It is the nature of my consulting job that I must often walk around workplaces and take notes. I have generally always done that with just a binder but I’ve seen people using iPads for this purpose and think I need to move in that direction. (I do not like the dedicated devices that do this and nothing else.)
I haven’t bought or owned an IPad in many years. Are there any pitfalls or concerns I should be aware of?
We use iPads in my department for something similar, in which we walk around workplaces. Most of us use the onscreen keyboard to type up notes. When you said you scribble notes, do you want to use a stylus to hand write them or are you willing to use the onscreen keyboard? I have no experience with using a stylus.
Look into the Boox, or similar e-ink devices, too. That’s an android tablet that people use to take notes.
Yeah I’m going stylus. I doubt I could type effectively with one hand while walking around.
BTW, in the case of my work group, we’re not just taking notes but recording data in a dedicated workbook. What are your co-workers doing?
I don’t have co-workers. I’m an independent consultant.
OK, but are you willing to type the notes directly rather than scribbling them in a notebook and having to re-enter them later? You might play with the notepad app on an iPad in the store to see if you like the onscreen keyboard. I find it’s easier to type on the iPad than my iPhone.
Everyone is different. I can type okay on a phone or a real keyboard, but the ipad keyboard drove me bonkers. It’s why i never used the thing. (I won one in one of those “drop your business card into this bucket” things.) I found it nice for reading books and email, but so awful for writing email or replying to chat sites like this that I ust never picked it up.
But do consider e-ink for this purpose, as the devices are lighter and don’t need to be charged very often.
There are dozens of note taking apps available, for both iOS and Android. Some of them will convert handwritten notes to text. I know my late wife used one that she liked but I can’t remember which one it was. Most are either free or have a free trial, so I would just get a device (either iPad or Android tablet, whichever ecosystem you’re more comfortable with) and try some of the apps to see which meet your needs.
I do this if I am sitting on a conference room, but it is not possible when on the move in a factory.
What software are you using now for notes?
A iPad Air (M2/M3) with the Pencil Pro and using OneNote would be a pretty good setup and automatically sync between the iPad and a Windows laptop/desktop. OneNote is particularly good for handwritten notes. Lord knows why Microsoft keeps it such a secret. It could be another Excel.
The “full sized” virtual keyboard on the iPad can be kind of frustrating because the lack of tactile feedback often makes touch typing errors one handed and takes up a lot of space button can actually pinch the fixed keyboard and get a floating iPhone-sized keyboard. I personally use a Bluetooth keyboard most of the time (when sitting) but the virtual keyboard works well enough for short notes.
As for note taking apps, I use Apple Notes for simple notes that i want shared between devices and have used Notability for years for longer documents. I’ve considered switching to Goodnotes or something like LiquidText for marking up PDFs but it doesn’t seem worth the cost for the premium versions for my limited use. I don’t really look for handwriting conversion because my penmanship is not great and is basically hopeless with a tablet.
I often can’t use an electronic device when I’m at testing or in a secure area, and I frankly don’t have a problem transcribing my notes (which are in a personal shorthand anyway) for my use but I don’t generally take expansive notes. Even where I could take a tablet I probably wouldn’t want to versus an A5 sized notebook that I can tuck into my waistband or a small notepad, and for things like work instructions or test procedures I prefer to have those loose leaf for ease of reference and comparison.
Stranger
I’m not. If I’m at my computer, Word.
I don’t use it professionally, but the built-in Apple Notes app is pretty robust. You might want to head to an Apple Store and ask an employee to show you what it can do.
I used to have different notebooks for different duties. It became ridiculous and very hard to find anything.
The single best thing I’ve done for myself/work is buy a Samsung S9 fe +. It has a great ‘Notes’ application. It does everything I could possibly want it to do.
I currently have 12 folders of notes. Work, work meetings, home1, home2, house projects, free style drawing, dreams, personal thoughts etc. etc.
It’s great, everything is right there. @RickJay , you will love it.
I use a stylus. I am at my computer all day working but as it is I have too many windows open. I wanted a separate way to do this. A co-worker uses some notes app on windows, to each their own.
Just some things to consider:
Glare: Depending on the workplace lighting (i.e. outdoor in direct sunlight, indoor with bright overheads), the screen may or may not be readable, especially as you move around. The glossy screen can be really distracting if there are light sources moving around in it as you walk around. Screen protectors or covers can help with this.
Grip: You might want a case with handles, like the cell phone store guys often use, if you want to be able to securely hold the thing in one hand while writing in the other.
Texture: The stylus on glass feel is very different than pen on paper. It is slippery, especially when the tablet is handheld, and I found it very difficult to write that way. You might want to try it out at a Best Buy or Apple Store first to see if it’s something you can get used to.
Battery life: Depending on how long your workdays are, the tablet and stylus may or may not last the whole day. That’s especially the case if you set the sleep timer long enough so that you can keep writing every few minutes, without having to constantly wake & unlock it from sleep.
Losing the stylus: It is an expensive piece of equipment, and you have to be sure to keep it somewhere secure (the built-in magnet isn’t very strong) so you don’t accidentally leave it behind as you move around.
Syncing & damage: If your workplace has internet and you can save the notes to the cloud, it’s not an issue. But if you typically work away from internet access and the notes are only stored on the iPad until you get home, you have to take very good care of the iPad until you get home, or else you’ll likely lose the notes if you drop the iPad and break it (or it gets stolen). It’s much more fragile than a paper notebook.
Overall, I second what others have said, that a dedicated e-ink device for this would be a better fit, especially for the texture and penfeel.
A compromise between the two might be the Daylight Computer, a proper tablet that uses similar paperlike technology (but not e-ink), with a good battery life, screen visibility in different lighting conditions, and a better penfeel.
Yeah, I’m kinda thinking about that myself. But it only travels from one work place to another, and just sits on the desk. But if you walk around with it you will definitely need this.
I got used to it easy. A wonderful thing is that you can wipe out anything you just wrote. Or move it or color it or highlight it or whatever.
Yup. On my Samsung the magnet is ‘enough’ but not really. I have a backpack that I carry my laptop and tablet in. Works for me. And I bought an extra stylus. You can write with your finger if you so choose.