The Vine: July 13, 2012
I’m going back to college soon and I’m seriously considering getting an iPad for school. I have never owned an iPad, nor any Apple product aside from my iPhone (which I love because it’s so easy to use), but what appeals to me is the size and weight, cloud storage, battery life and what I have heard about e-books for the iPad.
I have a desktop at home, but it is a PC. Would this be a big problem as far as transferring things from one to the other? I’m not worried about typing long papers and such on the iPad because I do have my desktop at home for that. Also, dear Nation, if you do recommend the iPad, should I buy the 2 or the 3?
Mostly I worry about functionality and I worry that getting an iPad instead of a notebook or laptop might turn out to be the wrong move. If it helps, I plan to get a master’s degree in social work, and the university does not seem to advise students to get one thing over another. I think I’d probably mostly need it for notes, PDFs, Powerpoint, reading, maybe a bit of annotating and such. I’m willing to get a keyboard for it as typing on the screen might drive me crazy.
Thank you!
I can finally switch between calls without hanging up on the first caller!
Tags: Ask The Readers retail shut up technology
Well I just finished a Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies nearly exclusively on an iPad. I even wrote papers on it, sans external keyboard. I liked it, it was extremely portable, easy to use, and yes, the battery life was way better than a laptop, especially if you don’t drift off and start net surfing while listening to lectures.
I also love the iBooks app. I have about 600 waiting to be loaded so I can get them read. This will never actually happen in my lifetime but I live in hope anyway.
It depends on what you mostly want to use it for.
Mostly Reading: I’d get a Kindle or Nook–not color, something with e-paper–because backlight hurts my eyes after reading on it for too long. It’s just a really noticeable and welcome change to look at flat, non-backlit e-paper after I’m at a screen so much anyway for my job (I code, but if you spend 8 hours a day writing, using the computer for school, and surfing the web, that’s equivalent).
Mostly Writing: I’d get a laptop because of the keyboard issue. I always recommend a computer rather than a tablet for people who do most of their work on the computer creating/producing media (writing, coding, doctoring photos) because the inputs devices are (currently) far superior.
Mostly Travel: iPads are hard to beat for portability. They’re perfect if what you mostly want to do is surf the web, consume media (e.g. watching videos) and the apps are fun. That said, again, although you CAN read and write on it, I would never get an iPad for PRIMARILY reading or writing.
I used an iPad 3 with an external keyboard for a graduate program, just to take notes in class on and it was A-MAZING. So much lighter and more portable then a laptop, and it did keep you from surfing the net or doing other work in class. There are a few apps you download to make it super easy to transfer your notes to your PC.
Also, make sure you get a case that will stand the iPad up.
I’m about to finish my masters in hydrology (Hey thesis? Finish yourself? mmkaythanks) and I bought a Kindle so that I could read papers on it without the glare. I thought it would be awesome, but to be honest I’ve never really used it for that. I rely on my trusty laptop and two external monitors in the office. That said, for the classes I took I needed to be able to run some pretty powerful programs that wouldn’t have worked on an iPad, and where I go to school, most people take notes the old-fashioned pen-and-paper way.
I think a “real” laptop would be a lot more versatile, but hey, I might just be a technophobe.
I, too, recently finished a Master of Library and Information Science degree (hi, Louisa!), and I used a netbook for notetaking and some research. I loved the portability of the small device. However, I found when I really needed to dig in and write a big paper, or traverse lots of sources for research, I needed my laptop. I felt the real estate afforded by the bigger viewing area made me feel less claustrophobic when I was in the throes of following a trail. I am proficient in managing multiple windows and programs on a laptop, so I’m sure some of it was comfort factor, but every time I tried to use my netbook (or, later, my tablet), I felt stymied and frustrated, like I couldn’t navigate and type fast enough to get my thoughts down.
For annotating documents, an iPad plus a stylus is great. My husband uses that method, and instead of having a million journal articles floating all over the house and the office, they’re just in the iPad. (By contrast, I have tried reading journal articles on my kindle, but it just doesn’t convert PDFs well. Especially if they’re multi-column.)
Since you already have a desktop, the iPad will be a great complement to that.
I’ve been an Apple girl my whole life. I really HAVE been using Apple products since before they were cool, and LONG before Hipsters started using them and claiming to have liked them before they were cool.
I don’t have an iPad, so I can’t speak to the functionality, but I do love my MacBook (or whatever they’re calling the laptops now). Spendier, but far more stable and user-friendly than a PC.
I think transferring stuff from Mac to PC is easier these days, and I’m sure you can transfer photos and music and stuff from your iPad to PC using iTunes, but I’m not sure how documents work. You’d probably have to use Microsoft Word to make it really work. If you’re looking at transferring entire papers, I’d just get a laptop or an external keyboard for your iPad and write your papers exclusively on one machine. If you want to take notes on your iPad and then write on the PC, you can just sit the iPad next to you while you work on your PC.
Short version: I’m not very helpful, I guess, because I don’t know the answers to your technical questions, but I love Apple products. They got me through undergrad and graduate school.
I’m a librarian at a university, and loads of my coworkers use iPads for work-related stuff, taking notes in meetings, doing presentations, etc. What you have in mind is totally workable, but you’ll need to spend a little extra money to get the setup just right. I highly recommend something like this Zagg Keyboard Case, which runs about $100: http://www.zagg.com/accessories/logitech-ipad-2-keyboard-case
It basically turns your iPad into a tiny laptop, and protects the screen when closed.
You will probably also expect to spend some money on apps for word processing, Powerpoint, etc. I have QuickOffice, which can open and edit all the standard Microsoft Office formats on an iPad. It’s about $20. You can also buy the Apple versions of those products (Pages instead of Word, Keynote instead of Powerpoint) for about $10 a pop – all the files they create should be compatible with Microsoft.
My coworkers and I all use Dropbox to keep documents synced across our iPads and computers. If you’re not familiar, it’s a free service that gives you a couple of gigs of storage that you can sync as many places as you like. It installs on your computer like a folder and on your iPad/iPhone like an app. I can write something at work, save it in my Dropbox folder, and it will appear like magic on all my devices. Personally, I have Dropbox installed on my iPad, iPhone, Macbook, and Windows laptop, and don’t have any issues with compatibility. Compatibility issues are really not so bad anymore since Apple switched to using Intel chips a few years back.
Good luck!
I opted for a netbook (Asus Zenbook http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2395187,00.asp – about the size of the smallest Macbook Air) over an iPad because of the keyboard, and it works for me. However I’ve seen other students using iPads in class to take notes either using the onscreen keyboard or using an external wireless keyboard, so I guess it’s a matter of personal preference. I find I can read pdfs and epub books on it easily, so although I’ve got an e-book reader I don’t use that for school.
Love my ipad, but haven’t been in school in ages, so I’ll give one piece of advice from my brother who is just finishing his second masters degree (slacker).
He uses a laptop, but he does ALL of his notetaking, writing, etc. in Evernote, which syncs with the cloud so that he can access everything on the go or any computer (it’s similar to dropbox in many ways, but more suited to actually ‘working in’ rather than just file storage). They have an app for the iPad, and if you got one of those slim keyboard/stand combinations it would be fairly easy to type on. Apparently, it’s standard issue for everyone at my brother’s school.
As far as syncing with a PC, it’s my understanding that it’s pretty seamless these days. While I’ve been all-apple for some time, I do have friends and family who do the PC/iDevice thing without too much issue.
@Louisa (or anyone else who has done extensive writing/note-taking on a tablet): what’s your typing speed on the ipad and how does it compare with your typing speed on a keyboard?
As a teacher who uses an iPad for work-related stuff, I second everything Megan said. Get the keyboard case, get Pages/Numbers/Keynote and get Dropbox. My school got a grant to get iPads for our kids, so we had to set up a way for the kids to move documents from their iPads to their teachers, to themselves at home, or to each other. Here’s what works:
Your iPad will allow you to “export” your documents made in Pages/Numbers/Keynote on your iPad to your PC – you just have to email them through the app (you’ll get an option to email it as “Pages” or “Word”) to yourself or email them to Dropbox using an add on called “Send to Dropbox.” (www.sendtodropbox.com). So once you have a Dropbox account, you can use sendtodropbox.com to create an email address that you can then use through your iPad to send documents to your Dropbox. Once the document is in your Dropbox, you can open/edit it in your PC and save it. Then if you want to edit it while on your iPad, you open Dropbox and open the document in your iPad again. You can’t save your document straight to Dropbox from your iPad – you have to use the email method, which is why “sendtodropbox.com” is great.
Since I always over-explain things: So let’s say you start a research paper on your iPad in “Pages” then want to work on it on your PC. You name your document in “Pages” and then use “Share/Print” and choose “Email” and send it to the “sendtodropbox” address that you linked to your Dropbox account (you’ll get a choice of sending it as “Pages” “Word” or “PDF”). Now when you get on your PC, you click on your “Dropbox” folder and look in a folder called “Attachments” and anything you emailed using “sendtodropbox” will be in there as a Word document (as long as you sent it as one). You can then move it to any other folder you want. So you move it, edit it, save it, etc. Let’s say later you want to edit the document on your iPad again. You open the Dropbox app and the document will be there. You can view it in Dropbox, but if you want to edit it, you’ll need to open it in Pages, and it’ll smoothly take the Word document from Dropbox and open it as Pages.
This is the great thing about iPad – it allows you to really easily transfers a document between Mac and Windows. Which is nice since Windows doesn’t help you with that at all.
I hope I didn’t talk too much. If you have any questions about using Dropbox or Sendtodropbox, Sars can give you my email address.
I teach and I’m a writer. I have a refurbished 11″ Macbook Air and an iPad with an external keyboard. My iPad is a 2 with wifi only, 16gb. I use dropbox to keep everything in synch. I bought the Air because it easily slips into my purse and takes up roughly the same amount of space as my iPad and keyboard. The Air was $850 refurbished so if you’re looking at the iPads that are above the basic price point, you might also look at the Air. Battery life is certainly better on the iPad, but I find that the Air’s battery is usually sufficient to get me through my day without recharging. As Megan pointed out, the additional expense of having to buy apps to make the iPad do what you want it to do is definitely a consideration; and if you have any specialty software you might need to use, you should check the app store and make sure it’s even available.
I’m getting a PhD in English. I do most of my writing on a desktop or a laptop, but I have an iPad 1 with a keyboard and a stylus. You shouldn’t have any problems getting your iPad to play nicely with your PC (my sister does it; I’m all apple except for my phone… didn’t want to give them everything…). I definitely recommend Dropbox for keeping documents synced between your computer and your tablet, Goodreader (or another app that lets you read and annotate .pdf files), and OfficeHD2 (which lets you read, edit, and track changes [therefore, comment on] word files). I do a lot of reading (no more printing .pdf files!) and editing (using the word comment feature) on the iPad. I also use the iPad + keyboard to take lecture notes; I find it to be less obtrusive than a laptop, less weight to carry, and less chance I’ll just pop over to check my email. With the keyboard, typing is the same as on a laptop. On non-academic uses, the iPad is great for checking things on the internet/email, sharing pictures (you can zoom! you can pass easily! you don’t have to print everything you want to show to non-tech-savvy relatives!) and watching movies.
The iPad won’t give you the processing power of a laptop, but if you have a desktop at home, you might not miss that. If my laptop dies, I’ll probably replace it (i.e. I wouldn’t go without a laptop at this point), but my iPad mysteriously died recently, and I was at the apple store trying to get it fixed before you could say boo! (It was out of warranty, and apparently “in mint condition except for I can’t get it to turn on,” but they allowed me to buy a refurbished version of the same model for $99, which I did). If I had to replace with a newer model, I probably would have done that too.
I am long out of school, but I use an iPad often for note taking at meetings and professional conferences. I also use it for my email, reviewing pdf files, etc. I also have a laptop at home.
I find that the iPad (and I use the Zagg keyboard case that is mentioned above) is perfect for note taking. I haven’t bothered to get any specialized apps for notes, I just type notes into the notepad application that comes installed on the iPad, and email them to myself. At that point, I can then copy the text into Word and do what ever I need with the content. I read pdf files on the iPad using the kindle app, and that’s mostly what I use it for in ‘work’ mode.
Depending on what you need to do away from your desk, the iPad may be perfect, but I’d also note that good laptops are so cheap now, you might be able to get a perfectly solid laptop for school that might be better for your budget as a student. I bought a new Acer laptop at Costco 2 weeks ago for $499, and they had other options that were even less expensive.
I’m a current MFA student in poetry, and while I have a MacBook Pro (which I adore, and which has survived a good 5 years in tiptop shape, even though I sometimes drop it), I’ll put in a good word for the iPad simply because a ton of my fellow MFA students use them for all their notes and classwork. They’re much more easy to lug around than the laptop. For me, I like the solidity of the laptop, and also the fact that it’s bigger, and therefore harder to lose/sit on/step on (I get clumsy and a bit absentminded at times, so these traits are a must), but like someone upthread mentioned, you can’t beat the iPad for portability. I got my mom one for her birthday (okay, I went in on it with my dad and brother), and she loves it. It really is like a baby laptop. For me, my laptop is my only computer, so I need it to be everything for me (and it is. God, I love my laptop). On the other hand, since you have a desktop to come home to, I think you’ll be fine with the iPad.
I’m a desktop (Windows), netbook (Windows), and iPad2 owner. I must have a keyboard, which was why I almost didn’t buy an iPad. I had a windfall and took the plunge and now own an iPad. I have since added the Logitech Ultrathin keyboard/cover ($100) and will probably never use my netbook again.
Having said all that, for notetaking in my business environment, I use an Echo Pen from Livescribe.com. This is a pen that records everything I hear, while simultaneously recording my written notes on its companion notebook. I then upload the whole thing to my PC and can view the notes and hear the audio at the same time. The pen does lots of other interesting things, but I’m trying to keep this short. I know they have Mac support, but haven’t really looked into it. I find I’m better able to concentrate on what’s being in a meeting (and participate) when I know that I’m recording it as well.
@IS
I’m pretty super-fast on a regular keyboard. On an iPad keyboard I’m a little bit slower, it is true, and it does take a few sessions to get used to typing on the actual screen instead of something that actually moves when you hit it, but it doesn’t take long to get there. I’m still not as fast on the iPad as on a keyboard but still fast enough that I can keep up with no problem. The auto correct is a little annoying at times though, so I would just turn it off.
iPad 2 + Zaggfolio (standup case + Bluetooth keyboard) + Google Drive (equivalent to Dropbox, completely cross-platform-able to my iPhone, iPad, and PCs) = much easier than lugging my heavy laptop to class.
I didn’t invest in any Apple-based software for the iPad–I do my number crunching and flow charting and paper-writing on my PC laptop–but for portability, you can’t beat the iPad for note-taking in class and suchlike. My MBA program is partially online and I watch video lectures and do conference calls from the iPad all the time.
You don’t need an iPad 3–if you can get one, an iPad 2 with minimum storage will do you just fine. Google Drive allows up to 5 GB of storage for free to transfer everything.
Good luck!!
I can’t comment on the Ipad decision, but definitely want to second the Dropbox idea. I have a Dropbox “folder” on my home desktop that I work primarily out of (I open all documents through that “folder”), and I can access the documents on other computers at school or work through the dropbox website. Anything I work on I then re-upload and it’s saved on my desktop at home!
I’m currently in law school, and we have exam software that requires the use of a usb port. I don’t know if that would ever be a problem for you, but it pretty much makes a laptop necessary for us.
If you are a serious student, an iPad or Android tablet will only frustrate you. I speak from experience. I would wait until October and take a chance on the new Microsoft Surface, which will come with Word 2013 installed, and allow you to effortlessly transfer work back and forth to your old PC. It’s what I plan to do myself, after over a year of frustration and struggle. Don’t believe the hype.
Hi guys! I’m the letter writer. Thank you all for your advice and recommendations. My dad beat this letter to the punch, he gave me the new Ipad as a gift. I bought the Zagg keyboard + case. I have been using it all summer in my biology class and I must say, I have no regrets. The professor sent us all his ppt notes through email (I converted them to pdfs) and used the goodreader app (and a stylus) to take notes on them. It was so much better than printing anything, I could zoom in. I could draw on them, underline, highlight. I also downloaded a note card app that made studying for tests easier. The Ipad is very light to carry and has great battery life. I type just as fast on the Zagg keyboard as I do on my desktop. I haven’t had to write any papers yet, but once I do I’ll probably just type them on my desktop.
@ Jan, I’m really interested in the Echo Pen. I hadn’t heard about that one. I’ll look into it. It sounds like that would be really useful in a lecture class.
I haven’t needed to use Dropbox yet, but I have downloaded it and I don’t doubt it will also be very useful.
Thanks again and if anyone has any amazing apps they want to recommend, I’m listening!
Related question here from a techno-idiot. I have an iPad 2, which I use for all kinds of personal stuff, but I’m still depending on my very old HP laptop for conducting business when I work from home. My job involves editing (through track changes & comment boxes) things that my clients have written in MS Word 2007. Are y’all aware of any apps that would enable me to do this kind of editing on my iPad? I’d love it if this were possible. Thanks!
There are a few apps I know of. There’s “Documents to go” and “Pages” and “QuickOffice Pro”. I haven’t needed to edit documents yet, so I don’t know exactly how they work. But there are quite a few apps that say they edit Word docs, just make sure you read the descriptions thoroughly and the features.