What is the next best thing on Windows?
 

I hope this isn't too far off-topic. I was telling someone about OmniOutliner, but unfortunately he does not have a Mac. I know virtually nothing about Windows software outside of Microsoft. Anyone know a good outliner?

Try Excel
 

This may sound odd, but in Windows I used Excel for an outliner. Much nicer than Word. Excel allows outlining both vertically and horizontally, split screens in both axis, multiple columns like OmniOutliner, notes for each cell (although I found the app gets confused after about two thousand rows and note handling gets irratic). There is a limit to the amount of text you can put in a cell but unless you're writing a novel it isn't normally a problem.
YMMV of course, I used Excel primarily as a two dimensional database (albeit still text) with outlining as a way to try to get a handle on the sheer volume of data. A side of effect of this is that I never printed the whole thing out.

Might also want to check out OneNote from MS, it's more similar to OO then Excel would be. But, it all depends what you want to do.

I have a different question: if I'm going to share OmniOutliner documents with someone on Windows, what's my path of least resistance? He's a programmer, so he could edit the XML directly, but that seems like cruel and unusual punishment. Any suggestions?

isn't "ever-note " closer to OO than one note ?

I make no claim of in-depth knowledge of Windows outliners :) OneNote has been suggested to me multiple times as a Windows solution. But, perhaps EverNote works just as well! Thanks for the suggestion.

OneNote isn't even close. Try notemap by casesoft (simple and good) or Inspiration for windows (not bad, but really an Apple application).

I have just about everything in outliners for Windows. NoteMap from CaseSoft is the easiest straight outliner to use. One pane. If you want to get into all of the insanity, then UltraRecall might be a good choice. I prefer simple and easy to use.

I'll tell you the best Outliner available for windows - and it's free!
For many years, since buying Arabesque software out, NetManage has been "giving it away" on their site: ECCO.

I don't have the url handy, but Google "Ecco download" and you should get their pretty quick.

I'd say Omni has exceeded Ecco now; but Ecco is STILL a great outliner, more than 10 years past it's prime (it had more PIM than Microsoft Outlook at one point; around 96-97). It runs just great in
Windows XP; haven't tried it in Vista, though.

hth,

-steve b.

Ecco Pro is still far and away the best. Despite the fact that it's been unsupported for 11 years. It's available for a free download.

[url]http://supportweb.netmanage.com/ts_viewnow/downloads/patchesUnsupported/ecco.asp[/url]