14 DAY TRIAL // As rumors implied a few days ago, Microsoft decided to make OneNote free on Mac and Windows, thus trying to compete with Evernote, which continues to be the number one note-taking app on multiple platforms.
OneNote 2013 for Windows, which can be downloaded free of charge right now, works on both Windows 7 and Windows 8, and can be launched right on the desktop for as much time as you want. OneNote for Windows 8, which comes with support for the modern UI, is also free of charge.
Microsoft OneNote for Mac, on the other hand, is already up for grabs from the Mac App Store, again with a free license and providing support for a wide array of languages, including English, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. It comes in the form of a 235 MB package and requires OS X 10.9 or greater.
“With OneNote, you can capture that flash of genius, that moment of inspiration, or that list of errands that’s too important to forget. Whether you’re at home, in the office or on the go, your notes travel with you. And you can share your notes and collaborate with others, across multiple devices!” Microsoft says in the official app description published in the Mac App Store.
Although it’s now available for all Windows users, the free version of OneNote doesn’t come with the same feature package as the paid version, but it lacks SharePoint support and Outlook integration. Of course, a license is needed for these features, but the basic feature lineup is still there to convince you to switch from Evernote to OneNote.
Microsoft is also working on an updated version of the Windows 8 version of OneNote, with people familiar with the development plans claiming that the launch could take place sometime this year.
The new OneNote for Windows 8 build would be part of Office Gemini, a broader set of plans supposed to refresh the Office productivity suite and bring, among others, a touch-optimized version of the product that can be used on tablets running Windows 8 right in the modern UI.
Microsoft has already confirmed that a touch-based flavor of Office is in the works, but there are no details regarding the launch date, but sources close to the matter hinted that it could arrive soon after the debut of Office for iPad scheduled to debut in the coming months.