Note Taking With The Apple Pencil - Can It Be Done?

placeholder · 21 May 2020 at 13:04

This is a little random but any Apple Pencil users may be able to help. I've never considered one as I have no use for one but depending on the answer this may change.

I am currently undertaking a qualification through my work which involved attending some workshops. This has now been stopped due to Coronavirus and there is an attempt to deliver them virtually using a more standard lecture format. This would involve a slide deck of Power Point Slides being sent to us, and then logging onto Big Blue Button or Teams or some such and listening to the lecturer talk. I am however reasonably poor at taking notes and they get a bit disorganised.

If you have an Apple Pencil is it possible to import an entire slide deck (maybe 100 slides) into an app or something and write over them/take notes using the pencil then save them as a job lot? Im sure its possible to do it one slide at a time but Im looking at being able to do it "live" as the lecture is taking place and not have to worry about opening and closing slides and saving then individually etc?

Maybe this is something that can't be done but Im sure there are students out there who are doing something similar?

As always any help is appreciated.

Alpherah · 21 May 2020 at 14:52

Both PowerPoint and Keynote support export to PDF. Once done you can mark up natively in iOS or use something like pdf expert for more advanced features

placeholder · 21 May 2020 at 17:23

Alpherah said:
Both PowerPoint and Keynote support export to PDF. Once done you can mark up natively in iOS or use something like pdf expert for more advanced features

Sorry, just to be clear. I could export the Power Point slides into one large PDF document, open it on the iPad, edit it with the pen, adding my own notes and then reserve it at the end as a new document?

Somnambulist · 21 May 2020 at 19:18

Yes that's a pretty typical use of the pencil for taking notes, plenty of examples on YouTube (this is 3 years old for reference):

MrRockliffe · 21 May 2020 at 19:26

Personally recommend OneNote. I’ve done all of my lectures in it this year, and it’s been fantastic. One of the best things I’ve done.

Supports importing PDFs

And, of course, you can save .ppt(x) as PDF on an iPad

Matthew.M · 21 May 2020 at 19:30

Yes and it’s brilliant. I use mine exclusively for all my meeting notes at work. I’m far more organised than when I used to use notepads.

I find it much more useful as you can move things around in a way which is impossible on paper.

Occasionally get some stick from others though if I forget to charge it, or they see the stylus plugged into the iPad looking ridiculous.

placeholder · 21 May 2020 at 19:31

Thats an absolute game changer for me! I hadn't paid any attention to the pencil at all because I thought I had no use for it but that would save me so much hassle. Ive been out of education for a long time so Ive not been focussed on what could be done.

I did a course last year where I had to travel once a month and had to take a ton of notes with me. Seems like I could just have uploaded them to the iPad and scribbled on them throughout the workshop.

That is brilliant. I love technology!

placeholder · 16 Jul 2020 at 14:15

My course has resumed as an online experience this week and I found the note taking overly awkward and cumbersome so I have now ordered the Apple Pencil. Cant wait to see how it performs!

placeholder · 16 Jul 2020 at 14:57

Can I also ask how else people use the pencil? Is there an app whereby you can write and have it transcribed into useable text that actually works in practice? My style of writing is that I jot stuff down while watching the TV or relaxing and then type it up properly and edit. If I could scribble it down and have it convert to text that would remove a huge step for me!

shiver · 16 Jul 2020 at 15:08

placeholder said:
Can I also ask how else people use the pencil? Is there an app whereby you can write and have it transcribed into useable text that actually works in practice? My style of writing is that I jot stuff down while watching the TV or relaxing and then type it up properly and edit. If I could scribble it down and have it convert to text that would remove a huge step for me!

Checkout iPadOS 14 stuff : https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2...-new-features-designed-specifically-for-ipad/

placeholder · 16 Jul 2020 at 15:24

shiver said:
Checkout iPadOS 14 stuff : https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2...-new-features-designed-specifically-for-ipad/

Wow is it just me or is that utterly brilliant? Assuming it works of course!

shiver · 16 Jul 2020 at 16:26

From my quick tests on the public beta, it works very well...even with my terrible handwriting

HACO · 16 Jul 2020 at 16:30

placeholder said:
Wow is it just me or is that utterly brilliant? Assuming it works of course!

The beta version is excellent. There are many users on YouTube trying it, totally game changing in my opinion for note taking.

placeholder · 16 Jul 2020 at 17:33

HACO said:
The beta version is excellent. There are many users on YouTube trying it, totally game changing in my opinion for note taking.

Ive just watched a couple of videos on You Tube and I am totally amazed by it in all honesty. I have to say, whatever else can be said about Apple their stuff just works!

RichL · 16 Jul 2020 at 17:35

Notability is my favourite app for annotating and notes, check it out. OneNote is decent too.

placeholder · 16 Jul 2020 at 18:05

Funnily enough I just got Notability in readiness for getting he pencil tomorrow!

HACO · 16 Jul 2020 at 18:06

placeholder said:
Ive just watched a couple of videos on You Tube and I am totally amazed by it in all honesty. I have to say, whatever else can be said about Apple their stuff just works!

Yeah I can’t see myself not buying it. I’m just waiting for the next generation iPads now.

Minstadave · 16 Jul 2020 at 19:52

I take all my notes using my iPad and use Onenote, works really well, can drop photos in with ease, quick diagrams and no need to keep masses of folders anymore. Highly recommend it.

Picked up a Samsung Note 10+ but don't find that as useful as the iPad, just not big enough or comfortable enough to make it enjoyable.

placeholder · 16 Jul 2020 at 21:08

Minstadave said:
I take all my notes using my iPad and use Onenote, works really well, can drop photos in with ease, quick diagrams and no need to keep masses of folders anymore. Highly recommend it.

Picked up a Samsung Note 10+ but don't find that as useful as the iPad, just not big enough or comfortable enough to make it enjoyable.

When you draw diagrams can they be exported into Word or similar? Could I draw a flow chart and pop it into another doc to save me creating boxes and triangles in Word?

Minstadave · 16 Jul 2020 at 21:51

placeholder said:
When you draw diagrams can they be exported into Word or similar? Could I draw a flow chart and pop it into another doc to save me creating boxes and triangles in Word?

Yes I'm pretty certain you can move everything from Onenote into Word.