Note taking on the iPad Pro?

[PBG4 Dude]

I'm digging Goodnotes. Create a new notebook for a meeting and take my notes, import PDFs, mark them up etc.

Then I export as pdf, email to my office account and forward my notes to the rest of my group. Been working like a charm.

 

[kevroc]

I usually don't dictate but I'm dictating this reply. It is a mix of hand corrections and my spoken transcription.

My experience with notating with my iPad Pro is only OK at best.

I have tried using the notes app.
-Palm rejection not so good, it is too easy to mix and match my finger strokes and pen strokes
-I imported a photo into my notes so I could draw on top of the photo. I could not.
– Finding notes that have been drawn with my pencil is utter nightmare
- One needs to be able to group notes into a workbook structure.
- I don't see an easy way to take the handwritten notes and converts it into actual text.


In the past I've had very good success on my Windows tablet using Microsoft Visio of all things. To me this is still the best. I like to get technical drawings that include shapes and connected objects and diagrams. Mixed into this I could have my ink as well as text typed notes. I can't believe I'm hoping Microsoft converts Vizio over to the iPad. I've even tried to use my iPad remote desktop to my old Windows tablet to get access to my existing notes and Visio there.

I am very impressed with the vector drawing program called Graphic which has note like taking capability. However suffers from not having notes grouped into a workbook I can we quickly found. It also doesn't quit your ink be converted into text. It also doesn't allow objects to be connected to another for example in an organizational chart.

Visio for notes? I have to try that...

I find Notability and OneNote the best for organization and being able to easily find note. Notability and GoodNotes also allow you to mark up an image. N & G also can automatically backup your note to Dropbox as a PDF. So, you take a page of notes, back out to the main folder and you'll see it converting it to pdf and saving to dropbox.

GoodNotes let you search on notes you've written. It doesn't convert the handwriting but if it's neat enough you can find it. I believe OneNote does the same thing if you sync to your desktop version. Sometimes I'll take the notes in Notability (my current favorite) and then "share" it to OneNote.

Each of the apps, Notability, GoodNotes, OneNote all have little pros/cons, but they are all superb apps. It's just finding one that fits what you need best.

Graphic is great in that it's a vector program, so the things you draw become lines that you can later select and edit / work with.

Notability doesn't do the vector boxes like you describe for an org chart, but in a "note" you can embed a drawing. So you could draw your org chart and drop it into the note, that way you can move the chart around the note or "edit" that object to make adjustments. It's treated as an object in the note so it's a lot more flexible then just drawing on the note page itself.

 

[JonSarge3108]

I wish when my iPad was in landscape mode that Notability would let me load 2 pages up side by side... Handy to copy one page to another or take notes and jot down actions in my to-do list.

 

[sjleworthy]

palm rejection in notability is fantastic i find, and have zero issues importing and drawing over photos and other imagery.
just wish it had an easier more flexible shape drawing facility than it has.

 

[skywest153]

Does Goodnotes have the ability to use pencil ink/texture instead of pen (similar to how default Notes app allows you to select). And, do any of these apps offer the ability to use a ruler as Apple has done in Notes?

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Looks like Notabilty is the king here and they are very social.

 

[jeepik]

The only issue with notability is it seems to inly require google drive for file export/conversion..and the export process takes a long time from a mail attachment...otherwise i feel notability is the best

 

[Smeaton1724]

I wish when my iPad was in landscape mode that Notability would let me load 2 pages up side by side... Handy to copy one page to another or take notes and jot down actions in my to-do list.

That would be an excellent feature and exactly why software needs to catch up with the screen size of the iPad Pro.

 

[superdx]

palm rejection in notability is fantastic i find, and have zero issues importing and drawing over photos and other imagery.
just wish it had an easier more flexible shape drawing facility than it has.

I was trying to do some markups over some imported images in a note but the dialog to edit the image (resize, edit, delete etc.) kept coming up and I couldn't do any markups at all. I would get halfway into writing 2-3 characters and then I would be stopped by the pop-up.

I also found that you can "Edit" and image and draw on there too but my words would constantly be straightened out, making everything weird. I checked the stylus option and it was the squiggly line instead of the straight line.

Is it just me?

 

[eltoslightfoot]

I was trying to do some markups over some imported images in a note but the dialog to edit the image (resize, edit, delete etc.) kept coming up and I couldn't do any markups at all. I would get halfway into writing 2-3 characters and then I would be stopped by the pop-up.

I also found that you can "Edit" and image and draw on there too but my words would constantly be straightened out, making everything weird. I checked the stylus option and it was the squiggly line instead of the straight line.

Is it just me?

Man, I am no expert on notability, but this has never happened to me. Does the behavior happen in other note-taking apps?

 

[Ghost31]

Notability is the best. Easily. I've tried a ton of note taking apps and always come back to this one. My only complaint and it's a small one: I wish it could write in pencil just like in apple's notes app. I love the way pencil looks.

 

[friedmud]

I wish when my iPad was in landscape mode that Notability would let me load 2 pages up side by side... Handy to copy one page to another or take notes and jot down actions in my to-do list.

Use Notability's ability to backup your notes to Dropbox... then use PDFExpert to open one of your notes from Dropbox next to Notability. Works perfectly.

We're going to have to continue to do that kind of thing on the iPP for a bit until Apple comes up with a solution.
[doublepost=1455114241][/doublepost]

The only issue with notability is it seems to inly require google drive for file export/conversion..and the export process takes a long time from a mail attachment...otherwise i feel notability is the best

If you use the Dropbox backup capability then a PDF version of your notes are kept in your Dropbox... VERY handy.

As for mailing: I believe that is actually an iOS issue. The problem seems to be that the email won't be sent unless the Mail app is running. If, after exporting a note via email from Notability, you go open the Mail app the email will be sent immediately.

I suspect it's not an issue Apple has seen because they use the Mail app for email (which I never do) so their Mail app is always running.

 

[Krevnik]

That would be an excellent feature and exactly why software needs to catch up with the screen size of the iPad Pro.

Unfortunately, how Apple tends to release these new form factors basically means that features like these are usually the last stage of adopting the new form factor. It takes a while to clean up assumptions in code that existed prior to the new form factor, and implement a feature like this. And so when Apple drops the bomb on you as a developer, you get to play catch up (unless you are super lucky and get invited onto their campus before hand).

 

[PattyMc]

I was trying to do some markups over some imported images in a note but the dialog to edit the image (resize, edit, delete etc.) kept coming up and I couldn't do any markups at all. I would get halfway into writing 2-3 characters and then I would be stopped by the pop-up.

I also found that you can "Edit" and image and draw on there too but my words would constantly be straightened out, making everything weird. I checked the stylus option and it was the squiggly line instead of the straight line.

Is it just me?

Not just you, this happening to me as well, trying to figure out what's going on and if I do then I'll be sure to pass along.
This is happening when importing a figure box, stickie, clip, etc. the dialog box keeps popping up and will not let you mark up whatever you brought in or when it does the lines are weird.
Regular note taking seems fine but anything brought in can't be edited without the dialog box coming up.
Edit: This is using Notability

 

[Smeaton1724]

Unfortunately, how Apple tends to release these new form factors basically means that features like these are usually the last stage of adopting the new form factor. It takes a while to clean up assumptions in code that existed prior to the new form factor, and implement a feature like this. And so when Apple drops the bomb on you as a developer, you get to play catch up (unless you are super lucky and get invited onto their campus before hand).

Yes, I still put it down to iOS being relatively new (in development terms versus x86). I recently sold my iPad 4 which could run everything barring Football manager, it ran apps to a reasonable level, but size/weight/age etc. I've moved on the the iPad Pro and will do what I did before, await the software catching up.

Progress takes time but as someone who was on the app store on day 1 things have come on fantastically.

 

[sjleworthy]

The only difficuly i have in notability is being able to type over imported images, stickies and wotnot. I have no issue sketching and drawing over them.

Freehand drawing is fantastic in notability, but typing is more a rigid and set thing. I wish you could just type anywhere on the screen. But unlike an art app this isnt possible in this type of app.

 

[Krevnik]

Yes, I still put it down to iOS being relatively new (in development terms versus x86). I recently sold my iPad 4 which could run everything barring Football manager, it ran apps to a reasonable level, but size/weight/age etc. I've moved on the the iPad Pro and will do what I did before, await the software catching up.

Progress takes time but as someone who was on the app store on day 1 things have come on fantastically.

In a sense, that's true. But part of it simply is: The platform doesn't support X, so I don't have to consider it in my architecture. Then suddenly the platform *does* support X, is shipping in a month. This gets really bad when I have to revisit my code's assumptions in order to add a new feature.

Pencil and auto-layout are different animals in that Pencil is relatively easy to adopt if I already have a touch-based ink engine of some kind, and auto-layout has been around for a couple releases. And just look at how few apps were ready for split screen when to support it, you just need to support auto-layout which was introduced in iOS 7.

 

[Night Spring]

And just look at how few apps were ready for split screen when to support it, you just need to support auto-layout which was introduced in iOS 7.

Apple all but drew a big red circle and a huge arrow pointing at auto-layout, telling developers they better start using it, but did the developers take the hint? Nooooo....

 

[AVBeatMan]

Just found this thread and skipped through it. One thing I didn't notice is has anyone got and concerns regarding the pencil scratching the screen? I've seen some reviews on You Tube that show some scratching? I think it'll happen if a piece of dust or grit or something gets in between the screen and pencil.

 

[Smeaton1724]

Just found this thread and skipped through it. One thing I didn't notice is has anyone got and concerns regarding the pencil scratching the screen? I've seen some reviews on You Tube that show some scratching? I think it'll happen if a piece of dust or grit or something gets in between the screen and pencil.

Yes I had concerns and fitted a screen protector. I think it is a really plausible thing, pull pencil out of bag, write on screen, realise there's a scratch due to a small amount of grit.

 

[friedmud]

Let's not derail this thread with "scratching". How about making a new thread for that if you're interested?

 

[kevroc]

Let's not derail this thread with "scratching". How about making a new thread for that if you're interested?

+1
[doublepost=1455133445][/doublepost]

Not just you, this happening to me as well, trying to figure out what's going on and if I do then I'll be sure to pass along.
This is happening when importing a figure box, stickie, clip, etc. the dialog box keeps popping up and will not let you mark up whatever you brought in or when it does the lines are weird.
Regular note taking seems fine but anything brought in can't be edited without the dialog box coming up.
Edit: This is using Notability

I just tried this and it worked fine. If you long press the image you'll get the edit options dialog. Since you mention it's after writing a few characters (the other poster) then I'm guessing it thinks you are pressing to select the image to something with the palm detection is not working correctly. Try to write without resting your hand on the glass to see if that makes a difference.
[doublepost=1455133487][/doublepost]Another GoodNote vs Notability item:
Notability, when you write over the image, the writing "moves" with the image, they are treated a one. This is huge.
GoodNote, the image moves but the writing stays static, so if you move an image they become misalinged.
+1 for Notability.

Another GoodNote vs Notability item:
GoodNote allows you to share a page as an Image in addition to PDF
Notability only allows for PDF.
Sometimes an Image file can be much more flexible as it doesn't contain all of the formatting baggage of a PDF file.
Also, when sharing to OneNote, and image shared gets displayed fully, a shared PDF just shows up as a link on a note.

 

[skywest153]

Notability is the best. Easily. I've tried a ton of note taking apps and always come back to this one. My only complaint and it's a small one: I wish it could write in pencil just like in apple's notes app. I love the way pencil looks.

I'm right there with you. Does Goodnotes have the pencil?

 

[PattyMc]

Another one who wishes for a pencil option in Notability and/or Goodnotes. And while I'm wishing, I would love to have the ruler in these apps!

 

[AVBeatMan]

Just tried Notability. How do you change the size and colour of the pen/pencil you're writing in?