IPad 10th Gen Alternatives..

[turingIncomplete]

Hello!

I am an English student, who (in September) will be going to a A-Level College (similar to the same-named qualification in Canada), and the college mandates that I bring with me "digital ink". They stipulate that I must have a device which (as the name suggests) I can write upon for note-taking such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, etc.

I was looking at a ReMarkable 2, which I thought seemed fit for their requirements, until I read that it must also have access to Office 365 tools (such as OneNote, Teams, etc.).

Personally, I am not keen on buying an IPad, since I do not prefer the UX of IPadOS (not implying it isn't good), rather preferring a less bloated device (to the extent which is possible, while meeting the demands). Currently, however, it seems like the only best option.

Thus I kindly ask for any alternatives to the IPad around the same price point (£500), and would love to have any first-hand experience along with it.

Thank you in advance!

[DrMacintosh]

The iPad really is the first and last choice in tablets. Alternatives from Samsung exist, but are not most consumers first choice. 

 

In the lineup of iPads, the 10th Gen iPad is a good device, however needing to use the 1st gen Apple Pencil is a huge drawback, but it's serviceable if you don't mind carrying around the pencil separately. The magic keyboard folio for the 10th gen iPad is rather nice to make up for that though. 

 

Anyway, I would look into an iPad Air if possible. Apple, in the US at least, is having its back to school sale right now:

https://www.apple.com/us-edu/shop/buy-ipad/ipad-air

 

Alternatively, a refurbished model would be an excellent option. Get one of those, the 2nd Gen Apple Pencil, and a case and you'll be all set. Logitech has a much cheaper keyboard case for iPads if you want one of those. 

 

For something that isn't from Apple, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite gives you a lot of value: 

https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/tablets/buy/?modelCode=SM-P613NZAEXAR

 

 

 

 

[saintlouisbagels]

Unless you have seething anti-Apple rage, or you're trying to do things beyond normal stuff (like installing unofficial apps or emulation), it's silly to avoid getting an iPad.

 

If you're going to be doing a lot of note-taking, you should look into getting an older-iPad Air that fits your budget. It has a laminated screen that makes writing a lot more pleasant. The laminated screen eliminates the air gap, so it's a quieter writing experience, and your pen is closer for better 1:1 feeling.

[turingIncomplete]

I see, so IPad(s) are the gold standard when it comes to cellular tablets for note-taking. I shall have a look at some "older" IPads, as well some Samsung alternatives (probably S6 or S7 tablet(s)). Also, thank you for the idea of using a laminated screen for note-taking, as I was wondering about the experience.

Thanks all!

[Darkseth]

15 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

For something that isn't from Apple, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite gives you a lot of value: 

https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/tablets/buy/?modelCode=SM-P613NZAEXAR

I think this one gained a lot of additional Value since Goodnotes 6 for Android was announced.

If they didn't fuck that up, it will be equally great for note taking than any iPad.

[Gnoxis7]

You can buy Samsung S7 FE or S6 Lite but iPad 9th or 10th gen is better. If you can buy buy iPad Air if you can't buy iPad 9th or 10th generation which is 256 GB.