A tablet for handwritten notes - Samsung or Apple?

[fatymid]

I am a student and I could use a tablet for taking handwritten notes. So it is a battle between iPad Air 10,5'' and Samsung Galaxy S6. All my friends recommend iPad but I am not sure what to choose. Could you help?

The price for these devices is exactly the same considering that I would have to purchase Apple Pencil. 

[Akira Shimazu]

8 minutes ago, fatymid said:

I am a student and I could use a tablet for taking handwritten notes. So it is a battle between iPad Air 10,5'' and Samsung Galaxy S6. All my friends recommend iPad but I am not sure what to choose. Could you help?

The price for these devices is exactly the same considering that I would have to purchase Apple Pencil. 

i quite dislikes Android TAB. for tab especially writing and design i recommend Ipad Air 10.5" like you choose

[GrockleTD]

15 minutes ago, Wolfycapt said:

i quite dislikes Android TAB. for tab especially writing and design i recommend Ipad Air 10.5" like you choose

Or you know, pen and paper.

[minibois]

Seeing this review here, it makes me think the Samsung is still a bit behind the Apple iPad:

But you could of course also look into an alternative to either, like with a Wacom Bamboo Slate.

 

[Commodus]

1 hour ago, fatymid said:

I am a student and I could use a tablet for taking handwritten notes. So it is a battle between iPad Air 10,5'' and Samsung Galaxy S6. All my friends recommend iPad but I am not sure what to choose. Could you help?

The price for these devices is exactly the same considering that I would have to purchase Apple Pencil. 

I'd lean toward the iPad.  Yeah, the Galaxy Tab S6 can do the core note-taking well enough -- it's everything else that's the problem.  The iPad interface has improved a lot, and the tablet-native app ecosystem still can't be beaten.

 

I just wish the second-gen Apple Pencil worked with the iPad Air... you'll have those dorky moments when you're plugging your pencil into the iPad's Lightning port.  But I think it's a small price to pay when the overall experience should be better.

[fatymid]

2 minutes ago, Commodus said:

you'll have those dorky moments when you're plugging your pencil into the iPad's Lightning port.  But I think it's a small price to pay when the overall experience should be better.

Could you elaborate? I have no idea what you are talking about, I have not used Apple Pencil previously. 

[fatymid]

1 hour ago, huilun02 said:

Just taking notes and nothing else?

Pen and paper

I used to use a dry erase board but the problems are: 

- it's too big to carry around

- the images I draw do not sync across my devices (I took photos but it is such a pain, and image quality is awful)

 

Pen&paper is too boring. It drains all the fun from studying.

[Commodus]

1 minute ago, fatymid said:

Could you elaborate? I have no idea what you are talking about, I have not used Apple Pencil previously. 

The first-gen Pencil charges through a Lightning connector built into its opposite end.  That lets you charge directly from your iPad, but it also means that your Pencil juts out directly while it's charging.  It looks a bit like a giant silicon lollipop.   It doesn't take long to charge, but it means you won't be charging the Pencil while the iPad's stuffed in your bag.

 

The iPad Pro uses a second-gen Pencil that magnetically attaches to the side of the iPad and charges from there.  It's considerably more elegant, but you're also paying extra for an iPad Pro.

[Akira Shimazu]

53 minutes ago, Commodus said:

I'd lean toward the iPad.  Yeah, the Galaxy Tab S6 can do the core note-taking well enough -- it's everything else that's the problem.  The iPad interface has improved a lot, and the tablet-native app ecosystem still can't be beaten.

 

I just wish the second-gen Apple Pencil worked with the iPad Air... you'll have those dorky moments when you're plugging your pencil into the iPad's Lightning port.  But I think it's a small price to pay when the overall experience should be better.

 

1 hour ago, minibois said:

Seeing this review here, it makes me think the Samsung is still a bit behind the Apple iPad:

But you could of course also look into an alternative to either, like with a Wacom Bamboo Slate.

 

true. well i personnaly said the best apple product was iPad. not going to lie on apple product but the ipad really good. im a fan of non IOS. but for Ipad i cannot recommend batter.

 

for the Performance especially the difference between Pen Generation. the second is far better than the old gen. but it require Ipad Pro. which is lot of money. ive been using Ipad Air 10.5 with first gen. it works really good. but the only problem is the Pen charging. using cable takes long of time. and to plug the pen to ipad like Lolipop kinda gives me anxiety

[fatymid]

56 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

What devices?

like phone, PC, laptop

[Commodus]

47 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

If none of those are Apple devices, I dont imagine it being easy to quick transfer stuff to/from an Apple tablet.

It depends on the apps you're using.  Microsoft or Google productivity apps?  Easy as pie, you just sync them.  It's only a challenge if you're insisting on the Apple apps and don't have a Mac or iPhone.

[fatymid]

1 hour ago, huilun02 said:

If none of those are Apple devices, I dont imagine it being easy to quick transfer stuff to/from an Apple tablet.

OneNote is the answer

[fatymid]

Ok, I looked more deeply into this and I am concerned that Apple has only 1 year warranty for all the iPads. After experiencing writing on both devices (I actually started thinking about iPad Pro instead of Air) I can tell that input is similar it's just that Apple Pencil is more pleasant to use. However, I am also concerned that there is only one pencil that works with iPad, but there are multiple that I can use in case S-pen breaks.

 

I am still unsure what to buy: iPad Pro vs Air vs Tab S6??

[Commodus]

9 hours ago, fatymid said:

Ok, I looked more deeply into this and I am concerned that Apple has only 1 year warranty for all the iPads. After experiencing writing on both devices (I actually started thinking about iPad Pro instead of Air) I can tell that input is similar it's just that Apple Pencil is more pleasant to use. However, I am also concerned that there is only one pencil that works with iPad, but there are multiple that I can use in case S-pen breaks.

 

I am still unsure what to buy: iPad Pro vs Air vs Tab S6??

One year is quite standard, and that's what you'd get with the Tab S6.  You can buy AppleCare+ to extend the warranty to two years.

 

There is actually a third-party option for the iPad, the Logitech Crayon.  It's not as advanced as the Pencil, but it's fine for note taking and costs considerably less.

 

If it were my money, I'd get the iPad Pro.  That slicker Pencil and magnetic charging mechanism would be very handy, and the screen is quite nice.  However, it may be overkill if you're just looking for something to jot down notes.  The iPad Air gets you what you need for considerably less; it's just not as slick.  And I wouldn't get a Tab S6 simply because the pen and the Android tablet ecosystem are falling behind.

[fatymid]

45 minutes ago, Commodus said:

One year is quite standard, and that's what you'd get with the Tab S6. 

Nope, Samsung has 2 years

 

46 minutes ago, Commodus said:

And I wouldn't get a Tab S6 simply because the pen and the Android tablet ecosystem are falling behind.

Actually I do not mind Android, it is customizable and most apps I would be using are free. I realised that in spite of high iPad and Pencil cost I would also have to pay for the apps (like Anki which is free on Android). 

I have to admit that Apple Pencil is just better but does it justify the price tag? I am not sure. The writing experience is better with Apple Pencil but the input is identical on both devices - I did not notice any lags and my handwriting was good in either case.

I don't think I am going to buy Air, because for a little bit more money I can get S6 with more horsepower. 

 

What I like about S6 is that I have huge and expandable storage, free pencil, cutomizable Android and it is cheaper. Also, 2 years warranty.

What I like about iPad Pro is that Apple Pencil provides much better writing experience, apps are better (OneNote pales in comparison) but it is very expensive with the pen and apps.  

 

To sum up, I still have no idea what to buy! S6 has more pros, so the question really is: is it worth it to invest additional half the price of S6 to get better writing experience?  

[Commodus]

46 minutes ago, fatymid said:

Nope, Samsung has 2 years

Which country do you live in?  In North America, the default Samsung warranty is one year.  It might be longer if you're in a country or state that mandates a longer warranty.

 

47 minutes ago, fatymid said:

Actually I do not mind Android, it is customizable and most apps I would be using are free. I realised that in spite of high iPad and Pencil cost I would also have to pay for the apps (like Anki which is free on Android). 

I have to admit that Apple Pencil is just better but does it justify the price tag? I am not sure. The writing experience is better with Apple Pencil but the input is identical on both devices - I did not notice any lags and my handwriting was good in either case.

I don't think I am going to buy Air, because for a little bit more money I can get S6 with more horsepower. 

 

What I like about S6 is that I have huge and expandable storage, free pencil, cutomizable Android and it is cheaper. Also, 2 years warranty.

What I like about iPad Pro is that Apple Pencil provides much better writing experience, apps are better (OneNote pales in comparison) but it is very expensive with the pen and apps.  

 

To sum up, I still have no idea what to buy! S6 has more pros, so the question really is: is it worth it to invest additional half the price of S6 to get better writing experience?

It's not just that the Pencil or individual apps are better, it's that the overall experience is better.  Something I don't think many Android users realize is that Google's tablet ecosystem is still pretty lousy.  Many major apps don't have tablet versions; those that do might not be truly tablet-native; and Google makes it hard to find tablet-specific apps in the Play Store.  You'll have a much easier time finding accessories for the iPad.  Combine that with Android's poor OS update policy (a big problem when many people keep tablets for well over two years) and it's not going to be that great unless you think you'll be content with the software that came with the Tab S6 for its entire lifespan.

 

Look at it this way: you're probably going to keep this tablet for a few years or more.  Paying more up front might be worth it if you're in less of a rush to upgrade.

[Darkseth]

On 9/18/2019 at 3:11 PM, fatymid said:

I am a student and I could use a tablet for taking handwritten notes. So it is a battle between iPad Air 10,5'' and Samsung Galaxy S6. All my friends recommend iPad but I am not sure what to choose. Could you help?

The price for these devices is exactly the same considering that I would have to purchase Apple Pencil. 

The answer is Simple: IPad, by FAR. Even iPad Air 2019 is better here than a Tab S6. iPad Pro 10.5" (2017) is older, but still superior thanks to the 120 Hz screen. And even the old Pro will be longer supported than Android will on Tablets, sadly.

 

But a few Main things:

- Pen has a LOT less Lag, it's way smoother. Thanks to 120 Hz.

- iPad OS is much better optimized, not to mention all the Apps, which is my next, most important Point:

 

- Apps. iOS/iPadOS can use many more, higher quality apps, here: Note Taking Apps (GoodNotes 5, Notability, and many more very great ones). Android does NOT have anything remotely as good as GoodNotes/Notability, this is the Main reason, why for Digital Note Taking: iPad > All.

If Android had Notability or GoodNotes 5 in the exact same quality and featureset, you could get away easily with an Android Tablet. But this is sadly not the case.

 

It is entirely irrelevant, what pros/specs the Tab S6 will bring on Paper, your pure note taking experience will be worse than with an iPad. Only because of the App availabilityy. (and because the Pencil is better)

 

 

Even if this will be your only Apple device. It's the best choice for pure digital Note Taking.

 

If you can afford it, consider an iPad Pro 2018 + Pencil 2. Much better to charge, slightly wider screen aspect ratio, and double-tap feature. Can be really neat for taking Notes.
Also, USB-C connector, which lets you use USB-C drives easy, while the older iPad uses the Lightning connector, which i wouldn't really like to buy accessoires for anymore tbh...

[fatymid]

15 hours ago, Commodus said:

Which country do you live in?  In North America, the default Samsung warranty is one year.  It might be longer if you're in a country or state that mandates a longer warranty.

Poland, most electronics has 2 year warranty here

 

Do you think that 64GBs of storage is enough considering I will fill this device with tons of pdfs, podcasts, audiobooks etc? 

[Commodus]

3 hours ago, fatymid said:

Poland, most electronics has 2 year warranty here

 

Do you think that 64GBs of storage is enough considering I will fill this device with tons of pdfs, podcasts, audiobooks etc? 

Ah... I'd check Apple's site just in case.  As it stands, I'd feel better with a one-year warranty on a tablet than, say, a laptop or phone.

 

I'd say 64GB should be enough.  With that said, it wouldn't hurt to stream podcasts and only save those that you intend to listen to offline.  The main concerns for storage would be videos and large apps.

[fatymid]

Thanks for your answers @Commodus 

I decided to get Tab S6. 

• In my opinion paying 150% of S6 price for iPad is not worth it. (I won't buy Air because I want more horsepower)
• writing experience on S6 is good enough 
• the apps I use are free
• the apps I have already purchased on Android phone are downloadable on my tablet
• s-pen is in package
• android is an open system so I can customize it and easily transfer any files from my laptop
• and two year warranty is also good
• I get big and expandable storage so I do not have to worry about 1GB PDF files
• it's not Apple (which I consider to be a plus)

On 9/22/2019 at 9:43 PM, Commodus said:

Many major apps don't have tablet versions;

I had android tablet previosuly, I did not experience any problems and it was back in 2014 (or 15, can't remember)

 

On 9/22/2019 at 9:43 PM, Commodus said:

You'll have a much easier time finding accessories for the iPad.

What? 

 

On 9/22/2019 at 9:43 PM, Commodus said:

Combine that with Android's poor OS update policy (a big problem when many people keep tablets for well over two years) and it's not going to be that great unless you think you'll be content with the software that came with the Tab S6 for its entire lifespan.

I am 100% sure that there will be updates available at least for one or two years, and if not, I can live with what I have. I can accept that for the price. 

 

On 9/22/2019 at 10:02 PM, Darkseth said:

Pen has a LOT less Lag, it's way smoother. Thanks to 120 Hz.

That's BS, I personally tried both devices,  input is the same (or at least I don't feel the difference)

 

On 9/22/2019 at 10:02 PM, Darkseth said:

Apps. iOS/iPadOS can use many more, higher quality apps, here: Note Taking Apps (GoodNotes 5, Notability, and many more very great ones). Android does NOT have anything remotely as good as GoodNotes/Notability, this is the Main reason, why for Digital Note Taking: iPad > All. If Android had Notability or GoodNotes 5 in the exact same quality and featureset, you could get away easily with an Android Tablet. But this is sadly not the case.

So you're suggesting I should spend that 150% just to get an app? Ridiculous.