around the yard, everyday carry items, and various ideas on what to build with pallets it’s become a strong resource in my perpetual quest for information. Unfortunately, Pinterest isn’t the best in organizing the information outside of it’s normal structures.  Enter OneNote and the OneNote Chrome plug-in. I can view pages from Pinterest and immediately capture text, images, screenshots, or entire pages into OneNote notes for later access. It’s a powerful way to plan and brainstorm around ideas as well as trying to come up with holiday gift inspirations. 

The list goes on and on 

The number of ways you can apply OneNote during every day life is almost limitess. I’ll be revisiting this topic often but for now I hope this has inspired you with some new ways to put OneNote to use in being productive. 

Techniques, Tools

How well does OneNote work on a Chromebook?

New update – Living with OneNote on a Chromebook

I’ve been an avid Chromebook user since they were released. I carry with me an Asus Chromebook every day and use it more frequently than even my full Windows laptop. As a OneNote user it was important to find out how well I could take advantage of OneNote on the Chromebook and what features I’d lose in the limited online version.

OneNote Online is the tool

When using OneNote on a Chromebook you’re limited to using the OneNote Online version of the application.  This means right away many of the features you may be used to on the desktop version (such as custom tags) are not available. However, if you use OneNote with these limitations in mind you will find it to be a useful note taking and personal information management tool.

There are a number of strengths and weaknesses to using OneNote on a Chromebook. I’ve identified the key ones you’ll want to take in to consideration.

SCREEN CLIPPING REQUIRES A PLUG-IN

I use the screen clipping tool on OneNote often, more often than any other on my computers. However, since you do not have the desktop capability for screen clipping with OneNote Online, you need to take other steps. One of the best things is to install the extension Clip to OneNote in your Chrome browser.  This extension allows for capturing entire pages, sections, articles, and even products directly to OneNote notebooks.

ONE NOTEBOOK AT A TIME

Unlike the desktop, when you’re using the Online version you can only have one notebook open at a given time. However, you can get around this limitation by two-finger clicking (press the left and right mouse buttons at the same time) on the name of a notebook and then tell Chrome to open the notebook in a new tab.  You can do the same thing by holding down the CTRL key while left-clicking on a notebook name.

SEARCH IS LIMITED

If you use the search box on the Notebooks page it is limited to the names of the notebooks, not the content of the notebooks as you find on the desktop version. If you use the search box in OneNote it will default to searching the page you are currently viewing.  However, if you press Ctrl-E you can tell OneNote to search the entire section you are in.  When OneNote Online is your primary tool, you’ll want to set up your notebooks and sections in such a way so you can leverage search in the most effective manners possible.

Another workaround for searching across notebooks is to click on Manage and Delete at the notebook page and then use the search in OneDrive to search all the contents of your notebooks.  This needs to be integrated into the OneNote Online tool by Microsoft, but for now it at least gives you a chance to find your content.

IT’S NOT PERFECT BUT IT’S NOT TERRIBLE

For now, OneNote Online is a feature limited version of it’s big brother. Whether we’ll see more of the desktop capabilities migrate to the online version only time will tell.  All in all OneNote Online is an excellent addition to the collection of tools you can use to take advantage of the power and flexibility of your Chromebook.

Update – May 2019

I’m still a heavy Chromebook and OneNote user but now I’ve got some tricks on how to get around some of the limitations.  You can learn more at my new OneNote on Chromebook article.

Update – November 2018

We’ve seen a number of updates from Microsoft as of late around OneNote, but most of them have concentrated on the Windows 10 version of the tool. One new feature that has come out for Chromebook users is Sticky Notes, an odd competitor (someday) to Google Keep that integrates (somewhat) with OneNote. Time will tell if this will grow up to be a useful tool but for now it’s more of a proof of concept than anything else.

UPDATE – FEBRUARY 2018

Microsoft has been making a concerted push to expand the functionality of OneNote on the web, slowly bringing it’s capabilities in line with the desktop.  While it’s not there yet, I expect to continue seeing significant development and expansion available to Chromebook users.

As for the Android version of OneNote availability on the Chromebook, it works on some machines but not all. It seems to be tied to having a touchscreen on the machine, but I have yet to be able to prove that conclusively.

All in all, OneNote continues to be an excellent tool on Chromebooks and well worth a considered place in your productivity arsenal.

UPDATE – NOVEMBER 2017

Microsoft has just released the Microsoft Office suite for use on Chromebooks through the Google Play store.  This includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (the Android versions). Alas, this does NOT include OneNote.  C’mon guys…get on the stick.

UPDATE – OCTOBER 2017

With the release of the Google Pixelbook and it’s touchscreen / pen combination, I’m expecting big things when it comes to OneNote functionality on Chromebooks. There’s no doubt it’s becoming a stronger contender in the education space with recent deployments and upgrades, but the addition of higher end Chromebooks to the ecosystem can only help drive adoption that much more.

UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 2017

Microsoft has been busy adding features and improvements to the online version of OneNote.  Recently they have been upgrading the look and feel of the interface, making it much more visually appealing for daily use.  While I’m still waiting on some core features to make it over from the desktop (custom tags, templates, etc.) you can definitely see OneNote is getting a lot of attention in Redmond.

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Tools

Using the OneNote Web Clipper on a Chromebook

One of the best features I have found with OneNote is not in the application itself, but rather an extension of the application.  The Web Clipper extension for Chrome has become an invaluable tool for me in capturing and managing information from around the web. I use the extension multiple times a day and have doubled the productive use of OneNote because of it.

The web clipper is a Chrome extension that is added the same way you add any other Chrome extension.  Once it is loaded, you will be asked to log into your Microsoft account. When you trigger the extension to save some content from a web page, you’ll get a pop-up showing:

  • Full Page – Captures the entire web page and a link to the original page
  • Region – Captures a section of the page determined by click and drag
  • Article – Captures the content of a page reformatted for easy reading
  • Bookmark – Captures a link to the page

Personally I use the Article, Full Page, and Region options most frequently.  The Bookmark option works well, but since you also get a bookmark when you save a clipping or a full page, I’ve found it a bit redundant.

One of the powerful side features of the capture is any images captured are searchable within OneNote. The text is scanned and can be located the same way any other text is available. This makes it easy to locate information from pages without having to spend an exceptional amount of time tagging and annotating.

An interesting, if obscure, feature of the clipper is if you capture a page containing a recipe, it will recognize the page is a recipe and replace the Article option with Recipe. This cleans up the formatting of the page to make it easier to read and follow the recipe. Not necessarily a feature for everyone, but still a nice perk. This same effect occurs if you are capturing a page that contains a product, such as on Amazon.com. The product capture includes a link back to the product page, making this a great way to manage your holiday planning.

Using the web clipper either personally or professionally will result in a more organized and productive approach to content from around the web. Give it a try and see if you’re not having more success being productive with OneNote.