Nota Bene: The OneNote Blog

Need help learning OneNote 2010 Beta? Post a documentation request!

Michael C. Oldenburg — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:30:00 GMT

Beta software typically offers little (if any) documentation. For OneNote 2010 Beta, we're trying something different. Read my full blog post to learn more about our new OneNote 2010 Beta Documentation web site, where we'll be posting new Help articles, visual walkthroughs, and videos to help you come up to speed with the new version and give you an opportunity to leave feedback....(read more)

Download the Office 2010 Beta!

Michael C. Oldenburg — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:00:00 GMT

The wait is over! This morning at the 2009 Professional Developers Conference (PDC), Microsoft formally announced the public availability of the Microsoft Office 2010 Beta, which includes OneNote 2010. Read my full blog post for the direct download link and then read up on some important file format considerations in OneNote 2010 Beta before you begin using the new version on your computer....(read more)

Things to know when running OneNote 2007 on Windows 7

Michael C. Oldenburg — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Windows 7 finally arrives in stores today. Read my latest blog post for tips about running OneNote 2007 on any of the Windows 7 editions, find out how to unhide some of the most convenient OneNote features in Windows 7, and learn why you may need to consider the differences between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows before buying your next PC....(read more)

OneNote is a trial lawyer’s best friend

Michael C. Oldenburg — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:00:00 GMT

For as long as I've worked on the OneNote team here at Microsoft, I've never grown tired of hearing from real-life customers who sometimes take the time to tell us their stories about how technology and Microsoft Office products have improved their lives. Read my full blog post to meet how trial attorney and nationally recognized legal technologist Bruce A. Olson came to discover and rely on OneNote in his professional life....(read more)

How OneNote 2007 helps ‘Halo’ game developer Bungie

Michael C. Oldenburg — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Video game developer Bungie, the creative force behind the highly successful trilogy of 'Halo' video games, wanted to find a better way to organize production materials and facilitate collaboration among its staff during the game development process. Read my full blog post to learn how Bungie programmers and artists alike have adopted OneNote 2007 as their centralized information repository....(read more)

Is “narrow-casting” a good idea for OneNote Help content?

Michael C. Oldenburg — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:30:00 GMT

A colleague of mine has been experimenting with "narrow-casting" — the practice of making Office Help and How-to content extremely specific to a particular audience or user group. The idea is simple: The people to whom certain Help content speaks directly will ultimately get more out of it than general-themed content. Read my complete blog post to learn more about this idea and to give me your own take on narrow-casting. Do you like the idea? If so, what kind of audience in the OneNote community might benefit from it?...(read more)

Head back to class with OneNote

Michael C. Oldenburg — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Over the years, a lot of students and teachers who already use OneNote have told us that they wish OneNote 2007 were standard issue in every classroom. The word about OneNote’s many benefits in school has traveled fast, but a lot of people in education still have no idea just how well OneNote is suited to daily use inside and outside of the classroom. Read my full blog post for a quick run-down of the free back-to-school resources that are currently available to students, teachers, and parents....(read more)

Gain and share OneNote knowledge on Facebook

Michael C. Oldenburg — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:15:00 GMT

Now there’s another reason to love Facebook. Microsoft OneNote now has its very own fan page on Facebook, which means you now have an easier way to get free tips about your favorite program, share ideas about the ways you use OneNote, and get answers to OneNote-related questions that you’ve always wanted to ask. Staying up-to-date is easy with the integration into Facebook’s existing news feed and notification system. Check out my full blog post for a walkthrough of the Microsoft OneNote fan page on Facebook and all of the ways you can configure its features!...(read more)

Discover and learn easy time-savers in OneNote 2007

Michael C. Oldenburg — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Computers were supposed to save us time, right? Surprisingly, not everyone gives the useful shortcuts in our Office programs their due attention. Hardly a month goes by when I don’t hear somebody say that they’re “too busy” to learn a time saver or two. The truth is, we’ll always claim to be “too busy” for a lot of things that could really help us. For many, it’s simply an excuse to stick with what they know, or to slog through a task just to get it done, even if it’s the hard way. But imagine learning just a half-dozen keystrokes that could shave away more and more wasted time from all of the repetitive tasks that you perform every day. Over the span of a week or a month, the time you save can add up very quickly. Read my full blog post to see how easy it is to discover, search for, learn, and use keyboard shortcuts in OneNote 2007....(read more)

Never miss a deadline with OneNote!

Michael C. Oldenburg — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:30:00 GMT

The newest episode of the video series "A Writer’s Guide to Microsoft Office" is now available. This latest video shines the spotlight on OneNote 2007, which is used to track writing contests and writing submission deadlines by a local writer. It's another great example of how easy it is to do real-life tasks in OneNote without a lot of up-front work or overhead. No matter what the task, OneNote adapts to the way you like to work. Check out my full blog post for the video and for links to related content....(read more)

A first look at OneNote 2010

Michael C. Oldenburg — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:30:00 GMT

Did you miss the big Microsoft Office 2010 Technical Preview announcement last week? Read this blog post for a sneak peek at what’s planned in OneNote 2010 — including a new video overview and a detailed list of new and improved features. And don’t worry — while new and shiny things always get a lot of attention, we have no intention of ending our support for OneNote 2007, the version you’re using right now. See what’s planned on the content side and submit your own questions and suggestions for future feature walkthroughs!...(read more)

Download more free OneNote calendars for 2009 (and 2010)

Michael C. Oldenburg — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Back in January of this year, I provided shortcuts to the newest calendar templates for your OneNote 2007 notebooks. Since then, the Templates team at Office Online has been busy creating more free templates for you to download — including a full spectrum of customizable 2009 calendars and even a couple of early designs for next year. Check out this blog post for direct links to these free downloads....(read more)

OneNote. Share the love.

Michael C. Oldenburg — Thu, 21 May 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Ever wanted to give your friends, family, or co-workers a quick summary of what’s so great about OneNote? Check out the new video in this blog post! ...(read more)

A “Send to OneNote 2007” print driver solution for 64-bit Windows

Michael C. Oldenburg — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Hands down, the “Send to OneNote 2007” print driver feature has become one of OneNote’s most popular features. It works as an extension to the printing system built into Windows, allowing you to send information from your computer applications directly to the pages of your OneNote notebooks. In addition to saving a ton of paper, you can do many convenient things with this option. Think of it as a “reverse import,” with more control over how you can send stuff into OneNote. Once you start to appreciate this feature, you’ll never want to give it up. But what can you do when you’re running OneNote 2007 on a 64-bit version of Windows? Up until now, the print driver only worked on 32-bit versions. OneNote Principal Group Program Manager David Rasmussen has developed a solution to the conundrum. Read my full blog post for information on how to verify your edition of Windows, where to get David’s solution, and to learn more about the history of the 32-bit/64-bit print driver issue....(read more)

Download the new “Green Living Ideas” notebook for OneNote

Michael C. Oldenburg — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:00:00 GMT

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, I’ve put together a new “Green Living Ideas” notebook that you can download for free. Use it to list, organize, and keep track of a variety of “green living” ideas, options, and opportunities. This notebook contains five suggested sections, all of which you can customize by changing and deleting anything that doesn’t apply to your personal situation or preference and adding items as necessary. The result is a custom Green Living Ideas notebook that you can use and share with your family, friends, and co-workers — even the ones that don’t yet have OneNote. Read my full blog post for shortcuts to training and video demos that make notebook customization, note tags, and Web research with screen clippings a cinch — plus get your hands on a free PowerPoint deck that contains a OneNote 2007 training presentation you can use to persuade your office co-workers to go green with OneNote!...(read more)