One of the hardest programs to track down is a good note-taking app. This seems weird, as there are a bunch of them out there. Even so, some just don't make the grade - they're ugly, awkward and sometimes really make it hard to jot down information when you're on the go.

EverNote and Springpad are considered by many to be two of the best. Both have smartphone and online versions, so we're evaluating them on their performance across devices and platforms, since accessibility is a major concern when it comes to note-taking apps.

Both score really highly in their Softonic reviews, so it's not surprising that you might be finding it hard to choose. The best way is to install both and test them, but if you're short on time - or motivation - we're here to do it for you!

Registration and sign-up

In the sign-up stakes, these apps are almost neck and neck. The sign ups are pretty much as painless as you get - email address, password and you're in. SpringPad does slightly better than EverNote - you don't need a username and there's no security CAPCHA, cutting out two steps and winning it this round.

Result - Springpad, but only just!

Available platforms

The availability of platforms is crucial for a note taking application. The aim is that no matter where you are or what you're doing, adding a note is as easy and fast as possible. Looking at our two applications, it's pretty obvious that Evernote comes out on top.

This application is available for pretty much anything you can imagine - Online, Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, BlackBerry, Palm Pre, Palm Pixi, Windows Mobile and even a Windows, Mac and Linux compatible Firefox extension, for including online information in the click of a mouse button.

Springpad doesn't skimp, but it's not quite as impressive. It's available online and for Android, iPhone and iPad. There's no desktop version, and if you have any smartphone other than Android/iPhone, you'll miss out.

Result - Evernote, by a mile!

Microsoft has today revealed details of an upgrade to Windows Phone 7 at the Mobile World Congress.

Not content to sit back and bask in the potential of last week's Nokia deal, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer presented details of changes to the Windows Phone 7 coming later this year.

The significant changes in the free update will include copy and paste support, multi-tasking, the addition of SkyDrive support into Office for Windows Phone 7, native Twitter integration, and a version of Internet Explorer 9 for the device.

An early build of the Windows Phone 7 update was demoed during the keynote, with some interesting additions clear to see. Multitasking, in particular, looks slick, with near instant switching between apps using the Start button. Multiple running apps can be browsed by holding the Start button, then flicking through the previews of the open apps.

An interesting point to note is that the new multitasking will support third party audio applications. Windows Phone 7 users will be able to tune into radio apps while using other programs on their phone.

Internet Explorer 9 for Windows Phone 7 was also shown. Its support for graphics hardware acceleration was demonstrated by running the IE fish task test through a Windows Phone and an iPhone, with IE9 delivering a significantly smoother view of the fish, even with more fish on screen at once.

Another highlight of the demo was a video showing an early build of Kinect support for Windows Phone 7. The example given was a bowling mobile game, which is controlled by linking the phone up to the Kinect.

Steve Ballmer, predictably, was a little excited about the new update, saying: “Windows Phones are now the easiest to use and most delightful phones available”.

At its Strategy and Financial Briefing in London today, Nokia has confirmed it is aligning with Microsoft for its 2011 smartphone strategies. Specifically, Nokia will begin producing Windows Phone 7 devices for Microsoft in an effort to catch up with current mobile leaders iPhone and Google.

The broad strategic partnership between Microsoft and Nokia includes making the Windows Phone Nokia's primary platform for smartphones in 2011. Bing will be Nokia's primary search engine across all of its smartphone devices, for one, while Microsoft will adopt Nokia Maps as its primary mapping service. Nokia's app store will merge with Microsoft's Marketplace as well, likely bringing even more content and app options to Windows Phone 7 users.

Nokia has assured users that Symbian devices will still be produced, although at the same time noting that it will become more of a "franchise platform." This presumably means that Nokia will continue to sell the devices, as well as introduce new phones on the Symbian OS currently in development, with the ultimate goal being to retain Nokia customers and eventually migrate them over to the Windows phone platform in the years to come.

MeeGo, Nokia's Linux-based open source OS, will also continue being developed, with a new MeeGo device set for release in late 2011. Nokia's game plan for MeeGo seems ultimately to be more long-term. Nokia seems to be hedging its bets, using MeeGo as an open source project to gauge the mobile market's longer term future, in terms of trends to be on the look-out for.

What does this new partnership between Nokia and Microsoft mean for the future of the mobile market in general?

It's difficult to know for sure, but we can make some educated guesses. Nokia is a well-known and respected mobile company, as is Microsoft in its own element. Apple and Google might be leading the mobile industry currently, but Windows Phone 7 is a cool operating system and with this boost it might finally get the audience it deserves.

Whereas Android hasn't had the gaming success of iOS, Windows Phone 7 already has some really impressive titles that up the ante for mobile gaming. A bigger audience could make it the gamer's choice OS. More competition for Apple and Google in this sphere will be nothing if not interesting.

As Amber noted this week, Google are set to unleash the next version of Android, 2.3 dubbed Gingerbread, in the next few weeks. But how many Android owners will ever see it?

Apple's tight grip over the iPhone means they control iOS updates, and users can get them the moment they are released (unless their device is unsupported). Microsoft have claimed that Windows Phone 7 will be just the same, so you'll always have the latest version. That means security holes get plugged as fast as possible, and bug fixes come whenever necessary. Having the operating system maker control the software makes a lot of sense, as smartphones are basically computers. You might buy a Dell, but who would want Dell acting as a middleman between you and Microsoft?

Google, curiously, have allowed phone network companies to take control of Android. This means users have to wait for their providers to update the OS. It seems the phone companies have little motivation to do this - for them it's better if you just buy a new phone - so Android owners can wait months for updates. Sometimes the handsets may not be able to handle the newer version, of course, but that's by no means the whole issue.

The fragmentation of Android means your pocket computer is being held back by companies who apparently don't have your best interests at heart. Now that Google's Nexus One phone has been killed off, will they ever again try to wrestle back control of their otherwise excellent mobile OS? Could this issue give Microsoft the edge they need to become a mobile player again?

Windows Phone 7 phones are today available in the US, as Microsoft begins its campaign to break up Android and iOS's party. The HTC Surround and Samsung Focus are both available to buy through AT&T, while T-Mobile offers the HTC HD7 device.

Already, there's a lot of Windows Phone 7 software around, including official offerings from Twitter and Facebook. The Marketplace is home to other popular favorites, including Shazam, Netflix, Tetris, and IMDb.

If you want a feel for what the new Windows Phone 7 operating system is like, then go check out our guide to using the Windows Phone 7 emulator, and watch our video demo.

Twitter has released its official app for the new Windows Phone 7 platform, joining a growing rank of important developers bringing their software to Microsoft's mobile operating system.

The Windows Phone Twitter client includes similar features to the Android and iOS versions of the app, including a timeline, messages, lists, and suggested users. It's packaged in a streamlined interface that sits perfectly with the understated design principles of the Windows Phone 7 OS.

Although it appears very simple to use, thanks to its Pivot-based swiping system, it still looks a bit light on features. For example, there's no indication that it will support third party tools for photo and video uploading.

The release of this official Twitter client provides further confirmation of how seriously the major players in the mobile app realm are taking Windows Phone 7. The big developers appear to be rolling out their software into the Windows Phone Marketplace a lot quicker than they did with the iPhone and Android stores. Already, Windows Phone 7 users can download heavyweight apps such as Facebook, Shazam, YouTube, Tetris and Netflix. Encouraging news for Microsoft and its new baby.

There is bad news for Nimbuzz users today, after the developer was forced to pull support for Skype from its popular chat client. It seems Skype is sick of third-party apps tinkering with the way its service is offered, having already blocked fring from including Skype functionality a couple of months back.

Given that Nimbuzz helped to enable Skype capabilities on a host of devices that would otherwise have not had access to the service, it does seem a little harsh of Skype to stop other kids playing with its toy now that it has got finally grown up and got its own mobile offering in order. Skype might be thinking that it doesn't need Nimbuzz or fring anymore, but the irony is that VoIP calls via NimbuzzOut and fringOut are generally cheaper than they are through Skype.

Add to this the fact that users can connect with other social networks and messaging clients through Nimbuzz, and you start to wonder why you would choose Skype now anyway. As Tobias Kemper, General Manager, Nimbuzz USA told us in response to Skype's decision:

We are not here to argue, but to move on and if that means removing Skype on their orders, so be it. Nimbuzz users can still use free calls, messaging and file sharing on all major mobile handsets and platforms, even Mac and PC, and connect to Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo, GoogleTalk, Windows Live Messenger, AIM, ICQ, and more.

One of Skype's advantages over Nimbuzz is that it enables you to make video calls via its mobile client. However, this edge may be about to be blown away, as Kemper revealed to us that Nimbuzz could choose to integrate Apple's FaceTime video calling API into its software.

We are all about open communications and offering our users the flexibility of choosing the best way to communicate whichever way they want. Adding FaceTime would be a natural extension of our service offering.

Just as when it pulled the plug on fring, Skype is facing another PR pounding from disgruntled users of the massively popular Nimbuzz apps. Both Twitter and the Nimbuzz blog are awash with comments from users expressing their outrage at Skype's decision. Of course, many of Nimbuzz's 30 million-strong userbase will now just switch to the Skype app. However, users of these multi-network chat clients tend to be a loyal bunch, so it wouldn't surprise me if Nimbuzz saw an upturn in sales of NimbuzzOut credits from today.

Good news for Mac users that own a Zune and plan to get their hands on a Windows 7 phone. Microsoft have confirmed that not only are they finally releasing Zune software for Macs later this year, and that it will sync Macs with Windows 7 phones. Engadget were the first to get hold of a statement from Microsoft which simply read:

Later in 2010 Microsoft will make a public beta available of a tool that allows Windows Phone 7 to sync select content with Mac computers.

The news is certainly a surprise for Mac users since they're usually bottom of the pile when it comes to support for Microsoft products. Maybe it's a sign that Microsoft are finally taking the ever increasing numbers of people switching from Windows to Macs seriously.

However, it remains to be seen whether the Zune software for Macs will be as comprehensive as it is for Windows. It also poses the question - are there actually any Mac users out there that have a Zune or plan to get a Windows 7 phone?

With an alleged 400 million dollar marketing budget, Microsoft has jumped back into the smartphone business aggressively with Windows Phone 7. While you might think Apple and Google have everything sewn up, Microsoft's mobile operating system is an interesting proposal, backed by a massive company. Just because Windows Mobile has been eclipsed over the past couple of years doesn't mean Windows Phone 7's fate is sealed.

Windows Phone 7 is being marketed as something different, and it certainly looks it. It's moved away from the icon-apps that Apple have seemingly standardized for smart phones, giving Windows Phone a sleek and unique appearance made of customizable dynamic tiles. It has all the features you'd expect, like internet browsing, email, gaming and media playback, but presents them differently. Games are integrated into Xbox Live, which gives it good brand recognition, the media player is Zune (they won't give up on it!), documents are handled by Office, and so on.

Steve Balmer presented 9 devices that will be available at launch, from HTC, LG, Samsung, Dell and others. This variety looks like a strength, but we'll have to wait until after the New Year to see whether they pull enough customers from iOS and Android devices. Balmer said he wanted the customers to feel the phones were 'wonderfully yours', and that it was customization and flexibility that would achieve that. Can it create the kind of obsessive fans the iPhone did?

According to Engadget, Angry Birds developer Rovio Mobile is less than happy with Microsoft. For a while, apparently until the developer complained, Microsoft was using the Angry Birds icon in their Windows Phone 7 marketing campaign. Rovio Mobile responded angrily:

They later added that developing a Windows Phone version is not out of the question, but that it's not currently planned. Whether or not this was mistaken or cynical on Microsoft's behalf, it highlights how important it thinks apps will be to the success of its platform.

Microsoft finally launches its hotly-anticipated new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7 today. If you're thinking of getting one of the new phones, why not first check out the official Windows Phone 7 emulator, which lets you have a play around with the OS? Grab the developer tools suite, then check out this video guide to the emulator before having a look around Windows Phone 7 yourself!

As we’ve seen from Microsoft’s rather lame ads, Windows Phone 7 is set to shake up the mobile world by offering a phone that you don’t have to use as much. But if you can’t wait until next month (or the month after) to see what this new golden age of smartphones will feel like, then fear not because you can test Windows Phone 7 right now - and for free.

All you need to do is download the Windows Phone Developer Tools (Vista and Windows 7 only) and run the installer. This will load the Windows Phone 7 emulator onto your machine, along with tools for developing using Visual Studio 2010, Silverlight and XNA.

When you start the emulator, you’ll probably be thinking the new Windows mobile operating system is a bit barren. That’s because the emulator only comes pre-loaded with Internet Explorer, Search and a few basic system settings. Nevertheless, it still gives you a good feel for what Windows Phone 7 will be like. Here’s what’s worth checking out.

Bing Search

The stunning looking Bing-powered search page for Windows Phone 7 can be accessed by hitting the magnifying glass button on the phone. Various hotspots around the screen reveal information about the current image being displayed.

Microsoft have announced plans to launch a Zune video and music store to compete with iTunes. The store, which is due "within weeks" according to Microsoft, will also feature a subscription service for Xbox 360, Windows PCs and Windows Phone 7.

The subscription fee for a "Zune Pass" will be $14.99 per month for unlimited downloads and streaming. Craig Eisler, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business Group, said of the launch:

The integration between Zune, Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Live is an exciting advance in our entertainment offering. Zune enables users access to the entertainment they want, wherever they want it - and now, more people than ever will be able to enjoy the freedom and flexibility that the Zune service offers.

Zune has been upgraded with new features and functionality and will serve as the Windows Phone 7 synchronization client. Microsoft say the new software (version 4.7) will be available to download for free in more than 20 countries, including the U.K., France, Italy, Germany and Spain, to allow management of movies, music, podcasts and photos.

The more we hear about the new Windows Phone 7 platform, the more plausible it becomes that the new OS will be able punch its weight against iOS and Android. The latest tantalizing tidbit of information is the announcement by Microsoft of the 50 Xbox LIVE games that will launch for Windows Phone 7.

There are some real gems amongst the list, including Bejeweled, Earthworm Jim, Guitar Hero 5, Let's Golf 2, Max and the Magic Marker, and Star Wars: Battle for Hoth. Visit the official Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone page for the full list.

It's encouraging to see heavyweight developers like Gameloft, Konami and Glu getting behind the Windows Phone 7 platform. There have been fears that many developers might spurn the platform due to the restrictions and limitations of the development framework.

From the evidence so far, Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone 7 will deliver a great gaming experience, possibly even eclipsing that of the iPhone, eventually. The only real concern I have at the moment is that it won't support real time multiplayer (at least it won't when it launches), but hopefully this is something that will be looked by Microsoft if it manages to shift some handsets.

Check out this rather fun promo video for more on Xbox Live for Windows Phone 7.

Were you getting excited about the forthcoming Windows Mobile version of Firefox? Well, forget it kid, because Mozilla has just announced that it's scrapping the whole project. Despite being in the works for some time, development of the Windows Mobile version Fennec (a.k.a Firefox Mobile) has now stopped - and it's all Microsoft's fault, says Mozilla.

According to Stuart Parmenter, technical lead, Firefox Mobile, it will be impossible for Mozilla to develop the app for new Windows Phones 7 platform due to the way Microsoft has closed off development to native applications. In a frank blog post, Parmenter says that Mozilla had been expecting a native development kit with the new OS, and now that's not been forthcoming, Fennec for Windows Mobile is being put on hold.

While we think Windows Phone 7 looks interesting and has the potential to do well in the market, Microsoft has unfortunately decided to close off development to native applications. Because of this, we won’t be able to provide Firefox for Windows Phone 7 at this time. Given that Microsoft is staking their future in mobile on Windows Mobile 7 (not 6.5) and because we don’t know if or when Microsoft will release a native development kit, we are putting our Windows Mobile development on hold.

In a subtle dig in the ribs of Microsoft, Parmenter goes on to say that he and his team will use the knowledge they gained from working on the Windows Mobile version to help with development of Fennec on other mobile platforms. Perhaps when Microsoft sees Firefox running on Maemo and Android it might rue its decision not to open up to native development. Or then again, it's plan all along could've been to wipe out anything that might compete with the native IE app in Windows 7 Phones.