Help picking a new computer/ipad

rockrchic923

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Jun 2, 2011
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Well i am getting ready to start grad school in the fall, for a masters in english and psychology (yes an odd combination, i know) and am looking at either a new laptop or ipad for school. I have been leaning towards the ipad since it is so light and thin (I have an old shoulder injury from cheerleading in high school so carrying heavy bags is difficult for a long period of time) but I am wondering if there are apps for college age students for note taking (i.e. windows has an application that you can write on the screen with a stylus and the system will save what you write as notes) or if there are removable keyboards that you can use to type that way instead of on the screen. Also I have all windows computers at my home, so what type of apps are available that would be like microsoft office 2010 or windows 7. The macbook air is appealing but I hear that it gets incredibly hot, which doesn't sound like a good thing. So i am looking for people's opinions on an ipad as a main computer type tablet for college with note taking, making presentations, writing papers, and possibly having the novels i will need for texts on the ipad as well.

Thanks in advance for the opinions!
 

takeshi

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I am wondering if there are apps for college age students for note taking (i.e. windows has an application that you can write on the screen with a stylus and the system will save what you write as notes)
There are certainly apps for notes but I have yet to see any specifically designed for college students. How do you anticipate college note taking to be any different from any other note taking?

or if there are removable keyboards that you can use to type that way instead of on the screen.
There are.

Also I have all windows computers at my home, so what type of apps are available that would be like microsoft office 2010 or windows 7.
The iPad has its own OS. It's not going to run Windows 7 or anything like it.

So i am looking for people's opinions on an ipad as a main computer type tablet for college with note taking, making presentations, writing papers, and possibly having the novels i will need for texts on the ipad as well.
See if you can spend some time with one to see how suitable it would be for you. There are apps to do what you're looking for but it's really your call as to whether or not they'll work for you. Don't assume that it's a one-size-fits-all world. Just because it works well for one person doesn't mean that it will for the next.
 
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rockrchic923

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Okay so i realize that there isn't a huge difference when looking at note taking, college or otherwise, but I have noticed that as an english major the notes taking is like writing a book compared to other programs so I would like something that has a battery power to keep up with a 4 hr lecture/note taking session at the least.

when I was speaking of windows/microsoft office i was speaking in terms of apple laptops not just the ipad, sorry i should have made that more clear. If the ipad is my final choice, which so far it is seeming to be the best option in the end, my biggest concern would be if the items i create (notes, presentations, term papers) would be able to be transferred to my HP at home to be saved on my harddrive there thus freeing up space on the ipad for new documents.

thanks again for the help
 
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draztikrhymez

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May 17, 2011
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For college use I would honest find a nice small light laptop. Unless you expect to only need to take notes then I guess iPad would work.

Personally I still don't see any tablets as a comp replacement yet.

As far as apps similar to Microsoft office there is the iWork bundle for iPad.
 

Alli

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There is an identical thread asking the same question. I think we convinced that person to go with an inexpensive laptop so that he could spend hours actually typing papers and then have the ability to upload them or print them (which you can't do from the iPad).
 

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