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Best note-taking setup with tablet and keyboard?
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Posted by Dr Andus
Jan 6, 2014 at 02:21 PM
MadaboutDana wrote:
>But the T100 looks extremely tempting, I must say. Apparently it’s the
>third best-selling PC at the moment, after two of Google’s Chromebooks
>(yes, really!). Oh, it also has a very impressive battery life, and the
>tablet bit only weighs about 560g, which is pretty light.
Thanks, Bill. I was open towards Win8 tablets, but the more I read about them, the more it seems that they are not as user-friendly as Android or Apple tablets. Even the T100 has some worrying 2-star reviews on Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/q48ery4
As for Chromebooks, I was sceptical initially, but the more I read about them the more interesting they seem. I think I’ll wait for the next generation though, as on the software and OS side it’s still not as mature as iOS.
For now I’m wavering between the forthcoming Nexus 10 (2) and iPad Air. The former will be hopefully cheaper (though, again, I wonder if Android has anything as sophisticated as Editorial on iOS), while with the latter I know what to expect, but at a hefty price…
As for the keyboard, Nimblestand with an Apple Wireless keyboard sound like the best set-up for fast typing (it would presumably work with either), though it doesn’t offer any protection. Oh, well, it looks like one can’t have it all…
Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Jan 6, 2014 at 03:42 PM
Dr Andus wrote:
>As for Chromebooks, I was sceptical initially, but the more I read about
>them the more interesting they seem. I think I’ll wait for the next
>generation though, as on the software and OS side it’s still not as
>mature as iOS.
Well, the good thing with Chromebooks is that you can install Linux on them. And there’s no question about that OS’s maturity.
I must say that I’m very happy with my Samsung Note with a Speedlink Libera external keyboard http://www.speedlink.com/?p=2&cat=252&pid=25278&paus=1 (note that the stand is NOT part of the product), and running Draft synced via Dropbox https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mvilla.draft
That said, for typing/editing texts, the above setup doesn’t offer anything important as advantage over my Linux eeePC.
Posted by MadaboutDana
Jan 7, 2014 at 01:05 PM
Interesting reviews, albeit from users with slightly odd expectations.
But you can’t go wrong with an iPad! There are currently some great deals on old iPad Minis (non-retina) with 64GB storage and cellular support (£300 in the UK); but having played with a retina one, it’s definitely on my list of seriously desirable goodies.
Nobody does user-friendly like Apple - especially with iOS. I like Android, but it really can’t compete (pace Alexander!).
Although I’m just about to root my Nook HD and install CyanogenMod, so I’ll let you know how that goes!
Posted by MadaboutDana
Jan 7, 2014 at 01:08 PM
Worth checking out the new HP Chromebook 14, too, which has had some very good reviews (4GB, 2 x USB 3.0, 9.5 hours battery life, 14” screen - available now). In the UK, selling for a very reasonable £250. It’s the battery life that’s got me interested - something like a Chromebook really has to have a good battery life, otherwise what’s the point?
I’ve just acquired a Huawei mifi from 3, too, for a very reasonable £19 per month for 15GB of data. It’s very quick, and makes a real difference to my regular urban forays. That, plus a Chromebook… hm, I’m tempted…
Posted by RickFencer
Jan 7, 2014 at 09:26 PM
I use a Google Nexus 7 (2013) and a Neptor folding bluetooth keyboard and I really like them. For Android notetaking I use either Jota+, a very capable and flexible plain text editor with lots of special key options you don’t find in other Android editors, or Handrite Pro. In Handrite you can type notes on the screen or external keyboard, or you can hand write them in the designated screen area and they are put on the screen like typing in whatever size you like (as handwriting). With the Nexus (or other Android tablets, I assume) you can also download Stylus Beta (by Vision Objects) which is a very capable handwriting recognition app that works in any program in which you would otherwise use a keyboard. And I have really awful handwriting. Finally, for notetaking, my Nexus also has a voice-to-text function that works very well, especially if I want to take something down quickly and I’m not in a situation where I can easily use a keybaord (e.g., driving, though don’t tell my wife!).