By Michael Kanellos, 18 November 2002 09:45
NEWS Microsoft has followed up the release of its Tablet operating system with its latest attempt to re-invent paper - a desktop software tool intended to be an electronic replacement for the standard paper notebook. OneNote promises to make it easy to transcribe quick notes, preserve URLs and easily find information on your hard drive. Conceptually, OneNote, expected to debut by the middle of next year, is similar to word processing, but it is intended for quick handling of short notes as opposed to long multipart documents, Microsoft said. "Think of it as an electronic notebook," said John Vail, a director of product management at Microsoft. OneNote is primarily designed to be used with keyboards on desktops and notebooks. However, the application will also be compatible with Tablet PC, which already comes with a notepad for taking handwritten notes. OneNote, formerly code-named Scribbler, largely tries to emulate the world's most enduring communications medium by adopting its look and feel. The interface resembles a notepad. Tabs located on the fringe of the data input area of the "writing" surface provide a visual navigation system for stored notes and resemble dividers from school binders. A beta version will go to testers in the first part of 2003, Vail said, while a commercial version will be released in the middle of the year. It is not known whether OneNote will be included in the Office suite or delivered as an independent application. Michael Kanellos writes for News.com
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