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palpatine

macrumors 68040
May 3, 2011
3,130
45
How about Pages?

Sure. It just depends on how complex your formatting is. You can also export it as a Word document. For some things, like outlines, you shouldn't see any differences. I suspect complicated footnotes, embedded multimedia, etc. would not survive the import > conversion > editing > conversion > export process well. In my experience, Pages is great, and as an added bonus it is the only app (that I know of on Android or iOS) that will allow you to both edit existing footnotes and create new ones. This is a big deal if you plan to use your iPad for writing papers. I wrote most of my dissertation on the iPad with Pages (using the bluetooth external keyboard, of course).
 

filmbufs

macrumors 6502
Sep 8, 2012
252
187
Oklahoma
This is a cool thread. I have thought about getting an iPad but have resisted until it could 'do more.' Hearing what you all are able to do with it has piqued my interest again. Thanks for mentioning the apps you found useful and the purpose you use them for.
 

palpatine

macrumors 68040
May 3, 2011
3,130
45
This is a cool thread. I have thought about getting an iPad but have resisted until it could 'do more.' Hearing what you all are able to do with it has piqued my interest again. Thanks for mentioning the apps you found useful and the purpose you use them for.

Glad I could help. The iPad is a great device, and though it is clearly less capable than something like the MBA in general, for certain targeted applications and use cases, it can be far superior.

Here are some threads I have started in the past. Some of the content is a little dated, but in general, they are still relevant.

Going Paperless
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1198956/

Getting Things Done with the iPad
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1197650/

Getting Things Done for Academics
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1189442/
 

Boob

macrumors member
Sep 3, 2012
97
0
I'm on my iPad literally 24/7

I also find myself using it during one of my classes to follow through ppt slides/notes
 

miguelfp1

macrumors newbie
Jan 12, 2013
12
0
Just to prove that everyone has different opinions and experiences, I'm an engineering student that just started using an iPad during my classes, taking handwritten notes, and I find that it's quite handy and useful, and it's easier drawing diagrams on it.

Currently use Notability, but will switch to Noteshelf next trimester to have better organization of my notes. For PDF reading and annotation, both Notability and GoodReader work well. For me, GoodReader has a distinct advantage because of it's autosync capabilities, keeping the folders for all my classes in sync with the changes I make on my computer.

Mercury Browser is my preferred Internet browser, because it syncs with Firefox on my MBP.
 
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Infinite Jest

macrumors 6502
Nov 2, 2011
282
14
Harrisonburg, Va
I have had my iPad 3 for about 3 months now but used another tablet of the same aspect ratio (HP TouchPad) since summer of 2011, so I've had about a year and a half of tablet use in my undergraduate education (Biotechnology and I've been participating in research for the past 7 months). I've more-or-less gotten the same functionality out of both tablets and found that I personally despise taking notes on them but adore them for reading academic literature, being a substitute for the small child's worth of chemistry textbooks I've been using, browsing the web (though my laptop and desktop still take the cake for this), organizing myself, as well as being unproductive. ;) I got a chance to use a colleague's tablet (not sure what the brand/model was, but it was a bit different from your average consumer tablet) that included an active digitizer/pen and I was amazed by how much easier it was to fluidly take notes. IMO, taking notes on most tablets is a chore rather than a convenience, but if an active digitizer and stylus are ever introduced by Apple, I may be a repeat customer.
 

ybz90

macrumors 6502a
Jul 10, 2009
609
2
I have had my iPad 3 for about 3 months now but used another tablet of the same aspect ratio (HP TouchPad) since summer of 2011, so I've had about a year and a half of tablet use in my undergraduate education (Biotechnology and I've been participating in research for the past 7 months). I've more-or-less gotten the same functionality out of both tablets and found that I personally despise taking notes on them but adore them for reading academic literature, being a substitute for the small child's worth of chemistry textbooks I've been using, browsing the web (though my laptop and desktop still take the cake for this), organizing myself, as well as being unproductive. ;) I got a chance to use a colleague's tablet (not sure what the brand/model was, but it was a bit different from your average consumer tablet) that included an active digitizer/pen and I was amazed by how much easier it was to fluidly take notes. IMO, taking notes on most tablets is a chore rather than a convenience, but if an active digitizer and stylus are ever introduced by Apple, I may be a repeat customer.

Like you, my primary uses for a tablet are consumption, specifically for reading scientific literature. It's just nice to have a screen that's portrait for those papers. Other than that, I don't really use it much, maybe to check the web now and then.

I found it to be worthless for taking notes, even with a "pen". The sensitivity just isn't designed for pointing devices, but rather for "fat" inputs like fingers. Either way, I'm more of a paper guy for taking notes. I don't like having my notes digital because it's too difficult to find what you're looking for if you use it a lot. Whereas I can flip quickly through pages and skim in real life, you can't do that with handwritten digital notes and it got really frustrating trying to find where you wrote things down.
 

palpatine

macrumors 68040
May 3, 2011
3,130
45
Like you, my primary uses for a tablet are consumption, specifically for reading scientific literature. It's just nice to have a screen that's portrait for those papers. Other than that, I don't really use it much, maybe to check the web now and then.

I found it to be worthless for taking notes, even with a "pen". The sensitivity just isn't designed for pointing devices, but rather for "fat" inputs like fingers. Either way, I'm more of a paper guy for taking notes. I don't like having my notes digital because it's too difficult to find what you're looking for if you use it a lot. Whereas I can flip quickly through pages and skim in real life, you can't do that with handwritten digital notes and it got really frustrating trying to find where you wrote things down.

You might want to consider Moleskine + Evernote. You get the benefits of paper (personally, I am an iPad handwriting kind of guy, but that is just me) with the benefits of digitization (organization and having your data everywhere with you).
 

ybz90

macrumors 6502a
Jul 10, 2009
609
2
You might want to consider Moleskine + Evernote. You get the benefits of paper (personally, I am an iPad handwriting kind of guy, but that is just me) with the benefits of digitization (organization and having your data everywhere with you).

Thanks for the recommendation. I used to use Evernote, but again, the problem with organization for me is one that cannot be solved by any sort of program at this time. I write dozens of pages a day in notes, jotting, and experiments, and there's just no way to tag/sort them appropriately digitally. For me, when I need to revisit something, that's when I look for it, as part of the scientific process, an epiphany, or just if something tickled my memory, but it'd be too tedious/ineffective to try and tag everything during the note-taking process beforehand.

While the Moleskine+Evernote would be nice for digitizing my files, it wouldn't help me with my primary problem, which is accessing them digitally, so I would probably never do that, leaving me with a very expensive paper pad.
 

Mike Oxard

macrumors 6502a
Oct 22, 2009
804
458
While the Moleskine+Evernote would be nice for digitizing my files, it wouldn't help me with my primary problem, which is accessing them digitally, so I would probably never do that, leaving me with a very expensive paper pad.

My sister is studying law and my step-dad is an author/journalist. Both of them swear by their LiveScribe pens for digitising handwritten notes:

http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/
 

palpatine

macrumors 68040
May 3, 2011
3,130
45
Thanks for the recommendation. I used to use Evernote, but again, the problem with organization for me is one that cannot be solved by any sort of program at this time. I write dozens of pages a day in notes, jotting, and experiments, and there's just no way to tag/sort them appropriately digitally. For me, when I need to revisit something, that's when I look for it, as part of the scientific process, an epiphany, or just if something tickled my memory, but it'd be too tedious/ineffective to try and tag everything during the note-taking process beforehand.

While the Moleskine+Evernote would be nice for digitizing my files, it wouldn't help me with my primary problem, which is accessing them digitally, so I would probably never do that, leaving me with a very expensive paper pad.

Perhaps. But, they get tagged automatically (stickers), and stay in the books if you'd like so you have bothe a physical and digital copy. As a researcher myself, I've found that having my notes on hand 24/7 encourages me to review them more. Anyhow, whatever works for you is the best thing!
 

yinz

macrumors 6502a
Apr 12, 2012
641
5
iPad is great for typing and reading exhausting pdf files. You save a lot of paper from printing and save your strength from lugging around all of the research papers you would have to carry otherwise.

I hear Pages is great, but I have not used it. None the less, I think quick word processing is much more effective than writing with a stylus. Apps to highlight your pdf is also great, but sometimes they can take up a lot of room, so I hope you bought a larger sized iPad.
 

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
I'm a student trying to see if an iPad will help me in my studies. Just looking to see how the rest of you guys use it for academics.

One of the first things to look at is your text books. If a solid majority of them can be bought ebook and the prices aren't going to set you back more than paper ones, that's a strong reason right there. Especially if the pricing is the same or not much more than used books. It's a lot nicer having a clean copy than one four different folks before you wrote, drew etc in. Especially if you aren't found of penis cartoons in your bio texts
 

rockyroad55

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 14, 2010
4,152
59
Phila, PA
One of the first things to look at is your text books. If a solid majority of them can be bought ebook and the prices aren't going to set you back more than paper ones, that's a strong reason right there. Especially if the pricing is the same or not much more than used books. It's a lot nicer having a clean copy than one four different folks before you wrote, drew etc in. Especially if you aren't found of penis cartoons in your bio texts

I never buy etextbooks. When the semester is over, what am I doing with them? Nothing. With a book, I can resell to someone or somewhere.
 

BigBeast

macrumors 6502a
Mar 6, 2009
643
39
Idk...

I'm going to have to disagree with your last statement. Nothing beats good old pen and paper for equations and diagrams in math and science. I don't expect to use the iPad for Orgo and Calc.

I think you might want to challenge yourself, your iPad, and developers- see if you can change the way you do things; you can make yourself smaller, better, faster, stronger.

Maybe if you'd tried this...

Oh yeah- and with ADHD, I was constantly losing my notes and was unorganized. With PDF Expert and Dropbox? I still had ADHD, but at least I know where my notes are! :eek:
 

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MIKES3

macrumors newbie
Jan 22, 2013
21
0
PORN BABY!!!


j/k, I wish I had this when I was in school. I'd be able to ace all my classes with the note pad on my iPad
 

rockyroad55

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 14, 2010
4,152
59
Phila, PA
I think you might want to challenge yourself, your iPad, and developers- see if you can change the way you do things; you can make yourself smaller, better, faster, stronger.

Maybe if you'd tried this...

Oh yeah- and with ADHD, I was constantly losing my notes and was unorganized. With PDF Expert and Dropbox? I still had ADHD, but at least I know where my notes are! :eek:

Holy ******, sorry for doubting the notes part. What app did you use to take those notes??? And what stylus?
 

tradis

Suspended
Jan 31, 2013
21
0
Santa Ana, CA
I use so much less paper printing lecture slides now that I have my iPad mini. I use it primarily for following along with the lecture and read my textbooks off of it.
 

m1key

macrumors member
Jun 8, 2009
41
0
1st year medical student here. I have tried to use Notability and iAnnotate to take notes because our college gives us electronic coursepacks (as well as paper ones) but I find that I'm just old school and prefer to use a pen and paper. I didn't have the patience to learn to use the all the functionality in these programs, but I find many students do do this though. What I do end up using my iPad for is to carry all of my PDF ebooks and electronic course packs (our paper ones are black and white and the electronic coursepacks allow me to view the histology slides better). I am carrying about 12 books for my classes on this iPad. It saves me from having to carry them around with me all the time. Helps ALOT.
 
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