Whenever we mention desktop note-taking applications, two apps always stand out among the competition: Microsoft OneNote and Evernote. One is a commercial Windows app; the other is a free application for Windows, OS X, and many mobile phones. So which is better?
We've danced around this question in our Hive Five Best Note-Taking Tools, but pen and pencil won that contest hands-down. Both tools have their strengths and weaknesses. Many staunch OneNote supporters are quick to point out that Evernote has an unfair advantage in the voting department because it's free. Evernote does, however, offer pro accounts ($45/year) that put it at least somewhat on par with OneNote's price tag ($100 for a license). On the other hand, OneNote integrates like a dream with every corner of your Windows desktop.
Both apps are serious about syncing your notes with the web and other computers with the software installed. Evernote wins the mobile war with support for the iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Palm Pre; OneNote, on the other hand supports only Windows Mobile devices. Both can perform optical character recognition (or OCR) for translating your handwriting into searchable notes.
We could go on, but ultimately both tools have a lot in common with subtle differences (the tablet PC-owner niche loves OneNote). So we want to throw it out to you:
Let's hear your application-specific pros and cons in the comments.