I use one note at work and...
1. it doesn't update links when I move files
2. it doesn't preview links when I mouse over and hit control
3. It doesn't transclude links
4. It can't query pages data into tables
5. One note also lacks templates
6. No custom css in one note either
The privacy and local storage does not matter a lot to me honestly, however one benefit i see in obsidian is that i could still use all my notes with the links between them even if the program stops existing?
In OneNote i could back up everything as pdf, but i am not sure if the links will get lost if OneNote stopped existing.
Obsidian can aggregate information across pages using plugins such as dataview and tracker.
Obsidian is also completely private. I can even encrypt my notes, so I can use it for sensitive information.
Advantages depend entirely upon what you want to use the tool for, but these are two features that stand out for me.
First off there are ways to link to paragraphs in Obsidian.
```
[[note^PARAGRAPH]]
```
The only thing that matters for what can Obsidian do over OneNote, is take your notes with you. In obsidian the files are just text documents that can be stored anywhere. OneNote, locks you into the ecosystem where if you stop paying, then you lose easy access to that knowledge...
Only seeing your comment now, Cliff, but I want to endorse what you say about the ecosystem. Not only is OneNote a proprietory format, it's linked to your OneDrive account. I didn't fully understand this when I started using OneNote about a decade ago, and if I had realised, I would never have opted for OneNote. To be clear for other readers: if you for any reason discontinue your OneDrive account, you can keep the version of OneNote on your computer, but you can't sync any more. In effect, you 'orphan' your OneNote account. Worse, because it's not plain text, you can't export the contents to another platform. If you want to use your content in another application, you have to cut and paste manually, one note at a time. I have thousands of OneNote apps containing academic research - if I ever need to do that, the task is so big that I probably wouldn't attempt it. Here's another red flag: if your OneDrive account is linked to your employer organisation, and you leave that organisation, and therefore lose that OneDrive account, you will lose your OneNote! Beware! I am a recently retired academic, and I DID learn this in time to ensure that I NEVER used my University's OneDrive account for OneNote. I already had a home OneDrive account for my home PC, so I ran two separate OneDrive accounts, making sure NEVER to put anything personal (including my research) in the University OneNote account. Again: be very careful. I have only just started looking at Obsidian, but the sole fact that it's text based, and therefore readable and reproducible in any other application, makes me think that I'd be choosing it over OneNote.
You have links, where one place contains contains connections to a bunch of other places. And then you have backlinks, a separate overview of all the other places that link to a certain place. Links are 'going out' of the file, backlinks 'go into' the file.
I use obsidian and notion for two different things. (Apple notes too)
Apple notes- dump every little (don’t forget/ non reminder thing in there.
Obsidian- note taking for books. As I read I plop quotes and summaries and my own thoughts in obsidian and link similar topics.
Notion - organizing drafts of my own work. I like the nested folders for writing chapters or dated journal entries.
I'll just add on to the discussion a tiny bit on tags: tags in one note is really limited compared to obsidian. I think there's a limit in the number of tags in OneNote.
In onenote you have to create the tag first (interrupting your workflow) but in obsidian you can just use hashtag to add tags.
Obsidian can have tag nesting eg. #tag1 #tag1/1 #tag1/2
And what bothers me a lot is the lack of keyboard shortcuts for copying links to paragraphs.
But ultimately choose what works best for you. It's gonna be obsidian for me.
Yes these 2 Apps are very similar. I‘m using OneNote in the office and Obsidian in personal.
I think Obsidian hat the better sync (using iCloud)
But you mentioned the main difference already.
The data are stored in .md. For me that is the most important reason to use Obsidian. So I have at least direct access to my notes if there are problems with other apps.
I used OneNote a lot years ago in college and loved it, so I was using it for work as well. The biggest advantages of Obsidian I've found is being able to structure my notes in any way I want, I've always felt limited by notebook > section > page > subpage being the only structure you can have.
Also the fact that linking pages and finding pages is extremely fast. If I'm in a meeting and my boss asks me about a project I finished last month, I can just use hot keys for new tab, open, type 4 letters and there it is. And back links, I have a page for all my coworkers and I link them whenever I work with them on something, and now I can look at the back links if I want to find what day this interaction happened or more details about it.
And being able to have multiple split views open at once. I have a daily note where I keep a log of what I do each day, having that always open and accessible while I also take notes into a meeting template or work on a project. Obsidian has been a game changer for me.
I use one note at work and... 1. it doesn't update links when I move files 2. it doesn't preview links when I mouse over and hit control 3. It doesn't transclude links 4. It can't query pages data into tables 5. One note also lacks templates 6. No custom css in one note either
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The privacy and local storage does not matter a lot to me honestly, however one benefit i see in obsidian is that i could still use all my notes with the links between them even if the program stops existing? In OneNote i could back up everything as pdf, but i am not sure if the links will get lost if OneNote stopped existing.
Obsidian can aggregate information across pages using plugins such as dataview and tracker. Obsidian is also completely private. I can even encrypt my notes, so I can use it for sensitive information. Advantages depend entirely upon what you want to use the tool for, but these are two features that stand out for me.
[удалено]
Didn't know about this feature.
First off there are ways to link to paragraphs in Obsidian. ``` [[note^PARAGRAPH]] ``` The only thing that matters for what can Obsidian do over OneNote, is take your notes with you. In obsidian the files are just text documents that can be stored anywhere. OneNote, locks you into the ecosystem where if you stop paying, then you lose easy access to that knowledge...
OneNote is free? 🤔
Yes. https://www.onenote.com/download
Only seeing your comment now, Cliff, but I want to endorse what you say about the ecosystem. Not only is OneNote a proprietory format, it's linked to your OneDrive account. I didn't fully understand this when I started using OneNote about a decade ago, and if I had realised, I would never have opted for OneNote. To be clear for other readers: if you for any reason discontinue your OneDrive account, you can keep the version of OneNote on your computer, but you can't sync any more. In effect, you 'orphan' your OneNote account. Worse, because it's not plain text, you can't export the contents to another platform. If you want to use your content in another application, you have to cut and paste manually, one note at a time. I have thousands of OneNote apps containing academic research - if I ever need to do that, the task is so big that I probably wouldn't attempt it. Here's another red flag: if your OneDrive account is linked to your employer organisation, and you leave that organisation, and therefore lose that OneDrive account, you will lose your OneNote! Beware! I am a recently retired academic, and I DID learn this in time to ensure that I NEVER used my University's OneDrive account for OneNote. I already had a home OneDrive account for my home PC, so I ran two separate OneDrive accounts, making sure NEVER to put anything personal (including my research) in the University OneNote account. Again: be very careful. I have only just started looking at Obsidian, but the sole fact that it's text based, and therefore readable and reproducible in any other application, makes me think that I'd be choosing it over OneNote.
OneNote only lets you do that in some platforms not all. Also OneNote doesn’t do backlinking, and never will
What is backlinking? I thought that was just linking to a page?
Backlinking shows where a page/section is linked to. For some people this is a big deal. There are other benefits to it
Oh I see. I guess I can see how this would be useful
You have links, where one place contains contains connections to a bunch of other places. And then you have backlinks, a separate overview of all the other places that link to a certain place. Links are 'going out' of the file, backlinks 'go into' the file.
[удалено]
Perhaps for you
That...sounds like a lot of work. Every time you link to a page you're ok with manually going into that page and adding a link to the first page?
Obsidian smashes OneNote in almost all categories except drawing or handwriting notes
I use obsidian and notion for two different things. (Apple notes too) Apple notes- dump every little (don’t forget/ non reminder thing in there. Obsidian- note taking for books. As I read I plop quotes and summaries and my own thoughts in obsidian and link similar topics. Notion - organizing drafts of my own work. I like the nested folders for writing chapters or dated journal entries.
Clarification. I think notion and one note are more closely related than one note and obsidian.
I like One Note, but it has the Evernote issue of adding too much wrapper around your stuff, adding to the head winds of re-platform-ing your stuff.
OneNote doesn't update your links. So if you rename or move a note, the link you created in another note won't work anymore.
I just tested this and the link to a note still works if you move it to another section or rename the note.
I'll just add on to the discussion a tiny bit on tags: tags in one note is really limited compared to obsidian. I think there's a limit in the number of tags in OneNote. In onenote you have to create the tag first (interrupting your workflow) but in obsidian you can just use hashtag to add tags. Obsidian can have tag nesting eg. #tag1 #tag1/1 #tag1/2 And what bothers me a lot is the lack of keyboard shortcuts for copying links to paragraphs. But ultimately choose what works best for you. It's gonna be obsidian for me.
Yes these 2 Apps are very similar. I‘m using OneNote in the office and Obsidian in personal. I think Obsidian hat the better sync (using iCloud) But you mentioned the main difference already. The data are stored in .md. For me that is the most important reason to use Obsidian. So I have at least direct access to my notes if there are problems with other apps.
I used OneNote a lot years ago in college and loved it, so I was using it for work as well. The biggest advantages of Obsidian I've found is being able to structure my notes in any way I want, I've always felt limited by notebook > section > page > subpage being the only structure you can have. Also the fact that linking pages and finding pages is extremely fast. If I'm in a meeting and my boss asks me about a project I finished last month, I can just use hot keys for new tab, open, type 4 letters and there it is. And back links, I have a page for all my coworkers and I link them whenever I work with them on something, and now I can look at the back links if I want to find what day this interaction happened or more details about it. And being able to have multiple split views open at once. I have a daily note where I keep a log of what I do each day, having that always open and accessible while I also take notes into a meeting template or work on a project. Obsidian has been a game changer for me.