Unfortunate: OneNote UWP (app version) vs. the 2016 workhorse

I've been saddened to learn that one of my favorite research tools of all time, Microsoft OneNote, seems to be headed off to software Valhalla, the land of great programs that were dumped by their creators.

Oh, there will be a pale ghost of a replacement, the Windows 10 UWP version. That's right, the version that forces you to use the inadequate OneDrive for storage and crashes out if you lose online access. (I work offline a lot and have also been less than impressed with OneDrive, particularly the business version.) Not to mention a considerable lack of features, compared to the desktop version, and the kindergarten-friendly design focus that seems to show the future of the app version: light and insubstantial.


I guess the metric must be on app and phone installs rather than sustained and engaged usage. Just like everyone else, I installed the new version... and then quickly deleted it. Whereas there are periods where I'm using 2016 OneNote more than Word, since it is great for research ideas, quick notes and systematically organizing online and historical data.

The funny thing is, users have a high tolerance for work software that doesn't look like BubbleBobble. (Just look at EndNote or NVivo to see that principle in action. But the software works, which is the important thing.) I might even commit user design heresy and suggest that simplistic design does not always work out as planned. Though you can sometimes hide extra features to good effect, sometimes pro users then have to dive 10 layers deep into menus, which ends up being annoying. Even more annoying if key areas of functionality are not there at all in the "update."

Personally, I'm going to hold onto the old 2016 version as long as possible. Otherwise I'd miss the ability to move pages into a useful hierarchical structure and dump notes into NVivo for qualitative coding with the Ncapture add in. That and no way do I want to tie my notebooks to an account, although that could be a good choice for some people.

These and other missing features like 3rd party app integration are things that I and other frequent users would pay good money to retain, and disgruntled comments about this "update" are easy to find:

• http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/threads/onenote-365-is-coming-to-an-end.74153/
• https://onenote.uservoice.com/forums/327186-onenote-for-windows/suggestions/32737648-include-onenote-for-desktop-in-office-2019?page=1&per_page=20
• https://www.onmsft.com/news/users-brand-onenotes-move-away-from-the-desktop-a-stupid-waste

Overall, perhaps the team over at Microsoft could sell the 2016 desktop base to a specialist like QSR or to EndNote's ThompsonReuters. Professional and scientific users pay enough for their specialized software and a re-titled version (ResearchNotebook?) would be a strong add on. I realize that's probably wishful thinking though.