I’m looking into buying an iPad for university, and I like the idea of writing notes using an Apple Pencil onto an ipad, and I believe there’s then apps that can change your writing into text to. I may get an Apple Pencil but they seem so expensive for what they are, do you think it’s really worth £130 for a stylus, or do you think a alternative £30 one off Amazon could do the same and save me a lot of money?
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All iPads Apple pen - is it worth it?
- Thread starter Hollyrichards
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The new Air with the gen2 Pencil might be a really good combo for note-taking. Do you currently hand-write notes? Or do you type them out?
I use an iPP with the gen2 pencil for art, and my only gripe is that the pencil action across the physical screen is too ‘smooth’, not like a pen/pencil on actual paper. I even find that it’s smoother than a gel ink pen on real paper. Because of this smoothness, my handwriting looks worse than in the real world. I might invest in one of those screen protectors that ‘rough up’ the screen a bit to simulate real paper.
Do you know anyone with an iPad & pencil combo that would let you try notetaking? Are you in a location where you can safely go to a store to try it?
I use an iPP with the gen2 pencil for art, and my only gripe is that the pencil action across the physical screen is too ‘smooth’, not like a pen/pencil on actual paper. I even find that it’s smoother than a gel ink pen on real paper. Because of this smoothness, my handwriting looks worse than in the real world. I might invest in one of those screen protectors that ‘rough up’ the screen a bit to simulate real paper.
Do you know anyone with an iPad & pencil combo that would let you try notetaking? Are you in a location where you can safely go to a store to try it?
Unfortunately I am in the UK and I’m in a tier 4 lockdown so all shops are closed apart from supermarkets so can’t try it!
Yeah, I was wondering. I picked up clues from your prose. 😄
Shucks! Well, when do classes start? It might be worth it, if economically feasible, to get the Air + gen2 pencil (I wouldn’t do any less that this combo, IMO) to try it yourself now. If you don’t like it, return them?
I tried to use iPad for taking class notes. But, it end up (after few times tries) with using MacBook. iPad usage is more for reading PDF books and journals, or browsing to get some definition or examples. I have apple pencil but not so much usage (I didn’t like drawing). In the beginning, i am curious of how cool and usability of Apple Pencil (drawing, highlighting), but after few months, I used less and less.
Whatever you decide to do, don’t buy a cheap stylus that is not an Apple one.
The Apple Pencil interacts in a very specific way with the iPad, and nothing else gets even remotely close to it in the way it functions.
As with many other Apple products, it works flawlessly and the integration with iOS is excellent.
However, whether you will find it worth £130 it will very much depends.
For example, I am not sure personally I would use it to take notes. I love pen and paper too much for that.
I do some sketching with it (with Procreate) and it works very well for that.
I also use mine when I give lessons with Zoom to write or draw on the whiteboard.
Finally, it is great for fine control of the interface with complex software such as LumaFusion or Cubasis.
Get the Pencil and use it with Notability app for note taking. You can take notes and also record if you like. It’s an extremely versatile app.
Note taking by handwriting actually stays in your memory better than typing.
theglobalscholars.com
Note taking by handwriting actually stays in your memory better than typing.
Handwriting vs Typing: Which is The Better Note-taking Method? - The Global Scholars
Typing is in! Handwriting is out! More and more students prefer to use their laptops or even phones to make their notes. But is that a good thing?
theglobalscholars.com
I’m a professor, so a slightly different use case than you’re describing, but I will give an absolute yes. The Apple Pencil is fantastic and is an integral part of how I interact with my iPad.
GoodNotes is my preferred handwritten notation app (handles handwriting conversion just fine) but the iPad OS now supports that feature throughout the OS.
I will also give a strong recommendation to LiquidText. The best PDF reader I’ve ever interacted with.
GoodNotes is my preferred handwritten notation app (handles handwriting conversion just fine) but the iPad OS now supports that feature throughout the OS.
I will also give a strong recommendation to LiquidText. The best PDF reader I’ve ever interacted with.
I got the first gen with my old IPP and found I never used it. Upgraded and gave it to my older daughter for college and she really did not use it with the pencil. My younger daughter took it for college and uses it with Notability all the time. She says it is invaluable especially with downloading Powerpoint presentations for her classes.
I ended up with a $17 Apple Pencil clone from Aliexpress (same as the ones you can find on Amazon). I’m glad I did. After the initial honeymoon period, I almost never use it anymore. That said, I never draw and got the Apple Pencil clone out of curiosity.
I would definitely recommend going with a genuine Apple Pencil if you will be using it on a frequent basis. As others mentioned, it will make the interaction between it and the iPad a much better user experience than any clone out there.
If you go with an iPad 7th/8th generation (not Air or Pro), you could purchase a 1st generation pencil for £89 from Apple (or even possibly cheaper second hand). I am using one on a 6th generation iPad and it is very useful for note taking as well as sketching on procreate.
If you go with an iPad 7th/8th generation (not Air or Pro), you could purchase a 1st generation pencil for £89 from Apple (or even possibly cheaper second hand). I am using one on a 6th generation iPad and it is very useful for note taking as well as sketching on procreate.
While the Apple Pencil 2 is a great stylus, it is IMO way over-priced. But we kind of all know that comes with the territory.
It's not a bad idea to go the same route as top2 has. I was the same when I had an iPad 6th gen/ Pencil. I probably used the Pencil ten times over the course of 2 years. I prefer using a keyboard for notes.
Perhaps get a cheap clone and try it out for a few weeks. If you find you're enjoying the whole hand note taking process, I'd then pony up and get the real deal.
Depends if you want to take notes, draw etc it’s worth it, if you will mainly use it as a stylus I wouldn’t bother
I’ve never used an Apple Pencil but I do like the Zagg Pro Stylus. Has tilt but no pressure sensitivity. I also have a cheaper stylus from Amazon that has tilt but the Zagg works a bit better and I like that the charging port is protected and the passive stylus on the end. I plan on using it for notes and quick sketches so the AP would be overkill for me.
Gen2 has a bit more features and smaller. But AFAIK, you can not choose Apple Pencil gen1/gen2 freely. It depends on iPad version.
I’ve had my Apple Pencil for a little over a month and it must have fallen because the nib is warped. I’m so pissed it fell and is now in need of the nib being replaced. Seriously annoyed. Ordered a 4 pack from Amazon/Apple at a discounted price but a big part of me is really regretting not having returned the iPad. I shouldn’t have gotten such big storage on it. It’s funny how just this little “nib” experience the DAY AFTER my return window closed has me feeling such regret. I was hoping for a smoother experience. I still feel like this device is insanely overpriced but a $4 nib becoming useless so soon just soured my experience on a $2k grand purchase. Sorry, I’m just venting.
(I bought the 2021 12.9 Space Gray 512 GB wifi, White MKB, and Apple Pencil together)
(I bought the 2021 12.9 Space Gray 512 GB wifi, White MKB, and Apple Pencil together)
Gen. 2 is great for the devices that support it: automatic pairing and wireless charging through the magnetic connection to the iPad. It’s convenient because it’s always right there to use. It also has an advanced function of double tapping on the barrel to initiate the eraser or some other programmable function. As mentioned, the pencils are device specific and not interchangeable between different iPad models.