Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

macmesser

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 13, 2012
921
198
Long Island, NY USA
I've for a while been intrigued by the "Paper" device, which is a minimalist tablet-like thing which features a highly touted natural pen and paper experience and not much else. My application is for sketching ideas, outlining and writing old fashioned correspondence. Files might be used for OCR or imported into graphics or CAD programs. My present iPad is old and I have not used it much for a while, so I do not know how the latest iPads would stack up for this application. Mac interoperability would be a big plus in a device but features supporting intended use are most important. Inputs from iPad users appreciated.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 0989382
Check out Notability, Moleskine's app, OneNote, Apple Notes and similar. There are many in-depth YouTube comparisons and just from watching them you'll see how useful and practical an iPad will or will not be for your use.

Also the paperlike screen protector is interesting, it has the feel and texture of real paper as without it, the iPad / Pencil interaction might seem too slippy.. I noticed this myself but don't do handwriting on the iPad often. There are also cheap eBay versions of more grippy / friction giving screen protectors to adapt the surface of the iPad screen for you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: macmesser
Thanks for inputs. I will check out youtube apps. Your comment jogged me a bit. The ability to choose from very many apps for a general-purpose and very main stream device is a big advantage that I didn't have at the forefront of my mind, since I was focused on the process of visual note taking and doodling ideas.
 
I've for a while been intrigued by the "Paper" device, which is a minimalist tablet-like thing which features a highly touted natural pen and paper experience and not much else. My application is for sketching ideas, outlining and writing old fashioned correspondence. Files might be used for OCR or imported into graphics or CAD programs. My present iPad is old and I have not used it much for a while, so I do not know how the latest iPads would stack up for this application. Mac interoperability would be a big plus in a device but features supporting intended use are most important. Inputs from iPad users appreciated.
Ever since the Apple Pencil was released I've used it daily (first on my 2015 iPad Pro, and now) on my 2018 9.7 iPad. It has replaced all of my paper journals, project notebooks, and planners. I have found the base 2018 iPad to be excellent experience and highly recommend it.

I use a matte screen protector to cut down on glare, fingerprint smudges, and offer a bit of resistance for the Pencil to give it a more natural feel. I use the iCarez matte protectors (2 for $7.50 on Amazon).

I use GoodNotes 4 for iOS and macOS. This allows me a good bit of interoperability between my iPad and MBA/iMac.

Here's a link for the journal/planner I created and made available for free here on MacRumors. I'll soon be releasing a version for 2020.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kazmac and LibbyLA
I use GoodNotes and Apple notes pretty much daily. Apple notes has come a long way in my opinion. One of the cool features is that it supports dark mode, so you’re actually writing white on black - an interesting change.

Any current iPad will be good at this but once you have more notes it will take a bit more power to scroll through them etc. I’d order the iPad in the most comfortable screen size if I were you and give it a try. Buy from a good place with a return policy and send it back if it doesn’t work out for you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: macmesser
Whoops! I made a mistake regarding the name of the device that interested me. It's "ReMarkable", not "Paper".
Maybe try some third party solution like Montblanc augmented paper?

It's not an iPad per se, but it works with iOS and Android. And since it is paper, it feels like paper.
I checked it out. Looks good. Similar to ReMarkable but with real paper.
 
Ever since the first iPad Pro came out I’ve been taking my iPad to work every day to use as my notebook. Before that I would use Moleskines. Being able to search my notes is like having my own personal google. Plus, the fact that I can access my notes on my iPhone later is the icing on the cake. To me, using an Apple Pencil is the best part of owning an iPad. That’s partly why I prefer using my iPad over a MacBook so much.
 
Ever since the first iPad Pro came out I’ve been taking my iPad to work every day to use as my notebook. Before that I would use Moleskines. Being able to search my notes is like having my own personal google. Plus, the fact that I can access my notes on my iPhone later is the icing on the cake. To me, using an Apple Pencil is the best part of owning an iPad. That’s partly why I prefer using my iPad over a MacBook so much.

What app are you taking your notes in?
 
GoodNotes 5. The handwriting recognition is amazing.

Thanks. I need to check it out again. I typically type meeting notes directly into Evernote. But sometimes I'd like to take handwritten notes so I can diagram and do stuff alongside. Early on I abandoned that idea because I write in all caps and the constant tapping noise of my pencil was bugging me. But recently I found some nice silicon tips that gets rid of the noise, so I might give it another shot.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.