Microsoft releases first (major) app for iphone (OneNote) | Hacker News Reader

Microsoft releases first (major) app for iphone (OneNote)

office.microsoft.com

10 pointszatara16 comments

This isn't their first app at all.

They've already released Windows Live Messenger http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/windows-live-messenger/id3761...

as well as a Bing client. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bing/id345323231?mt=8

Don't forget Seadragon. I believe that was Microsoft's first iPhone app.

I did't know about it, but edited the title to correct it. It is still remarkable since OneNote is part of MS Office, maybe there is more to come?

Quick review: first thing I noticed is that not all graphics are "Retina"-ready and it shows; their use of the UITabBar is pretty bad IMHO (tapping an icon never switches to a tab but flips or slide to a different UIView; some navigation is inconsistent (e.g. you go to recently viewed, see an item, the back button brings you back to a different view); you have a bunch of "Unfiled Notes" that you apparently can't file: it's syncing the info somewhere so I imagine that the desktop app allows you to rearrange these notes, but not being able to do it inside the app means that the app in itself is not usable; someone asked: I can't find a way to do OCR on pictures taken.

All in all, meh. At first sight, it reminded me of Evernote, but I think it's missing what makes the desktop version of OneNote interesting: the ability to take notes however you want by just clicking somewhere. The size of the iPhone doesn't really allow for that so I can understand. But if you're not using the desktop version, it looks like this is no special note-taking app.

One of the nice features of OneNote on the desktop is the ability to paste in an image, and then right-click and do an OCR operation using "Extract Text from Image".

This article doesn't mention it at all, but it would be a great thing to see on a mobile (even if it included a cloud round-trip).

Besides the major CAD/CAM/CAE softwares, OneNote was the only software I really missed after moving to Mac/iphone. It is great for note-taking in general and made by one of the most innovative teams at Microsoft.

AutoCAD for Mac came out of beta stages recently. It is still rather clunky in usage. The GUI is also in need of a little love, but it works. Revit for Mac can't be that far off.

Vectorworks (used to be called MiniCAD) for Mac is still excelling in areas AutoCAD seems to have forgotten about. Its 2D drafting is unparalleled, although use in a multi-user environment is lacking. There is also ArchiCAD; a system second only to Bentley. Once one adapts to the different method of drafting in these apps they rarely want to go back to ACAD, if only for import/export checks.

Much like moving from Word to Pages... annoyingly odd at first but much more productive once learnt fully.

I'm more on the mechanical side of CAE and would kill for a professional FEA package for the Mac (eg. Ansys, MSC, Abaqus et al).

Just went to try it out, but I get "Login failed, error 400." If you look at the reviews, you'll see this is a widespread failure. This is not the way to launch.

I've heard that it's due to server load. Try it again.

Thanks, but it still doesn't work.

Read the reviews. You need a windows live login and there are a bunch of issues logging in to the app after registering.

Yet, it still feels like a "hell-freezes-over" kind of scenario, no?

[EDIT] Considering that OneNote is part of Office, a major cash-maker for Microsoft.

Not really, The title of this post is wrong in saying that this is the first app from Microsoft. They have already released Bing, Messenger and Tag reader :)

And before (I think) those, they released some kind of experimental app that dealt with large photos or building a bigger picture from smaller photos or something like that. I can't remember what it was called right now, though. :P

Seadragon. See e.g. http://gigaom.com/apple/microsoft-releases-seadragon-iphone-... .

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