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How useful is iPad 2 to college student?
- Thread starter kulimer
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I think the Air would probably do whatever you wanted. Add the 4S and you should be good.
The iPad would probably just reproduce what you can already do.
The iPad would probably just reproduce what you can already do.
I have the following:
Shure SE535 ($500)
Shure E500PTH ($500)
Shure E4c ($400)
Westone 3 ($300)
Westone 4 ($400)
Ultimate Ears UE11 Pro ($1150)
Grado SR60i ($80)
I think you can do powerpoints from the iPad...and read for presentations...that's all I can think of x_x.
If you have MBA, I would rather go with the iPhone. You will have it with you all the time, so you can still take it out to read the pdfs and keynotes when you really need it... And you can still carry your laptop if you know you will need it for some class or work... MBA is the most though. I have a 2008 MBP and I rarely take it to school... It is way too heavy... For me, iPad would be perfect... yeah well... 
I see more and more iPads being used at my university. I think it really depends on what you want to do. If you need to do presentations from it, work with specialized software like spas, then of course its not the best idea. However if you use it as a media player/browser/wordprocessor, its amazing. I use it more than I did my laptop, just because it's always with me..
I've found that apps like GoodReader, FileBrowser and Dropbox go a long way toward alleviating the lack of a file system. The workflow of getting files in and out of the iPad is a bit different from "traditional" methods, but once I got the hang of it, I haven't really missed the desktop-style file system. And now that apps are coming out that take advantage of iCloud's document sync feature, the only major file-related task you can't do is to upload files to a website.
I totally wish the iPad had been around when I was going to school. It would have made my life easier in so many different ways. Would it have totally replaced a need for computer and pen/paper? No. But I imagine library research would have been so much easier with an iPad. I used to write down bibliographic info on note cards, then retype them into my computer when I got home. Could also do it by taking along a laptop, I suppose, but the iPad is much more portable.
I think if I were going to college today, my perfect device combo would be the 13 inch MBA plus iPad. iPhone / iPod touch would be nice, but if I had a limited budget, they would be the first to go -- too small to be very useful. Well, that's my take, of course. I know many people would pick the iPhone/iPod touch over the iPad because they feel the iPad is too big. It's really a matter of personal preference.
I wouldn't think that the iPad is too big...but in this situation, I say a phone is more useful than an iPad (since he didn't state whether he wanted wifi or 3g).
Didn't work for me
It has not been useful for me. Typing is very problematic for, but most importantly blackboard's mobile app produces unreadable content for my school.
Plus no Final Draft app (and no sign of this) and Pages is not a good substitute for Word.
I will say if the OP gets an iPad 2, Goodreader is an amazing app (hope it is available for Macs) for reading PDFs and documents offline. The best iPad software I bought from the App Store and definitely worth it for a student.
It is great that some people are getting a lot of mileage out of their iPads for college, I didn't so I sold mine. I'm one of those people that needs full blown computers to work.
Good luck!
It has not been useful for me. Typing is very problematic for, but most importantly blackboard's mobile app produces unreadable content for my school.
Plus no Final Draft app (and no sign of this) and Pages is not a good substitute for Word.
I will say if the OP gets an iPad 2, Goodreader is an amazing app (hope it is available for Macs) for reading PDFs and documents offline. The best iPad software I bought from the App Store and definitely worth it for a student.
It is great that some people are getting a lot of mileage out of their iPads for college, I didn't so I sold mine. I'm one of those people that needs full blown computers to work.
Good luck!
Hey, I'm sorry, I don't really understand what grad student means? Post grad? Like Honors/Masters or phd?
If so, then the MBP/MBA would be more handy to write your thesis, the iPad would be good for reading your articles, and text books but you wouldn't want to type on it.
If I'm not understanding correctly, and you still attend lectures- both are not very good at taking notes, you need pen and paper.
This year I took Chemistry, Physics, Maths (Calculus & Algebra). How would you type up the equation for the radio active half life of Strontium239 (whatever I made that up) and half derivatives or matrices etc????
I tried NotesPlus on the iPad, but as I said, when I went into typed text and then to drawings (for equations) I would accidentally delete the other and it was just frustrating!
I don't know about the other poster, but usually grad student refers to someone in a Masters or PhD program.
The MBP / MBA is undoubtedly more capable than the iPad. However, if you pair a bluetooth keyboard with the iPad, you open yourself up to a lot of possibilities. I am primarily writing my PhD dissertation on the iPad right now. IF you are in the humanities, and IF you are mainly using plain text (no need for complicated graphs and images), then there is functionally no real difference. I do go home and fire up the MBP every once in a while to move stuff around in Scrivener, but all of the content is getting created on the iPad. There are many benefits, and I have mentioned them before in the thread.
I'd try a different app. I am not a math student. I can't really speak to that, because I don't tend to switch between typing and drawing. With the easy swiping, if I were you, I'd be tempted to use Evernote for typing and something like Note Taker HD for drawing (labeling the equations), and mailing the drawings to Evernote at the end of class. But, in the end, it doesn't really matter if you use pen/paper or not, as long as you scan it in and digitize it later
I think I am about to get one, my 1st gen unibody macbook is all dented and starting to get sluggish after 3 years, and I find that I use it to browse the internet and look at slides and then the occasional paper, but now I am in more business classes and its less papers and math etc.. and more concepts and powerpoint slides.
Rather than drop 50 on more memory, 130 on a new battery (nearing 800 cycles) and 330 on a new display (hinge is very loose, display could go at any minute) Im gonna get the ipad and hook up my macbook to my TV and take it to the library for the occasional paper I gotta write.
Rather than drop 50 on more memory, 130 on a new battery (nearing 800 cycles) and 330 on a new display (hinge is very loose, display could go at any minute) Im gonna get the ipad and hook up my macbook to my TV and take it to the library for the occasional paper I gotta write.
That's what I am thinking right now. Great minds think alike!
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Ok, obviously, I shouldn't ask you for advice. I mean, I'd love to, but I won't. Haha!
I wish that I had an iPad when I was in grad school. Being able to download a journal article to hand write my notes on.... Many an innocent tree would have been saved!
For directly interacting with a text (highlighting, taking notes, doodling in the margins) a touch screen is the way to go.
For directly interacting with a text (highlighting, taking notes, doodling in the margins) a touch screen is the way to go.
yep. more than that, though, you have it with you.
when i go to my seminar tomorrow, i will have every essay and book with me. i'll have all of the notes i have taken on them over the last few years (i've read and re-read these things). and, i'll be able to search through them for anything we want to find during the discussion.
i'll be able to handwrite notes on our discussion. i'll be able to write notes in the text if we discuss certain passages. and, at the end of the class, i'll email my notes to my evernote account / sync the changes in the documents with sugarsync. i'll walk out of class and still have 7 more hours of battery for reading, writing, and notetaking. the ipad changes everything. you "can" do a lot of this (not all) with the macbook (and a nearby outlet), but would you?
i mean, when was the last time you read an entire article or book on your macbook?
It's nice, but it a luxury - especially if you already have an Air. I would get an iPhone, and pass on the iPad.
For me, the devices I use from most to least would be:
MacBook Pro
iPhone
iPad
To each their own though...
For me, the devices I use from most to least would be:
MacBook Pro
iPhone
iPad
To each their own though...
If you have MBA, I would rather go with the iPhone. You will have it with you all the time, so you can still take it out to read the pdfs and keynotes when you really need it... And you can still carry your laptop if you know you will need it for some class or work... MBA is the most though. I have a 2008 MBP and I rarely take it to school... It is way too heavy... For me, iPad would be perfect... yeah well...
wow, a professor in here? I really hope you aren't the guy I just talk to in the office right now, that was one hard test.
iphone is not expensive, but data + messaging is gonna kill it. I'll be paying $1000 a year.
For his needs, no, he wouldn't need it (and I agree that it would probably be a distraction), but for someone entering college, I would definitely recommend the iPad.
I just started back at school this year, armed with my 2009 MBP and an iPad.
I almost never use the iPad for school to be honest. I was able to get one textbook on it via the Kno app (I saved quite a bit on it) but that's about it.
I will sometimes read or edit some of my papers in pages or quickoffice, but my mbp does all that and a lot more.
If your school uses blackboard for e-learning/grading, there is a kind of nice app for blackboard. But it's also available on the iPhone- which is how I normally find myself accessing it.
While I feel the iPad has a lot of potential for a student (this is still just the beginning) if you already own a macbook of any recent model than there is no need to spend the extra money. Unless of course you just really want an iPad! There are a million non-school related things I do with my iPad.
I almost never use the iPad for school to be honest. I was able to get one textbook on it via the Kno app (I saved quite a bit on it) but that's about it.
I will sometimes read or edit some of my papers in pages or quickoffice, but my mbp does all that and a lot more.
If your school uses blackboard for e-learning/grading, there is a kind of nice app for blackboard. But it's also available on the iPhone- which is how I normally find myself accessing it.
While I feel the iPad has a lot of potential for a student (this is still just the beginning) if you already own a macbook of any recent model than there is no need to spend the extra money. Unless of course you just really want an iPad! There are a million non-school related things I do with my iPad.
I may be best equipped to help you here TC, as I own a MacBook Air and an iPad 2, and am a college student myself.
I find the combination to be very useful. I leave my MacBook at home on a computer desk set up in my room and tote the iPad to school. I use a word processing/handwriting recognition note taking app (Notability - absolutely great app) and then bring it back. When writing a paper, I use the MacBook and constantly refer to the iPad 2 for specific sources, images etc instead of switching back and forth on the computer. This is also extremely useful to me for studying.
In addition, the iPad has become my main email client, as it's just much easier to manage. Combine that with it's portability and the entertainment aspect (let's me honest, not every lecture is interesting enough to have your full attention), and it should be an easy sell!
I find the combination to be very useful. I leave my MacBook at home on a computer desk set up in my room and tote the iPad to school. I use a word processing/handwriting recognition note taking app (Notability - absolutely great app) and then bring it back. When writing a paper, I use the MacBook and constantly refer to the iPad 2 for specific sources, images etc instead of switching back and forth on the computer. This is also extremely useful to me for studying.
In addition, the iPad has become my main email client, as it's just much easier to manage. Combine that with it's portability and the entertainment aspect (let's me honest, not every lecture is interesting enough to have your full attention), and it should be an easy sell!
If I were to choose between an iPad 2 and an iPhone 4S while already having an Air and no iPhone, I think I'd go for the iPhone first, then later eventually an iPad. Unless I really really wanted the iPad, in which case I'd buy the iPad first.
I'm in college too and this is what i find about using the ipad2
+ mobility
+ ease of use
+ taking notes is easy
- a zillion pdf's, powerpoints & documents which are hard to organize without proper finder integration
- trying to integrate information from different kind of documents is quite annoying
- dropbox is not the fastest application
If you're serious on using the ipad2 expect to spend a lot of time on finding your right way of working, sorting your files and making sure you always use the latest updated ones.
+ mobility
+ ease of use
+ taking notes is easy
- a zillion pdf's, powerpoints & documents which are hard to organize without proper finder integration
- trying to integrate information from different kind of documents is quite annoying
- dropbox is not the fastest application
If you're serious on using the ipad2 expect to spend a lot of time on finding your right way of working, sorting your files and making sure you always use the latest updated ones.
any Mac is much more useful for producing items then an iPad, which is mainly for consuming items.
I would get a desktop Mac for the serious work, and iPad to take to classes for notes (and then sync up)
How do you take notes on touch screen? Can you do this? Σ(x+y)²
I can definitely relate to you on pdf's, my laptop is full of textbook pdf, hw pdf, research pdf.
But the thing with pdf is that a lot books I want are not in pdf.
Another thing is, I use Google scholar to search for articles, how's the search box, also how fast and easy is the typing situation?
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Note Taker HD + iPad + stylus.
Digitize them yourself. I just did it for a book this morning. It took me twenty minutes to scan it in, run optical character recognition, and load it onto the iPad. See threads I have started for more about the nuts and bolts. In short, it doesn't matter if it is available digitally or not.
Google scholar, google books, and just about any website is perfectly accessible and enjoyable on the iPad. No problems.