iPad Can iPad 2018 "replace" pen and paper?

[Jil.10]

Hello everyone, for who took iPad 2018 + Pencil, could you tell me if you feel good? Can it really replace paper and pen? I would be tempted by the purchase but I do not know if it can really replace my way of taking notes at the university.


Things that could be useful for the answer:

I already have an Apple ecosystem, and iPad would be lacking, so I would have the advantage of synchronization.
I have the possibility to take iPad at 277 euros and Pencil at 89 euros.
Sorry for my bad english, i'm italian.

 

[Glmnet1]

Try them and bring them back in the 14 days period if you don't like them.

 

[Brammy]

Hello everyone, for who took iPad 2018 + Pencil, could you tell me if you feel good? Can it really replace paper and pen? I would be tempted by the purchase but I do not know if it can really replace my way of taking notes at the university.


Things that could be useful for the answer:

I already have an Apple ecosystem, and iPad would be lacking, so I would have the advantage of synchronization.
I have the possibility to take iPad at 277 euros and Pencil at 89 euros.
Sorry for my bad english, i'm italian.

GoodNotes is a decent replacement for pen and paper, I have found. You can have several notebooks in the app.

 

[Altis]

It's like writing on glass (because it is writing on glass ) so it doesn't have the resistance for fine writing.

I'm in engineering and paper + pen(cil) is by long and far the way to go. I've only seen one person try to use a computer for notes (HP Spectre x360 15") and it looked absolutely miserable because he had to write it large and constantly zoom/pan around, and it still looked like a kid wrote it with the back of a crayon. We write tons of math though with all kinds of subscripts, superscripts, fractions, etc that tend to require some finesse.

But if you're just writing plain text, it might be alright. OneNote is certainly a very good note-taking app.

 

[muzzy996]

While I'm not a fan of the feel of using the Apple Pencil on my iPad Pro I do like note taking on it if for various reasons (primarily having them all in one place without having to deal with multiple notebooks/papers etc.). My advice is think about your workflow, how you like to take notes and why. Then do more research and don't just rely only on our opinions because we're not you . . Take a look on YouTube for various reviews of note taking apps like GoodNotes, Notability, OneNote, ProCreate and others on the iPad and see what reviewers think about them. Try to draw similarities between what you see in those reviews with how you would intend to use the device.

Everyone's different and our workflows all vary. Like Altis I'm in engineering too but my opinion on the usefulness of iPad+Pencil is going to vary because my role in engineering is most likely different. As a project manager my primary use of the iPad+Pencil is to review work efficiently not to create it, so I have less need for accuracy when drawing on an iPad and more of a need to look at drawings or documents and annotate them in various colors before shipping them off to someone on my team to address my comments. At the same time though, I can relate to Altis because I agree that writing on these things will never look as natural because the Apple Pencil seems to start to write when the tip is a fraction of a millimeter above the screen.

 

[bensisko]

Hello everyone, for who took iPad 2018 + Pencil, could you tell me if you feel good? Can it really replace paper and pen? I would be tempted by the purchase but I do not know if it can really replace my way of taking notes at the university.


Things that could be useful for the answer:

I already have an Apple ecosystem, and iPad would be lacking, so I would have the advantage of synchronization.
I have the possibility to take iPad at 277 euros and Pencil at 89 euros.
Sorry for my bad english, i'm italian.

iPad has completely replaced pen and paper for me - drawing, note taking, etc.

 

[Restlesslegs]

After much hesitation I started using GoodNotes a while ago - mainly because I can search my handwritten notes... For this feature alone it was worth it!

 

[neutrino23]

I’m with bensisko. I only use the iPad for notes, doodling and sketching. I even get my newspaper as a pdf and solve the crossword with the Pencil in PDF Expert. I use Concepts for note taking and sketching. I’m not at all artistic. I sketch timelines and rough shapes while thinking through problems.

I’ve noticed that the newer iPad Pro seems to have a better feel with the Pencil than the original. I suspect Apple is aware of this and the engineers are working on it.

 

[nortonandreev]

Hello everyone, for who took iPad 2018 + Pencil, could you tell me if you feel good? Can it really replace paper and pen? I would be tempted by the purchase but I do not know if it can really replace my way of taking notes at the university.


Things that could be useful for the answer:

I already have an Apple ecosystem, and iPad would be lacking, so I would have the advantage of synchronization.
I have the possibility to take iPad at 277 euros and Pencil at 89 euros.
Sorry for my bad english, i'm italian.

I had iPad 2017 last summer, but I never used it. Then, I decided I want to switch to iPad Pro and use Apple Pencil for taking notes. However, when I saw that the new iPad 2018 supports Apple Pencil, I decided to buy, instead of waiting for the new iPad Pro (I might still get it, it depends on if it will introduce the rumoured iPhone X style design) and I am really happy with it. It has been almost a month since I got it and I have not used paper and pen.

 

[Glmnet1]

I'm gonna buy the tablet from Hong Kong, is a bit difficult made a return from Italy...

I just realized the price you mentioned is really low and now you're saying you're getting it from Hong Kong. For a product that's just been released I find it suspicious...

You could still go try it in an Apple Store and see how it feels. We can't really be of much help, of course it's not like writing on paper. It's different. Only you can know if it's good enough for your needs.

 

[Jil.10]

I just realized the price you mentioned is really low and now you're saying you're getting it from Hong Kong. For a product that's just been released I find it suspicious...

You could still go try it in an Apple Store and see how it feels. We can't really be of much help, of course it's not like writing on paper. It's different. Only you can know if it's good enough for your needs.

The original price is 308€ and I used a 10% discount code on eBay, so the price dropped to 277€, I will pay with PayPal and the seller has thousand of good feedbacks... Yes, the best thing is try it in an Apple Store...

 

[ericwn]

I use GoodNotes with my iPad Pro and the pencil all the time. It has replaced pen and paper for me just like it did for others here.

 

[sracer]

I use GoodNotes with my iPad Pro and the pencil all the time. It has replaced pen and paper for me just like it did for others here.

Same here (with my 2018 iPad + Pencil) : Apple Smartcover, Mr Shield matte screen protector, clear Con-Tact paper on the back of the iPad, woodgrain Con-Tact paper on the Pencil (I'm a Con-Tact paper fiend!)

I like being able to create a custom notebook with hyperlinks in GoodNotes. The notebook in these photos has tabs at the top and bottom. Each of the top and bottom tabs are "active"... tap them and they go to the specific month's overview page. Tap on the bottom "subject" tabs and go to that subject.

I've designed my notebook to be compatible with the standard GoodNotes notebooks in that copying and pasting between notebooks is seamless... the notes are the same size. (using other people's templates and tutorials resulted in the text changing size due to the different in resolutions)

Creating these custom notebooks is super easy...particularly using the macOS version of KeyNote.

 

[rowspaxe]

While I'm not a fan of the feel of using the Apple Pencil on my iPad Pro I do like note taking on it if for various reasons (primarily having them all in one place without having to deal with multiple notebooks/papers etc.).

Why I like my ipp for sketching, I find it less good for writing than the surface pro 4-5. The pencil tip is hard and slick and skates on the glass ipad surface. If your an engineer or math person I strongly suggest trying a more expensive solution: a wacom cintiq pro 13 or 16 coupled with a laptop or desktop. Cintiq pros have an etched glass screen which gives a paper like feel. This is not a mobil solution, however.

I recommend a white glove with cut fingers for all digital sketching and handwriting: it looks a bit ridiculous but gives a much better feel

 

[omgitscro]

Why I like my ipp for sketching, I find it less good for writing than the surface pro 4-5. The pencil tip is hard and slick and skates on the glass ipad surface. If your an engineer or math person I strongly suggest trying a more expensive solution: a wacom cintiq pro 13 or 16 coupled with a laptop or desktop. Cintiq pros have an etched glass screen which gives a paper like feel. This is not a mobil solution, however.

I recommend a white glove with cut fingers for all digital sketching and handwriting: it looks a bit ridiculous but gives a much better feel

I'm a mathematics researcher and much prefer the iPad Pro to the Surface. I had a Surface for a couple of weeks back in November (the SP 2017 and Pen), but had to return it due to this issue, which affects 100% of current-gen Surfaces to varying degrees: https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/co...medium=hot&utm_source=reddit&utm_name=Surface

Another reason was that OneNote was a terrible experience, and there are zero Windows 10 apps that can match Notability (which is the app of choice among my colleagues; all of us have switched over from GoodNotes).

 

[rowspaxe]

[ from that thread]
"I noticed on mine that an update seemed to have turned off the 'Ignore touch input when I'm using my pen' setting. Turning that on again in Devices, Pen & Windows Ink fixed it for me so I guess my hardware isn't faulty"

OneNote is awesome! imo

 

[muzzy996]

Another reason was that OneNote was a terrible experience, and there are zero Windows 10 apps that can match Notability (which is the app of choice among my colleagues; all of us have switched over from GoodNotes).

I can see that - we all use note taking applications differently so its easy to find shortcomings from an individual's perspective in any application. Many love the infinite paper size that is available in OneNote for example but because I often want to share my notes with others in a way that's printable I don't like that functionality at all (and conversely those who like it would feel limited on other apps that don't allow it).

 

[adam9c1]

Same here (with my 2018 iPad + Pencil) : Apple Smartcover, Mr Shield matte screen protector, clear Con-Tact paper on the back of the iPad, woodgrain Con-Tact paper on the Pencil (I'm a Con-Tact paper fiend!)

I like being able to create a custom notebook with hyperlinks in GoodNotes. The notebook in these photos has tabs at the top and bottom. Each of the top and bottom tabs are "active"... tap them and they go to the specific month's overview page. Tap on the bottom "subject" tabs and go to that subject.

I've designed my notebook to be compatible with the standard GoodNotes notebooks in that copying and pasting between notebooks is seamless... the notes are the same size. (using other people's templates and tutorials resulted in the text changing size due to the different in resolutions)

Creating these custom notebooks is super easy...particularly using the macOS version of KeyNote.

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Can you provide links to those products?

I’d love to have the pencil feel less slick plasticky.

 

[sracer]

Can you provide links to those products?

I’d love to have the pencil feel less slick plasticky.

Mr. Shield matte screen protector for Air 2 (fits the 2018 iPad)
https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Shield-Generation-Anti-glare-Replacement/dp/B00H3ZDYEO/
note: this gives a little resistance, but perhaps not as much as something like PaperLike ($20 and up) and similar. Mr. Shield is $7 for 5 protectors. I find them to be quite adequate. (I used them on my iPad Pro 12.9, iPad Air 2, 2018 iPad, and Lenovo Yoga Book) I think it is worth taking a gamble to see if these will work before shelling out for the more expensive PaperLike protectors.

Woodgrain Contact paper
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Contact-20F-C9AT32-06-Light-Oak-Shelf-Liner-18-x20FT/184074276
$5.64 for a roll that can cover every Apple Pencil ever sold.

Clear Contact paper (for the back of the iPad)
https://www.walmart.com/ip/18-X20-CLEAR-LINER-20F-C9AC12-06/161863478
$6.81 for a roll that has covered every iPad I've owned since the iPad 1 and still have more than 1/2 the roll remaining.

Space Gray Apple Smart Cover
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MQ4L2ZM-Smart-Cover-Charcoal/dp/B06XS7G71Y/
The Space Gray is currently on sale on Amazon at $29

MoKo Apple Pencil Case
https://www.amazon.com/MoKo-Pencil-Case-Holder-Apple/dp/B01EHSMC56/
This goes GREAT with the Apple Smart Cover

 

[MilleDav01]

So here is my take on the situation.

I currently own the 2017 iPad Pro 10.5 with the Apple Pencil. I am a Veterinary medicine student that is an accelerated program.

I use my iPad for all of my handwritten notes. I do not use a screen protector as you get use to the feeling of glass. I do not like "matte" or paperlike screen protectors because in my opinion they make a horrible scratching noise when using the pencil with them (I've tried a few) and also they make your BEAUTIFUL display look fuzzy and unclear.

I have attached a few screen shots of a few notes that I had taken last semester for my Clinical Pathology class, all written using the Apple Pencil in Notability.

Since I have started using the iPad for taking notes, I do not cary ANY notebooks with me. I do carry a regular pen because I have to sign forms and fill things out that unfortunately are not presented to us in digital formats.

 

[Truefan31]

So here is my take on the situation.

I currently own the 2017 iPad Pro 10.5 with the Apple Pencil. I am a Veterinary medicine student that is an accelerated program.

I use my iPad for all of my handwritten notes. I do not use a screen protector as you get use to the feeling of glass. I do not like "matte" or paperlike screen protectors because in my opinion they make a horrible scratching noise when using the pencil with them (I've tried a few) and also they make your BEAUTIFUL display look fuzzy and unclear.

I have attached a few screen shots of a few notes that I had taken last semester for my Clinical Pathology class, all written using the Apple Pencil in Notability.

Since I have started using the iPad for taking notes, I do not cary ANY notebooks with me. I do carry a regular pen because I have to sign forms and fill things out that unfortunately are not presented to us in digital formats.

What note taking apps do you use?

 

[muzzy996]

What note taking apps do you use?

Judging from the example it looks like Notability.

 

[0970373]

I purchased the 2018 iPad and pencil, thanks to the lower price point, with the hopes of going digital with my notes. I really tried but for me, it just didn’t work out. Perhaps I just need more practice but I can’t seem to quite get the feel for it and I have to slow down quite a bit. I had actually been hoping for a mini w/ pencil support as its closer to the size of the notebook I use for work so the 2018 iPad is also just too big for me.

This also has to do with what I do for a living in which I am on location or in the field a lot. It’s too cumbersome for my needs.

But I do like it and a doodle in it all the time. It’s just not for me in terms of note taking.

 

[ericwn]

I'm a mathematics researcher and much prefer the iPad Pro to the Surface. I had a Surface for a couple of weeks back in November (the SP 2017 and Pen), but had to return it due to this issue, which affects 100% of current-gen Surfaces to varying degrees: https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/co...medium=hot&utm_source=reddit&utm_name=Surface

Another reason was that OneNote was a terrible experience, and there are zero Windows 10 apps that can match Notability (which is the app of choice among my colleagues; all of us have switched over from GoodNotes).

Thanks for posting. Would you mind explaining the main advantages of Notability versus GoodNotes from your experience?

 

[MilleDav01]

What note taking apps do you use?

Notability