Right now, I'm in my 3rd year of college. I go to a commuter school, and the trip is typically 1.5-2 hours by public transportation, so I usually try to travel with as little bulk as possible. I started considering buying a tablet recently for a couple of reasons.
From what I've stated above, do you think the iPad would suit my needs? For what else do you use the iPad? Does it really make a difference between the iPad 2 and the iPad with retina display for someone who's never owned an iPad? Are there any other tablets besides the iPad that would better suit my needs? I would appreciate your input. Thanks!
- Portability. I was extremely anti iPad/tablet for a long time, but eventually I could no longer deny the benefits of its portability. It's so thin, and definitely lighter than carrying several notebooks and folders and countless sheets of hopelessly unorganized papers that make my poor shoulder ache for days on end.
- Notetaking. Okay, I have done some research, and I am aware that there is some debate on this matter, but many of my classmates have iPads, and they seem to have no issues with taking notes on it, and there are some great apps out now for notetaking, and some even record speech. The latter feature would be perfect for long, boring lectures.
- Internet Access. As I mentioned above, I commute to school. I do have a laptop, but I almost never bring it with me. For one thing, it's pretty heavy. In addition, it holds its charge for about two hours, usually a little less than that. It's pretty sad. Especially considering the fact that I spent over $1000 on it, and it's only 3 years old now. Thanks, Sony. I did think about just buying a macbook to replace my Sony laptop, but I just don't want to get rid of it because it is still new (to me, at least. I'm not the type to buy the latest technology), and it does work really well. It just has a terrible battery life.
Anyway, the iPad would be great for internet access while I'm at school because several of my classes post a lot of readings online, and require that we have the readings while in class. Having an iPad would save me the hassle of printing out the readings, which are usually 20 pages, but can be as long as 50-100 pages.
From what I've stated above, do you think the iPad would suit my needs? For what else do you use the iPad? Does it really make a difference between the iPad 2 and the iPad with retina display for someone who's never owned an iPad? Are there any other tablets besides the iPad that would better suit my needs? I would appreciate your input. Thanks!