Anyone Considering an iPad Pro with Pencil? Forum

[265489164158]

I know that it is a bit spendy, but I am starting 1L shortly and thinking about an iPad Pro for in class note taking. I hear not great things about the keyboard, but I like handwritten notes and think that the ability to edit, organize, search, etc. would be great. I already have a 2 1/2 year old Air that I think will be fine for most legal writing. Has anyone had any thoughts or experience with this? My SO has a Surface Pro that I do not love, but I am just not a Windows person anymore if I have the choice.

[Kinky John]

Fyi some professors may not allow you to take notes on an electronic device (so you may use it less than you'd like)

[Loney M. Setnick]

Why not just take your Air for in-class note taking and a notebook for any class the teacher doesn't allow computer note-taking? It seems like buying an iPad Pro just for note taking is a waste of money/unnecessary.

[265489164158]

Why not just take your Air for in-class note taking and a notebook for any class the teacher doesn't allow computer note-taking? It seems like buying an iPad Pro just for note taking is a waste of money/unnecessary.

I am not a super fast typist and like handwriting, which the iPad Pro would allow me to do. I think that when you look at the studies on how people learn and retain material, handwriting has some advantages. The Apple Pencil is supposed to be amazing.

[joeycxxxx09]

You won't be able to write fast enough on an iPad. and you would look like a fool trying to write out notes on a screen rather than just using a pen and notebook.

[265489164158]

You won't be able to write fast enough on an iPad.

Oh, good point maybe. Thanks for bringing that up.

[longs3s]

I will be! I used it this whole past school year, and I love it. Being able to reorganize my notes and access all of them at one, quickly and easily, is super handy for me. Plus, I have the option of both typing and writing, and doing tons of other stuff on my tablet, without having to lug around a heavy laptop and charger. As far as the pencil itself goes, it has great responsiveness and such. The only negative I would throw out there is that it dents easily, and since there's no holder on the iPad and it's perfectly cylindrical, it rolls off the edge of tables all the time.

[SFSpartan]

I think your money would be better spent getting a 27-30" monitor, if you don't have one already. Having a big monitor to plug your computer into makes outlining and LR easier because you can have 3-4 full windows open at once. I found that having an external monitor really boosted my efficiency in research-based classes (i.e. the paper seminars I was in during 3L), as I could look at Westlaw and what I was writing at the same time.

Given my personal experience with handwriting notes, I would advise against it during 1L. I tried handwriting all my notes during fall semester of my 1L year (in a notebook, not on an iPad), and found that my in-class notes tended to be a shitshow because I just couldn't write fast enough. I id a lot better second semester, when I took notes on my computer, as my notes were more complete. That said, I think that's partially a function of how I learn - I learn best by taking separate sets of class and reading notes, then condensing those notes into an outline. TCR is going to be whatever works for you, but that's just my $0.02.

[265489164158]

Thanks for the advice...will definitely get an external monitor. I visited the Apple store and spent quite a while taking pretend notes (Apple Pencil is as fast as my hand goes) and am thinking that being able to annotate pdfs will be handy. For those who have / will be using it, what note taking app are you using? I am thinking Notability?

[Danny Mothers]

You won't be able to write fast enough on an iPad. and you would look like a fool trying to write out notes on a screen rather than just using a pen and notebook.

I don't really have any opinion on OP's question but chiming in to say the quoted text is pure idiocy. Plenty of people in my law school class used paper+pencil/pen for all class notes, including some who were very successful, and nobody (except maybe this one dude, but fuck him) will care if you use an ipad or w/e instead of real paper.

[longs3s]

Thanks for the advice...will definitely get an external monitor. I visited the Apple store and spent quite a while taking pretend notes (Apple Pencil is as fast as my hand goes) and am thinking that being able to annotate pdfs will be handy. For those who have / will be using it, what note taking app are you using? I am thinking Notability?

I have used Notability, Noteshelf, and Word and would recommend any of them, depending on what you're looking for... However, my best friend used OneNote this past year (also on an iPad Pro) and swears by it, so you may want to give that a shot. Definitely look at the different features of each, though, so you know the difference (ex., you can record while writing in Notability).

[1glasspiano]

I am seriously considering an iPad Pro and iMac over a MacBook and monitor. Don’t law schools basically require laptops for exams though?

[dabigchina]

I am seriously considering an iPad Pro and iMac over a MacBook and monitor. Don’t law schools basically require laptops for exams though?

You can technically hand write, but I've never heard of anyone doing it and don't recommend it. I would get cheap laptop that can run examsoft/whatever your school uses.

[265489164158]

I am seriously considering an iPad Pro and iMac over a MacBook and monitor. Don’t law schools basically require laptops for exams though?

I used the IPad Pro with the pencil and keyboard throughout 1L and took notes in OneNote. I also have MBP, whichi I used for exams and at home to outline, research & write, etc. I found that handwriting my notes in 1L really helped with retention (and I briefed all my cases). In 2L, the pace of reading meant I only book-briefed and lectures were so fast it was better to type my notes (also makes outlining faster). I would not recommend taking a law school exam on a tablet of any kind.