laptop or tablet??

[PA1122]

I'll be starting school in the summer and I'm trying to figure out what device to use for notes/studying.. I currently have an older macbook air, but am trying to decide if I should get an iPad Pro or Air to supplement it or go all new and get a Surface Pro?? Or just get a newer macbook? Any advice?? Do many people use tablets or are laptops better?

[rev ronin]

If you're a happy Mac person, DO NOT go with a Windows device.  Personally, I'm quite partial to a full featured MacBook Pro, but doodling on drawings has always been something analog for me, never digital. I do have and use iPads, but never did in the context of taking notes in PA school

[jplmedic]

Accepted but not a PA-S yet.

I decided to attempt the tablet style note taking a few semesters ago. I was lucky enough to borrow an iPad Pro and apple pencils while I was in biochemistry. I was able to download all the powerpoints into one note and wrote and highlite on the slides and write down equations and examples. I loved it and it sold me on the concept. I’ll be grabbing an iPad Pro before I start the program.
Also I’m deeply invested in the iEcosystem so Apple is my only feasible option.

Not quite what you are after, but it’s my plan.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[tarynnoelle]

I have a macbook air that i type notes on and then if i want to write, I honestly prefer paper and pen. I feel like it solidifies the topics more for me. I do, however, know a lot of people that swear by the IPad Pro and they let me try it out and it does feel way more pen and paper like than any previous tablet I've used. I'm just personally not a huge fan of using tablets in place of laptops. 

[hmtpnw]

I have always been a macbook user but my tuition included a technology package so I had to start using a Dell Latitude 2-in-1. They also set us up with a Dell active pen and an iPad mini. I really enjoy the touchscreen, much more than I thought I would. When I want to take notes by hand or draw pictures/pathways during anatomy lectures I use my laptop as a tablet and take notes with the pen directly on slides in OneNote. It's great. 

I never use the iPad Only when absolutely necessary for lab quizzes.

[Ferguss]

deleted

Edited February 1, 2021 by Ferguss

[FiremedicMike]

The combination of an iPad plus a MacBook cannot be overstated.  They just work so flawlessly together for a school package.

For me, I use my iPad for in class studying/note-taking and my macbook for more intensive things like writing papers.  I also keep all my study guides on the cloud so that I can just whip out my iPad for some study guide cram sessions wherever I’m at.
 

One awesome feature I learned about is selecting a drawing, equation, homework answer that I created with the Apple Pencil and pasting it directly into a word document on my MacBook (cut and paste just as if you were using multiple screens on the same computer).  I used this extensively in physics where I would write out my entire answer with formulas on my iPad, then cut and paste them into my homework assignment on my MacBook which I would print off and turn in.
 

With Christmas coming up, there’s several sales going on, and it’s pertinent to mention that the newest entry level iPad now supports the Apple Pencil, so you don’t need to spend extra on the iPad pro anymore.