Are any of you using an ipad with stylus to take notes?

[pmabraham]

Good day:

Are any of you using an ipad with stylus to take notes? If yes, which ipad (full, mini), and which stylus? What app(s) do you use for note taking, note management, etc?

How is using an ipad working out for you compared to using regular pen and pencil?

Are there times you miss using pen/pencil and paper? What are those circumstances?

Do you find yourself using pen/pencil and paper for some things still? If yes, what?

Thank you for your time.

[jofapcastillo]

Good day jofapcastillo:

Why do you like the Surface more than the iPad?

Thank you.

Because its like having a computer/desktop in a tablet. :)

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Notability app, stylus, iPad, especially if I have already downloaded the PP slides to take notes and draw on ... life is sweet.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Because its like having a computer/desktop in a tablet. :)

So say the ads ... but my iPad has a nice little keyboard (actually, I have two-- one hard, that it plugs into, with a power plug for recharging prn, and one soft roll-up Bluetooth.)

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

The Mac-PC incompatibility fallacy will not die....

If you use Pages on your Mac, you can save any document as a Word document and your PC-loving faculty will have zero -- ZERO -- problems reading it, writing on it, and sending it back to you, where Pages will open it without a second's hesitation. As it will open ANY Word document without hesitation. I do this all the time, every day.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

Thank you GreenTea for answering the question I would have asked which was that the ipad is like a tablet + desktop as well.

[dreams2banurse]

Thank you for asking this question! I haven't been in school for a few years and when I was last in school we used pen and paper and sometimes took our laptops. I have a Mac laptop but I was contemplating getting an Ipad for when I start school in January so that I could have my books and powerpoints with me wherever I go. I might just use my laptop until I can afford an Ipad but its good to know that the Ipad is a good option.

[jofapcastillo]

So say the ads ... but my iPad has a nice little keyboard (actually, I have two-- one hard, that it plugs into, with a power plug for recharging prn, and one soft roll-up Bluetooth.)

There are some files that I cannot open on my ipad but I dont have problems opening it on my surface.

[Stephalump]

There are some files that I cannot open on my ipad but I dont have problems opening it on my surface.

For sure. My laptop died right before nursing school, so I've used my iPad as my main computer, and let me tell ya...it is NOT a substitute. I don't think it was intended to be, though.

I couldn't get onto the website to my homework, can't see notes the professors added to powerpoints, can't print in different layouts from keynote, I struggled to keep the Word chart formatting of my clinical logs normal (ended up driving all the way to school and spending hours doing my logs there), and the list goes on. There are some minor formatting issues bringing powerpoints to keynote as well (mostly with graphics) but no big. Mostly things that a casual user wouldn't even notice, but in my case it drove me bonkers!

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day, Stephalump:

First off, thank you for jumping in and sharing your experiences.

A good web site is operating system agnostic, browser agnostic (within reason of being with x # of versions of the browser to the most current version). From my limited understanding (I don't own any Apple products at this time), the browser the iPad uses is the same that a MacBook Air, Macbook Pro, Mac Desktop (whatever they are called) would use. Are you stating the web site your school used required only Microsoft-based products in order to use it?

From the research I've done, there's PDF Expert, Notability, and other applications that allow you to open Microsoft PowerPoint files. Would you mine sharing more details about the PowerPoint problems you had?

While I know Microsoft Word fairly (I've been a PC user since the days of DOS; and working with computers since pre DOS) well, I don't know enough about Pages (I believe that's the Apple comparable), but why wouldn't Pages handle your Word chart?

Thank you.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

For sure. My laptop died right before nursing school, so I've used my iPad as my main computer, and let me tell ya...it is NOT a substitute. I don't think it was intended to be, though.

I couldn't get onto the website to my homework, can't see notes the professors added to powerpoints, can't print in different layouts from keynote, I struggled to keep the Word chart formatting of my clinical logs normal (ended up driving all the way to school and spending hours doing my logs there), and the list goes on. There are some minor formatting issues bringing powerpoints to keynote as well (mostly with graphics) but no big. Mostly things that a casual user wouldn't even notice, but in my case it drove me bonkers!

No tablet, including the Surface, is as fully-featured as a laptop-- it's a matter of how much they can do, how much brainpower they have. If you expect any tablet to do everything a 512GB laptop to do, you will be disappointed. Adjust your expectations -- or get one of those sweet little MacBook Airs-- I love mine but sometimes the iPad is all I need, e.g., for notes.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Good day, Stephalump:

While I know Microsoft Word fairly (I've been a PC user since the days of DOS; and working with computers since pre DOS) well, I don't know enough about Pages (I believe that's the Apple comparable), but why wouldn't Pages handle your Word chart?

Thank you.

If it's a chart, Pages will do fine with it. If it's an Excel spreadsheet masquerading as a chart, then it would open in Numbers, the Apple equivalent (I actually think it's better, but you know my bias). PowerPoint will open in Keynote; all 3 come as a bundle for

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

Thank you, GreeTea for sharing your experiences and clarifying what should work.