Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPad viable option as note taking device?

B

BowTheMan89

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 18, 2011
160
0
Colorado
I'm starting law school in the fall, I own a MBP 15in, but am strongly considering buying an iPad. I ride a bike to class and even the weight of th MBP at my side is uncomfortable.

I was wondering if anyone uses an iPad as a note taking device, and if so are there any accessories that improve the process (dock/keyboard etc..)
 
You wont see anyone in graduate school using an ipad to take notes. In pharmacy school, everyone is 'required' to have a laptop. You need to multi-task and that cannot be done on ipad.
 
I use my iPad for notes every time, its MUCH easier than carrying around the MBP. The best part is now with iCloud all of the notes sync automatically, it comes in handy when you take all your notes on your iPad, put everything away and your teacher tells you an extra note to write down and all you have to do is add it to the same note on your iPhone
 
You wouldn't be able to give up your macbook. Some people like taking notes on iPad, some don't.
Personally I hate it. I take notes with pen and paper and do work on my macbook/iMac. I use my iPad for pleasure and travel. Never for education. Well sometimes I send an email or two that is work relevant and read PDF's on my iPad. But thats it.
 
There aren't any good hand written note taking apps because the minute you put your palm on the screen, all bets are off. Some apps try, but the iPad is not a good hand written notes taker.

You can pair a bluetooth keyboard. Apple has a nice portable one, and there is at least one case I've seen that has a built in keyboard. Taking notes with this arrangement is very similar to the laptop experience.

As for the "multi tasking" comment, I cannot comment on that. The iPad doesn't have the ability to run many apps that run on Macs or Windows PCs, so you need to determine what apps you absolutely have to have. For example, you can use QuickOffice Pro HD for some basic Word, Excel and PowerPoint docs, but the experience is nowhere near a real laptop. I can make do in a pinch, but for serious document editing you need the real thing. If there are any specialized apps your program requires you to use, or systems you have to access that require Internet Explorer or a VPN, that may be a problem.

But as a note taker, the iPad is just as good as any laptop one you pair a keyboard with it.
 
Also something I've been considering.

Can someone tell me if I can do this on ipad:

- Highlight text or makes notes on pdf files, equivalent to a underlining/highlighting text on a paper book.
 
powerslave12r said:
Also something I've been considering.

Can someone tell me if I can do this on ipad:

- Highlight text or makes notes on pdf files, equivalent to a underlining/highlighting text on a paper book.
Click to expand...

My favorite app for doing this in school, Noterize, was bought by nuance and removed from the app store so bollocks to that. I really liked that app too.
 
I have an iPad with a wireless keyboard, and it is just as good for notes as the MBP. However, if you take notes on the MBP in class, you also have the option of embellishing your notes when you get home and things are still fresh in your mind using voice recognition software, Dragon Dictate.
 
My experience

I tried a semester-long experiment a couple years ago (with the first iPad). I used the iPad as my sole computing device. (English major, FYI.) There were some things that I loved about the iPad, some that I didn't. The form factor is a dream for school, as is the battery life, reading capability, etc.

As for notes, it sort of depends on your note taking style. If you are a concise note-taker, then it should be fine. My notes are all pretty much sentence fragments, so it worked. It wasn't as fast by any means. I did enjoy not having a screen between me and the professor; it's almost like having an open laptop creates a psychological barrier or something. I never got an external keyboard, because that seemed to defeat the purpose of the iPad's simplicity to me. I try to keep what I carry around to a minimum, and having two loose objects in my bag seems more complex than just carrying around a laptop.

Formatting pretty much sucks, and copy/pasting can be frustrating. With that being said, I was just barely thinking that I would probably buy the latest iPad if I had a couple semesters of school left. For me, the positives outweighed the negatives.
 
BowTheMan89 said:
I'm starting law school in the fall, I own a MBP 15in, but am strongly considering buying an iPad. I ride a bike to class and even the weight of th MBP at my side is uncomfortable.

I was wondering if anyone uses an iPad as a note taking device, and if so are there any accessories that improve the process (dock/keyboard etc..)
Click to expand...

I have iPads, MBP's and MBA's. For note taking I vastly prefer a laptop.

I've tried four of the best iPad keyboards available and all of the them are nothing but a compromise at best.

After using a laptop, typing on an aftermarket iPad keyboard is slow and uncomfortable.

But then again, I'm a very fast typist. Those who have no need for speed and can live with the mistakes caused by shallow key travel and odd spacing, may find iPad keyboards acceptable.
 
powerslave12r said:
That sucks. I presume there's no worthy alternative?

Edit: Saw this in the 'Similar Threads' below this very page: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1122663/

and this one https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1130772/
Click to expand...

I haven't seen one that did all that noterize could do. Import a power point and write notes all over it was what I mainly used it for. I also own Penaultimate and while its really nice, it didn't support typed notes last I checked. The nice thing about noterize was you could make typed notes or do handwritten and much more. Notes could be free form or in moveable boxes.

Most of the note apps assume you want to create all the content and don't offer many options to import outside content to add to.

Side note: I've heard that PDFPen is great for PDF annotations.
 
jman240 said:
I haven't seen one that did all that noterize could do. Import a power point and write notes all over it was what I mainly used it for. I also own Penaultimate and while its really nice, it didn't support typed notes last I checked. The nice thing about noterize was you could make typed notes or do handwritten and much more. Notes could be free form or in moveable boxes.
Click to expand...

Well that sucks. I just want to be able to highlight parts of pdfs and scribble notes as I read.

This looks doable I guess. No handwriting it seems. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CfWhH7xBQA

Or this too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fSA5pZ8Kgw
 
nope, ipad is just going to make your note taking more inconvenient and ineffective. stick with the laptop because those extra lbs. mean more than just extra weight. i would actually consider getting a smaller laptop like the 13 mba if weight really is an issue. you get the benefits of the laptop with the weight benefits of an ipad.
 
azure247 said:
You wont see anyone in graduate school using an ipad to take notes. In pharmacy school, everyone is 'required' to have a laptop. You need to multi-task and that cannot be done on ipad.
Click to expand...

I'm working on my Masters in Education and last year participated in a graduate level program in geopolitics in Paris. I use(d) my iPad exclusively for notetaking. I take most of my notes in Notetaker HD using a Kensington virtuoso stylus. Notetaker doesn't present a palm problem for me because I use the zoom window to enter all of my notes.

I also use Evernote to organize my handwritten note with web clips, pictures, etc.

For reading, annotating and highlighting PDFs, I use Goodreader. For writing papers and presentations, I start with Pages and Keynote but do heavy formatting and proof reading on my iMac.

I've also started to experiment with textbooks on the iPad but I'm not yet convinced.
 
powerslave12r said:
Also something I've been considering.

Can someone tell me if I can do this on ipad:

- Highlight text or makes notes on pdf files, equivalent to a underlining/highlighting text on a paper book.
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken, Goodreader does a great job at what you're asking for here.

----------
BowTheMan89 said:
I'm starting law school in the fall, I own a MBP 15in, but am strongly considering buying an iPad. I ride a bike to class and even the weight of th MBP at my side is uncomfortable.

I was wondering if anyone uses an iPad as a note taking device, and if so are there any accessories that improve the process (dock/keyboard etc..)
Click to expand...

I'm a History student and I use my iPad for notes. I just use the touch screen to type. I like not having the ability to multi-task - eliminates Safari distractions! And battery life trumps.
 
I like to handwrite notes from lectures - something about listening and handwriting makes things stick in my brain - even though I type faster than I write and many many many years ago at law school, I used to type notes in lectures onto my laptop.

Now I use NotesPlus to handwrite notes and before that Notetaker HD - both programs are really good. I have the original iPad and I am expecting the extra power in the new iPad 3 to help these programs work even better. I switched to notes plus because for an extra in-app purchase of a couple of bucks it will also convert handwriting to text.

All my notes are synced via dropbox so they are available on all my devices.

My course notes (not for law school - I'm studying finance now) are PDFs and I read, highlight and annotate them using good reader also synced via dropbox.

I also mark up charts in PDF workbooks using GoodReader.

It can definitely be done, it just depends on whether your prefer to write or type and on what kind of keyboard. If you don't want to handwrite and you don't care about battery life then an 11" macbook air gives you a traditional laptop setup and OsX for not much more weight or space. I have one because I cannot run my charting software except through windows but mostly I prefer my iPad.

Given you already have a MBP then its worth giving an iPad a trial - you can always return or resell it if you don't like it. You will probably develop a workflow for study that uses both.
 
Last edited:
joshuaginter said:
If I'm not mistaken, Goodreader does a great job at what you're asking for here.

----------



I'm a History student and I use my iPad for notes. I just use the touch screen to type. I like not having the ability to multi-task - eliminates Safari distractions! And battery life trumps.
Click to expand...


appleisler said:
I like to handwrite notes from lectures - something about listening and handwriting makes things stick in my brain - even though I type faster than I write and many many many years ago at law school, I used to type notes in lectures onto my laptop.

Now I use NotesPlus to handwrite notes and before that Notetaker HD - both programs are really good. I have the original iPad and I am expecting the extra power in the new iPad 3 to help these programs work even better. I switched to notes plus because for an extra in-app purchase of a couple of bucks it will also convert handwriting to text.

All my notes are synced via dropbox so they are available on all my devices.

My course notes (not for law school - I'm studying finance now) are PDFs and I read, highlight and annotate them using good reader also synced via dropbox.

I also mark up charts in PDF workbooks using GoodReader.

It can definitely be done, it just depends on whether your prefer to write or type and on what kind of keyboard. If you don't want to handwrite and you don't care about battery life then an 11" macbook air gives you a traditional laptop setup and OsX for not much more weight or space. I have one because I cannot run my charting software except through windows but mostly I prefer my iPad.

Given you already have a MBP then its worth giving an iPad a trial - you can always return or resell it if you don't like it. You will probably develop a workflow for study that uses both.
Click to expand...

So what's the people's favorite stylus here (for the iPad specifically).

Also does goodreader(or any preferred software for handwritten notes) detect your palm and ignore that touch if you use a stylus with your hand resting on the screen?
 
The new iPad will be my first iPad, but I've been taking lecture notes successfully on an HP Touchpad, which has a considerably worse keyboard than the iPhone 4 does, at least. You won't go as quickly as on a computer keyboard, and you won't be able to write as much during a lecture, but in at least some contexts this is actually a good thing: you have to do a little bit of processing to figure out what's important enough to take down, which keeps you engaged (you aren't just transcribing on autopilot), and you still have time to write down what's important. I take my notes directly into EverNote, which is absolutely great since I can get them anywhere, including over the web, and can tag and search with ease.

I'm thinking about getting a keyboard because I plan for the iPad to be my main mobile device (I'll get rid of my laptop and switch to iPad + desktop), and I need to be able to work on writing papers while I'm out of the house. But even if I do pick up a keyboard, I don't expect I'll use it for notetaking. Typing on a screen during a lecture really isn't bad.
 
powerslave12r said:
Well that sucks. I just want to be able to highlight parts of pdfs and scribble notes as I read.

This looks doable I guess. No handwriting it seems. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CfWhH7xBQA

Or this too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fSA5pZ8Kgw
Click to expand...

DocAS looks neat, very close to what Noterize was. Apparently I can still download Noterize for the time being since it shows up in iCloud purchases...

You may also want to look into this http://www.smilesoftware.com/PDFpen/iOS/index.html
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back