Which tablet for handwriting and evernote integration

[upskuhr 0]

Hi all,

 

since the capabilites of tablets to take handwritten notes seem to be evolved far enough to be really usable, I decided to give it a try. I'd like to switch from my good old paper-notebook to a tablet and take handwritten notes on it. Notes are usually text but can include some simple sketches. Evernote seem to be the best and most commonly used software out there and has some quite nice features. No I am wondering what the hardware of choice would be. I've heard the galaxy note 10.1 is the best one for handwritten notes, but seems like the integration with evernote is not the best. So are there any suggestions?

 

upskuhr

[ZoZo 14]

The Galaxy Note can convert your handwriting to text, but I don't think this is what  you're looking for.

 

Maybe a good alternative is Evernote for Windows desktop on a Windows Surface Pro or one of those Lenovo Thinkpad tablets.

 

(If you don't really need Evernote, then I'd suggest you use Microsoft Onenote on a Windows tablet with a good Wacom stylus. With Onenote you can place your handwriting everywhere in a note. Very nice...). 

[Wern 247]

Upskuhr,

this is more a software issue than hardware. Hardware is plentyful out there. The hardware will not make that big of a difference but software will (handwriting recognition). EN is pretty good at it.

[ZoZo 14]

Upskuhr,

this is more a software issue than hardware. Hardware is plentyful out there. The hardware will not make that big of a difference but software will (handwriting recognition). EN is pretty good at it.

 

Why do you think EN is pretty good for this?

 

It can make your handwriting searchable, but it's not really flexible to create handwritten notes. It's not even supported on all platforms. (Only Windows or Ipad in combination with additional Penultimate.)

[mcluff 25]

You're probably limiting your quest to Android devices.  After trying a lot of options on my Galaxy S3 I wound up getting an iPad Mini (for other reasons) and found that Notes Mobile worked well for me.  While I appreciate Penultimate's handwriting recognition, Notes Mobile allowed me to copy/paste my written notes elsewhere.  (If I'm transcribing my notes elsewhere, after all, why bother?) 

 

With that app, I can export my notes into EN as plain (recognized) text and/or as image or PDF. 

 

It's not perfect, but it recognizes my handwriting pretty well.  I think there's a Notes Mobile for Android, but I hear that different Androids vary in the quality of their working with smart pens. 

[Technetcentral 0]

You I have been very patient and willing to wait for evernote to come up with a hand writting solution on for the android market so I can do things as simple as drawing up a quick Todo on my phone while I moving about and pull up that same note on my android tablet when I stop and am ready to engage. I have paid for premium access and have gotten friends and family to start using it because I thought they were on to something but it baffles me that they seem to be so dismissive of what seems to be a rational request.  

 

I am using 

s-note on my samsung phone and tablet right now to jot down notes during meetings and night courses but they apparrently they haven't figured out the auto sync issue probably because they didnt expect its use to take off like it has which by reading the forums evernote clearly dosent have that excuse. But as soon as it becomes samsung figures out the bugs s-note appears as it will be a more practical solution for me and other android users from what I can tell. But hey if they have ignored these requests so am sure they have a long term plan that does necessitate peolple like me sticking around. 

[GrumpyMonkey 4,320]

I think there are a lot of factors to consider, and it simply depends on you. For example, I have taken a lot of notes on my tablet ever since the iPad 1 came out. Things have improved considerably over the years, but I've always found it to be a nice experience.

One thing that doesn't matter much to me is the integration with Evernote. Email, "open in", or sync with Evernote, it doesn't matter much to my workflow. That said, I respect what Evernote has done to integrate Penultimate into the service, and I think they have chosen a good direction for the app, because it will appeal to more users in its new form.

Handwriting recognition isn't a big deal to me. It is nice, but usually not terribly effective, and I don't rely on it much. I usually take notes on the iPad Air using Notability (there are other apps, but for some reason iOS 7 and/or the iPad Air is not working well with them at the moment) and open the finished note in Evernote. Penultimate lacks a zoom box and PDF support, so it doesn't fit my needs, though it is an excellent app for straightforward note-taking.

Conversion to text isn't a big deal to me, either. It is usually inaccurate, it takes too much concentration away from writing, and it doesn't ever work with my notes (a mix of Japanese, Chinese, English, Portuguese, and Spanish).

One thing that does matter is the size of the tablet. The Mini and Nexus 7 are too small for my note-taking needs. I think this is something you need to figure out for yourself. If you plan to take notes on tiny screens, then Samsung devices are probably going to be appealing.

By the way, I have recently been experimenting with putting Moleskine into my workflow. I am actually a fan of paper and pen (as a calligrapher, I really can't ever go completely digital), though I find it inconvenient to carry around all the time. I think I am willing to carry the extra gear if I can figure out a way to make it worth my while. Here are my thoughts on getting the most out of Evernote's handwriting recognition. I'll have to write more later about all the other aspects of mixing paper and Evernote.

http://www.christopher-mayo.com/?p=876

[xSpidey01x 0]

Galaxy Note 8.0 or either 10.1 are the best style devices out there. The Tegra Note 7 / HP Slate 7 Extreme are cheaper, smaller, and still better then the usual. I went with the Note 8.0 myself.

My Stylus Beta is about as good as it gets for going from handwriting too text, is a keyboard app. Apps like Papyrus,ArtFlow, Lecture Notes, and ScribMaster are worth looking into for stuff more specialized than Evernote's handwriting mode. Often I will draw and then export to Evernote.