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I really like Note Taker HD as well. It magnifies like upad as well. I think between upad, noteshelf and note taker hd all three appear to be very strong. I have no used upad or noteshelf yet, curious to see what the main differences are between these three apps.

I tried using Note Taker HD for awhile, but I didn't like it as much as I liked UPAD (which I only had the trial for at the time). While I do think Note Taker HD is slightly more powerful (though that's arguable), I felt that UPAD's user interface was light years ahead. Note Taker HD's GUI just isn't up to par with its functionality... And that killed it for me. I do however believe there are a good amount of areas UPAD could improve in, but that's probably a discussion for a different time lol
 
I just ordered the Nataal stylus from the Amazon link that was posted in this thread. It should arrive on Tuesday, and I'm pretty excited. I was thinking of purchasing Penultimate, but I'll probably hold off on it because some of you seem to prefer other note taking apps instead.

I downloaded UPAD Lite, and I really like how the zoom feature is implemented. It seems neat so far, but I'll have to wait until the stylus arrives to see how it works with that. The only thing that I don't like are the look of the pages. I know that it comes with a few different backgrounds, but I don't really like how they look. From looking at the screenshots, Penultimate's paper background looks much nicer.

I might end up getting Noteshelf though. From the screenshots, the pages, bookshelf, and just the interface look really nice.
 
I downloaded UPAD Lite, and I really like how the zoom feature is implemented. It seems neat so far, but I'll have to wait until the stylus arrives to see how it works with that. The only thing that I don't like are the look of the pages. I know that it comes with a few different backgrounds, but I don't really like how they look. From looking at the screenshots, Penultimate's paper background looks much nicer.

I might end up getting Noteshelf though. From the screenshots, the pages, bookshelf, and just the interface look really nice.

One thing I like about UPAD is not just the good amount of different backgrounds (and the fact you can implement your own custom backgrounds), but is the ability to turn on and off the notepad/graph-paper lines, of which there are 3 different sizes to choose from for each. Pretty neat.

And yes, I will continue to push UPAD because i want to justify the $5 I spent, knowing other people will do the same and that I didn't make a mistake xP
 
Hey everyone,

Well, in regards to UPAD, it's pretty simple. UPAD comes with a user-guide in its PDF section, but I'll try to explain here.

1st Method (1st Picture): "Magnifying Input Mode"
So basically, you tap the little white squiggly icon in the bottom right (located on the translucent dark gray tab) and it pulls up to reveal a large area to write in, which in turn is simply a zoomed view. This allows you to write largely and naturally, then UPAD shrinks it and makes it look normal and neat. I guess that was a confusing explanation, but once you try it or read through the manual, it's as easy as pie. The translucent red area in the zoomed-in-view is pretty cool... once a stroke of yours hits it, it'll move the writing area to the right, so you can continue writing naturally and fluidly - it's fairly intuitive.

2nd Method (2nd Picture): Without using "Magnifying Input Mode"
So, this is probably where most people get confused. They try to rest their wrist on the screen, but it starts negating the stylus. Well, what you have to do (in UPAD at least), is simply drag up the dark gray translucent tab. The trick is, you can't write anywhere that's covered by the gray translucent area, so that's where you rest your wrist - its UPAD's wrist-protection implementation. It works fairly well and I use it when I'm doing math, sketching, or other things that may not need to be as neat as simple note taking.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
KP

Thanks for the mini tutorial. You cleared up a few issues I was having with UPAD.
 
I am gonna test drive upad lite, I'd like to settle on one of these apps. For me, Penultimate is a no go, Note Taker HD (the only other one I have) blows PU away. I would love to have upad/noteshelf as well but at $5 a pop, just can't justify it. I just want the best interface/experience I dont care where it comes from.
 
Okay that didn't take long, wow. Hands down just in the light version Upad writes the best. Damn, great recognition, the best I;ve seen Noteshelf notwithstanding. I just got an update for Note Taker HD but I am very impressed with upad, and I ma just on the lite.

I m using the AluPen which is my fav stylus so far. Just tried the boxwave, and I just dont write as well with it. Nataal will be in a few days so we shall see.

Again, my main need was solid writing recognition and Upad has just got my attention, looks like my normal writing.
 
I am gonna test drive upad lite, I'd like to settle on one of these apps. For me, Penultimate is a no go, Note Taker HD (the only other one I have) blows PU away. I would love to have upad/noteshelf as well but at $5 a pop, just can't justify it. I just want the best interface/experience I dont care where it comes from.

You may want to hold off a few days until eNote makes it through the app store review process. The developer has posted on MR and the app looks interesting https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1127783/
 
To put Upad over the top, the weekly and monthly planner is GREAT to have!

eNote has it's work cut out for it, doing side by side comparisons and Upad clearly is far and ahead with writing recognition. So nice to have.
 
Yeah, I'm really liking the lite version of UPAD. I think I'm going to end up purchasing this one.

Does anyone here have experience with the Noteshelf app though? I'm still waiting to make my decision, but I will go with UPAD because they actually have a lite version to try out. I already want my stylus to arrive! I have to wait two more days though.

Like I said in my earlier post, I didn't really care for the paper backgrounds that were included in UPAD and liked the one in the Penultimate screenshots better. But UPAD allows you to upload your own photos and set them as a background, so I found this image of Penultimate's paper, and I really like how it looks. Here it is in case any of you want to use it:

penultimagepage2.png


The page isn't ruled, but the cool thing is that you can always add various grids over the page in the UPAD app.
 
after scrolling through all the papers bg's upad had to offer I am very impressed especially with the Storyboard layout allowing to thumbnail sketch and make notes, that's wicked.
 
Are there any responsive differences between the UPad and Penultimate?

Also, are they as responsive with a screen protector?

I think PU is quite behind all other mentioned note apps, just my two cents. As somoeone said earlier it was one of the first apps thus always popular.
 
I'm debating between alupen and acase/boxwave.

I want one that has a good weight (alupen), good grip (alupen), best responsiveness with best detection angles (??) and best durability.

I've heard that the boxwave style styli have better tip durability and better detection, is this true?
Specifically, I've seen reviews of the alupen saying that the tip wears down after a week or so of heavy use, and becomes more "sticky".

thanks for your help
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HNCRNO

Just got this yesterday. Longer than the Targus (which I first purchased). About the same length as any average pen/pencil. About the same weight (maybe slightly lighter by decimals of an ounce, can't really tell) as the Targus. Thinner tip compared to the Targus. Same texture as the Targus. Comes with a headphone jack dangly thingy, which is easily removable from the stylus. I like it better, but I had much success with the Targus, so I wouldn't not recommend it... I just like the Nataal better.

Plus, it's 55% off right now ($8.99!) and qualifies for free shipping if you're a Prime member.

Cheers,
KP

EDIT: Also, I'd totally recommend UPAD over Penultimate... maybe it depends on what you're using a notetaking app for, but I definitely prefer UPAD.

Thanks for the link. Just ordered myself the silver one.

Cheers.
 
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