Microsoft removes restrictions from OneNote free edition

Since its release as a free tool, OneNote has gained a massive following. The note-taking, clip-organizing, jack-of-all-trades tool fits neatly into Office, but can also be used as a standalone tool. Although it has been available free of charge for some time, there were a few features reserved for paying customers -- now this has changed.

Microsoft is making OneNote "even more free" by adding options such as password protection and new audio and video options. All previous restrictions that existed in the free version of the app have been removed.

As well as giving you the ability to secure sensitive notes, a page history feature brings versioning to OneNote. If you're working with other Office files, you can now embed them in your notes, and there are new options for working with audio and video files. An enhanced search tool can be used to track down words in your recordings, and it's possible to take notes whilst recording and jump straight to specific sections when you need to.

Announcing the arrival of the new features, Brad Corob from the OneNote team says:

Today we’re happy to share that we’re adding even more to the free edition. We’re removing all feature restrictions from OneNote 2013. Starting today you’ll be able to access the full power of OneNote on your PC.

Everything must remain in the cloud, however. If you want to take advantage of what OneNote has to offer, you'll have to accept that everything will be stored in OneDrive rather than locally.

You can grab yourself a copy of the app for Windows 7 and Windows 8 from the OneNote website.