Free Microsoft OneNote now bundled with premium features

Published February 16, 2015 1:53pm

Good news for users of OneNote, Microsoft's note-taking app: its free version has gained the features previously available only in the paid premium version.

Microsoft OneNote team program manager Brad Corob said this was a follow-up to making the full-featured OneNote 2013 Windows desktop software free for personal use.

"Today we’re happy to share that we’re adding even more to the free edition. We’re removing all feature restrictions from OneNote 2013," Corob said in a blog post.

He also said the move stemmed from feedback that users enjoy the ability to take and share notes, ink and highlight directly on the page and stay organized with instant search.

Many users also want more from the OneNote 2013 free edition, he added.

OneNote 2013 runs on Windows 7 and 8 and is available for free from onenote.com/download.

Among the now-unlocked features previously reserved for paid editions are:

Password-protected sections to protect sensitive information.
Page history: Easily see or go back to prior versions of a page.
Audio and video recording: Take notes while recording, and easily jump to the relevant section later.
Audio search in a voice or video recording.
Embedded files.

Corob said OneNote free edition stores notes on OneDrive for easy access across all devices. The notes work whether a user is online or offline, he added.

A free Microsoft account will provide 15 GB of OneDrive space for free and no limits on the number of notes one can create or sync, he said.

Not fully unlocked

But PC World noted Windows enthusiast site WinSuperSite has pointed out saving notebooks to a network drive, SharePoint, or OneDrive for Business account still needs the premium version. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News

Tags: microsoft, microsoftonenote