OneNote for Mac coming this month as Microsoft eyes Evernote

Microsoft is planning to release a OneNote for Mac app 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.

We understand that Microsoft will release the OneNote for Mac app for free, and the company is also planning to make the Windows desktop version available at no extra cost. This marks a significant change in the way Microsoft manages OneNote, unbundling it fully from the cost of Office. We’re told part of this free approach is targeted at competitors like Evernote, but Microsoft is also adding additional features to entice people away from the competition.

New web clipper feature also on the way

A new web clipper feature is coming to OneNote soon that will allow users to clip parts of webpages directly into a OneNote. We’re told that Microsoft is creating browser extensions to allow clipping directly from the web browsers like Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox. The feature is very similar to Evernote’s own web clipper, and we understand Microsoft will also allow OneNote users to email notes to its service to be included in a notebook.

The OneNote for Mac release sets the stage for new Office for Mac apps that are expected to debut later this year. Microsoft is also planning to release Office for iPad shortly, an app that’s expected to debut in the coming weeks.

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