I''ve been cruising around the WP7 application marketplace looking for some productivity tools, and I''ve come across a couple that I first thought, "oh good", then wait... why are they there at all?



Let me explain...

I''m a long-time OneNote user. I have used it across the web with Live Mesh, and now with a WP7 device, I''ve got a notebook sitting on my SkyDrive that my device syncs with.

So what you say? ... well, did you know OneNote records voice? so if I want to leave myself a voice memo or record a segment of a meeting, all I need to do is pop open OneNote, record it, stop recording, and when I''m all done, push the sync button.

I can play that back on the device, or from OneNote on my laptop, or pull it off OneNote to retain it somewhere else if I want.

I just checked to make sure, and one of the options on the OneNote page on WP7 is to email the note also.



It''s called OneNote ... because you can take notes... organize them, search them, setup forms to fill out. Get the Thanksgiving Day grocery store run shopping list typed into a page on the ol'' laptop, get to the store and open OneNote... it''s there!

You can include photos that are on your camera in your notes as well.

I can''t imagine that needing any more discussion :)



Make yourself a template for text in landscape mode, whatever size you''re comfortable reading... a trade-off for line length, and type out your talking points before your codecamp presentation.

Set the device on the podium, or hold it in your hand... it''s only there to prompt you... and you can scroll them up.



I was hoping I could do the whole OneNote "I no longer need a calculator" thing on the device, but that didn''t work... they''re missing +, -, and *, and / didn''t work for division as it does in OneNote on the laptop.

Some of the formatting doesn''t carry over, but hey, it''s a mobile device, what do you expect? ... rather than gripe about things it doesn''t do, I''m having fun finding what it does :)



Did I forget to mention OneNote is ON the device in the Office Hub, and it''s free? ... geez... even if you don''t have it on your desk, you can still have it and retain notes out to SkyDrive.



I know it''s really early in this process, but the guys with apps out there now are leading the way, and it''d be nice if it were led in a manner helpful to the consumers.

First -- give us a trial mode... it''s simple to code up. Unless it''s something I really need, I''m not going to buy it without trying it... how else am I going to know that it does what I want?

Second -- give us something to try... this is different from the first one... if I have a trial, don''t just give me one little piece that''s crippled and no helpful instructions... that''s worse than no trial... it makes me wonder what you''re hiding by not showing it to me.


I''m really looking forward to all the productivity tools and apps I can run on the phone. I''ve already purchased and have been using a few. Exciting times for Silverlight/XNA folks!