How Ready is Office 2007

[srd]

Everybody seems to be using OneNote 2007, and not just to test it. What
are its dependencies; must one also install Office 2007 to use OneNote
2007? When Microsoft says these products aren't ready for basic use, are
they just playing it safe, as with IE7, Beta 3, which seems perfectly
ready for basic use? Or do you really need continue to rely on Office 2003?

 

[Patrick Schmid]

You don't need to install Office Pro 2007 to use OneNote. However, if
you want the Outlook integration, you need Outlook 2007. It is a known
issue with B2 that OneNote 2007 and Outlook 2003 don't play together.
How ready is ON 2007? How willing to take risks are you? I can e.g.
crash ON 2007 currently on my tablet just by opening it. You might lose
data, or you might not. You have to deal with minor and major
annoyances.
Most importantly though, if you get ON 2007, there is no way back for
your notes. Once they are in 2007 format, they cannot be accessed by
2003 ever again. That means come early next year, you'll have to buy ON
2007 to be able to still access your notes.

Patrick Schmid

 

[Ben M. Schorr - MVP]

Aloha srd,

OneNote 2007 has no dependancies UNLESS you intend to use the Outlook integration;
in which case you really should install OL2007 too. But you can run ON2007
on its own if you want to.

As for how ready they are...well, they are beta software and so the standard
advice is always to not rely upon that for important data. That's just good
common sense -- beta software is beta because it's still being developed
and tested. I use OneNote 2007 (and the rest of the 2007 suite) every day.
But I also have 2003 installed in a VM in case I need it and I acknowledge
that any data I put in 2007 may be at risk.

-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr - MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
Microsoft OneNote FAQ: http://www.factplace.com/onenotefaq.htm

 

[MikeH]

I've been beating up on Outlook 2007 and OneNote 2007. I've never
experienced a crash with ON on either my workstation or my tablet. Outlook
always trips an error on exit from the tablet, unless my Windows Mobile 5 PDA
is in the cradle. The issue is on my machine, however. I don't experience
it on the workstation.

I'm a database programmer and I take a lot of notes by keyboard and ink, and
use a lot of screen clips. It has been a great experience for the way I want
to use the software. I haven't really worked a lot with Office 2007's other
components.

 

[Art]

Ben, what is a VM and how do I go about creating one? Thanks, Arturo

 

[Erik Sojka (MVP)]

"Virtual Machine" - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_machine

http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/virtualpc/default.mspx

 

[Ben M. Schorr - MVP]

Aloha Art,

It's a Virtual Machine. You would need to use software such as VMWare or
Microsoft's Virtual PC. (Google will find either for you quickly). It lets
you install an operating system on it and have what amounts to a second "machine"
on your computer. Handy stuff for testing, development and demos. Also
handy for security.

-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr - MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
Microsoft OneNote FAQ: http://www.factplace.com/onenotefaq.htm

 

[Tom S.]

Aloha srd,

OneNote 2007 has no dependancies UNLESS you intend to use the Outlook integration;
in which case you really should install OL2007 too.

I initially started with OL 2003. Everything worked but back links from the
OL task to ON which never appeared. I then installed OL 2007. I still don't
see back links. Any suggestion?

Tom S.

 

[Patrick Schmid]

Do you have an ON add-in in OL Tools, Trust-Center, Add-Ins? If you see
it anywhere there, activate it. If not, remove ON, reboot and reinstall
ON.

Patrick Schmid

 

[Tom S.]

It was activated. I deactivated it, then activated it. No dice. Perhaps I
should report it?

Tom S.

 

[Patrick Schmid]

I'd try a reinstall of ON 2007 first (remove it, reboot, reinstall). You
can do that without a problem. It won't affect any settings or any
notebooks.

Patrick Schmid

 

[Tom S.]

Will do. Thanks.

Tom S.

I'd try a reinstall of ON 2007 first (remove it, reboot, reinstall). You
can do that without a problem. It won't affect any settings or any
notebooks.

Patrick Schmid

 

[srd]

Ben,

The most important dependency, I've learned, is on Windows Desktop Search,
Beta 3 (at present). It might be said you can use ON without it, but using
a note progarm without search is essentially not using it. ON's dependence
on WDS is separate Outlook integration.

Stephen Diamond

 

[Ben M. Schorr - MVP]

Aloha srd,

Well, the most important dependancy is probably a Windows operating system.


When it comes to other applications, however, which I think is what the OP
was asking about, OneNote can operate by itself just fine. You just lose
the Outlook integration.

-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr - MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
Microsoft OneNote FAQ: http://www.factplace.com/onenotefaq.htm

 

[Rainald Taesler]

Is Windows Desktop Search NOT an application? Then what is it?
And what is it doing showing up in Add and Remove Programs?
Program = Application or not?

No, not an application.
A service used by other appliactions.

I think it would rather be a part of the Windows components, but it is
not yet a part of the OS (will be that in Vista).
So: Where else could be put on list?

Rainald

 

[Patrick Schmid]

It will be in Vista. WDS 3 is the XP version of the one integrated into
Vista.

Patrick Schmid

 

[Rainald Taesler]

It will be in Vista. WDS 3 is the XP version of the one
integrated into Vista.

That's what I said <bg&d>

Rainald

 

[Patrick Schmid]

Oh..yeah, sorry. I read it as a question, not a statement.

Patrick Schmid

 

[Rainald Taesler]

Thanks a lot, Mike.
This surely helps to encourage me to try out OL 07 too.

Rainald

 

[srd]

This point was a lemma in the larger althtough still trivial question,
does OneNote 2007 beta 3 have any dependencies, Outlook excluded. It seems
to me the correct answer is that OneNote 2007 will have no dependencies,
since Windows Desktop Search 3 beta's functionality will be included in
the Vista operating system. The curret OneNote 2007 beta, however, DOES
have a dependency on Windows Desktop Search.

WDS will eventually be a service in Vista, but it is CURRENTLY an
application, albeit a faceless application. (I think faceless applications
first appeared in the Apple Macintosh platform years ago, to avoid using
the equivalent of a service, what the Mac called an 'extension.')

As a practical matter, a user asking about dependencies probably wants to
know whether he has to install anything besides OneNote 2007 to get its
core functions to work.