Taking notes without paper?

dizzie

Hi,

Being a bit of a cave woman when it comes to understanding techie things, I'm trying to get my head around tablet pcs etc...

Actually, what I'm after is a device I can use just to take lecture notes. So it needs to have a reasonable sized input pad/screen and some sort of pen. It needs to be mobile (i.e. connecting a pen recognition pad to a laptop isn't going to be practical), so I was thinking maybe a tablet would be okay...

...unless there is something a bit like the Boogie board that could store notes for upload onto my computer later (which Boogie can't do).

Have had a look at some Android tablets, but don't really understand how Android works. Could I download aps using my home wireless internet connection and then use the aps outside the home when I don't have internet access...or do you need to have internet access all the time to make the apps work?

I'm not bothered about it being all singing and dancing in other areas - I already have a laptop that does all that I need it to do. I just need something that is cost effective and easy to use for note taking. The main reason is to help with organisation of notes....I really hate paper and my desk at home shows it

Any help with recommendations/ helping me understand all of this would be gratefully received.

Thanks

Digondda

I wonder if a digital dictaphone used in conjunction with voice recognition software might be your answer?

I don't know enough to know, but have heard that voice recognition software has come down in price and is also vastly improved from early versions.

Could take notes by typing on an iPad, but not sure about inputting text using a pen - and an iPad is not a cheap option by any means.

dizzie

Thanks for your reply Diggonda. I thought about a dictaphone but doubt it would work with voice recognition - classroom environment/ different teachers voices/ the person sitting next to you making odd noises(!) etc. Also would like to be able to do things like draw diagrams/ use maths notation etc.

So I think it has to be a tablet of some description...just after one whose price tag doesn't make my eyes water as much as the Ipad.

Cheers

Linbox

You can get a 7inch case that has a keyboard built in. Search amazon/ebuyer - most cheap 7 inch tablets run android and only have wifi (some have 3g) you can use dropbox to sync/backup files or you could setup a wiki to save your notes to, that's a bit involved but very easy to do.

dizzie

Thanks Linbox. I can see that there are a lot of note taking apps for Android. If I download the app onto a tablet (using my home WiFi connection), do you know if you need to stay connected to the internet to use the app or can you use it without internet connection once it's downloaded.

Sorry to sound so thick, but I really have no clue about these things.

Mr_Toad

This is an area where technology isn't as good as we would like it to be. I've seen people with tablets that you write on with a stylus but they aren't brilliant and sometimes struggle to keep up if you're writing quickly. Some convert to text on the fly and these can make mistakes so you spend time correcting them and get behind or do it later and forget what it should have been.

Some simply copy your own hand writing but these to are a bit hit and miss.

If you were a fly on the wall in any large corporate meeting you'd see that other than the odd person trying out some new gadget everyone is using pen and paper.

There is a hybrid solution that you could look at that does actually work.

It's called Livescribe http://www.livescribe.com/uk/

Now this used to require a special notebook. You write as normal so you have a paper copy but the data is also stored in the pen and can be uploaded to your PC.

I have one and it does work. It has another advantage though. The pen records voice. So, during a lecture or meeting you make bullet point notes while it's recording rather than taking full notes.

When you want to go over something you touch the relevant point in the notes and it plays back the recording at that point. Recordings can be uploaded to PC and converted to notes.

Since I got mine things have moved on and if you have the correct app on your tablet I think you can take your notes on that thus meeting your no paper requirement. I haven't tried this as I don't have a tablet.

Even if you go the notebook route they aren't much more expensive than a decent plain paper notebook.

Have a look at the website and search on YouTube, there are always demo videos on there.

dizzie

Masonn thanks for the info. That sounds like it might work. I'll have a look at it.

Cheers

dalek

I used to use my dictaphone.... but now i use a finger instead!

:A

Dave_C_2

Compare the following between notebook and pen against electronic device

1. Cost of initial purchase
2. Cost of backup
3. Cost of replacement
4. Cost of repair if you drop it
5. Attractiveness to thieves (deliberate or look what I found on the table)
6. Runs out of charge/ink half way through lecture
7. General care needed

Notebook and pen wins every time



Dave

PasturesNew

Without being able to set up some equipment right by the speaker.... I'd opt for paper/pencil every time. Proper, real notes.... with doodles.

MyLastFiver

Dizzie, I bought my Samsung Galaxy Note for this very reason. It comes with a stylus and I use it for all my meeting/conference/training notes. I am a very visual thinker and I sometimes like to make notes in the form of doodles/mind maps/diagrams using different colours etc. I do this on my Galaxy Note using Papyrus software, then upload with one click to Evernote. This means I can access the notes on any computer/mobile device, any time, any where, and I don't have to worry about losing my paperwork if I lose my phone. You can also get an app that will OCR your course material/handouts. Digitise your life :-)

I used to be infamous for losing bits of paper, but now I never lose anything because all of my documentation is stored electronicaly, in the Cloud.

I also have a cheap 7in tablet with a capacitive screen, and I've ordered a stylus for it. Apparently it works (there are plenty of vids on Youtube showing people writing on their tablets) but I can't tell you for definite until I've tried it for myself!