A Little Plug-in Promises A New Type Of Excitement For Microsoft Onenote Users

InstantNavigator is an enhancement plug-in for Microsoft OneNote. Once installed, InstantNavigator adds an instant search capability to OneNote, which works in much the same way as Instant Search in Windows Vista – you can instantly find the note that contains a particular word as you type it into the search box. It’s quick, easy and fun to do as compared to the native search capability in Microsoft OneNote. With InstantNavigator in place, you are never more than a few keystrokes away from the note you’re looking for!

InstantNavigator vs. OneNote Search

InstantNavigator searches for a word in section names more conveniently than the native OneNote search. The problem is that OneNote displays ALL instances of the word it finds everywhere – in the names of notebooks, sections, section groups and inside the pages. So it takes quite some time and efforts to find what you actually need. Certainly, you can configure the search – choose a range of search from the drop-down menu. Besides, the search range is not displayed in the search box, so the user often forgets that the search is set to “current notebook”, rather than the entire OneNote and fails to find the page he needs. With InstantNavigator, search is more convenient and less tiresome. Simply start typing in the word and voila! You find the note your need in a couple of seconds.

InstantNavigator vs. Vista Instant Search

As distinct from Vista Instant Search, InstantNavigator can find a word in the name of the notes, sections, section groups and notebooks. Vista Instant Search allows you to search only OneNote section names (as files), so the content of the notes is inaccessible for it but not for InstantNavigator.

How It Works

Once installed, InstantNavigator works right out of the box. To begin the search, click on the desktop icon or press “Windows” + “Q” hot key on the keyboard anywhere in Windows. By the way, the hot key is configurable and can be any combination of keystrokes you define yourself. In the search box that opens, key in a word or a phrase associated with the note you’re looking for. Similar to Instant Search in Vista, you only have to type in a few letters and InstantNavigator displays the matching results right away. If the results aren’t what you’re looking for, refine them - type in more keywords to filter down to the most appropriate matches, or enter other keywords. When you see the note you need, double-click it to load it into OneNote.

Example

Let’s say, for example, you are a journalist and take notes for your articles almost every day. Over time, your OneNote has accumulated thousands of them. Now it’s rather difficult to find what you need in one go. Not so if you have InstantNavigator! To get started, press the “Windows”+”Q” keys. The search box will pop up. Start typing whatever you are looking for, for example, the word – “iPhone”. You’ll see a subset of search results. To narrow down to the thing you are looking for, continue and type in – “presentation, CeBIT, March, 2008”. InstantNavigator will immediately return that particular page with the notes you need to write the article. Nice, isn’t it?

Integration with OneNote and Windows Vista

The search is based on Microsoft’s Windows Desktop Search, which is already included into the standard package of Windows Vista, so there is no need for you to download or buy anything. Tight integration with Windows Desktop Search allows InstantNavigator to achieve the highest possible speed of search.

The plug-in is fully compatible with Microsoft OneNote, which means OneNote will interact with InstantNavigator natively without any compatibility problems or errors.

Who Can Benefit from Instant Navigator?

InstantNavigator can benefit most anyone who uses Microsoft OneNote. See some examples.

- Project manager. As a project manager, you can quickly find the project to the task at hand. You will no longer melt down in a pool of stress and waste your precious time on browsing through thousands of notes, especially when a client or your boss is waiting for you on the phone.

- Developer. Modern programming requires developers to know many programming languages and technologies. With InstantNavigator, you can quickly jump to your personal knowledge base and code snippets. Organize your notes into categories, such as HTML, XML/XSLT, JavaScript, Java, C++, Unit Testing, Security, and systemize your code snippets and technical specifications for quick “as-you-type” access. Now there is no need for you to spend your time and efforts on long searches.

- Blogger. Inspiration is very personal. It comes when you least expect it as an explosion that breaks the silence of your brains. When it does, catch it. Quickly find the note with InstantNavigator and jot down that interesting idea or thought that will later on grow into a popular post in your blog.

- Entrepreneur. Keeping a client database and having a quick access to any contact or order is essential for doing a successful business. Keep a separate section for each customer in OneNote and write down the pages, such as “Contacts”, “To-Do”, “Completed Orders”, “Partnership Ideas”, “Customer Calls” and anything else you can imagine. With InstantNavigator, you’ll gain a quick access to any customer at any moment, whether you are talking to him over the phone or processing the order.

- Traveler. Quickly find your way around – access notes about the destinations you are visiting or plan to visit. Instantly find the section for each of your destinations where you are now and jot down your impressions of the place and journey using Tablet PC right on the spot, when they are fresh.

- Journalist. Collect and organize notes for future articles - including text, photos, clippings, and audio records – in sections. Quickly jump to the needed section using InstantNavigator when you want to add a new note.

- Doctor. Easily find the note without keeping the patient waiting.

- Chef. Keep your personal collection of world cuisine recipes always at hand. With a few keystrokes in InstantNavigator, find the recipe you need and amaze your gourmets with something new.

- Student. In seconds, find your lectures and notes in OneNote and give your professor a comprehensive answer, backing it up with the information from OneNote. Having a quick access to your lectures and notes in OneNote can help you be better prepared and excel in class.

InstantNavigator is free to try.

Article Source: http://www.search4allinfo.com

Roman Berg is a technical writer for ExtraMind Systems, the authors of InstantNavigator.

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