No, it’s not Microsoft Word or Excel, but with the release of OneNote Mobile for iPhone today, Microsoft has made the first move towards putting its Office suite on the iPhone.
It’s a note-taking app, and the mobile version lets you easily jot down notes, record audio, and scan documents. The app will sync information with your OneNote notebooks via Windows Live SkyDrive, and you’ll be able to access your notes online via Office Web Apps. “While the OneNote Mobile app naturally doesn’t have all of the functionality of the full OneNote 2010 desktop application for your computer,” says Microsoft, “it’s optimized for your iPhone’s display and lets you handle the basics with ease.” OneNote is also Windows only; there’s no native Mac version.
OneNote may be one of the lesser known products of the Office suite, although according to Microsoft, it is installed on 78 million PCs in the U.S. But the move to release this piece of the office suite is interesting nonetheless, particularly now that Microsoft has its own mobile phone, the Windows Phone 7. Device doesn’t matter, says Microsoft, but Office apparently still does. According to Microsoft Office unit Vice President Takeshi Numoto, “Whether it’s on a PC or Mac, a mobile phone or online through the Web Apps on multiple browsers, we continue to bring Office to the devices, platforms, and operating systems our customers are using.
The app is free, but only for a limited time.
