Don Philmlee

OneNote 2007 is very impressive.  I have used OneNote in previous incarnation (OneNote 2003), but this new version is great.  It’s fast.  It’s integrated with other apps.  You really can make it your onestop shop for your organizing everything.

I have tried various methods to keep track of my daily tasks, meeting notes, project work and, well, my life, but everything has come up short. FranklinCovey, Palm, Outlook, Excel, Notepad, Project and a myriad of others.  So far OneNote 2007 has all of these products beat.  Why?  Two simple reasons:

1. It integrates information from everywhere… my laptop, the Internet, my documents, spreadsheets, Outlook (email, contacts, calendar).
2. It allows me to flexiblly organize everything and then REORGANIZE it whenever I feel the need. 
3. I can SHARE it.  I have three OneNote notebooks stored on a desktop: Personal (for personal information), WIP (for client work) and Research (for my technology research).  My laptop has a “shared” copy of these three notebooks. This shared copy can be edited offline when I’m away from my network.  When I hook backup to my network and open OneNote these three notebooks automatically “synchronize” with the desktop copy.  I don’t have to worry about a backup copy AND I can share my notebooks with co-workers on my network .

I am currently tracking important emails, contact logs, receipts, client work, time entry, research, serial numbers, important attachments.  All in a neat tidy organized and PAPERLESS package. It is the perfect matchup for my fast little Canon duplex scanner.  I have never believed a paperless computer workstyle was possible. If anything computers cause even more paper to be used. OneNote may change that.  Its organizational capability is on the cusp of an exciting personal revolution.  So far, knock wood, I haven’t had any application glitches that have shaken my confidence.