Windows 10 OneNote app sucks.

I appreciate the extra info on the app -- and I'm all for whatever good they can do for it. I'm not against them having the app -- but those features are just not useful to me. Even if someone gave me a Surface, I wouldn't use it -- and that's not a a criticism of the Surface, it just that I don't need anything like that. I use two 22" monitors, an IBM Model M keyboard (the best keyboard ever made), and a PS/2 IntelliMouse (the vintage model from back in '90s).

I've been typing on this Model M for 27 years -- the original from my first computer in college -- an IBM 386). I have boxes of those mice to make sure that I'm set until I die (and several Model Ms to boot).

It has nothing to do with being "resistant to change" -- an assertion often used to rationalize mediocrity. There are solid reasons why that keyboard is the best ever built -- same goes for the mouse (though I exclude from the debate anyone's need for elaborate ergonomic mice or keyboards).

What I'm talking about is that on the whole -- companies do not make keyboards and mice with any sort of pride and craftsmanship anymore.

And that's what this OneNote debate is all about -- the REAL OneNote is the Model M in this domain. And what Microsoft is doing is saying, "You don't need THAT -- just use these standard keyboards like everybody else."

Except I'm not alone -- as they are a lot of people out there who still appreciate quality craftsmanship in keyboards https://clickykeyboards.com/ -- just like there are many OneNote users who recognize its greatness.

Did you watch the next youtube he did:

OneNote Page setup - Do these 3 things! (2019 top guide) 7min58https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er1YVpzr7F8

It is an interesting demonstration of pen input. Sooper kool. Now all I need to do is spend a couple of grand on a Surface ...

I'm totally in sync with your opinion of "one size fits all". I've had to face variations of it since day 1 of my computing career. At my first employer senor IT managers thought a "programmer is a programmer is a programmer", that we were interchangable and could just be dropped into developing other applications and even into totally new languages.  Doesn't work that way.

I to have fought  the "one size fits all" plan for applications.   The user interface needed for a 5" "smart" phone touchscreen is not the same as what is appropriate on my i7 desktop computer with a 42" 4K monitor.  But MS keeps trying to sell us that tribble-bait.  They "improved" the QAT by spacing out the buttons to make it convenient for phat fingers on a touch screen, but cost us about 30% of the button space on our PC's.  MS dumbed down the icons color and content by "improving" them to SVG line drawings.  Fine for smartphones, not as good for PCs ...  it's frustrating.

While I've lost some sleep and got overly-consumed by this lately -- I can't overstate how refreshing it is to just exchange concerns with someone who thinks things through.

What you wrote is irrefutable -- but argument is meaningless anymore. I didn't get angry at that video guy until I read all his commentary -- where I didn't see a single mention of the fact that they could still get OneNote 2016. When I challenged him on that, he claimed to have mentioned it many times (conveniently ignoring that it's not in the summary text that goes with the video, not once mentioned in replies to anyone, and to my knowledge -- not mentioned in the video either).

I don't doubt that he's mentioned in elsewhere -- but that doesn't count in the commentary where he didn't. Like here, there's a lot of upset people commenting on that video -- and most (if not all), have no idea that they can still get OneNote 2016. By replying to almost every person who wrote on there, he seems overly eager to promote that app. But that's not what bothers me -- what bothers is that he promoted it without mentioning that they had an option to still get OneNote 2016. Promote it all day long -- I don't care, but knew it was still available -- and obviously those people didn't know they could still get it.

If he's gonna take the time to reply -- how hard would it be to copy and paste a link along with it? And where's the link in the summary?

Call me cynical -- but that strikes me as someone with an angle. I'll admit that I was pretty hard on the guy (and apparently he banned me for it). ;o) But it's not that I'm fighting that guy as much as I'm battling a collective mindset of blankness -- that nothing you say registers with these people. Apparently he was unhappy with the app at first too, but now he's come around -- so naturally, because he did, the rest of us are just resistant to change. Never mind that the way he uses OneNote is not even in the same universe of what I do (and others on here). But does that matter? Of course not!

And did he say, "Hey, I'm gonna share your concerns with my contacts at Microsoft." Once again, of course not!

Sounds like you've been around the block. Nice to come across people with that old-school mentality of excellence -- who recognize reality!

Thanks again for your thoughts!!

I'm totally in sync with your opinion of "one size fits all". I've had to face variations of it since day 1 of my computing career. At my first employer senor IT managers thought a "programmer is a programmer is a programmer", that we were interchangable and could just be dropped into developing other applications and even into totally new languages.  Doesn't work that way.

I to have fought  the "one size fits all" plan for applications.   The user interface needed for a 5" "smart" phone touchscreen is not the same as what is appropriate on my i7 desktop computer with a 42" 4K monitor.  But MS keeps trying to sell us that tribble-bait.  They "improved" the QAT by spacing out the buttons to make it convenient for phat fingers on a touch screen, but cost us about 30% of the button space on our PC's.  MS dumbed down the icons color and content by "improving" them to SVG line drawings.  Fine for smartphones, not as good for PCs ...  it's frustrating.

You made some great points there!

For whatever it's worth -- I am not letting this go. It's likely an exercise in futility, but I'm trying to get through to Microsoft in any way that I can (including sending the CEO and Bill Gates screenshots of all these comments, as the good bit I've written on it as well). Little by little (a Tweet here and there) -- maybe they'll get the message and wise up. Probably not -- but however little chance we have, we have no chance if we don't try.

I totally agree with Big Mike.   The things that the App doesn't do is waaaayyy too long to list and I used almost all of them on a regular basis.

I am continually amazed at the decision making within Microsoft.  Perhaps Microsoft didn't believe that there were enough users to justify continuing with the full OneNote version.  Who knows, but I believe that many people were starting to use OneNote desktop version because of how easy it was to use with Surface Pro and other touchscreen devices.  So after finally providing the best tools to take advantage of this brilliant piece of software and after people start using it they decide to take it away.  So disappointing.  Although this seems to be the way with Microsoft... 

• Microsoft Phone - Loved it now it is gone
• Microsoft watch - Great watch
• Microsoft Groove - Go get Spotify you will like it better than us
• So on and so forth

If anyone at Microsoft would like some free advice on how to better serve your best, longest, loyal customers please feel free to reach out to me.

dd

Microsoft are doing an absolutely abysmal job. In order to compete with Apple and Google, ba***rds are forcing customers to opt for nonsense applications across devices. Absolutely crappy decision and unnecessary decision making.