Microsoft is looking to grab some market share away from connected note taking app Evernote, as it is reportedly set to release a Mac version of OneNote later this month.
Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the Mac application is part of a broader effort to expand the features and functionality of OneNote. While Microsoft originally released OneNote more than 10 years ago, the company has largely limited its note-taking app to Windows. Versions for iOS, Android, and the web have debuted in recent years, but the full desktop version has always been a paid app available for Office on Windows. That’s about to change too.
It is believed that Microsoft will release OneNote for Mac app as a free app, and that the company will also be making the Windows desktop version available at no cost. This will unbundle the app from the cost of Microsoft Office. The Verge reports that it was told that this is part of an effort to target competitors like Evernote, and that Microsoft will be adding additional features to entice users away from the competition.
A new web clipping feature is expected to debut soon in OneNote, and it will allow users to clip parts of webpages directly into OneNote. Microsoft is reportedly creating browser extensions to allow clipping from browsers such as Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox.
A OneNote for Mac release should help pave the way for the reported release of a new version of Microsoft Office for the Mac later this year.
