iPad for typing notes?

PureAppleJuice · 28 Sep 2011 at 15:30

Hello all,

I am so nearly tempted to get an iPad 2 for the purposes of typing notes during lectures. I've seen a couple of people use them for said purpose.

Problem is I just don't know how easy it is to type on them? I had a play in an Apple Store on one and it was fine but I am still dubious. I hate eeePCs (or netbooks, whatever the new fangled name is!) and found it just as hard if not harder to type on them. The obvious solution is to get a laptop but sadly I need a smaller solution.

TL;DR, how do you find typing notes/writing emails on the iPad using the touchscreen as a keyboard?

Judgeneo · 28 Sep 2011 at 15:32

I know someone who tried, but gave up in the end, he said pen and paper was faster and easier.

Then again, he is a physics student, if you an arts or humanities student I imagine you will have an easier time of it.

Brian8bit · 28 Sep 2011 at 15:43

I would probably lose the feeling in my finger tips within minutes if I tried to type out notes on an ipad. Firing off quick messages and tweets on a phone/touchscreen is one thing. But extended periods of time prodding your fingers onto a solid surface? It's bad enough on scissor switches with next to no travel or any kind of feedback.

Glaucus · 28 Sep 2011 at 15:45

God no, that would be terrible. However you can get cases with a keyboard in them and as such it becomes a cut down laptop.

PureAppleJuice · 28 Sep 2011 at 15:50

Aha, yes, those cases with keyboards look right up my street actually, I shall have to investigate further!

Jay794 · 28 Sep 2011 at 15:50

iPad 3 should be out by Christmas.

My fingers start to hurt just typing long texts on my iPhone.

A Netbook would be the best option because they're light and you could put MS Office on it.

Have you looked in to the new "ultrabooks" supposed to be like netbooks but more powerful, probably a bigger keyboard too.

Can't believe I'm saying this but what about a Macbook Air or 11/13 inch Pro?

PureAppleJuice · 28 Sep 2011 at 15:59

Haha, well, in an ideal world I'd love a MacBook Air but I can't really justify the price sadly!

MrMoonX · 28 Sep 2011 at 16:08

Jay794 said:
iPad 3 should be out by Christmas.

My fingers start to hurt just typing long texts on my iPhone.

A Netbook would be the best option because they're light and you could put MS Office on it.

Have you looked in to the new "ultrabooks" supposed to be like netbooks but more powerful, probably a bigger keyboard too.

Can't believe I'm saying this but what about a Macbook Air or 11/13 inch Pro?

since when have apple announced the ipad3????

I'm thinking the same thing as a couple of girls in my lectures have iPads and say they are great

Hyburnate · 28 Sep 2011 at 16:10

MrMoonX said:
since when have apple announced the ipad3????

I'm thinking the same thing as a couple of girls in my lectures have iPads and say they are great

Since when have apple announced the iPhone5? Their in it for money, of course they will refresh the line.

Jay794 · 28 Sep 2011 at 16:12

Apple haven't announced the iPhone 5 or 4S yet, they only just announced the media event for a possible new iPhone but pictures of parts for the iPad 3 have been shown online for a few weeks now

MrMoonX · 28 Sep 2011 at 16:14

Jay794 said:
Apple haven't announced the iPhone 5 or 4S yet, they only just announced the media event for a possible new iPhone but pictures of parts for the iPad 3 have been shown online for a few weeks now

source?

because not even macrumours are reporting any ipad3 part leaks, so i doubt there have been any, ipad3 is likely in early 2012 not before xmas, probably march

Glaucus · 28 Sep 2011 at 16:19

Won't be an ipad3 for a while. They have brought forward iphone5 release date by the looks of things, so I expect iPad release date to be unchanged. So there's a gap in release dates.

oli356 · 28 Sep 2011 at 16:21

Jay794 said:
iPad 3 should be out by Christmas.

My fingers start to hurt just typing long texts on my iPhone.

A Netbook would be the best option because they're light and you could put MS Office on it.

Have you looked in to the new "ultrabooks" supposed to be like netbooks but more powerful, probably a bigger keyboard too.

Can't believe I'm saying this but what about a Macbook Air or 11/13 inch Pro?

I doubt the iPad will be out by Christmas, the 2nd gen is selling fine and therefore they will probably have the new one next year; keeping to the yearly cycle.

I couldn't imagine using the iPad for typing for a long time. I don't know how good the keyboards are either (ones which come with cases) There's always the external keyboard route.. but clearly that means taking an external keyboard with you!

Jay794 · 28 Sep 2011 at 16:26

http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/ipad-3-rumours-what-you-need-to-know-937498

The article starts by saying September 2011 but ends by saying March 2012

Glaucus · 28 Sep 2011 at 16:30

And it's rumors.
They had the issue of iPhone and iPad being released almost ontop of each other. It looks like they have rescheduled iphone5 launch, so why would they then bring the iPad3 forward as well. Especially as it is by far still the largest tablet with no real threat at the moment.

Jay794 · 28 Sep 2011 at 16:32

I hope the give the iPad3 a decent camera and a capacity bump. I might actually trade in my 4213 netbook for one if they gave it a 160GB flash drive

Glaucus · 28 Sep 2011 at 16:50

That won't happen.

We might get 32, 64, 124

But with cloud storage taking off, i doubt it.

wakayoda · 28 Sep 2011 at 16:59

I can't see apple releasing or announcing an iPad 3 until late next year as the 1st gen alone eats the current competition.

Jay794 · 28 Sep 2011 at 17:36

Hopefully with the popularisation of Cloud storage we'll start seeing a lot of unlimited data plans coming in

oli356 · 28 Sep 2011 at 18:22

And imagine the cost of a 120GB drive.. For computers alone they cost like £130...