Adequate for note taking?

[zonova]

Hey everyone:

I'm thinking I'll get a new laptop sometime within the next 6 months. I'm partly considering something like the Microsoft surface, as I really like the tablet-pen functionality. It's not that I plan on taking all of my notes on the device, but I like taking notes on the pdf's of papers I am reading, and I want to be able to write up a quick math derivation and send it to a peer. However, I also have been waiting for the Pyra and would really like to get one. Do you think the Pyra will be good at handling these types of tasks comfortably? Or will the screen be too small?

Thanks!

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I feel like the screen will probably be fine as long as you have good eyesight.

 

[Bosbeetle]

Ive been using my pandora to take notes on conferences since I have it (2010). But thats just typing... I did do some "scientific" noodling on it as well, explaning some stuff to others. I guess the pyra will be even better at this so I guess, yes definetly!

 

[ThinkPad]

Buying Microsoft Surface is like buying Macbook, You enter in the world of pain, adapters, and privacy violation.
Also the Windows 10 version on the Surface and Surface pro is CUCKED, and you are able to install "apps" only from their app store.


Also double check if you really need a Wacom Stylus on a laptop.
It is not really useful for "taking notes". In the real world, it is far more useful for highlighting text during presentations projected on the wall.

For writing notes, the Samsung Galaxy Note series of smarphones will be far more convenient.
(It is an Android phone so you are in the same world of cuckolding and privacy violations)


Also the Pyra touchscreen uses resistive technology, so the stylus is not active like the Wacom one, it is just a small plastic rod.
So do not expect any miracles in terms of responsiveness.

Get yourself a real business class laptop,

like:
-the Thinkpad T, or X series from Lenovo.
-the Latitude series from DELL
-the Elitebook series from HP
-the Tecra and Protege series from Toshiba

also all Fujitsu laptops are still Made In Japan

Some of the Thinkpads have versions with Wacom screens and styluses.


Only, trust funded, hipsters-soyboy-faggots with ZERO technical knowledge and background are using Macbooks and Surface laptops.

 

[ClockworkCoder]

Also the Pyra touchscreen uses capacitive technology

I believe you meant 'resistive'.

 

[ThinkPad]

Yeah, sorry my bad.

 

[Yori]

Buying Microsoft Surface is like buying Macbook, You enter in the world of pain, adapters, and privacy violation.
Also the Windows 10 version on the Surface and Surface pro is CUCKED, and you are able to install "apps" only from their app store.


Also double check if you really need a Wacom Stylus on a laptop.
It is not really useful for "taking notes". In the real world, it is far more useful for highlighting text during presentations projected on the wall.

For writing notes, the Samsung Galaxy Note series of smarphones will be far more convenient.
(It is an Android phone so you are in the same world of cuckolding and privacy violations)


Also the Pyra touchscreen uses resistive technology, so the stylus is not active like the Wacom one, it is just a small plastic rod.
So do not expect any miracles in terms of responsiveness.

Get yourself a real business class laptop,

like:
-the Thinkpad T, or X series from Lenovo.
-the Latitude series from DELL
-the Elitebook series from HP
-the Tecra and Protege series from Toshiba

also all Fujitsu laptops are still Made In Japan

Some of the Thinkpads have versions with Wacom screens and styluses.


Only, trust funded, hipsters-soyboy-faggots with ZERO technical knowledge and background are using Macbooks and Surface laptops.

Agreed. (Maybe not with some of the expletives, I don't like being too rude or rambunctious, but to each their own)
[doublepost=1538140578,1538140168][/doublepost]I do own a surface and I am looking foreword to replacing this hunk of junk with the Pyra.
But what am I going to replace onenote with?
I did look at some open source note taking solutions, but all of them lack good drawing functionality.

 

[levi]

FWIW I don't see the macbook as a negative in terms of privacy violations. Apple make enough on each sale that they don't really need to offset the cost with selling your data to the highest bidder like MS have made themselves. I'm honestly not sure how Apple stack up against MS and others in terms of fixing security holes more quickly, but potentially they could be even quicker than Linux is without the layers of distros and the forced updates they can make. I'd still rather my money goes to a European team that I trust over a faceless American one personally though.

 

[Askarus]

I've been doing my Psychology Studies with my Pandora.
I got the PowerPoint slides as PDF.
With Xournal I could write text wherever I wanted.
Also I could underline stuff with various colors.
Then export back to PDF.

So yes, it is working.
I was solely learning for my exams from the Pandora and the notes I took there.
Pyra's screen is much better (I've a prototype and tested it at University).
Depends on you. I can do so and I will do so.

BTW: I make the Spreadsheet with the stuff we need for the Gamescom since years with the Pandora (this year with the Pyra).
This year I used Xournal to do do some annotations on the booth plan EvilDragon sent me.

I can do it. I did it a lot already. I will continue doing it.
Take notes wherever you want.

 

[matzesu]

I have a Notebook in Pandora Sice and a Pen whit a speziall Air Filled Mine Mechanisms, this whrites everywhere, even on Foil and over head, ..
i know it’s quite „stone age technology „ but at least it’s works whiteout booting up my Pandora..

I also have to say that the Standbye on my Pandora is screwed up since the Display Back Lighting Controller ditnt work anymore:
There are now 2 Modes: Pandora on = Display Light on 100%
Pandora off = Display Light off
Also it’s much faster..

I don’t have to Note much at work: some things I have to bring from our Storage Halls to the Shop or some things I want remember to do..
This isn’t that environment friendly as this Notebook will be full at some point but as this Notebook only was about 5 € in pair of a second one, this isn’t that much of a loss for me..

Some years ago I had a cool Notebook as a promotion giveaway from the Evil Pharma Company „Bayer“ ,
This was a quite handy Notebook whit a penholder and a red ballpoint pen, but unfortunately it’s full so I had to search for alternatives..

 

[emcee]

Buying Microsoft Surface is like buying Macbook, You enter in the world of pain, adapters, and privacy violation.
Also the Windows 10 version on the Surface and Surface pro is CUCKED, and you are able to install "apps" only from their app store.


Also double check if you really need a Wacom Stylus on a laptop.
It is not really useful for "taking notes". In the real world, it is far more useful for highlighting text during presentations projected on the wall.

For writing notes, the Samsung Galaxy Note series of smarphones will be far more convenient.
(It is an Android phone so you are in the same world of cuckolding and privacy violations)


Also the Pyra touchscreen uses resistive technology, so the stylus is not active like the Wacom one, it is just a small plastic rod.
So do not expect any miracles in terms of responsiveness.

Get yourself a real business class laptop,

like:
-the Thinkpad T, or X series from Lenovo.
-the Latitude series from DELL
-the Elitebook series from HP
-the Tecra and Protege series from Toshiba

also all Fujitsu laptops are still Made In Japan

Some of the Thinkpads have versions with Wacom screens and styluses.


Only, trust funded, hipsters-soyboy-faggots with ZERO technical knowledge and background are using Macbooks and Surface laptops.

You sound like a twelve-year old commenting on a YouTube video.

 

[zonova]

To those that do have surfaces, what do you not like about them? I am currently using a thinkpad with linux and I certainly love it, but typing out math formulas is a pain and I would certainly prefer being able to just write it on a document using a stylus. Do you have any comparisons between the different Surface models? I was considering the Surface book 2 primarily, but perhaps the Surface laptop as well. A thinkpad with a touchscreen would be cool, but many of the new ones from lenovo are pretty bad I've heard.

 

[Grench]

Other options:
Pen based 2in1 flip over chrome book with stylus?
Galaxy Note anything.

Those come closer to your notebook needs.

 

[FBnil]

@zonova I am pretty happy with this one. It was around 350 euro. Medion is the cheaper knockoff of the Lenovo Yoga
The Pyra suffers the same problem as the Pandora. There is a bezel around the screen border that will hurt your hand if you use the stylus for a prolonged time. I don't think it is too small, but a Yoga in tablet mode, rotated can show a full page (although small).

 

[NetBLOKS]

To those that do have surfaces, what do you not like about them? I am currently using a thinkpad with linux and I certainly love it, but typing out math formulas is a pain and I would certainly prefer being able to just write it on a document using a stylus. Do you have any comparisons between the different Surface models? I was considering the Surface book 2 primarily, but perhaps the Surface laptop as well. A thinkpad with a touchscreen would be cool, but many of the new ones from lenovo are pretty bad I've heard.

Surface Laptops are very good in quality.
Quite a lot of customers of mine use them and are happy with performance and some even use Linux on them.
But there are some downsides:
- The Pen technology is not Wacom but N-Point and most people complain about them because they are much worse then their Wacom counterparts in terms of accuracy and handling
- Surface Laptops and tablets are good, IF they work: really often, you get a device with a defect screen, defect touch or something else. After exchanging it one or two times, you get one that works.

Since I had the same wish as you do:
I bought a X230T connvertible with i7 CPU on Ebay and put 16 GB RAM and an SSD inside.
It runs like hell, is extremely robust and Linux compatible.
The digitizer is from Wacom and it even got touch input.

But this was only a temporary solution, until my Pyra arrives.
I want the Pyra to be that notetaking device for the future and I think the screen will be big enough.

 

[Askarus]

I got this one for my girlfriend. It's not fast but slim, easy and optimal for note taking:
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/yoga-book/

 

[kuru]

Writing on the Pandora screen is not fun. While the precision for clicking stuff is first class, it doesn't cut it for writing at all. My script on the thing looks like that of a drunk child. And handling the clamshell is impractical, awkward.

I still do all my note taking on Galaxy Note 3. I'd recommend getting something flat with a digitizer for annotations/drawings formulae etc. Something like a Thinkpad 10 or Vivotab 8 maybe?
I also bought a few Lenovo Yoga 12 for work. It's a bit on the heavy side compared to a pure tablet, but hey you get a real frickin' keyboard and a trackpoint, nothing gonna beat that. IF I'm going to bring along a 12 inch device anyway it better come with a keyboard.

 

[levi]

Writing on the Pandora screen is not fun. While the precision for clicking stuff is first class, it doesn't cut it for writing at all. My script on the thing looks like that of a drunk child.

Seems that either you either write with your hand in free air and end up writing like a 5 year old, or put the edge of your hand on the screen as FBnil does and then it'll hurt your hand eventually.

So to me it depends what you want to do with the stylus. Personally I'm habituated to using a keyboard these days, so I'll write most of my notes using that, but any diagrams will probably need redoing when I'm back home. It should be fine for highlighting text though, I'd have thought.

I have no experience of other larger devices with digitisers on them personally, so I can't comment on those, but I'm appreciating all of your recommendations.

 

[kuru]

More like this

The problem I have is adapting to the layers of the screen being soft. I may be able to write slowly, concentrating on the pressure. But going anywhere near normal writing speed messes me up. It gets on my nerves and I'd rather use anything else.

 

[Askarus]

I would not recommend writing with the stylus.
I'd recommend taking notes with the keyboard.
With some practice I could type really fast.