
On my PC desktop and Windows 8 tablet, the difference is less noticeable. This is similar on my relatively current MacBook Air and iOS and Android phones. My aging iPad 2 has a dozen-second delay while opening the app, versus Evernote’s near-instantaneous load. First and foremost, the application is slower to load than Evernote on most platforms. OneNote suffers on two major fronts, however. You can easily drop an image or block of text anywhere on the virtual page and add icons and extensive formatting. In terms of note taking, OneNote offers a lot more formatting and free-form entry capability. While OneNote provides admirable consistency, it uses Microsoft’s “ribbon” interface, which conceals several common functions behind a series of ribbons that may be hidden or difficult to locate. Contrast this with Evernote where, despite three years of use, I often find myself lost when trying to perform a simple function like creating a new note. Open OneNote on the Mac, and it feels similar to the Windows version, which in turn seems surprisingly similar to the iPad version. Love it or hate it, OneNote presents a surprisingly consistent user interface across devices, versus Evernote’s seemingly unique UI for each device.

Both applications attempt to replace the traditional paper notebook and promise easy sharing and synchronization of notes across devices. I’ve used both in a work setting, where I’m frequently attending meetings and interacting with clients and colleagues. Last week, in part one of this review, I highlighted the various features and technical capabilities of Evernote and OneNote this installment is more about the usability difference between the applications.

OneNote comparison, Patrick Gray focuses on the usability difference between the applications.
