Inking on Web Pages - Discussion

[Elliot Kirk]

We have received a lot of feedback about supporting inking annotations for web pages like what we have in the current version of Microsoft Edge. Many users have told us that they use this functionality as a daily driver and would like to see it in the new version of Microsoft Edge as well. We would like to understand the scenarios in which you would use this functionality. Details about what you use it for, what are the expectations about availability of different tools, saving and sharing options etc. would be extremely useful in making sure we provide the best user experience to you. Your input will help us making sure that the feature works best for you. 

[#2]

@Elliot Kirk This is definitely a must, I'm full touch and pen oriented since years ago so I really want this. However I never really liked the previous Edge implementation. I make heavy use of OneNote and what I would simply like is to get some webpages opened inside OneNote Tabs (much like IE tabs), where everything about inking is done the way of OneNote. That inked or annotated page should be available as well in OneNote app and whenever I reopen that same webpage in Edge I should get the ability to see my inked and annotated version and continue working on it. Of course an alert would ask me if to stay on that page snapshot or download an updated version of the page.

OneNote Web clipper is out of scope here, it is for different purposes.

Some of my use cases:

- inking in community threads to mark/highlight issues as solved/noted

- inking in software documentation pages I maintain to highlight what needs to be improved/fixed/updated

- inking in websites I develop to better describe UI related requirements, user stories or defects (it would be awesome to attach the sketch to my work items)

- inking on wikipedia pages, newspapers, scientific articles I study

[#3]

I marked up a page and sent it to OneNote, and it was basically an image. If the thing is just grabbing a screenshot for you to mark up and then saving it, by all means OneNote should handle it and it can't be that hard to recreate. @LuKePicci 

[#4]

Obviously it's necessary to be able to mark up a web page, but also obviously you need to take a screen capture of it to do it. My point is that it can't be hard to recreate the feature, given it is so simple. @Drew1903 

[#5]

I've nothing against Sticky Notes, but it seems even visually distinct from OneNote and I don't get why. Microsoft is usually pretty good with integration of apps and branding, but in this case they're missing the boat, I think, and OneNote has suffered in popularity because of it. @HotCakeX 

[#6]

Sticky Notes is a quick and simple version of OneNote. like when I want to just quickly save a piece of text or picture, I just go on and paste it in the Sticky notes app, that's the first thing comes to my mind. now I don't need to go to OneNote which is a full featured complete program. it is sometimes too much for quick and small things.
also Sticky notes don't occupy OneDrive storage whereas OneNote notebooks do.

[#7]

That is exactly what I don't like. I don't want the webpage to transform into a screenshot, I would like to keep it interactive as usual such that I can still click stuff, fill forms, scroll, and so on. If a screenshot is enough I use snip & sketch to do this.

[#8]

@JHRussell1972 

Well, you would think not... seriously & in all fairness, it is, already, that way in Edge.  Just another thing that MUST BE kept!

Cheers,
Drew

[#9]

@JHRussell1972 

Well, you know I agree 100%.  We shouldn't even have be saying any of this.  To be discussing whether Set aside, Add notes, Share and the other parts of Edge are in Edge or not... what?  why?  Makes no sense... they are parts of Edge, period.  ANY Edge!

Cheers,
Drew

[#10]

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@JHRussell1972 wrote:

I marked up a page and sent it to OneNote, and it was basically an image. If the thing is just grabbing a screenshot for you to mark up and then saving it, by all means OneNote should handle it and it can't be that hard to recreate. 

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Did someone say it's hard or they are not going to do it?

[#11]

@LuKePicci 

luke et al,

Attaching the term "screenshot" to Add notes & equating it to Snip & Sketch is misleading & or misguided.  Add notes lets one capture pieces, parts & portions of a web page.  To describe what it does as a "screenshot" is, very the least, far too narrow a perception.  What Snip & Sketch can do & how it can be used, absolutely, makes it a completely different animal than the feature (Add notes) embedded in Edge.  Both, absolutely have a definite place & role, based on their own merit.  Plus, Add notes is something in the browser to use with it.  Snip & Sketch is something in the OS to use with it.

They do different things, in different places, for different reasons.

Cheers,
Drew

[#12]

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@Drew1903 wrote:

 We shouldn't even have be saying any of this.  To be discussing whether Set aside, Add notes, Share 

That's exactly what we should discuss here, if you read what the OP (Elliot) wrote above.

[#13]

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@LuKePicci wrote:
That is exactly what I don't like. I don't want the webpage to transform into a screenshot, I would like to keep it interactive as usual such that I can still click stuff, fill forms, scroll, and so on. If a screenshot is enough I use snip & sketch to do this.

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You need to save web pages as MHTML then. all in one file, interactive, scrollable and more.

[#14]

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@Drew1903 wrote:

Attaching the term "screenshot" to Add notes & equating it to Snip & Sketch is misleading & or misguided.  Add notes lets one capture pieces, parts & portions of a web page.  To describe what it does as a "screenshot" is, very the least, far too narrow a perception.  What Snip & Sketch can do & how it can be used, absolutely, makes it a completely different animal than the feature (Add notes) embedded in Edge.  Both, absolutely have a definite place & role, based on their own merit.  Plus, Add notes is something in the browser to use with it.  Snip & Sketch is something in the OS to use with it.

They do different things, in different places, for different reasons.

To be honest the only difference between Snip & Sketch and the add notes feature in Edge classic is just 2 things.

1. OneNote integration
2. adding little sticky notes to the screenshot.

if Microsoft adds those features to the Snip & Sketch app, it won't be necessary anymore to implement add notes into the new Edge insider browser. because Snip & Sketch is universal app that works for all browsers/programs/screens and not limited to only Edge browser and it's also being actively updated through Windows store.

[#15]

@Elliot Kirk

Well first off, the inking, annotating, reader functionality of original Edge needs to be included up front. In other words, no loss of functionality. Until then, to discontinue original Edge would be a very poor decision for users of pen enabled computers. This is the prize feature of Edge and to replace it with something less than will lead to Microsoft producing (wait for it)  ...  ...   ... Chrome. 

Anything less than those features will lead to a Chrome browser which will only mean Microsoft is producing a wholly derivative, me-too, copy of what is there already.

Secondly, this product could be expanded in the future to connect to or leverage the features of such programmes as Plumbago, MS Whiteboard, etc. 

Compatibility to web pages is a nice add-on but if it comes at the price of giving up everything unique to original Edge it is simply not worth it. Microsoft should not be an 'also ran'.

[#16]

Yes, exactly, that's the point! The new Edge notes experience should be something different from the old experience which was (unfortunately) exactly the same as snip & sketch is at the moment. Web notes should be something more then just drawing on top of a screenshot,

Ideally, to achieve something similar to what I expect from "in-browser notes experience" I would save the page as MSHTML and inking it from Word... that's crazy... still I wouldn't get to that annotated page when I visit if I save it outside of Edge, so this definitely need browser integration.

If you intend to bring the old Edge inking as it was I would probably say it is not necessary, OneNote Web Clipper + Snip & Sketch address the same use cases already.

[#17]

Snip & Sketch can send the result to OneNote via share button, when I need to add notes on a screenshot I share to OneNote and take notes from there. I do this also for Web pages already. This combo is great and no worse then old Edge notes functionality.

[#18]

@dopylop 

It is SO wonderful to see the steady consistency of common similar sentiments being expressed by a steady stream of people. I, for one (of the ever-increasing countless others), pray, hope, more than words can express, that the Edge Team is hearing the (singular) voice of the multitudes AND that they act accordingly AND within the 2 months there is remaining to GA! Obviously, it is further being stated that MS will regret it otherwise. Will make a huge difference in End Users reactions to the finished product.  They define the product has having these things!  Get it, yet?  It is draws people to it (no pun intended) & makes it special to them!  That allure and loyalty IS NOT something to risk losing!

Cheers,
Drew

[#19]

Rather earlier in this discussion I made an important point buried in a rant about phones: it is not acceptable to sell a product with a feature set and then remove parts of that feature set. 

However, there's nothing wrong with removing the pen support from the browser if it's moved to the operating system to make it available to the entire platform.

[#20]

@IndustrialAutomation 

"it is not acceptable to sell a product with a feature set and then remove parts of that feature set. ", 'IA'

Absolutely, precisely, exactly.  Same point heaps of us are making in regard to STILL HAVING the 'star players' we, NOW, have in Edge, FOREVER.  <-- meaning, EVEN after Jan. 15, 2020!  

As for the mention of Pen... I just want to say that Add notes (& Snip & Sketch) are, still, great even with a mouse or no pen.  We don't want or need to have any pen envy 

Cheers,
Drew

[#21]

@LuKePicci 

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@LuKePicci wrote:
Snip & Sketch can send the result to OneNote via share button, when I need to add notes on a screenshot I share to OneNote and take notes from there. I do this also for Web pages already. This combo is great and no worse then old Edge notes functionality.

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it can but it's too much extra work, Snip & Sketch can have the add note functionality in itself for faster and easier use like this