I’ve used many note-taking apps over the years, and I think the approach Apple has to note-taking is fantastic.
Not only is the app simple to use, but it’s clean, and I like how you can organise notes with folders. The app also offers a range of formatting options that I use all the time when taking notes.
But above all, the app is accessible. Whether I want to write a quick note with my iPad by simply swiping my finger from the bottom right-hand corner or by double tapping my Apple Pencil when my iPad is locked. It’s these small things that can really make a difference in everyday life.
But here’s the thing, in my day job, I am stuck with Microsoft products. Therefore, I’ve been using OneNote as my main note-taking app at work and now that I found a note-taking framework that works for me, I’ve actually genuinely started to enjoy using OneNote.
The framework I follow is called PARA, and it stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archive. Organising my notes in this way has seriously helped me organise my notes in a way I can easily go back to them in the future.
That’s why, in this article, I want to share my experience with using OneNote and I wanted to discuss some of the compelling features that make me want to switch outside my day job.
How I Organise My OneNote With PARA
I wanted to start this article by talking about the PARA method and how I use it so that you gain a more in-depth understanding of my thought process.
I organised Apple Notes into four main folders titled Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archive. Underneath those folders, I created the relevant folders for my notes. This tends to be a normal practice that is available in other apps I used such as NotePlan.
However, with OneNote I did it slightly differently. Instead of having one notebook, I created four separate notebooks called Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archive. I then created tabs to organise my notes.
I find that this approach works better for me and helps me keep my notes clean.
Why OneNote?
I’m not new to OneNote, I’ve actually used it before. It proved to be fantastic for taking notes during lectures at university and for taking project-specific notes.
However, apart from using it at work, it’s been a while since I used it full-time, but that may be about to change.
Not only, does OneNote feel nice to use, it offers some great features and a nice user interface that works well with the PARA method.
Cross-platform compatibility
At present, I primarily use a MacBook, an iPad, an iPhone, and an Apple Watch. So, traditionally using Apple Notes makes sense.
However, at the time of writing this article, Apple Notes is only available on macOS, iPadOS, iOS and on the web. This means that if I ever decide to switch to a different platform, I may have issues accessing my notes.
However, OneNote is cross-platform compatible, which not only future proofs my notes, but it will also prevent me from having to spend a lot of time migrating my notes if I ever decide to move away from the Apple ecosystem.
Apple Watch App
Speaking about cross-platform compatibility, OneNote has an app available for the Apple Watch, something that Apple doesn’t currently have.
You’re probably thinking, why on earth would I want to take notes on an Apple Watch? Believe it or not, there is a perfectly good reason for it.
Sometimes ideas come during the most unexpected times, you could be at the pub with your friends, you could be out on a run, or you could even be out shopping. When an idea comes, you need to log it as fast as possible; otherwise you may forget it.
The OneNote Apple Watch app allows me to dictate ideas and notes on the go, which will then sync across my devices.
It also allows me to view notes on the go without me needing to reach out for my phone.
I admit, the Apple Watch app is very basic, but it seems to do the job I need it to do.
Rich Formatting and Multimedia Support
I’m not sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing when it comes to note-taking. However, OneNote offers considerably more formatting options and features.
I always believed that a note-taking app shouldn’t have too many formatting options. However, I now know that sometimes it’s useful to have them. Unlike Microsoft Word and other Microsoft 365 products, I think that OneNote has the perfect balance of formatting options which don’t make the app feel too cluttered when taking notes.
I also like that you can attach files, printouts and simply draw shapes, which are needed occasionally when taking notes.
Great for handwritten notes
If you are an Apple Pencil user, OneNote turns out to be great for taking handwritten notes and annotating typed notes, something I wish Apple Notes had.
At present, I can’t mix text and handwritten notes in Apple Notes, but this proves to work incredibly well with OneNote.
I like this feature as it allows me to annotate printouts I insert into notes, and it allows me to quickly annotate the text I’ve written. I also like this feature when I want to draw quick diagrams.
Copilot
One feature I haven’t had a chance to try yet is Copilot in OneNote.
According to Microsoft, Copilot in OneNote can use your prompts to draft plans, generate ideas, create lists, organise information and more.
As someone who uses AI in day-to-day life, the ability to use it when taking notes can be particularly useful.
Integration with other Microsoft Products
I know that Pages, Numbers and KeyNote as well as Google Docs are very capable products. But when it comes to spreadsheets and quick documents, I somehow prefer Microsoft apps.
OneNote works really well with some of those apps. As an example, If I wanted to, I could insert an Excel spreadsheet into a note and use Excel to edit it.
Challenges & Potential Drawbacks
As with any app migration, it can be a very long process, particularly if you have many things to migrate. For me, it will be notes, I have numerous notes that need to be migrated.
I recently changed my approach to note-taking. In my new approach, I use Notion as a more permanent area for my notes, whereas Apple Notes or potentially OneNote soon as my working notes.
This approach will allow me to organise my notes, and it will form part of my new second brain. This also involves removing all the stale notes I no longer need out of Apple Notes. This will allow me to start fresh when I finally decide to move to OneNote.
Final Thoughts
While OneNote does seem impressive, I am still testing out the features and playing around with it on my personal Microsoft account.
In summary, I think that it would take a long time for me to finally decide to switch, especially since Copilot isn’t yet fully available.
But as a whole, I think it’s the ability to use my Apple Pencil over text within OneNote and the ability to use OneNote on my watch that have got me interested in switching.
Have you made the switch from Apple Notes to OneNote, or are you already a OneNote user? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your experiences, tips, and suggestions in the comments below.
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