Microsoft OneNote 2003

Microsoft OneNote 2003 Capture, organize, and reuse your notes on laptop computers, desktop computers, or Tablet PCs. OneNote 2003 gives you one place to store all your notes and the freedom to work with them how you want. It helps you capture information in multiple ways and then organize and use it according to your needs. OneNote 2003 combines the freedom and flexibility of paper notes with the efficiency and power of digital organizational tools. Be more productive with OneNote 2003 anywhere you work with notes—in meetings, at your desk, presentations, classes, phone conferences, or brainstorming sessions.

One of the most notable features of OneNote 2003 is a new paradigm for entering text called the "free-form page surface." When you open a new page in OneNote, you can click your mouse anywhere within the page and begin typing. OneNote will automatically create a rectangular text area called a "container," which expands as you type into it. You can also drag and drop text or images from other programs into OneNote, including the contents of Web pages and word processing documents. When you do this with content from a Web page, OneNote automatically adds a link below the text or image, so you can easily return to the Web page later -- very useful when doing research where you must cite your sources. OneNote's integration with Internet Explorer enables you to use it as a personal knowledge base -- a place to capture the bits and pieces of information and knowledge that may be useful to you at some time in the future.

In addition, you can draw on the page surface, either with the mouse or a stylus (if you're using the Tablet PC edition of OneNote). This enables you to create the high-tech equivalent of the traditional new product concept scribbled on a cocktail napkin! At the top of each page is a pastel-colored horizontal area where you can type the page's title; this title area remains visible no matter how far you scroll down a page. This title is also displayed in a page tab on the right side of the OneNote screen, and provides you with a visible index of the content you're working on, as well as any related pages.

Take notes and collect information the way you want. Take notes anywhere on the page and put information wherever you want. You can move your cursor to any place on the screen and start typing. Record audio notes that are synchronized to your written notes to make sure you don't miss something important. Handwrite your notes or draw diagrams and pictures using a Tablet PC or a pen input device on your laptop computer or desktop computer. Put pictures, text, and other information from a Web site directly into OneNote 2003 using the drag-and-drop operation. OneNote automatically includes the Web address for you so that you can reference the information later.

Organize your notes the way you want and be more productive. Create as many notebooks, folders, and pages as you need; customize them for how you work; and keep them all in one convenient place. Search your notes quickly and find what you need without having to know in which notebook, folder, or file you saved that information. Create and search Note Flags to highlight urgent action items. Your important tasks and reminders will always be easy to find. Combine, format, and rearrange notes by using a drag-and-drop operation to organize your notes in a way that makes sense to you.

An awful lot of vital corporate data starts its life as scribblings on sticky notes and cocktail napkins. OneNote provides a convenient way for users on the go to capture handwritten notes or dictated text using a familiar notebook metaphor. It may be the killer app that justifies the extra cost of a Tablet PC or similar pen-driven gadget.