OneNote on Android - The Forgotten Version
Of all the platforms, why ignore the one best suited to your application?
Of the challenges with note taking applications is making sure they are supported and "feature equivalent" on multiple platforms and devices. Cloud based applications usually find this easier as everything is reaching out to one source for not only the data but the user experience. Application that work in native modes on platforms such as Android and iOS can suffer from a divergence between what is available in the cloud, on desktop, and on mobile. It is here where we arrive at OneNote on Android Tablets.
If there was ever an example of a forgotten version of an application this would be it. The mobile version on Android phones, while not perfect, functions adequately within the limitations of screen real estate and user interface. Unfortunately, the Android tablet version fails to take advantage of greater screen space and capabilities of the tablet world. This is a big swing and miss on their part.
The argument will be made, and undeniably so, the market share of Android tablets is small enough to not warrant a heavy attention or investment in the platform for the Microsoft development teams. If this is truly the case, this is some of the most misguided thinking around. After all, when you have a platform that could potentially be redefined by a single, powerful app why wouldn't you try and make that sea change happen?
Samsung is the main player in the Android tablet space, and their stylus-enabled, attached keyboard devices are all but made to get the most from OneNote. What happens though? Efforts are put into Samsung Notes (an arguably superior handwriting app to OneNote) and then the notes are "synced" to OneNote for accessibility. A clumsy work-around to be sure.
A second common argument is that Microsoft doesn't push in the Android tablet space because they want to encourage purchase of Surface devices as a "better experience." From a corporate perspective that makes sense, but since there is no equitable cost-comparison / capability-equity between Surface and Android, this too falls flat. If Surface tablets were truly a viable alternative, they would have made their mark by now and we have yet to see that happen.
Microsoft needs to step up and make basic improvements to the tablet version of OneNote on Android. This forgotten segment of the ecosystem compels people to other tools and ultimately a departure from OneNote entirely. As one of the most versatile and longest living note-taking applications in the market, neglecting this segment is truly that…neglect.
Do you agree or disagree? Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts on the Android / OneNote gap.
It's just a sad state of affairs…..