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So I was looking for a tablet for me to use as a PDF reader for book and for browsing the web.
The first one that came to mind was the iPad 2 which I know is great at it.
Then I thought of this one, but I remembered reading that because it's shape is a little more rectangular than it feels a bit heavier to hold in portrait mode.
Please comment on this statement
So my actual question is:
How good is this as a browsing / reading device? (how is the amazon kindle app on it?)
Is it worth getting over an iPad 2 as a reading / browsing device?
Thank you
matanc1 said:
So I was looking for a tablet for me to use as a PDF reader for book and for browsing the web.
The first one that came to mind was the iPad 2 which I know is great at it.
Then I thought of this one, but I remembered reading that because it's shape is a little more rectangular than it feels a bit heavier to hold in portrait mode.
Please comment on this statement
So my actual question is:
How good is this as a browsing / reading device? (how is the amazon kindle app on it?)
Is it worth getting over an iPad 2 as a reading / browsing device?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How good is it? That's kind of a personal opinion. I'm enjoying it a lot for browsing and reading. Still searching out the best browser, they all have plus/minuses, but the experience itself is fine. Aldiko reader is good, very readable in both orientations. I find portrait has too much text per screen, doesn't quite give you the 'book' feel, but that's a personal quibble.
I'll always say anything is worth getting over an ipad But I definitely think this is worth it. The form factor just seems to make more sense on the tab, plus I can actually hold it with one hand, which I can't with the ipad (for more than a couple minutes anyway).
If you're really just looking for basic reading/surfing, you could consider something like the nook color, just as a though. But I'm really enjoying my tab, and looking forward to seeing what the dev's here can get out of it!
edit: clicked thanks by accident...
I have a kindle for reading, and nothing comes close to it for every day reading, especially sunlight and ease of viewing, battery life, etc. If you want an eReader, get a kindle, lol. If you want a multimedia device that does apps, videos, music, and videos... then a Galaxy tab is the way to go.
iPad is designed for 5 year old or a 95 year old to pick up and figure out. That's great, but the downside is with that comes a dumbed down OS in line with that. People like android because if they want to change the way the icons are laid out on the screen they can.
Check out Google Books and Kindle for Android Tablet, both are great options for someone wanting to use the tablet as a book. However, nothing is going to compare to the pure reading experience of a Kindle....
... but a Galaxy tab is waaaay more fun.
And PS - iPad sux... u can't even view flash, lol... how you going to browse the web without flash? Might as well go back to dialup internet and a VCR. hah
bella92108 said:
I have a kindle for reading, and nothing comes close to it for every day reading, especially sunlight and ease of viewing, battery life, etc. If you want an eReader, get a kindle, lol. If you want a multimedia device that does apps, videos, music, and videos... then a Galaxy tab is the way to go.
iPad is designed for 5 year old or a 95 year old to pick up and figure out. That's great, but the downside is with that comes a dumbed down OS in line with that. People like android because if they want to change the way the icons are laid out on the screen they can.
Check out Google Books and Kindle for Android Tablet, both are great options for someone wanting to use the tablet as a book. However, nothing is going to compare to the pure reading experience of a Kindle....
... but a Galaxy tab is waaaay more fun.
And PS - iPad sux... u can't even view flash, lol... how you going to browse the web without flash? Might as well go back to dialup internet and a VCR. hah
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The flash is the main reason why I'm asking.
But again, I'm looking mainly for PDF files which I want to read(which I've found from using eReaders that they have a problem displaying PDFs with pictures) and for browing (which I think both the android and the iPad will do fine except that the iPad doesn't have flash).
But once again, no one really answered my question about reading on it:
I want to know if it'll be uncomfortable reading on it (if my hand will start hurting after 10 min of holding it).
Another thing, does it get warm?
matanc1 said:
The flash is the main reason why I'm asking.
But again, I'm looking mainly for PDF files which I want to read(which I've found from using eReaders that they have a problem displaying PDFs with pictures) and for browing (which I think both the android and the iPad will do fine except that the iPad doesn't have flash).
But once again, no one really answered my question about reading on it:
I want to know if it'll be uncomfortable reading on it (if my hand will start hurting after 10 min of holding it).
Another thing, does it get warm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regarding PDF, you can install native Adobe Acrobat Reader on Android, so you can actually read (and edit even) as indented... so not sure what the remaining concern is. Seems like you're trying to come up with excuses not to get it. Yeah eReaders have issues with PDF, but eReaders don't have Adobe's Acrobat PDF Reader installed, hehe.
Regarding comfort, that's not really a question someone can answer. Many people say getting tattoos aren't uncomfortable, but many would disagree. I think if it hurts to hold a 1 pound object, then you'll have to stick to books under about 300 pages anyhow, so it's somewhat a moot point, hehe.
You can always try, and if you don't like, return or sell online. It's not really something someone can answer for you, since it's a personal issue that varries from person to person. My Kindle weighs about 1.8th of a pound and it is still uncomfortable to hold for extended periods... so I just hold it on the desk or airline tray table, or whatever... it's not a big deal.... with any device.
No it does not get warm.
I reviewed a bunch of reader apps on the GT10.1. I looked at FBReader, Moon+ reader, Nook, Kindle, Google Books, Alkido and a couple of others.
My favorite is Nook. I base that on:
1) integrated shopping experience. Some of the other readers, like FBReader, and I think Moon+ required to you download a book somehow, then put it on your SD card, etc. Or the shopping experience sucked. Kindle/google/nook all had a good in-app shopping experience
2) The page turn. This might not be your highest priority, but I found the page turn experience to be very important to me. Google books and Nook both have a 3d page turn that I liked. nooks is slightly better because it reacts in a more realistic way.
3) Notes/highlighting/bookmarks. Nook wins out over google books.
bella92108 said:
Regarding PDF, you can install native Adobe Acrobat Reader on Android, so you can actually read (and edit even) as indented... so not sure what the remaining concern is. Seems like you're trying to come up with excuses not to get it. Yeah eReaders have issues with PDF, but eReaders don't have Adobe's Acrobat PDF Reader installed, hehe.
Regarding comfort, that's not really a question someone can answer. Many people say getting tattoos aren't uncomfortable, but many would disagree. I think if it hurts to hold a 1 pound object, then you'll have to stick to books under about 300 pages anyhow, so it's somewhat a moot point, hehe.
You can always try, and if you don't like, return or sell online. It's not really something someone can answer for you, since it's a personal issue that varries from person to person. My Kindle weighs about 1.8th of a pound and it is still uncomfortable to hold for extended periods... so I just hold it on the desk or airline tray table, or whatever... it's not a big deal.... with any device.
No it does not get warm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thing is, I don't live in the U.S. I can't buy it and return it.
So I can either go with the iPad 2 or the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
The software isn't an issue (there are tons of PDF reading / editing apps on the market). I'm just asking for someone to compare it to the iPad 2 from the design point of view (mostly putting the focus on holding it for an extended period of time).
In other words:
Does it do a better job of reading / browsing than the iPad 2 (in the non software sense)
matanc1 said:
Does it do a better job of reading / browsing than the iPad 2 (in the non software sense)
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Click to collapse
Browsing I think will be a little better on the 10.1 based on the Flash issue. I haven't used an ipad for internet browsing but I would imagine that would get a little annoying.
Reading is six in one hand half dozen in the other. I think the aspect ratio of the ipad was designed with reading in portrait orientation in mind. That being said, you should be able to read text larger on the screen (in portrait orientation) before having to scroll left and right to see the beginning and end of the lines respectively. That's not to say that this is a major issue on the 10.1, but if your eyes require larger text it may be a problem.
Both the iPad2 and 10.1 are incredibly thin, light devices. I don't really think holding one over the other will cause significant arm strain. you could go into a store and try holding each for 10 minutes. Considering you're willing to drop $500 on something, you should definitely be sure.
Tab is lighter, and IMHO, more comfortable to hold than the iPad2 (a few of my co-workers have iPad's)
The screen resolution is higher on the Tab, it is easier on my eyes (your eyes might react differently), and my co-workers agree for the most part.
lqaddict said:
Tab is lighter, and IMHO, more comfortable to hold than the iPad2 (a few of my co-workers have iPad's)
The screen resolution is higher on the Tab, it is easier on my eyes (your eyes might react differently), and my co-workers agree for the most part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the galaxy screen's width being smaller would be a problem if I wanted to read on it in book like font sizes without having to scroll to the sides all the time?
One more thing: Is it hard reading in landscape mode then?
Do the kindle / nook readers have that option?
matanc1 said:
So the galaxy screen's width being smaller would be a problem if I wanted to read on it in book like font sizes without having to scroll to the sides all the time?
One more thing: Is it hard reading in landscape mode then?
Do the kindle / nook readers have that option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just looking at one of the default books that comes on it, it looked fine portrait orientation. The text displayed larger than typically print text without having to scroll left and right. Like I said though, its worth a hands on test for yourself.
I'm sure kindle and nook have landscape options, especially on a tablet. I've been reading a technical text book (with exercises to follow along with) in landscape mode for the most part, however, I'm using whatever is the default pdf reader.
nook works in landscape mode, as does aldiko. I've been reading on it the past couple nights in both orientations and it's fine.
The resolution definitely makes a difference reading - on the ipad, text at my preferred size always looked slightly blurry, just enough to be annoying.
matanc1 said:
So the galaxy screen's width being smaller would be a problem if I wanted to read on it in book like font sizes without having to scroll to the sides all the time?
One more thing: Is it hard reading in landscape mode then?
Do the kindle / nook readers have that option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope you don't need to scroll left/right in portrait mode, it scales the text to fit the screen width.
No issues using Google Books or Kindle app in landscape or portrait - I do prefer portrait for reading, but landscape for browsing.
matanc1 said:
Thing is, I don't live in the U.S. I can't buy it and return it.
So I can either go with the iPad 2 or the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
The software isn't an issue (there are tons of PDF reading / editing apps on the market). I'm just asking for someone to compare it to the iPad 2 from the design point of view (mostly putting the focus on holding it for an extended period of time).
In other words:
Does it do a better job of reading / browsing than the iPad 2 (in the non software sense)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've always been down the middle. I suppose I can give honest feedback as I owned iPad 1, and got rid of it because it was too heavy and cumbersome to hold, then I got iPad 2 because in order for iPad 1 to be useful I had to jailbreak it, then on iPad 2 there's no jailbreak available (yet). even so, the screen quality on iPad 2 is so bad... so grainy, you can see every pixel. Then I got the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and it's neat being able to customize, widgets, flash etc. Where it falls short is media.... it's a pain in the ass a) finding a media file that will actually play without having to convert 10x, and b) managing a sync between device and computer... so for me that's where iPad wins... their sync management is just great.
But at the end of the day, Galaxy tab wins by a decent margin because it's open... I can put my icons where I want, customize the hell out of it, and don't have to live within the confines of "take it or leave it" when it comes to the way I use it. It's just so nice to be able to go away for the weekend and just take a tablet knowing it'll handle any website I can throw at it. Ipad I couldn't even use some travel websites because of the flash issue.... that and their multitasking was a joke.
I use tthe GT10.1 and the nook app, I have not tried the ipad but reading on the tab is great in either orientation. With the nook app you can adjust font size easily so should be fine for any age of eyes in any orientation.
Good luck
I just had to do it. All the hype, all the articles, the lure of OneNote's full power. I had to drop $1000 on a Surface Pro just to see what the fuss was about. Hell, I could always return it but I had to know for myself.
I truly truly HATED the Surface Pro. Here is as short list of what sucks:
1) It's HOT. How hot? After holding it for 30 minutes I felt like I had grabbed a ceramic cup I heated in the microwave. My hand was actually bright red. I have no idea how any sane person could stand holding this toaster over in their hands for any period of time.
2) It's HEAVY. How heavy? Big piece of metal heavy. Also because of it's hard angles it is no fun to hold.
3) It is IMPOSSIBLE TO USE IN PORTRAIT. I mean, this tablet must be a foot high in portrait. If you are trying to type on the soft keyboard the keys are literally 10 inches from the words you are typing so thumb typing is pointless.
4) Considering this has an i5 CPU it actually lags. Scrolling on web pages stutters and dragging pictures across OneNote jerks around like mad (this may actually be a feature of OneNote as it snaps to a grid - so not a bug necessarily).
5) Firefox (if you like that browser) is a DISASTER on this. Pinch to zoom is total fail. Again a lag fest.
6) 1920 x 1080 may sound awesome but on a tablet this small it's not. Even zoomed at 150% text and icons can be tiny and very hard to click.
7) Windows 8 is a schizophrenic mess even on this. Whoever decided Metro was a good idea HAD to be high.
8) The included stylus has a hard plastic tip. Hard plastic tip on slick glass equals HARD TO WRITE. The Note 10.1's rubber tipped stylus is far better.
9) The Surface Pro is not designed to be a tablet. It is more like an ultrabook with a removable keyboard and a pen that you can hold in your hands (if you must).
Why did I write this? Well, if like me you have felt tempted by the Surface Pro and access to full blown OneNote with inking, I wanted to put your mind at rest - don't. The Note 10.1 is a far more "useable" tablet for half the cash.
I totally agree with everything you wrote. My company has given me a surface Pro to test out and I would add the following to your list:
Battery life is only about 4 hours so you are forced to have extra chargers, one for home and one for the office.
The size of the charger is huge. Its a small brick!
There is no silo for the pen! You are supposed to attach the pen in the magnetized power port which means that any little bump and you lose the pen. I give Samsung a lot of credit of delaying the release of the Note 10.1 to redesign a silo for the Spen.
The things I like about the Pro is having Office 2013 and the keyboard cover. However, I actually do not like OneNote. I prefer SNote a hundred times. There is an SNote app for Windows 8 but only for Samsung branded devices. I wish they would make it available for all.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app
mitchellvii said:
I just had to do it. All the hype, all the articles, the lure of OneNote's full power. I had to drop $1000 on a Surface Pro just to see what the fuss was about. Hell, I could always return it but I had to know for myself.
I truly truly HATED the Surface Pro. Here is as short list of what sucks:
1) It's HOT. How hot? After holding it for 30 minutes I felt like I had grabbed a ceramic cup I heated in the microwave. My hand was actually bright red. I have no idea how any sane person could stand holding this toaster over in their hands for any period of time.
2) It's HEAVY. How heavy? Big piece of metal heavy. Also because of it's hard angles it is no fun to hold.
3) It is IMPOSSIBLE TO USE IN PORTRAIT. I mean, this tablet must be a foot high in portrait. If you are trying to type on the soft keyboard the keys are literally 10 inches from the words you are typing so thumb typing is pointless.
4) Considering this has an i5 CPU it actually lags. Scrolling on web pages stutters and dragging pictures across OneNote jerks around like mad (this may actually be a feature of OneNote as it snaps to a grid - so not a bug necessarily).
5) Firefox (if you like that browser) is a DISASTER on this. Pinch to zoom is total fail. Again a lag fest.
6) 1920 x 1080 may sound awesome but on a tablet this small it's not. Even zoomed at 150% text and icons can be tiny and very hard to click.
7) Windows 8 is a schizophrenic mess even on this. Whoever decided Metro was a good idea HAD to be high.
8) The included stylus has a hard plastic tip. Hard plastic tip on slick glass equals HARD TO WRITE. The Note 10.1's rubber tipped stylus is far better.
9) The Surface Pro is not designed to be a tablet. It is more like an ultrabook with a removable keyboard and a pen that you can hold in your hands (if you must).
Why did I write this? Well, if like me you have felt tempted by the Surface Pro and access to full blown OneNote with inking, I wanted to put your mind at rest - don't. The Note 10.1 is a far more "useable" tablet for half the cash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@mitchellvii
Why don't you try out one of the Samsung Atom Tablets and let us know your experience.
The Atom editions should solve issues:
1 & 2.
If you install and Dual Boot Android 4.0 x86, then that should solve issues:
3,4,5,6,7
Thus, you can retain the convenience of the Android OS and have the power of Windows 8 without carrying more than 1 device.
I played with one at local store. Win 8 is just not a touch environment. Metro was a try and fix. Microsoft will have to forget they own windows and start thinking fresh to compete with android and crapple. Which both rather you dislike either of the two are becoming very mature and complete operating systems build around your fingers. Not a true business class os patched to try and compete. I will also add tablet software is getting better at productivity and will eventually be able to compete with the true ms type program's. The power of these device's are amazing. If you need full productive programs for now stick with a ultra book type notebook computer. The note 10.1 is the second best thing to that. There is no 3rd place device
My opinion of course conclusion is get a traditional notebook or a note 10.1 tablet
klau1 said:
@mitchellvii
Why don't you try out one of the Samsung Atom Tablets and let us know your experience.
The Atom editions should solve issues:
1 & 2.
If you install and Dual Boot Android 4.0 x86, then that should solve issues:
3,4,5,6,7
Thus, you can retain the convenience of the Android OS and have the power of Windows 8 without carrying more than 1 device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't say I agree that Android x86 is a solution. I don't even know how easy it'd be to install on the Pro. Android x86 project has come a long way but there are still issues with it, once it's as easy as just compiling it to x86 then let's talk
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
was walking around the mall and finally saw a surface pro. funny thing is i just read the ts mention the things yesterday. the thing that mostly stuck out was the weight. so first thing i did was pick it up. man that is like picking up a plate of iron... couldnt really get anything going well in the few minutes i messed with it. win8 definately not something for me. nor is carrying around an iron plate...
from a traveling salesman's viewpoint, I love it. I am able to install and run various programs such as AutoCAD (with wedge mouse), a custom estimating software...
Granted the battery life could be better, but I'm able to make sales calls and RDP for my office desktop printouts/updates on the unit without having to charge through a moderate days work. I've never had the heat buildup as described in the first post and it does not have the apps you'll find in the play store. but for a laptop replacement you can travel light with, love it.
FWIW
I think Microsoft has missed the boat. They're obviously not getting Voice of Customer, but are getting voice of Developers when they make these products. Apple figured out what MOST people want for a tablet. Android is assuredly closing that gap and raising the bar (S-Pen). I would recommend that Windows quit trying to compete but get smart and work with Android, so both can crush the Apple serpent.
I have been using Samsung's Ativ Pro for some months now... err... not using at all. It just sits there. Microsoft has missed the train of the mobile age. Because of battery issues it just cant stand by like İOS or Android, it just goes to deep sleep and you cant get your push messages from Facebook.. and no e-mail alerts. I agree it is a detachable ultrabook. I love my Galaxy note II and 10.1, and hardly use my Ipad4.
I actually like the Surface Pro, but it's definitely NOT the same as this tablet. I mean, the Surface is definitely not a.. use-anywhere kind of tablet (I mean, its main "attraction" is that keyboard which really just means that it's not in the same tablet market). So, I'd say that you have to change your expectations because it is definitely an ultrabook in disguise.
The battery life would stop me switching. With my screen brightness turned down I can get a full day at uni out of my note (~ 8 hours) which is fantastic
Mixed feelings...
The weird beveled sides are weird and makes it hard to hold.
The battery life is terrible - even for a full i5 slate.
It is chunky.
I have a Samsung Series 7 slate, which was the reference platform for Win8 and it's a lot better.
As for Win8 itself - yep.. schizophrenic is a good description. You're using desktop and suddenly you're in Metro. You're using Metro and suddenly you're in the desktop. You want to run something - and bam back in Metro - except it's not all your apps - just some of them so over to search which shows you all your apps.
Bring up the keyboard in Metro, things work ok (mostly). Do it in desktop - and it's a crapshoot as to whether it'll come up automatically - and when it does it rearranges your desktop.
Bah.
Sounds like its quite aways from general populations
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I purchased this over the weekend the surface pro 128gb version with type cover. im loving the experience with it so far. its a great and powerful device. no lag at all unlike what the op mentioned. lol
I too had the Pro. It was a very good ultra book (the best out there, in my opinion) that had a kick ass Wacom digitizer, awesome specs (the hard drive is fast as ****) and excellent style. I had it for five months and didn't regret it at all. I found it to be quite light, though obviously not as light as my Note.
It was just a ****ty tablet. Heavy (for a tab), terrible battery life and no Metro apps that are worth having. I used the Desktop most of the time, even after moving to 8.1. Shame, really; I think Metro is a fantastic platform for tablets.
I actually didn't know the Note 10.1 existed until I sold it off last week. I would have never bought it if I did, seeing how it is $500 more. The Note is so much better (right now), since it does everything my Pro did but with more battery, less weight and a Chrome browser that is actually functional. In fact, I found my Note to be easier for reading than my Nexus 7 and sold that off too! The Surface was too heavy for me to read on, and there were no apps for that anyway.
Its screen resolution kind of bites and I miss having a kickstand, but other than that I'm super happy to have sold it off.
If it wasn't for the battery life, I would have bought the surface pro over the note, although I don't plan on using the metro UI at all. I've used it for a total of about an hour and while using the regular desktop in touch mode I didn't run across any issues. Most things there an app for on android you can do through a full Web browser or there's a regular windows program for.
Part of me wants to say that if you're just Web browsing and watching movies then android is a good pick, but I'm getting fed up with pages not loading correctly when trying to browse the Internet. Half of the Web based ebooks I use for school either don't load or have issues.
From a hardware standpoint, I'm never holding my tablet straight out without it resting on something, so weight wouldn't be a issue. If I personally wanted a super casual tablet, I think a cheap 7" tablet like the Nexus 7 would be much better and more comfortable.
It amazes me how quick people are to criticize windows 8. All the metro UI really is is a new start menu that's more touch friendly. Tablet users complain there are no apps, yet have thousands of full blown windows apps they can use. Desktop users complain the start button is gone when all they have to do is hover in the same spot and it appears.
I've been researching for a new tablet or convertible to bring to school there are too many negative reviews for windows 8 for ridiculous reasons. No YouTube app? Guess what, I can play flash in the web browser. The drop box app isn't very good? Guess what, I can install the regular windows program and get two way sync. No email notifications in standby mode? My guess is you have an android phone going off right next to wherever your tablet is anyway.
Lastly, the surface pro is a hybrid device. So it isn't going to be the perfect tablet or the perfect ultra book. Its for people who want a mix of the two. For a device that's been out for nearly nine months, some of these complaints shouldn't be much of a surprise. I don't think its justified to make a thread bashing the product because you failed evaluate your wants and needs and didn't research a $1000 tablet.
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Sher The Love said:
If it wasn't for the battery life, I would have bought the surface pro over the note, although I don't plan on using the metro UI at all. I've used it for a total of about an hour and while using the regular desktop in touch mode I didn't run across any issues. Most things there an app for on android you can do through a full Web browser or there's a regular windows program for.
Part of me wants to say that if you're just Web browsing and watching movies then android is a good pick, but I'm getting fed up with pages not loading correctly when trying to browse the Internet. Half of the Web based ebooks I use for school either don't load or have issues.
From a hardware standpoint, I'm never holding my tablet straight out without it resting on something, so weight wouldn't be a issue. If I personally wanted a super casual tablet, I think a cheap 7" tablet like the Nexus 7 would be much better and more comfortable.
It amazes me how quick people are to criticize windows 8. All the metro UI really is is a new start menu that's more touch friendly. Tablet users complain there are no apps, yet have thousands of full blown windows apps they can use. Desktop users complain the start button is gone when all they have to do is hover in the same spot and it appears.
I've been researching for a new tablet or convertible to bring to school there are too many negative reviews for windows 8 for ridiculous reasons. No YouTube app? Guess what, I can play flash in the web browser. The drop box app isn't very good? Guess what, I can install the regular windows program and get two way sync. No email notifications in standby mode? My guess is you have an android phone going off right next to wherever your tablet is anyway.
Lastly, the surface pro is a hybrid device. So it isn't going to be the perfect tablet or the perfect ultra book. Its for people who want a mix of the two. For a device that's been out for nearly nine months, some of these complaints shouldn't be much of a surprise. I don't think its justified to make a thread bashing the product because you failed evaluate your wants and needs and didn't research a $1000 tablet.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said!
-Sent from my laptop running Windows 8
Sher The Love said:
The drop box app isn't very good? Guess what, I can install the regular windows program and get two way sync.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This feature was an unexpected gem for me. Before if I drew something in Sketchbook on the Note, I had to hit the share button, and pick a format to export to the cloud. Now, I just save it to my Dropbox folder (which I set as the default location), and it'll show up in on my desktop when I get home.
I've been using a Samsung Ativ 500T for a few weeks now, and I actually really like it. The main reason I bought it was I was getting tired of my Note botching all the formulas when I tried to open up an Excel spreadsheet in Polaris, QuickOffice, Google Doc (or fill in your Office Suite). The formatting also became funny on Word docs after opening in one of the above mentioned apps. I'm even able to run PS7 (I'm an amateur, so I don't need CS5 or later).
Of course this device is not perfect. As a straight replacement for a Note or iPad on the go, I still like the Note better. Screen rotation is a bit wonky sometimes on the Ativ. Although the wide screen is great for productivity, it's a bit unweildy, especially in portrait. There is connected standby, but not sure if it stays connected even in deep sleep. So, e-mails don't get come in when I'm asleep. Certain functions also don't work while in deep sleep: I haven't found a decent alarm app I can use (I used my Note as a backup alarm in case I didn't wake up to my phone).
jedah said:
This feature was an unexpected gem for me. Before if I drew something in Sketchbook on the Note, I had to hit the share button, and pick a format to export to the cloud. Now, I just save it to my Dropbox folder (which I set as the default location), and it'll show up in on my desktop when I get home.
I've been using a Samsung Ativ 500T for a few weeks now, and I actually really like it. The main reason I bought it was I was getting tired of my Note botching all the formulas when I tried to open up an Excel spreadsheet in Polaris, QuickOffice, Google Doc (or fill in your Office Suite). The formatting also became funny on Word docs after opening in one of the above mentioned apps. I'm even able to run PS7 (I'm an amateur, so I don't need CS5 or later).
Of course this device is not perfect. As a straight replacement for a Note or iPad on the go, I still like the Note better. Screen rotation is a bit wonky sometimes on the Ativ. Although the wide screen is great for productivity, it's a bit unweildy, especially in portrait. There is connected standby, but not sure if it stays connected even in deep sleep. So, e-mails don't get come in when I'm asleep. Certain functions also don't work while in deep sleep: I haven't found a decent alarm app I can use (I used my Note as a backup alarm in case I didn't wake up to my phone).
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Click to collapse
I sold my note and got a 500T a little over a month ago. While I'm not completely satisfied due to the speed, it's far better than the note was for school. I knew it would be slow, but I got it to hold me off till some newer haswell convertibles came out. Glad I bought the note and 500T refurbished for under $360.
In my opinion, Onenote is much better than anything on android. Especially being able to print full webpages to it. It helps when most of my accounting homework is online based. I can print to onenote and have detailed notes and the problems worked out. I could even get these pages to load correctly on my Note.
I just pre-ordered the Surface Pro 2 for my wife. We got the 256GB option. She wants to be able to consolidate her notebook and Note 10.1 into 1 device. She's a mechanical engineering major and will be running CAD, Matlab, etc and also has a lot of Office oriented and online homework. I think mainly she wants a computer where she can take equation heavy notes on without having to worry what to do on which device and forget about file syncing. Her current notebook is heavy @ 5lbs. Does this seem reasonable or are we asking for a $1500 headache? I keep saying it's going to a heavy tablet. She keeps saying but it's going to be a light notebook. Notifications don't matter since she has an Android phone. We're selling her Note 10.1 to a friend to help finance the Surface Pro 2 so that won't be available to her. I'm excited but nervous at this point.
I just recently picked up a Note 10.1 to replace my HP touchpad for use at school. I was having a tough time deciding on the tablet so I thought I would post my experience using the Note 10.1 for productivity the last week. Any comparison I have is to the HP Touchpad running android ICS. Here is some key points.
The Good:
1. The Note 10.1 is not very heavy, I use it as a notebook and its about the same size and weight as a notebook.
2. The device has darn good battery life, I'm not going to throw numbers around because it varies, but its good.
3. The Note 10.1 is of good quality. THe one I have does not creak, has good sound and what I consider a quality screen. Side by side compared to my HP Touchpad of similar pixels, there is no comparison, the Note 10.1 is FAR superior in picture quality and color saturation.
4. The S-Pen is very useful. Best thing about Note devices in general, you can use them in class and people don't assume your on facebook or texting, simply because you have a pen in your hand. I don't have a facebook anyhow but the perception is different.
5. The software is solid, it does not lag, it does not shut off, it just works, at least so far.
6. The device is pretty close to a desktop replacement for me, the multitasking really opens up the options and works pretty well.
The Bad:
1. When using the device at school (I have very long days in one classroom), it can't be sat upright AND be on the charger. I have the samsung book-cover case and when it is upright, since the charging port is on the bottom, it won't plug in.
2. Proprietary cable, I know there are some good things, but my touchpad had micro USB and I think it was nice to have a standard.
That's all. It's overall a great device. I am very happy with it.
If you get a 360 case you can rotate the tablet while in the case so that the charging port would then be on the top and you can charge that way. I kind of like the 30 pin connector as it is more hefty, I have seen so many people complain about damaged micro usb charging ports on other device forum pages. Playbook and kindle fire especially. Just my 2 cents........
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fosmon-Leather-Folio-Stand-Case-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10-1-Dark-Purple-/290833896213?pt=US_Tablet_eReader_Cases_Covers_Keyboard_Folios&hash=item43b70d1315
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You can get an adaptor that gives you normal usb ... I have a hub that connects to the 30 pin connector, gives me 3 usb ports and a couple of sd card ports. 1 normal sd and 1 microsd... I got this for around $20 on ebay and have no regrets as it works flawlessly with everything I've thrown at it, excepting of course an unpowered HDD....
Thanks for sharing your experience with the GNote. I'm curious about how you connected your tab to the monitor? Hdmi adapter cable? And how about the keyboard? Is it bluetooth? Make?
Sent from my GT-N8010 using xda premium
Widget21 said:
Thanks for sharing your experience with the GNote. I'm curious about how you connected your tab to the monitor? Hdmi adapter cable? And how about the keyboard? Is it bluetooth? Make?
Sent from my GT-N8010 using xda premium
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You can connect a BT keyboard, you can generally share music, video and photo's to an HDTV if it has WiFi (DLNA), You can use the HDMI adapter or a Samsung All Share Cast Hub that sends a wireless mirrored image to anything with an HDMI connection. There are many options.
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I wanted to touch on the school usablity. I'm the only one that I've seen in my school with a Note. I have the origonal note on ATT for a while, but I didnt feel the software matched the hardware at all. I sold my transformer infinity prime (which was awesome hardware but really really bad software) for the Note 10.1.
I've used it for a few weeks now in lectures and for homework. Many of my instructors upload either PDF of power points of their lectures. The Note excels at handling this. I simply import PDF directly to SNote or if its a powerpoint, I can open it in the included office program then export it as a PDF then import it to SNote. Either way, I have folders for all my classes along with lecture notes organized in a slim format. I used to go through almost a ream of paper every term printing out slides (6 per page) and then organizing into a huge binder and watching the pages wear out. And not something I want to haul around and study. The Note replaces all this. When I work out math problems, I have an instant "dry erase" board with me. I don't go through notebooks. Also, I have the equation solver in Snote which is awesome by the way.
I wish I could get flash working well. I have it sideloaded and have firefox on it, but the online homework sites that use flash do not recognize onscreen keyboard inputs. Other than the laggy lock screen (seems to be all the animations) it runs great and snappy.
I've also switched from paper notes to digital. It's awesome, there's just one problem. Several times I've caught myself looking for the undo button in class on the real-life whiteboard
Does anyone use there note for textbooks? If so, how is it with the resolution? Especially if you use it in multi window while taking notes.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
It's not bad. Use hyreader for chm, ezpdf/acrobat/radeepdf for pdf reading. It does take away space from the already small screen for notes so I tend to use my laptop or an actual textbook instead if I intend on taking notes. Sometimes i'll just give up and write directly on the pdf instead. for PPTs, I convert to PDF and write directly on them w/ acrobat or ezPDF.
setasai said:
It's not bad. Use hyreader for chm, ezpdf/acrobat/radeepdf for pdf reading. It does take away space from the already small screen for notes so I tend to use my laptop or an actual textbook instead if I intend on taking notes. Sometimes i'll just give up and write directly on the pdf instead. for PPTs, I convert to PDF and write directly on them w/ acrobat or ezPDF.
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If im decidimg between this and a nexus 10, would it be better to go with the nexus for the higher resolution for better clarity of textbooks and take any notes on a netbook I already have? If the lecture is using a PPT thats provided, I could always take the notes on the "note" section of the power point slide. Typing is also faster than writing. After seeing the nexus 10, im having a hard time going for the note due to the clarity of screen. What do you think?
I've had no issues w/ reading textbooks on the Note 10.1. The question you need to ask yourself is if you want the s-pen. It's really the deciding factor. If you want to be writing and taking handwritten notes with it then there's no question about it, go with the Note. If you just want a tablet to read things and surf the web then go for pretty much ANY tablet out there, or go with the Note anyways. Doesnt really matter.
As for PPT notes, sure you could type faster if that's the type of classes you have. I'm in med school and writing/drawing out diagrams is super super useful. For example, I'll have a slide with an image of a lung, the pen lets me circle the abscess and label it. Really depends on the purpose.
Think about your purpose. Think about what fits your usage and what you want to use it for. S-pen is unparalleled and the screen resolution isnt breath taking but it's NOT bad at all.
Sher The Love said:
Does anyone use there note for textbooks? If so, how is it with the resolution? Especially if you use it in multi window while taking notes.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
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This is my main concern as well. I'm wanting to use a Note 10.1 for my pdf textbooks and be able to take notes with it as well. Am I going to need another tablet just for the books or will I be able to dual view or switch windows quick enough where I only need the one device?
witchdoc13 said:
This is my main concern as well. I'm wanting to use a Note 10.1 for my pdf textbooks and be able to take notes with it as well. Am I going to need another tablet just for the books or will I be able to dual view or switch windows quick enough where I only need the one device?
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The feature you are looking is what makes this tablet unique.
I almost never use my hard copies of books. Just use the digital version.
I the multi Window features plus spen is very useful to take notes while reading. No other tablet offers these two. I thought the newer Windows tablet might work better but I am wrong. Their pen input needs a lot more improvement.
Sent from my GT-N8013
aalupatti said:
The feature you are looking is what makes this tablet unique.
I almost never use my hard copies of books. Just use the digital version.
I the multi Window features plus spen is very useful to take notes while reading. No other tablet offers these two. I thought the newer Windows tablet might work better but I am wrong. Their pen input needs a lot more improvement.
Sent from my GT-N8013
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That's just what I wanted to hear. The Windows Surface Pro was my other choice, but I figured I could get a Note 10.1 and a cheap laptop at the same cost. I just ordered a 32gb Note 10.1 and it should be here in a few days. :fingers-crossed: Thanks for the reply.
Sher The Love said:
If im decidimg between this and a nexus 10, would it be better to go with the nexus for the higher resolution for better clarity of textbooks and take any notes on a netbook I already have? If the lecture is using a PPT thats provided, I could always take the notes on the "note" section of the power point slide. Typing is also faster than writing. After seeing the nexus 10, im having a hard time going for the note due to the clarity of screen. What do you think?
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Click to collapse
I was in the same boat so I got both lol.
I would definitely recommend the Note 10.1 for textbook reading and note-taking, especially if u can find your textbooks on the Kno website. Their textbooks are interactive in more than a few ways!! The S-Pen seals the deal here too, at least for me.
I'll post some screens of my Music Textbook. Or maybe I should do a vid.
And to top it off you can add the 64gb sd card and increase your memory... I know that a lot of tabs dothis but a few don't, I'm looking at the nexus family here.... This is a real downer as sometimes 32gb just isn't enough.
The screen is fine, I read books in epub format all the time and also read a fair few PDF's with no problems... And I'm not a student...:laugh:
I have a note 10.1 and I've been using it primarily for my revision for my exams and its been awesome !!
Sent from my GT-N8000 using Tapatalk HD
Action B said:
I just recently picked up a Note 10.1 to replace my HP touchpad for use at school. I was having a tough time deciding on the tablet so I thought I would post my experience using the Note 10.1 for productivity the last week. Any comparison I have is to the HP Touchpad running android ICS. Here is some key points.
The Good:
1. The Note 10.1 is not very heavy, I use it as a notebook and its about the same size and weight as a notebook.
2. The device has darn good battery life, I'm not going to throw numbers around because it varies, but its good.
3. The Note 10.1 is of good quality. THe one I have does not creak, has good sound and what I consider a quality screen. Side by side compared to my HP Touchpad of similar pixels, there is no comparison, the Note 10.1 is FAR superior in picture quality and color saturation.
4. The S-Pen is very useful. Best thing about Note devices in general, you can use them in class and people don't assume your on facebook or texting, simply because you have a pen in your hand. I don't have a facebook anyhow but the perception is different.
5. The software is solid, it does not lag, it does not shut off, it just works, at least so far.
6. The device is pretty close to a desktop replacement for me, the multitasking really opens up the options and works pretty well.
The Bad:
1. When using the device at school (I have very long days in one classroom), it can't be sat upright AND be on the charger. I have the samsung book-cover case and when it is upright, since the charging port is on the bottom, it won't plug in.
2. Proprietary cable, I know there are some good things, but my touchpad had micro USB and I think it was nice to have a standard.
That's all. It's overall a great device. I am very happy with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll comment on battery... I think it's great
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app
I owe a nexus 4 and also owe laptop and desktop pc. Is the nexus 10 gonna help me?
First of all I want it since in august I'll start university so it will help for books on pdf, taking notes and since I'll enter to computer sciences I expect to use it for others things that I'll reach on school.
But I don't really know what is having a tablet, maybe I can do it all with a laptop but sometimes I think watching movies, comics, books, gaming and surfing Web is enough + utilities on school for getting it.
Any advice?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Nethojs29 said:
I owe a nexus 4 and also owe laptop and desktop pc. Is the nexus 10 gonna help me?
First of all I want it since in august I'll start university so it will help for books on pdf, taking notes and since I'll enter to computer sciences I expect to use it for others things that I'll reach on school.
But I don't really know what is having a tablet, maybe I can do it all with a laptop but sometimes I think watching movies, comics, books, gaming and surfing Web is enough + utilities on school for getting it.
Any advice?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
I've got a beastly desktop, laptop, and a decent phone. The tablet goes with me to stores and such so I can look things up on the go, or to work (I'm a teacher) so that I can take attendance on it. Its much more mobile than a laptop while providing, with the right apps. most of the functionality.
I would wait to see what the next galaxy note tablet is going to be. You could use a bluetooth keyboard if you'd rather type your notes and use the spen if you need to jot down formulas or charts.
If you have a newer laptop, I wouldn't recommend getting a regular tablet like the nexus 10 if you want it for school.
Me personally, I have a powerful desktop with two monitors for my main bulk of school work at home. I bring a netbook to class for notes (I download the PowerPoint's and convert them to PDF. Using acrobat pro, I can type notes just like if I were writing on the print out). The netbook is a bit old and weak but gets the job done for now.
With something like the galaxy note, you can have everything consolidated on your tablet(PDFs, PowerPoint's,hand written notes, types notes, ebooks ect) all in a compact device. Then use your desktop for more productive things and you could probably sell your laptop.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Nethojs29 said:
I owe a nexus 4 and also owe laptop and desktop pc. Is the nexus 10 gonna help me?
First of all I want it since in august I'll start university so it will help for books on pdf, taking notes and since I'll enter to computer sciences I expect to use it for others things that I'll reach on school.
But I don't really know what is having a tablet, maybe I can do it all with a laptop but sometimes I think watching movies, comics, books, gaming and surfing Web is enough + utilities on school for getting it.
Any advice?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Personally, I don't find tablets with (solely) capacitive touch screens to be useful for notetaking. They aren't accurate enough to take down diagrams and formulas much better than pen and paper. In fact, the best solution I've found has been using a LiveScribe pen to import those kinds of information into OneNote. On the other hand, if you've got any professors who are enamored of open-source formats like PDF, tablets are a great way to read on the go, and for that purpose I highly recommend them.
They're also great for most of what you named, but importantly tablets can go into "tighter" places. Your dorm room bed, a couch, or some other random place on campus are good candidates. If you've got a small bag, they're also one of those things you can toss in as a "just in case" if you need to do something your phone is unsuitable for, but don't want to bring your laptop for.
I'd recommend honestly looking into a Windows convertible, or, if you don't like the big M, go for an active-digitizer tablet. That basically means the Note at this point, unless you go hunting for one of Lenovo's offerings.
The Nexus 10 is a great tablet though, so buy with confidence if you feel a tablet is for you.
Nethojs29 said:
I owe a nexus 4 and also owe laptop and desktop pc. Is the nexus 10 gonna help me?
First of all I want it since in august I'll start university so it will help for books on pdf, taking notes and since I'll enter to computer sciences I expect to use it for others things that I'll reach on school.
But I don't really know what is having a tablet, maybe I can do it all with a laptop but sometimes I think watching movies, comics, books, gaming and surfing Web is enough + utilities on school for getting it.
Any advice?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
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This hits it on the head:
Rirere said:
They're also great for most of what you named, but importantly tablets can go into "tighter" places. Your dorm room bed, a couch, or some other random place on campus are good candidates. If you've got a small bag, they're also one of those things you can toss in as a "just in case" if you need to do something your phone is unsuitable for, but don't want to bring your laptop for.
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Click to collapse
I only use my tablet around the house and it's perfect for the living room or the bed, when I don't want to carry my ultrabook with its superfluous keyboard with me. The ultrabook is pretty light, a little less than 3 lbs, but the Nexus 10 is less than half that at 1.33 lbs. I can have a nice big, high-res screen with me at all times, one that isn't as heavy as lugging my ultrabook around.
With a tablet, you too can have a computer at your fingertips at all times! :victory:
That said, I agree with Sher and Rirere that the Nexus 10 may not be the best for writing with a stylus, though I haven't tried it. I'd guess the Note 10 would be better for that, since it has a digitizer built in. I always suggest that you try these devices out in a store before buying. I don't think an Android tablet will help you in computer science classes either, as they probably don't do anything with Android, plus you'll need a stand to keep the tablet up and a bluetooth keyboard to get any serious typing done. All the other content consumption stuff you mentioned is perfect on a tablet though.
The fundamental question is whether you value having a high-res computer with you in more places, because it is more portable than a laptop but with a bigger screen than a smartphone, albeit a computer that isn't that easy to type on unless you get a bluetooth keyboard also.
I have a Nexus 10, a Kindle, a S4 and a good/average laptop, I can tell you that for what you want the Nexus is amazing, if you want to watch a movie on it you'll see how amazing the screen is, surfing the Web is great too, and Android is with some top games, so you can enjoy it easily. If you most want to read comics and books I'd recommend you a Kindle (not the tablet), which is really the best option. Nexus 4 is already a good cellphone, but there are things that after you get hands on a tablet you see how easily they can be.
About school now. Formulas and such has no better companion than pen and paper, I already played a little with a Note 10 on a store, and it's great to handwrite, but I still think that for my math counts using a paper is the best option. However about the computer classes you can use it! Search on amazon for a case with keyboard and there is one which I really like (and have), which is so good that I typed my fanfictions on it, also I used to learn java on my Xoom with an app called "Droid Edit", which is a text editor with syntax highlight, then I installed Terminal IDE and had compiler and everything ready to learn. Guess what? It worked finely !"
And at least, you can install Linux distros on it, so you can get some more things to be done! And also it works greatly .
Hope it helps
~Lord
"This Story Ends Where It Began" - Octavarium (Dream Theater)
Sent from my GT-I9505
Here's another long response:
I would try and wait till the end of summer to make your decision. Toshiba has just announced three tablets - one lower end tablet, a 2560x1600 Tegra 4 tablet and another identical one, but with a wacom digitizer. Asus has a new 2560x1600 Infinity Transformer also with a Tegra 4. HP has there x2 android tablet coming out which didn't look too bad. Most of these are due for release in Q3 of this year. And on top of it, Samsung is holding a "Galaxy and Ativ" event on the 20th. Ativ will be a Windows device and Galaxy is an android device. Besides the Galaxy camera 2, no one really knows what to expect. Hopefully a new note tablet with better resolution, cause the current resolution is a deal breaker for a lot of people.
The Nexus ten is now a good 7 months old, although will probably be better priced than all of the above. The Tegra 4 could be great, but also could be terrible. I enjoyed my Nexus 10 when I had it earlier this year, but I think there are much better options for a school tablet coming out.
Also, I believe Intel is releasing there updated Atom processor (what Netbooks and lower range windows tabs use) towards the end of the year and is supposed to have greatly improved graphics, power, and battery life. Some of the current lower end Windows tablets run full windows 8 (like the Ativ 500T and also has a wacom digitizer for about $550) and they aren't terrible, though can be a bit sluggish. There battery life is also comparable to an android tablet.
Lastly, for school, a windows tablet may be a better choice since you won't have any compatibility issues like with android browsers. If your teacher uses online problems, demos, or chat rooms, you could run into issues running these things. I'm leaning slightly more towards Windows at the moment just for those reasons, but it all depends on how these products compare. If the android tablet is much smoother and has better battery life for 2/3 of the price, I'll just wait to get home to do something not compatible.
I've been in the same boat looking for something for school and my netbook is holding me off till the new products are released. I would recommend doing the same with your laptop, unless you can't afford more than the $400 for the Nexus 10.
Sher The Love said:
Here's another long response:
I would try and wait till the end of summer to make your decision. Toshiba has just announced three tablets - one lower end tablet, a 2560x1600 Tegra 4 tablet and another identical one, but with a wacom digitizer. Asus has a new 2560x1600 Infinity Transformer also with a Tegra 4. HP has there x2 android tablet coming out which didn't look too bad. Most of these are due for release in Q3 of this year. And on top of it, Samsung is holding a "Galaxy and Ativ" event on the 20th. Ativ will be a Windows device and Galaxy is an android device. Besides the Galaxy camera 2, no one really knows what to expect. Hopefully a new note tablet with better resolution, cause the current resolution is a deal breaker for a lot of people.
The Nexus ten is now a good 7 months old, although will probably be better priced than all of the above. The Tegra 4 could be great, but also could be terrible. I enjoyed my Nexus 10 when I had it earlier this year, but I think there are much better options for a school tablet coming out.
Also, I believe Intel is releasing there updated Atom processor (what Netbooks and lower range windows tabs use) towards the end of the year and is supposed to have greatly improved graphics, power, and battery life. Some of the current lower end Windows tablets run full windows 8 (like the Ativ 500T and also has a wacom digitizer for about $550) and they aren't terrible, though can be a bit sluggish. There battery life is also comparable to an android tablet.
Lastly, for school, a windows tablet may be a better choice since you won't have any compatibility issues like with android browsers. If your teacher uses online problems, demos, or chat rooms, you could run into issues running these things. I'm leaning slightly more towards Windows at the moment just for those reasons, but it all depends on how these products compare. If the android tablet is much smoother and has better battery life for 2/3 of the price, I'll just wait to get home to do something not compatible.
I've been in the same boat looking for something for school and my netbook is holding me off till the new products are released. I would recommend doing the same with your laptop, unless you can't afford more than the $400 for the Nexus 10.
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I honestl yplan to hold on to the N10 until December 2014 and THEN upgrade, since I dropped the $500 on the 32GB model.
dibblebill said:
I honestl yplan to hold on to the N10 until December 2014 and THEN upgrade, since I dropped the $500 on the 32GB model.
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How does the Nexus 10 compare to a Nook HD+?
dalcowboys1993 said:
How does the Nexus 10 compare to a Nook HD+?
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Way above it in every way, so far as I know, as well as more expensive.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
dibblebill said:
Way above it in every way, so far as I know, as well as more expensive.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
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If you don't mind hacking it up though, the Nook HD+ looks like a fun little investment to slap somewhere (like a wall or something as a control panel). It may not make the best tablet but the hardware is good.
+1 for the people recommending paper/pencil. I can't do formulas another way. OP however might want to look into the LiveScribe Sky and a tablet (or use their PC); I believe I saw an ad somewhere showing off live, instant syncing from paper to tablet, which I'll have to look into myself (got a LiveScribe Echo as a work bonus, so I'm sticking with that for the moment).
It's not just a question of having an active digitizer; while the Note pen will wow in stores, writing with a stylus for any duration of time can quickly become, well, annoying. Glass just doesn't have the same tactile feel that a good pen on paper will, you'll get the "clicking" sounds from contact, and you could generally be doing something a lot more useful with your electronic device (like typing bullet points) than scrawling into it with a digitizer.
Unless, of course, by tablet, we're talking about a Wacom drawing pad.
Rirere said:
If you don't mind hacking it up though, the Nook HD+ looks like a fun little investment to slap somewhere (like a wall or something as a control panel). It may not make the best tablet but the hardware is good.
+1 for the people recommending paper/pencil. I can't do formulas another way. OP however might want to look into the LiveScribe Sky and a tablet (or use their PC); I believe I saw an ad somewhere showing off live, instant syncing from paper to tablet, which I'll have to look into myself (got a LiveScribe Echo as a work bonus, so I'm sticking with that for the moment).
It's not just a question of having an active digitizer; while the Note pen will wow in stores, writing with a stylus for any duration of time can quickly become, well, annoying. Glass just doesn't have the same tactile feel that a good pen on paper will, you'll get the "clicking" sounds from contact, and you could generally be doing something a lot more useful with your electronic device (like typing bullet points) than scrawling into it with a digitizer.
Unless, of course, by tablet, we're talking about a Wacom drawing pad.
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Click to collapse
Everyone will of course have their preferences, so I'm not trying to argue right or wrong. However, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ATo3ohdwok has certainly influenced me to getting something with a wacom digitizer. She has some other videos showing note taking as well. I hate having a lot of printouts with notes on them. I also don't like typing notes on a computer but then having to draw out charts and math examples on a separate piece of paper. I'd rather have a device I can carry around almost anywhere with great battery life where everything in consolidated. It's also possible to sync to dropbox so you can get the notes on your phone(in PDF, not SNOTE format). Imagine staying on campus for whatever reason and wanting to do work for a class that you didn't bring your notes or text for. You could have everything in your Note tablet to include general handwritten notes.
Also, the note tablet comes with two different tips. One plastic that will feel like super smooth writing on glass and one rubber that has some drag to it that doesn't make "clicking" noises. I would prefer real pen and paper as well mostly because its what I'm used to, but I really like the idea of consolidating everything into one device backed up to the cloud that I can get anywhere. I'm currently doing it with powerpoint notes in dropbox and typed notes in Evernote, but unless I scan or take pictures, I can't get anything I hand write somewhere else.
Edit: I just looked up the Livescribe pen. That is pretty neat. I feel like I'd lose it though. I will continue looking into that as another option.
I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.
I admit I haven't put a lot of time into the Win8 devices, but my general impression is that they are very slick, well made, but massively overpriced and terribly lacking on the software side.
Rather than giving a direct comparison, what you could see is if there is anything that the 10.1 can't do that you'd need. By my counting, there isn't. Annotating and marking up PDFs? No problem. All the cloud syncing and printing you could ask for? Got it. Fantastic organization by way of LectureNotes? Mmhm. The screen is sharp, the pen works just dandy, and there's scads of apps for you to create, edit, organize, and make use of all of your PDFs.
I can't say with certainty how good a win8 tab would be, but I can say that the the 10.1 2014 would do everything you could possibly ask of it.
{Diemex} said:
I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have either but I've used a Windows 7 tablet and last year's Note 10.1 and the big difference for me was that while both had Wacom, Android is just way more usable via touch than Windows. Windows 8 is more touch friendly to be sure but the software ecosystem just isn't there yet (in terms of touch friendly apps). Like the above poster said, there really isn't much you can't do on a Note 10.1. The one wildcard is Onenote, it's seriously the best thing Microsoft has ever made and there really isn't anything equivalent on Android, but I can live without it really. It would be cool if android note taking apps had the functionality of Onenote but in terms of just using it like an advanced paper notebook they're totally usable. It'd be cool to be able to search through notes and stuff (some app may allow this, but I haven't found one yet) but it's still much easier to find things in a digital notebook than a physical one.
{Diemex} said:
I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a fellow mechanical engieer working and going to grad school, this is how it has been working for me.
I use ezPDF and see note. You can take snapshots of pdfs with ezpdf and paste them into s note.
Good luck.
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app
{Diemex} said:
I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.
In this excellent review (see link below) of the Note 10.1 the reviewer mentions "better going for the 2014 Note 10.1" for people who make notes. Professional artists are better of on a Windows device because of the much larger software base. She reviewed both the 2014 Note 10.1 and the popular Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 (linked in article).
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tablets/2014-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10.htm
The_Maverick said:
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never used it personally but OneNote is available for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.onenote
The_Maverick said:
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, if you guys can afford or get over dropping 1K on a tablet than the surface pro is the way to go.
Don't get you mind set on "apps." as an engineer, being able to run and execute programs relevant to your fields is more important.
For me, I won't be able to run Catia V5, Solid works, MATLAB, C++, EES, etc on a android tablet. If I didn't drop 1K earlier on my laptop I probably would have got a surface pro 2 so that I wouldn't have to carry so much.
But the note 10.1 has served me well. I got it because I already had a laptop that was cad ready, the note also charges over USB and was at a good price.
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app
My main requirement for a tablet is the ability to highlight PDF’s and add sticky notes/annotations for studying; the ability to write notes and have it be as close to a paper/pen experience as possible; and the ability to watch movies and shows in HD while on flights, etc.
If I was sure that the Surface Pro 2 could do all of those things better than the Note 10.1, I’d spend the money. But I’m not sure it can. After struggling for years using a fat stylus on the iPad, the S-Pen on the Note 10.1 seems perfect.
Is the Surface Pro 2 better at these things than the Note 10.1?
Han Solo 1 said:
My main requirement for a tablet is the ability to highlight PDF’s and add sticky notes/annotations for studying; the ability to write notes and have it be as close to a paper/pen experience as possible; and the ability to watch movies and shows in HD while on flights, etc.
If I was sure that the Surface Pro 2 could do all of those things better than the Note 10.1, I’d spend the money. But I’m not sure it can. After struggling for years using a fat stylus on the iPad, the S-Pen on the Note 10.1 seems perfect.
Is the Surface Pro 2 better at these things than the Note 10.1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have the Surface Pro 2, but those things you mention (movie playback and taking notes, with LectureNotes) are precisely 2 strongpoints of the 2014 Note 10.1. Furthermore it will be a lot lighter in weight, cost far less and drain far less battery. I would recommend it in a heartbeat for those items you mention.
Edit: I highly doubt the Surface Pro giving you a better movie watching experience. I would put money on it...
As someone that owned last years Note 10.1 and owns both the current 10.1 and Surface Pro - I would much rather ink on the Note 10.1.
I really like One Note. Unfortunately, it seems to me like Microsoft doesn't feel the same. I feel like they could/should take One Note and turn it into an Evernote competitor. I see a lot of potential in the software, but no love.
For work, a couple months back, I was trying to take notes on the go while working with a 3rd party vendor using my Surface Pro. I am probably in the minority of people that actually like Windows 8. For me though, on the go, holding the Note 10.1 in one hand and trying to ink vs the Surface Pro is night and day. The Surface Pro is just far too heavy. But it fills that void when I need something extremely portable that will run full blown Photoshop, Quark, etc.
stinger108 said:
I have never used it personally but OneNote is available for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.onenote
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never used it myself either. I might check it out once I get my Note. But the fact that it hasn't been mentioned in all the LectureNotes conversations on here tells me that it might not actually be comparable. Does any one know whether OneNote on Android supports the SPen?
SlimJ87D said:
Honestly, if you guys can afford or get over dropping 1K on a tablet than the surface pro is the way to go.
Don't get you mind set on "apps." as an engineer, being able to run and execute programs relevant to your fields is more important.
For me, I won't be able to run Catia V5, Solid works, MATLAB, C++, EES, etc on a android tablet. If I didn't drop 1K earlier on my laptop I probably would have got a surface pro 2 so that I wouldn't have to carry so much.
But the note 10.1 has served me well. I got it because I already had a laptop that was cad ready, the note also charges over USB and was at a good price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The price is also prohipive, you're right, I didn't even consider that.
I was in the same situation as you were. I bought a X1 Carbon a year ago, which I use for MATLAB and the like. Had good options been available then, I might have gone with a hybrid. Although for that I'd go with one that has a transformer like dock, such as the Lenovo ThinPad Tablet 2. But I like that my laptop is 14". Only 10" or 11" would be too small for me.
Ettepetje said:
In this excellent review (see link below) of the Note 10.1 the reviewer mentions "better going for the 2014 Note 10.1" for people who make notes. Professional artists are better of on a Windows device because of the much larger software base. She reviewed both the 2014 Note 10.1 and the popular Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 (linked in article).
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tablets/2014-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10.htm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well "a much larger software base" means Pro and not RT and the Pro tablets are certainly a bit bulkier and heavier than the Note due to the hardware and battery to keep the thing running. I am also not sure how battery life compares between say the Surface Pro vs the new Note.
wingdo said:
Well "a much larger software base" means Pro and not RT and the Pro tablets are certainly a bit bulkier and heavier than the Note due to the hardware and battery to keep the thing running. I am also not sure how battery life compares between say the Surface Pro vs the new Note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Verge tested both tablets and rated battery life the same. They rated performance of the Note much lower, which for movie watching and drawing / taking notes it most certainly isn't. The 2014 Note 10.1 can playback 2 full-HD movies (of 5+GB) simultaneously without hickup of any kind. I used MX Player Pro for that, with NeoN-driver, together with the built-in video player of the Note in pop-up mode. The beautiful screen together with the decent stereo speakers is managing to keep me away from gearing up my high-end home theater system for 2 major movie titles in a row (Monster University and Despicable Me 2).
To return to the matter of speed, the Note is the fastest ARM based tablet currently available, but will in all likelihood be slower than the processor in the Surface Pro 2. Reading about fans kicking in during heavy use though has me running away from any such option.
{Diemex} said:
I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here again I will share with the op my notes I just took.
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app
One thing i did on my note was take screenshots in excel (kingsoft office) then put them into my s notes and annotate on top of it. Its not as good as annotating directly in excel but it works ok.
I went to my local computer store and spend about 45 mins writing on the Note 2014 and also had a look at the surface pro 2. My handwriting looked comparable to the screenshots posted, not as nice as on paper with a pencil, but far better than anticipated.
A lecturer actually uses OneNote on a lenovo laptop with a stylus. It works really well and I like that you can easily add blank space in between lines if you run out of space. Sadly the surface in the store didn't have internet so I couldn't have a look at the metro apps store and there wasn't much apps to play around with. The surface feels a bit like a laptop with a small touchscreen and a detachable keyboard to me.
The surface has optional pen input but still is not focused on making the most out of the pen. Samsung's app package on the Note on the other hand is designed to maximize on the stylus. I need a tablet mainly for reading and taking notes and for anything more demanding I have a powerful laptop.
So I will most likely get the Note. Still pondering if I should spend 500€ on wifi only or 650€ on the lte version, which I think doubt I will really make use of on a 10 inch tablet.
{Diemex} said:
So I will most likely get the Note. Still pondering if I should spend 500€ on wifi only or 650€ on the lte version, which I think doubt I will really make use of on a 10 inch tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are able to tether using your phone's data, save your money and get the wifi model. That's what I did. All I have to do is hit a button on my phone and I have fast internet access on my Note 10.1.
Han Solo 1 said:
If you are able to tether using your phone's data, save your money and get the wifi model. That's what I did. All I have to do is hit a button on my phone and I have fast internet access on my Note 10.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
The_Maverick said:
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a metro onenote but not as good as the full office version, which as a student the op should get for decent price.
Have been using tablet pc s of various makes since 1997 and in the op case would say either the note 10.1 2014 or a s/hand x220t lenovo, last one with the great keyboard, either should be similiar money the x220t maybe a bit more.
Or why not consider the first note 10.1 maybe afford both that way?
Sent from my GT-N5100 using xda app-developers app