[Q] Best note taking tablet? - Nvidia Tegra Note 7

[Q] Best note taking tablet? - Nvidia Tegra Note 7

Hi,
I am going to buy myself first tablet and I need some suggestions. I am looking for nice tablet with not too high price tag. I narrowed down selection to two tablets: Tegra NOTE 7 and LG G Pad 8.3 (in conjunction with Jot PRO stylus).
Since I need tablet for school stuff my priority is note taking ability of a tablet so I would like to hear from those who already have Tegra NOTE if it is good enough to write down notes (does hand rejection also work in other apps or just in ones provided by Nvidia) or is it better to go with lg g pad and Jot stylus?
Thanks!

Tine17 said:
Hi,
I am going to buy myself first tablet and I need some suggestions. I am looking for nice tablet with not too high price tag. I narrowed down selection to two tablets: Tegra NOTE 7 and LG G Pad 8.3 (in conjunction with Jot PRO stylus).
Since I need tablet for school stuff my priority is note taking ability of a tablet so I would like to hear from those who already have Tegra NOTE if it is good enough to write down notes (does hand rejection also work in other apps or just in ones provided by Nvidia) or is it better to go with lg g pad and Jot stylus?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok.... I might be doing it wrong. I haven't put much effort into playing with the settings and so forth. But I'm using the Write app that comes with it and frankly I think it's terrible. It's not even worthy of a grocery list, much less the type of note taking you'll need to do in a class.

Vibrate said:
Ok.... I might be doing it wrong. I haven't put much effort into playing with the settings and so forth. But I'm using the Write app that comes with it and frankly I think it's terrible. It's not even worthy of a grocery list, much less the type of note taking you'll need to do in a class.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I JUST got my Tegra Note 7 today, so no idea, but I use LectureNotes for note-taking on my Samsung Note 2 and it is great.
I will let you know how I feel about the Tegra Note soon... I went with it over the Note 8 (even though I have a note 2) because it was cheaper, newer and faster. As far as I know the G Pad is not a true stylus, the Samsung Notes use a true, active (Wacom) stylus, and the Tegra Note is something in between. Not an active stylus, so no "hover" support, but otherwise it is supposed to be comparable, and even have a bit less lag.
But again, we shall see soon enough...

Okay so here's what I found with taking notes in classes with this tablet. I am an avid fan of taking notes with my tablet. I used to do it on my Galaxy tab 3 7 inch but I found that I needed drawing capabilities because I'm an engineer and drawing out the free body diagrams on the board was nigh impossible. So I bought the Tegra Note 7 for its stylus and awesome processing power. Here's what I found through taking notes on tablets (both the Galaxy Tab 3 and Tegra):
1.) It's not paper. It won't feel like paper. It won't act like paper. You can't move it around like paper. So trying to take traditional pen and paper notes on a tablet is not feasible, even on the more expensive Galaxy Note tablets. We're just not at that stage of technological development yet. That doesn't mean styluses don't have their use though.... (I'll explain later on)
2.) If you want to take notes on your tablet, invest in a good physical bluetooth keyboard. This is so much nicer than trying to type with the on screen keyboard. Heck, I've even stopped taking pen and paper notes because its so much easier, faster, and more useful to type out notes than handwriting them. I use evernote. This syncs all the notes I take to a cloud. That means I can access those notes on my computer, my tablet, AND my phone. Without having to rewrite it or downloading it manually to every device. This is so useful when you're taking a poop and you're like, oh hey I can use this time to study. Just pull out your phone and boom! all your notes right there to read during your... lets just go with leisure time. So invest in a good physical bluetooth keyboard. And not one of those crappy ones that come with the cases. I use this one: Logitech 920-003390 Tablet Keyboard for Android 3.0 Plus.
3.) So what is the stylus good for? I find that its useful for more annotating PDF files and pictures. If I have time to prepare for a class before hand, I'll go through the professor's lecture and put in a base guideline for what my notes will look like. I'll place all the images that he/she will talk about and I'll pretype out notes for what's going to be said. Then during lecture, I just make adjustments to my notes as the professor talks. When he comes to a diagram or photo, I pull out the pen, and use the annotate feature on evernote to highlight or draw on important parts of the figure. This only works with classes where the professor gives out the powerpoints before class however.
So thats how I've been taking my notes. Hope it helped you decide!

Personally I was referring to taking notes by hand - with the stylus.
Now that I've used it for a week or so, I can say that (unfortunately) the Tegra stylus is nowhere near as good for writing longhand as the Galaxy note tablet which have an active stylus. After reading a few reviews I thought it might be close, but the Galaxy is so much more precise, especially for smaller handwriting.
For the price, and the fact it is not an active stylus the Tegra Note is pretty good, but if you plan to write your notes by hand with a stylus, the Samsung devices are where it's at right now (too bad they are so expensive!).
Was worth a shot. I'm probably very much in the minority of people who prefer to write my notes though. I just remember them better that way. I still like the tablet, especially for the price, but for now I'll keep using my Note 2 phone for notes, because even with the smaller screen, it's more comfortable to write with.

Related

Note 10.1 for school

I just recently picked up a Note 10.1 to replace my HP touchpad for use at school. I was having a tough time deciding on the tablet so I thought I would post my experience using the Note 10.1 for productivity the last week. Any comparison I have is to the HP Touchpad running android ICS. Here is some key points.
The Good:
1. The Note 10.1 is not very heavy, I use it as a notebook and its about the same size and weight as a notebook.
2. The device has darn good battery life, I'm not going to throw numbers around because it varies, but its good.
3. The Note 10.1 is of good quality. THe one I have does not creak, has good sound and what I consider a quality screen. Side by side compared to my HP Touchpad of similar pixels, there is no comparison, the Note 10.1 is FAR superior in picture quality and color saturation.
4. The S-Pen is very useful. Best thing about Note devices in general, you can use them in class and people don't assume your on facebook or texting, simply because you have a pen in your hand. I don't have a facebook anyhow but the perception is different.
5. The software is solid, it does not lag, it does not shut off, it just works, at least so far.
6. The device is pretty close to a desktop replacement for me, the multitasking really opens up the options and works pretty well.
The Bad:
1. When using the device at school (I have very long days in one classroom), it can't be sat upright AND be on the charger. I have the samsung book-cover case and when it is upright, since the charging port is on the bottom, it won't plug in.
2. Proprietary cable, I know there are some good things, but my touchpad had micro USB and I think it was nice to have a standard.
That's all. It's overall a great device. I am very happy with it.

If you get a 360 case you can rotate the tablet while in the case so that the charging port would then be on the top and you can charge that way. I kind of like the 30 pin connector as it is more hefty, I have seen so many people complain about damaged micro usb charging ports on other device forum pages. Playbook and kindle fire especially. Just my 2 cents........
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fosmon-Leather-Folio-Stand-Case-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10-1-Dark-Purple-/290833896213?pt=US_Tablet_eReader_Cases_Covers_Keyboard_Folios&hash=item43b70d1315
.

You can get an adaptor that gives you normal usb ... I have a hub that connects to the 30 pin connector, gives me 3 usb ports and a couple of sd card ports. 1 normal sd and 1 microsd... I got this for around $20 on ebay and have no regrets as it works flawlessly with everything I've thrown at it, excepting of course an unpowered HDD....

Thanks for sharing your experience with the GNote. I'm curious about how you connected your tab to the monitor? Hdmi adapter cable? And how about the keyboard? Is it bluetooth? Make?
Sent from my GT-N8010 using xda premium

Widget21 said:
Thanks for sharing your experience with the GNote. I'm curious about how you connected your tab to the monitor? Hdmi adapter cable? And how about the keyboard? Is it bluetooth? Make?
Sent from my GT-N8010 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can connect a BT keyboard, you can generally share music, video and photo's to an HDTV if it has WiFi (DLNA), You can use the HDMI adapter or a Samsung All Share Cast Hub that sends a wireless mirrored image to anything with an HDMI connection. There are many options.
.

I wanted to touch on the school usablity. I'm the only one that I've seen in my school with a Note. I have the origonal note on ATT for a while, but I didnt feel the software matched the hardware at all. I sold my transformer infinity prime (which was awesome hardware but really really bad software) for the Note 10.1.
I've used it for a few weeks now in lectures and for homework. Many of my instructors upload either PDF of power points of their lectures. The Note excels at handling this. I simply import PDF directly to SNote or if its a powerpoint, I can open it in the included office program then export it as a PDF then import it to SNote. Either way, I have folders for all my classes along with lecture notes organized in a slim format. I used to go through almost a ream of paper every term printing out slides (6 per page) and then organizing into a huge binder and watching the pages wear out. And not something I want to haul around and study. The Note replaces all this. When I work out math problems, I have an instant "dry erase" board with me. I don't go through notebooks. Also, I have the equation solver in Snote which is awesome by the way.
I wish I could get flash working well. I have it sideloaded and have firefox on it, but the online homework sites that use flash do not recognize onscreen keyboard inputs. Other than the laggy lock screen (seems to be all the animations) it runs great and snappy.

I've also switched from paper notes to digital. It's awesome, there's just one problem. Several times I've caught myself looking for the undo button in class on the real-life whiteboard

Does anyone use there note for textbooks? If so, how is it with the resolution? Especially if you use it in multi window while taking notes.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app

It's not bad. Use hyreader for chm, ezpdf/acrobat/radeepdf for pdf reading. It does take away space from the already small screen for notes so I tend to use my laptop or an actual textbook instead if I intend on taking notes. Sometimes i'll just give up and write directly on the pdf instead. for PPTs, I convert to PDF and write directly on them w/ acrobat or ezPDF.

setasai said:
It's not bad. Use hyreader for chm, ezpdf/acrobat/radeepdf for pdf reading. It does take away space from the already small screen for notes so I tend to use my laptop or an actual textbook instead if I intend on taking notes. Sometimes i'll just give up and write directly on the pdf instead. for PPTs, I convert to PDF and write directly on them w/ acrobat or ezPDF.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If im decidimg between this and a nexus 10, would it be better to go with the nexus for the higher resolution for better clarity of textbooks and take any notes on a netbook I already have? If the lecture is using a PPT thats provided, I could always take the notes on the "note" section of the power point slide. Typing is also faster than writing. After seeing the nexus 10, im having a hard time going for the note due to the clarity of screen. What do you think?

I've had no issues w/ reading textbooks on the Note 10.1. The question you need to ask yourself is if you want the s-pen. It's really the deciding factor. If you want to be writing and taking handwritten notes with it then there's no question about it, go with the Note. If you just want a tablet to read things and surf the web then go for pretty much ANY tablet out there, or go with the Note anyways. Doesnt really matter.
As for PPT notes, sure you could type faster if that's the type of classes you have. I'm in med school and writing/drawing out diagrams is super super useful. For example, I'll have a slide with an image of a lung, the pen lets me circle the abscess and label it. Really depends on the purpose.
Think about your purpose. Think about what fits your usage and what you want to use it for. S-pen is unparalleled and the screen resolution isnt breath taking but it's NOT bad at all.

Sher The Love said:
Does anyone use there note for textbooks? If so, how is it with the resolution? Especially if you use it in multi window while taking notes.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my main concern as well. I'm wanting to use a Note 10.1 for my pdf textbooks and be able to take notes with it as well. Am I going to need another tablet just for the books or will I be able to dual view or switch windows quick enough where I only need the one device?

witchdoc13 said:
This is my main concern as well. I'm wanting to use a Note 10.1 for my pdf textbooks and be able to take notes with it as well. Am I going to need another tablet just for the books or will I be able to dual view or switch windows quick enough where I only need the one device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The feature you are looking is what makes this tablet unique.
I almost never use my hard copies of books. Just use the digital version.
I the multi Window features plus spen is very useful to take notes while reading. No other tablet offers these two. I thought the newer Windows tablet might work better but I am wrong. Their pen input needs a lot more improvement.
Sent from my GT-N8013

aalupatti said:
The feature you are looking is what makes this tablet unique.
I almost never use my hard copies of books. Just use the digital version.
I the multi Window features plus spen is very useful to take notes while reading. No other tablet offers these two. I thought the newer Windows tablet might work better but I am wrong. Their pen input needs a lot more improvement.
Sent from my GT-N8013
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's just what I wanted to hear. The Windows Surface Pro was my other choice, but I figured I could get a Note 10.1 and a cheap laptop at the same cost. I just ordered a 32gb Note 10.1 and it should be here in a few days. :fingers-crossed: Thanks for the reply.

Sher The Love said:
If im decidimg between this and a nexus 10, would it be better to go with the nexus for the higher resolution for better clarity of textbooks and take any notes on a netbook I already have? If the lecture is using a PPT thats provided, I could always take the notes on the "note" section of the power point slide. Typing is also faster than writing. After seeing the nexus 10, im having a hard time going for the note due to the clarity of screen. What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the same boat so I got both lol.

I would definitely recommend the Note 10.1 for textbook reading and note-taking, especially if u can find your textbooks on the Kno website. Their textbooks are interactive in more than a few ways!! The S-Pen seals the deal here too, at least for me.
I'll post some screens of my Music Textbook. Or maybe I should do a vid.

And to top it off you can add the 64gb sd card and increase your memory... I know that a lot of tabs dothis but a few don't, I'm looking at the nexus family here.... This is a real downer as sometimes 32gb just isn't enough.
The screen is fine, I read books in epub format all the time and also read a fair few PDF's with no problems... And I'm not a student...:laugh:

I have a note 10.1 and I've been using it primarily for my revision for my exams and its been awesome !!
Sent from my GT-N8000 using Tapatalk HD

Action B said:
I just recently picked up a Note 10.1 to replace my HP touchpad for use at school. I was having a tough time deciding on the tablet so I thought I would post my experience using the Note 10.1 for productivity the last week. Any comparison I have is to the HP Touchpad running android ICS. Here is some key points.
The Good:
1. The Note 10.1 is not very heavy, I use it as a notebook and its about the same size and weight as a notebook.
2. The device has darn good battery life, I'm not going to throw numbers around because it varies, but its good.
3. The Note 10.1 is of good quality. THe one I have does not creak, has good sound and what I consider a quality screen. Side by side compared to my HP Touchpad of similar pixels, there is no comparison, the Note 10.1 is FAR superior in picture quality and color saturation.
4. The S-Pen is very useful. Best thing about Note devices in general, you can use them in class and people don't assume your on facebook or texting, simply because you have a pen in your hand. I don't have a facebook anyhow but the perception is different.
5. The software is solid, it does not lag, it does not shut off, it just works, at least so far.
6. The device is pretty close to a desktop replacement for me, the multitasking really opens up the options and works pretty well.
The Bad:
1. When using the device at school (I have very long days in one classroom), it can't be sat upright AND be on the charger. I have the samsung book-cover case and when it is upright, since the charging port is on the bottom, it won't plug in.
2. Proprietary cable, I know there are some good things, but my touchpad had micro USB and I think it was nice to have a standard.
That's all. It's overall a great device. I am very happy with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll comment on battery... I think it's great
Sent from my GT-N8013 using xda app-developers app

Note 10.1 vs Win8 tablets with pen for studying

I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.

I admit I haven't put a lot of time into the Win8 devices, but my general impression is that they are very slick, well made, but massively overpriced and terribly lacking on the software side.
Rather than giving a direct comparison, what you could see is if there is anything that the 10.1 can't do that you'd need. By my counting, there isn't. Annotating and marking up PDFs? No problem. All the cloud syncing and printing you could ask for? Got it. Fantastic organization by way of LectureNotes? Mmhm. The screen is sharp, the pen works just dandy, and there's scads of apps for you to create, edit, organize, and make use of all of your PDFs.
I can't say with certainty how good a win8 tab would be, but I can say that the the 10.1 2014 would do everything you could possibly ask of it.

{Diemex} said:
I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have either but I've used a Windows 7 tablet and last year's Note 10.1 and the big difference for me was that while both had Wacom, Android is just way more usable via touch than Windows. Windows 8 is more touch friendly to be sure but the software ecosystem just isn't there yet (in terms of touch friendly apps). Like the above poster said, there really isn't much you can't do on a Note 10.1. The one wildcard is Onenote, it's seriously the best thing Microsoft has ever made and there really isn't anything equivalent on Android, but I can live without it really. It would be cool if android note taking apps had the functionality of Onenote but in terms of just using it like an advanced paper notebook they're totally usable. It'd be cool to be able to search through notes and stuff (some app may allow this, but I haven't found one yet) but it's still much easier to find things in a digital notebook than a physical one.

{Diemex} said:
I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.

In this excellent review (see link below) of the Note 10.1 the reviewer mentions "better going for the 2014 Note 10.1" for people who make notes. Professional artists are better of on a Windows device because of the much larger software base. She reviewed both the 2014 Note 10.1 and the popular Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 (linked in article).
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tablets/2014-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10.htm

The_Maverick said:
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never used it personally but OneNote is available for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.onenote

The_Maverick said:
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, if you guys can afford or get over dropping 1K on a tablet than the surface pro is the way to go.
Don't get you mind set on "apps." as an engineer, being able to run and execute programs relevant to your fields is more important.
For me, I won't be able to run Catia V5, Solid works, MATLAB, C++, EES, etc on a android tablet. If I didn't drop 1K earlier on my laptop I probably would have got a surface pro 2 so that I wouldn't have to carry so much.
But the note 10.1 has served me well. I got it because I already had a laptop that was cad ready, the note also charges over USB and was at a good price.
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app

My main requirement for a tablet is the ability to highlight PDF’s and add sticky notes/annotations for studying; the ability to write notes and have it be as close to a paper/pen experience as possible; and the ability to watch movies and shows in HD while on flights, etc.
If I was sure that the Surface Pro 2 could do all of those things better than the Note 10.1, I’d spend the money. But I’m not sure it can. After struggling for years using a fat stylus on the iPad, the S-Pen on the Note 10.1 seems perfect.
Is the Surface Pro 2 better at these things than the Note 10.1?

Han Solo 1 said:
My main requirement for a tablet is the ability to highlight PDF’s and add sticky notes/annotations for studying; the ability to write notes and have it be as close to a paper/pen experience as possible; and the ability to watch movies and shows in HD while on flights, etc.
If I was sure that the Surface Pro 2 could do all of those things better than the Note 10.1, I’d spend the money. But I’m not sure it can. After struggling for years using a fat stylus on the iPad, the S-Pen on the Note 10.1 seems perfect.
Is the Surface Pro 2 better at these things than the Note 10.1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have the Surface Pro 2, but those things you mention (movie playback and taking notes, with LectureNotes) are precisely 2 strongpoints of the 2014 Note 10.1. Furthermore it will be a lot lighter in weight, cost far less and drain far less battery. I would recommend it in a heartbeat for those items you mention.
Edit: I highly doubt the Surface Pro giving you a better movie watching experience. I would put money on it...

As someone that owned last years Note 10.1 and owns both the current 10.1 and Surface Pro - I would much rather ink on the Note 10.1.
I really like One Note. Unfortunately, it seems to me like Microsoft doesn't feel the same. I feel like they could/should take One Note and turn it into an Evernote competitor. I see a lot of potential in the software, but no love.
For work, a couple months back, I was trying to take notes on the go while working with a 3rd party vendor using my Surface Pro. I am probably in the minority of people that actually like Windows 8. For me though, on the go, holding the Note 10.1 in one hand and trying to ink vs the Surface Pro is night and day. The Surface Pro is just far too heavy. But it fills that void when I need something extremely portable that will run full blown Photoshop, Quark, etc.

stinger108 said:
I have never used it personally but OneNote is available for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.onenote
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never used it myself either. I might check it out once I get my Note. But the fact that it hasn't been mentioned in all the LectureNotes conversations on here tells me that it might not actually be comparable. Does any one know whether OneNote on Android supports the SPen?
SlimJ87D said:
Honestly, if you guys can afford or get over dropping 1K on a tablet than the surface pro is the way to go.
Don't get you mind set on "apps." as an engineer, being able to run and execute programs relevant to your fields is more important.
For me, I won't be able to run Catia V5, Solid works, MATLAB, C++, EES, etc on a android tablet. If I didn't drop 1K earlier on my laptop I probably would have got a surface pro 2 so that I wouldn't have to carry so much.
But the note 10.1 has served me well. I got it because I already had a laptop that was cad ready, the note also charges over USB and was at a good price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The price is also prohipive, you're right, I didn't even consider that.
I was in the same situation as you were. I bought a X1 Carbon a year ago, which I use for MATLAB and the like. Had good options been available then, I might have gone with a hybrid. Although for that I'd go with one that has a transformer like dock, such as the Lenovo ThinPad Tablet 2. But I like that my laptop is 14". Only 10" or 11" would be too small for me.

Ettepetje said:
In this excellent review (see link below) of the Note 10.1 the reviewer mentions "better going for the 2014 Note 10.1" for people who make notes. Professional artists are better of on a Windows device because of the much larger software base. She reviewed both the 2014 Note 10.1 and the popular Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 (linked in article).
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tablets/2014-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10.htm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well "a much larger software base" means Pro and not RT and the Pro tablets are certainly a bit bulkier and heavier than the Note due to the hardware and battery to keep the thing running. I am also not sure how battery life compares between say the Surface Pro vs the new Note.

wingdo said:
Well "a much larger software base" means Pro and not RT and the Pro tablets are certainly a bit bulkier and heavier than the Note due to the hardware and battery to keep the thing running. I am also not sure how battery life compares between say the Surface Pro vs the new Note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Verge tested both tablets and rated battery life the same. They rated performance of the Note much lower, which for movie watching and drawing / taking notes it most certainly isn't. The 2014 Note 10.1 can playback 2 full-HD movies (of 5+GB) simultaneously without hickup of any kind. I used MX Player Pro for that, with NeoN-driver, together with the built-in video player of the Note in pop-up mode. The beautiful screen together with the decent stereo speakers is managing to keep me away from gearing up my high-end home theater system for 2 major movie titles in a row (Monster University and Despicable Me 2).
To return to the matter of speed, the Note is the fastest ARM based tablet currently available, but will in all likelihood be slower than the processor in the Surface Pro 2. Reading about fans kicking in during heavy use though has me running away from any such option.

{Diemex} said:
I'm looking for a tablet to assist me in my mechanical engineering studies. I have a laptop and a Galaxy Tab 7.7. The laptop is too big and I havent found any good apps to edit pdfs on linux and the 7.7 is too small.
We get all scripts as pdf and some of them have gaps that we fill in the lecture. Atm I print the scripts on paper. I'm thinking of getting a tablet to organize the huge influx of information and reduce the amount of stuff I have to print out and keep in "real" folders.
So there are a few options:
Note 2014, LectureNotes for organizing, ezpdf/repligo for editing of pdfs
Windows 8 Tablets like surface pro, lenovo tablet 2 or sony tap 11. I'm not familiar with the metro app ecosystem and don't know if there are great apps like LectureNotes or ezpdf. The most expensive option.
Continue to print on paper. Cheapest, but not editable, searchable or reusable etc.
I have seen a few students with Note 10.1's and only one with a microsoft surface. The Note owners seemed to be happy with their way of doing things. Though I haven't spoken to the guy with the surface, it seemed like he only used it for viewing pdfs.
I'm particularly interested in the comparison between windows tablets and the galaxy note for note taking, pdf notes and general usefulness for studying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here again I will share with the op my notes I just took.
Sent from my SM-P600 using XDA Premium HD app

One thing i did on my note was take screenshots in excel (kingsoft office) then put them into my s notes and annotate on top of it. Its not as good as annotating directly in excel but it works ok.

I went to my local computer store and spend about 45 mins writing on the Note 2014 and also had a look at the surface pro 2. My handwriting looked comparable to the screenshots posted, not as nice as on paper with a pencil, but far better than anticipated.
A lecturer actually uses OneNote on a lenovo laptop with a stylus. It works really well and I like that you can easily add blank space in between lines if you run out of space. Sadly the surface in the store didn't have internet so I couldn't have a look at the metro apps store and there wasn't much apps to play around with. The surface feels a bit like a laptop with a small touchscreen and a detachable keyboard to me.
The surface has optional pen input but still is not focused on making the most out of the pen. Samsung's app package on the Note on the other hand is designed to maximize on the stylus. I need a tablet mainly for reading and taking notes and for anything more demanding I have a powerful laptop.
So I will most likely get the Note. Still pondering if I should spend 500€ on wifi only or 650€ on the lte version, which I think doubt I will really make use of on a 10 inch tablet.

{Diemex} said:
So I will most likely get the Note. Still pondering if I should spend 500€ on wifi only or 650€ on the lte version, which I think doubt I will really make use of on a 10 inch tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are able to tether using your phone's data, save your money and get the wifi model. That's what I did. All I have to do is hit a button on my phone and I have fast internet access on my Note 10.1.

Han Solo 1 said:
If you are able to tether using your phone's data, save your money and get the wifi model. That's what I did. All I have to do is hit a button on my phone and I have fast internet access on my Note 10.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1

The_Maverick said:
I am currently/was wondering the same thing. I'm an engineering student and I want to use a tablet for note taking and reading/annotating papers. I considered a Surface pro or a lenovo win tablet with a pen. Mostly because of OneNote. While I haven't used it, I'm sure it is the most mature note taking app there is. I don't know how touch friendly it is (i.e. I don't know if OneNote has a Metro-mode), but if it's like the other office apps, I wouldn't want to use it without a mouse.
The biggest problem with Windows tablets, like it has already been said, is the lack of apps. My brother just bought a Windows tablet (the HP Envy x2 or something), which has full windows, a keyboard dock and no pen. He has a metro app to look at pdfs and hilight them (I think it's almost literally the only pdf app in the app store that supports some level of editing) but he can't write on them (with the keyboard).
You can always say you'll use the full-windows apps, not metro, of which there are plenty, but I just can't imagine that being fun to use with your fingers.
Besides note taking, I also want to use my tablet recreationally. Some browsing, RSS reading, gaming etc. For that, android is just better, hands down.
In terms of sycing, I thought maybe a win tablet might be easier to mangage, but as it turns out, android is probably easier. I can sync files with my Windows laptop via SugarSync and stuff like RSS feeds, podcasts and all that is easier to sync accross android devices.
I have now ordered the Note and am awaiting it anxiously. (it's not available yet where I live)
I hope that helps your decision process along, let me know to what conclusion you come.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a metro onenote but not as good as the full office version, which as a student the op should get for decent price.
Have been using tablet pc s of various makes since 1997 and in the op case would say either the note 10.1 2014 or a s/hand x220t lenovo, last one with the great keyboard, either should be similiar money the x220t maybe a bit more.
Or why not consider the first note 10.1 maybe afford both that way?
Sent from my GT-N5100 using xda app-developers app

I LOVE this tablet!

The first time I ever saw an iPad in person, I began to lust for one. Then, I bought my son an iPod Touch and we grew to despise iOS. So when I upgraded my old "feature phone" to a smart phone, I went Android. I loved it and never looked back. My first phone was a Samsung Captivate. When we switched from AT&T to Verizon, I got the Galaxy S3 (which I still have, but I'm suffering from S4 envy now!).
My first tablet was the original Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. I loved that tablet. After a couple years, I decided it was time for an upgrade and went with the Asus Transformer Infinity, mainly for the hardware keyboard (with extended battery, full size USB port, SD card reader, etc). What a piece of $#!+ that thing is! The keyboard will not stay attached to the tablet when folded shut. Physically, it feels flimsy and cheap. The battery life - even with the "extended" battery - was worse than my old Galaxy Tab. The thing was incredibly sluggish, slow, and crashed a lot. I tried several custom ROMs and that made things a *tad* better, but not really. Using it was an exercise in frustration.
So, I just picked up the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition. I LOVE this tablet! Very high quality build. It feels good and solid in my hands. The thing is FAST and performance (based on my user experience) is amazing! The S-Pen is fantastic and I love using it! (I just wish it worked on my S3!). I feel comfortable and at ease with a tablet again. No frustration at all anymore! This is everything a tablet should be! Even if I never install a custom ROM on it, I think I would still be extremely happy with it!
My only desire now is for Samsung to hurry up and release the Book Cover case for it.

HeathicusF said:
The first time I ever saw an iPad in person, I began to lust for one. Then, I bought my son an iPod Touch and we grew to despise iOS. So when I upgraded my old "feature phone" to a smart phone, I went Android. I loved it and never looked back. My first phone was a Samsung Captivate. When we switched from AT&T to Verizon, I got the Galaxy S3 (which I still have, but I'm suffering from S4 envy now!).
My first tablet was the original Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. I loved that tablet. After a couple years, I decided it was time for an upgrade and went with the Asus Transformer Infinity, mainly for the hardware keyboard (with extended battery, full size USB port, SD card reader, etc). What a piece of $#!+ that thing is! The keyboard will not stay attached to the tablet when folded shut. Physically, it feels flimsy and cheap. The battery life - even with the "extended" battery - was worse than my old Galaxy Tab. The thing was incredibly sluggish, slow, and crashed a lot. I tried several custom ROMs and that made things a *tad* better, but not really. Using it was an exercise in frustration.
So, I just picked up the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition. I LOVE this tablet! Very high quality build. It feels good and solid in my hands. The thing is FAST and performance (based on my user experience) is amazing! The S-Pen is fantastic and I love using it! (I just wish it worked on my S3!). I feel comfortable and at ease with a tablet again. No frustration at all anymore! This is everything a tablet should be! Even if I never install a custom ROM on it, I think I would still be extremely happy with it!
My only desire now is for Samsung to hurry up and release the Book Cover case for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats. This is my first tablet I have ever owned, although a few people in my family own one. Because I started school again, most of my books are in PDF form and I started taking notes with the Note 2014. Taking notes has been really good, very easy to erase things and move equations around to other pages.
I'm very happy with this device and I'm finding new ways to integrate it into my life as the days go by.

The display is key, but the hardware needs to support it to avoid a laggy experience. This is why the Asus 700 and Nook HD+ suffer and is why I got the iPad 4.
The 2014 seems to be the first Android tablet to cover all bases without some significant caveat. Catch is the price. The pen function adds expense and I get why folks that need the function love it. I will not use it, so will wait for a price drop. Would have waited for the A701, but have read enough and seen enough issues with the Shield and Toshiba tablets to stay away.
The 2014 covers all the bases and has a key thing (sd slot) that I need.

rushless said:
The display is key, but the hardware needs to support it to avoid a laggy experience. This is why the Asus 700 and Nook HD+ suffer and is why I got the iPad 4.
The 2014 seems to be the first Android tablet to cover all bases without some significant caveat. Catch is the price. The pen function adds expense and I get why folks that need the function love it. I will not use it, so will wait for a price drop. Would have waited for the A701, but have read enough and seen enough issues with the Shield and Toshiba tablets to stay away.
The 2014 covers all the bases and has a key thing (sd slot) that I need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you do use the pen though, the price becomes worth it. The level of software they had to program into using the pen makes it worth it if you definitely need it.
But if you don't use it, then I guess you'll have to wait for the Galaxy Tab 4.

SlimJ87D said:
Congrats. This is my first tablet I have ever owned, although a few people in my family own one. Because I started school again, most of my books are in PDF form and I started taking notes with the Note 2014. Taking notes has been really good, very easy to erase things and move equations around to other pages.
I'm very happy with this device and I'm finding new ways to integrate it into my life as the days go by.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you use to annotate on books? I'd think s note would take forever to navigate through a large pdf.

ChrisNee1988 said:
What do you use to annotate on books? I'd think s note would take forever to navigate through a large pdf.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a large number of pdf books including numerous Adobe DRM protected books. I highly recommend Mantano reader from the play store. I have tge oremium version but there is bith avlight and standard version.
The premium version adds so much functionality it is insane. All highlights, nites and bookmarks you have made are visible together on an index page fir each b9ok so you can easily find everyvnote you have made on a book or every highlight.
Sent from my Galaxy S4 via tapatalk.

wingdo said:
All highlights, nites and bookmarks you have made are visible together on an index page fir each b9ok so you can easily find everyvnote you have made on a book or every highlight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's an awesome feature! I'm waiting for my Note and plan to use LectureNotes in class. While thinking about my workflow with it I thought that this 'indexing highliter' would be a really awesome feature. Does anybody know if LectureNotes has this functionality as well?

I'm not a mobile device guru or anything, but I have used a pretty decent variety of devices. My last two laptops were "convertibles" (the monitor flips around and folds over the keyboard to become a tablet). Currently a Dell XT3, previously a Fujitsu Lifebook. I delved into the "UMPC" world. I had a Samsung Q1 for a while and also thoroughly tested the Black Diamond Switchback, OQO Model 2, and others for my previous job.
The S-Pen is not a mere stylus like what came with all the other devices I've used. One of my favorite features is the ability to toggle it so the touch screen does not recognize my hand. I can finally rest my hand on the display while using the pen without weird things happening. It's a small thing, but really big for me.

ChrisNee1988 said:
What do you use to annotate on books? I'd think s note would take forever to navigate through a large pdf.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use ezPDF and take a snapshot of whatever I need in my notes. Then I paste it in and do stuff there. If anyone else has a better of of doing things, please let me know.

@The_Maverick: There is no `indexing highlighter´ in LectureNotes, I am sorry.

acadoid said:
@The_Maverick: There is no `indexing highlighter´ in LectureNotes, I am sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for letting me know. It's probably no big deal, I haven't figured out my workflow yet anyway. But could you imagine implementing this somewhere down the road?
The scenario that I have in mind is the following: Whenever there is a definition in my lecture slides (currently in paper form), I highlight the name of what's being defined with a specific marker color. That way I can easily skim through my notes when I'm looking for a certain definition. Switching to the Note/LectureNotes, I thought it'd be really cool if all my highlighted definitions would show up on one central page as bookmarks/links, making it even easier to find what I'm looking for.
Anyway, I should probably not be making feature requests before ever really having used the app.
Thanks for being such a responsive developer!

@The_Maverick: LectureNotes allows to attach keywords to notebook pages and creates a table of contents and an index from that (either for individual notebooks, for all notebooks in a folder, and for all notebooks on the notebooks board). This is the second part of the suggested functionality, the first part where highlighted material becomes a keyword is missing, you need to type the keyword manually.

acadoid said:
@The_Maverick: LectureNotes allows to attach keywords to notebook pages and creates a table of contents and an index from that (either for individual notebooks, for all notebooks in a folder, and for all notebooks on the notebooks board). This is the second part of the suggested functionality, the first part where highlighted material becomes a keyword is missing, you need to type the keyword manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool. Thanks for the help. I'm definitely looking forward to using LectureNotes. It's the biggest incentive for me to get the Note.

I mainly bought this for the great screen, multitasking, and the SD Card slot...but I must say that I have been surprisingly happy with the S-pen and all the functionality it brings! I wish I would have had this while in college.
I also wish the S-pen would work with my S3. The Note phones are all too big for me, so we'll see what the S5 will bring. I highly doubt it, but it'd be awesome if the S5 could use the S-pen too (even if it didn't come with one).

I used to think the Notes were too big, but after using one for awhile it seems rather normal. I think because they slimmed down the 3 a bit it's not bad.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Just wondering why everyone does not just use S Note which is built in to the device for all your note taking needs

Dedline said:
Just wondering why everyone does not just use S Note which is built in to the device for all your note taking needs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LectureNotes is much more customizable. It's quite possibly the most perfect note taking app that exists anywhere, including Windows, Android, or iOS.
The ONLY thing I wish it had is the ability to add an expandable sticky note to either notes or PDF's I'm annotating.

@han solo
and maybe it would be great if the Lecture Notes UI would move somewhere near the Android HOLO conventions... been using Lecture Notes for a long time now and I still keep forgetting where which menu item is hiding.
Otherwise, good app.

@Ulukaii1983: I try to keep functionality organized in a meaningful way, but I am always open for specific suggestions (in fact, I have moved several menu items following user suggestions).

@acadoid:
Hey many thanks for your reply! Glad that you still find the time to read the opinions about your app.
If you don't mind, I would post some UI recommendations in your other thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1870639&page=167
... but I please give me a little bit time to make some valuable recommendations.

Need help to decide what to buy

Hello, because of my job, I need to use my 15" MacBook Pro daily. However, I also want to buy a tablet so that I can read/annotate pdf files while on public transportation and on the bus stop. In my current city, I spend about an hour each day on the bus and 30-50 minutes waiting at the bus stop. On the evening and perhaps sometimes on the weekend, I prefer to bring a lighter tablet with me.
Every 2-3 months, I stay in another city for a week or so. In that city, I spend about 2 hours on public transportation daily. During the summer, I stay in another country for about 2 months.
At the beginning, I was considering to buy the Note PRO 12.2. However, after trying the wifi version two times (no LTE version in my city yet), I don't find it attractive. For example, a bit heavier, without rooting can't have several windows stacking on top of each other likes Windows OS, not all apps can be multi-tasked, large screen but same resolution as the 10.1 2014, virtual keyboard taking half the screen, etc. Also, if I get a Note PRO 12.2, I have to carry it with my 15" laptop when I am traveling.
So, it seems that my choice is 10.1 2014 or Note PRO 8.4" when available. Is this the right way to think? I hope to make the purchase in about 2 months as I have delayed the purchase since last December.
Although being able to view two pdf files side by side is good, I cannot test it because only one local store has the device. They don't allow connection to the internet. I can't test the device by downloading some pdf files.

I have my note pro in a bag that I carry with me for college and when I am on the bus. Only difference between the note pro and the note 10.1 2014 other than the screen size is the multi window, the note 10.1 can only do 2 windows while the note pro can do up to 4. If you use pen window, you can cheat it and possibly go to 6-7. You can also do that on the note 10.1 as well. If you are looking for a pen tablet, I'd go with the note 10.1 2014 or the note pro, if you plan on wanting portability, then you can go for the tab pro 8.4 . I believe all pro series does come with Hancom office, which is like Microsoft Office. That's what sold me to get the note pro. Prices for all of them went down on amazon.
Sent from my SM-N900P using XDA Premium HD app

Thanks. I do need the pen. Too bad Samsung has not made the Note Pro 8.4".

I dunno man, I am not the type of person who is motivated to convince others to buy something I did just to feel better about my own purchase decisions. That said I would suggest considering a surface pro 2 for a few reasons:
You mention window stacking as opposed to side by side. Text and interface item scaling in multi-window can behave oddly in some apps that you force to do it once rooted.
You mention comparing pdf documents of the same type at the same time; out of the box you can do this with windows but you'll have to force android to do it and I personally haven't tried it so I'm not sure how well apps behave when you do.
You want to do heavy PDF annotation. I've spent a lot on pdf applications and can never find one that works well for this. The best that I have found FOR ME is Easy PDF. I do engineering plan reviews and the plan sets I open for review can have hundreds of sheets (300 sheets that are 24"x36" are not uncommon). All of the apps that I have tried work slowly and are clunky with my large files.
The thing is, aside from size none of the other complaints you have about the note pro will go away when you switch to a smaller note tablet.
At least with the surface pro you are getting a full fledged OS that out of the box will do much of the things that you want. Virtual keyboards though are by nature par for the course with tablets (and the tab pro has size options on the keyboard just like other Android devices have) although with the surface there are some elegant keyboard case options. It's all subjective of course, I don't like large keyboard cases that increase the size of the tablet so much that they look like netbooks.
All that said I do enjoy my note pro and I am satisfied with my sacrifices on the productivity side (plan review) which are outweighed by the entertainment value of the device. I simply love android and customizing my android devices.
Edit:
Just want to add that I fully realize that just because I can't do everything that I want to do with regards to productivity applications doesn't mean others can't do what they want to do. A lot of threads end up getting filled with debates over what works well and what doesn't but at the end of the day while there may be some basic commonality among workflows everyone has different needs so the only way to truly know is to try to use the device yourself. Retailers with flexible return policies are a great way to do that.

Let me try to give you some quick conclusion for the 3 tablets that you would choose from :
based on what you gave above and the common usage of your tablet it will be for reading mostly and a slight pdf editing if that happens so with that its better to go minimal and handy and get the tab pro 8.4 as it will be your best choice for reading and the slight editing etc
( all pro versions come with hancom office so you will get all the goodies with whatever tablets you choose) .
most of our usage for a tablet is multimedia consumption and that likes to be on a big screen for better entertaining experience and in your case if you wish to have the reading and multimedia both in a pretty portable size then go for the note 10.1 2014 edition or the tab pro 10.1 ( if you don't need the s-pen ( you got to keep in mind that the three tablets note 10.1/tab pro 10.1 / tab pro 8.4 have a pretty slight price difference and the choice will be up to you etc) .
*** transportation where you stay will also be important : if its not overcrowded and every time you will be able to have a seat and not so tight in crowd or standing then any of all the tablets will be very fine for you as after all if you are sitting you will find a nice way to hold your tablet somehow comfortably .
12.2 : after you finish your day and resting at home it will be time for media or nice relaxing reading and that size is the best when it comes to the in-house usage as you will always find a comfy way to do whatever you need with your tablet weather if you put it on your lab or a table or on a stand or on a pillow in bed and so on .
so here is my advice to you : think of your tablet needs in-house and out-house usage before you make a decision . Good luck with your pick.
Hope i helped you make your choice.

Depends on what kind of pdf you read. If they are novels or similar format, 8" will be fine and can be held in one hand comfortably. If it's double column or technical stuffs, 12.2" is almost like a full size hard copy. It is a high price for this single purpose however, even though it does well. I have not tried the 10" so can't comment. Personally, I bought the 12.2 mainly for pdf but only because there is no alternative at the moment. Couldn't care less about all the gimmicks that comes with it. Maybe I should get the Tab Pro and save $100.

hajime_android said:
Hello, because of my job, I need to use my 15" MacBook Pro daily. However, I also want to buy a tablet so that I can read/annotate pdf files while on public transportation and on the bus stop. In my current city, I spend about an hour each day on the bus and 30-50 minutes waiting at the bus stop. On the evening and perhaps sometimes on the weekend, I prefer to bring a lighter tablet with me.
Every 2-3 months, I stay in another city for a week or so. In that city, I spend about 2 hours on public transportation daily. During the summer, I stay in another country for about 2 months.
At the beginning, I was considering to buy the Note PRO 12.2. However, after trying the wifi version two times (no LTE version in my city yet), I don't find it attractive. For example, a bit heavier, without rooting can't have several windows stacking on top of each other likes Windows OS, not all apps can be multi-tasked, large screen but same resolution as the 10.1 2014, virtual keyboard taking half the screen, etc. Also, if I get a Note PRO 12.2, I have to carry it with my 15" laptop when I am traveling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I believe I am in a very similar position to you. As a student, I have a MBPr 15" for most functions and a Note 10.1 2014 for PDF annotation. The normal workflow on my note 10.1 2014 is to take notes on it or annotate PDF's on it and then have that sync to dropbox and then viewable on my phone or MBPr later on to supplement studying. The Note 10.1 2014 is a good device but I haven't rooted it so I haven't been able to use my old Note 10.1 1st Gen Workflow of having Lecture Notes open next to EZPDF. It was always cramped when I used it this way too so I'm hoping the Note 12.2 Pro fits my needs. It comes in today so I'll be able to update you later this week.
Yoshi1221 said:
Only difference between the note pro and the note 10.1 2014 other than the screen size is the multi window ...
Sent from my SM-N900P using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well ... there's is the screen which is 44% bigger ...
muzzy996 said:
I dunno man, I am not the type of person who is motivated to convince others to buy something I did just to feel better about my own purchase decisions. That said I would suggest considering a surface pro 2 for a few reasons:
You mention window stacking as opposed to side by side. Text and interface item scaling in multi-window can behave oddly in some apps that you force to do it once rooted.
You mention comparing pdf documents of the same type at the same time; out of the box you can do this with windows but you'll have to force android to do it and I personally haven't tried it so I'm not sure how well apps behave when you do.
You want to do heavy PDF annotation. I've spent a lot on pdf applications and can never find one that works well for this. The best that I have found FOR ME is Easy PDF. I do engineering plan reviews and the plan sets I open for review can have hundreds of sheets (300 sheets that are 24"x36" are not uncommon). All of the apps that I have tried work slowly and are clunky with my large files.
The thing is, aside from size none of the other complaints you have about the note pro will go away when you switch to a smaller note tablet.
At least with the surface pro you are getting a full fledged OS that out of the box will do much of the things that you want. Virtual keyboards though are by nature par for the course with tablets (and the tab pro has size options on the keyboard just like other Android devices have) although with the surface there are some elegant keyboard case options. It's all subjective of course, I don't like large keyboard cases that increase the size of the tablet so much that they look like netbooks.
All that said I do enjoy my note pro and I am satisfied with my sacrifices on the productivity side (plan review) which are outweighed by the entertainment value of the device. I simply love android and customizing my android devices.
Edit:
Just want to add that I fully realize that just because I can't do everything that I want to do with regards to productivity applications doesn't mean others can't do what they want to do. A lot of threads end up getting filled with debates over what works well and what doesn't but at the end of the day while there may be some basic commonality among workflows everyone has different needs so the only way to truly know is to try to use the device yourself. Retailers with flexible return policies are a great way to do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are all good points. My main use is pdf annotation and lecture notes and pdf annotation is really clunky. But the problem with surface pro is bad battery life and having to use windows 8 (which I hate for most other things). I got the note 10.1 2014 because it was half th eprice but the pro 12.2 is almost as expensive. Samsung is just milking early consumers though as they already lowered the price by $50 and given the bill of materials is probably only like 250 for this thing (given it uses all of the same components as a note 10.1 2014 except for the screen), I'd say they have plenty of room to pricecut versus an Intel-based device.
wlachan said:
Depends on what kind of pdf you read. If they are novels or similar format, 8" will be fine and can be held in one hand comfortably. If it's double column or technical stuffs, 12.2" is almost like a full size hard copy. It is a high price for this single purpose however, even though it does well. I have not tried the 10" so can't comment. Personally, I bought the 12.2 mainly for pdf but only because there is no alternative at the moment. Couldn't care less about all the gimmicks that comes with it. Maybe I should get the Tab Pro and save $100.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are intel-based alternatives such as the ultrabooks and laptops that have digitizers as well as the surface-pro. The Sony Flip 14 is about the same price but much bulkier. You're right, nothing does come close in terms of lightness and mobility in terms of battery life but it's an expensive price Samsung is charging right now. Mine is coming in the mail and if it doesn't live up to expectations, I expect to stick to my note 10.1 2014 or maybe even go to a Sony Flip 13.
I really wish Samsung would pay for the guys behind iannotate to make a good version of their program for Android. It's probably the number one use of everyone I've met with the device to read and markup pdf's. Ezpdf is ok but lacking the ease-of-use for a flagship program.

Thanks. Please do update your experience with the PRO 12.2 We are indeed in a similar situation. I plan to use the tablet mostly for reading academic research papers. I would be good if I could have two papers shown side by side. However, as the screen resolution is fixed, doing so just require me scrolling and adjusting the windows size. I too use ezpdf. It seems that we cannot open two pdf using ezpdf. When we swipe across the screen, the page on which window is going to change? I once considered Surface Pro 2 but it is quite heavy especially if I carry both my 15" MBP and the tablet.

Not all apps support multiple instance and as far as I can tell EzPDF is no exception. So what one would do is just force it and another PDF reading application to be multiwindow enabled using something like pen window manager and then use two different PDF viewers to get the side by side action going. Then its just a matter of doing your gestures on one side or the other.
As a test I just did two documents side by side in EzPDF and Adobe Reader. Works like a charm.
You know if your annotation is going to be light then the note pro may very well suit your purposes provided you're not akin to rooting it (and living with the consequences thereof).

hajime_android said:
Thanks. Please do update your experience with the PRO 12.2 We are indeed in a similar situation. I plan to use the tablet mostly for reading academic research papers. I would be good if I could have two papers shown side by side. However, as the screen resolution is fixed, doing so just require me scrolling and adjusting the windows size. I too use ezpdf. It seems that we cannot open two pdf using ezpdf. When we swipe across the screen, the page on which window is going to change? I once considered Surface Pro 2 but it is quite heavy especially if I carry both my 15" MBP and the tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just wanted to give you a little insight of my experience...i ordered the note pro LTE p905 and had it delivered...i actually bought the wifi model first but was unhappy with the performance of the exynos processor and wanted the snapdragon 800...i have a mac book pro I bought a few months ago as well but much prefer a tablet. ..i already owned the note 8.0 and 10.1 2012 and was waiting the the pro and I have to say the experience is unlike anything else...the screen size and clarity offer a laptop size and feel, with similar functionality all packed into a 12.2 inch galaxy note 3. I find I use the s pen 50x more than I ever did on my 8 or 10 inch note tables, the new s pen and improvements to the digizer hardware helps as well. I'm a college student in my senior year of my biochemical degree and the pro has already completely replace my MacBook pro, mini windows 8.1 laptop and smaller note tablets. The size, speed, new on screen keyboard, s pen, and insane battery life make the note pro LTE by far the best device I've ever owned and I currently own and develop roms for several of these below
Galaxy note 1 i717
Galaxy note 2 i317
Galaxy note 3 n900a
Galaxy mega 6.3 i9205 white
Galaxy mega 6.3 i9205 black
Galaxy note 8.0
Galaxy note 10.1 2012
Galaxy note pro LTE
Mega

megalomanic14 said:
I just wanted to give you a little insight of my experience...i ordered the note pro LTE p905 and had it delivered...i actually bought the wifi model first but was unhappy with the performance of the exynos processor and wanted the snapdragon 800...i have a mac book pro I bought a few months ago as well but much prefer a tablet. ..i already owned the note 8.0 and 10.1 2012 and was waiting the the pro and I have to say the experience is unlike anything else...the screen size and clarity offer a laptop size and feel, with similar functionality all packed into a 12.2 inch galaxy note 3. I find I use the s pen 50x more than I ever did on my 8 or 10 inch note tables, the new s pen and improvements to the digizer hardware helps as well. I'm a college student in my senior year of my biochemical degree and the pro has already completely replace my MacBook pro, mini windows 8.1 laptop and smaller note tablets. The size, speed, new on screen keyboard, s pen, and insane battery life make the note pro LTE by far the best device I've ever owned and I currently own and develop roms for several of these below
Galaxy note 1 i717
Galaxy note 2 i317
Galaxy note 3 n900a
Galaxy mega 6.3 i9205 white
Galaxy mega 6.3 i9205 black
Galaxy note 8.0
Galaxy note 10.1 2012
Galaxy note pro LTE
Mega
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the experience. Could you please let me know what improvements are there?
"the new s pen and improvements to the digizer hardware helps as well."

The Surface Pro 2 is over a third of a pound heavier than the Note Pro with a much smaller screen. As a size to weight ratio consideration, the Note Pro blows away Surface Pro 2.

The purchase decision is getting more difficult after Office for iPAD is announced. I want to be able to read both pdf and PowerPoint presentation files. Annotation on pdf files is required but would be nice if I can do the same thing on PowerPoint. Some PowerPoint files include animations. So far, I only found an app called "Presentations" by SoftMaker that can run the animations. Didn't have a chance to test all the features before the expiration of the trial period. Too bad the Air has no stylus. Are the 3rd party ones not as good as the S-pen?

The inclusion of pressure sensitivity to active stylus devices definitely improves the control one has over handwriting with the result looking more natural. Since the tip of active stylus pens is fine they really are better suited for note taking that requires packing more information in a given amount of space. I would liken it to being able to write comfortably well on narrow ruled paper vs wide ruled. You can do note taking and annotation well with capacitive stylus though.

hajime_android said:
The purchase decision is getting more difficult after Office for iPAD is announced. I want to be able to read both pdf and PowerPoint presentation files. Annotation on pdf files is required but would be nice if I can do the same thing on PowerPoint. Some PowerPoint files include animations. So far, I only found an app called "Presentations" by SoftMaker that can run the animations. Didn't have a chance to test all the features before the expiration of the trial period. Too bad the Air has no stylus. Are the 3rd party ones not as good as the S-pen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you are getting the iPad air then go with this stylus as its the one of the best in the market http://www.lynktec.com/TruGlide-Apex-Fine-Point-Active-Stylus-p/lttg-0011.htm . i was getting the air first but i wanted the bigger size anyway but i was going to get that stylus for the iPad air after very long search and here is a video showing you a demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS9YlgvKrjE
and here is a full unboxing and review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3v3sTqqWTg

muzzy996 said:
The inclusion of pressure sensitivity to active stylus devices definitely improves the control one has over handwriting with the result looking more natural. Since the tip of active stylus pens is fine they really are better suited for note taking that requires packing more information in a given amount of space. I would liken it to being able to write comfortably well on narrow ruled paper vs wide ruled. You can do note taking and annotation well with capacitive stylus though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How bad is writing using capacitive stylus compared with the S-pen? Seems similar to me.
For those who have used the Note 10.1 2014, PRO 12.2, Air, how do they compare in terms of annotations? I do know that on IOS devices, you can write a phone number on the screen and have it stored in the phone directory. This is just a minor feature.

I agree that the 12.2 exceeds any tablet ever. It's a piece of art in a way. I sold my macbook air and replaced it with the 12.2. I also have the note 10.1 2014 edition and the note 8. Hancom office is great in the 12.2. I use h word and it's totally compatible with word for the mac on my mac desktop. Btw, if anyone needs a case for the big guy, I got the moko from amazon for about $10 and it's perfect. For writing I'll use it with a bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth mouse. I'll probable get a case - keyboard -- the logitech pro -- if I need to travel AND work, but mostly I see using it at home where I work.

Hello, considering to get the PRO 12.2 or 10.1 2014 this week. I have a few questions:
1. Under the split keyboard, is it more difficult to type on the PRO 12.2 than on the 10.1 2014?
2. Have you guys found out the advantages of having a USB 3.0 on the PRO 12.2?
3. Besides the DPI and weight, are there things that the 10.1 2014 is better than the PRO 12.2?
4. How is the battery life if watching the same videos for hours on both devices?
5. How is the charging rate of both devices from 0% to 100% while being used or unused? Is the LTE version better?
6. Some people said that the 12.2 has a larger real estate. It has the same resolution as the 10.1 2014. So, it does not has a larger real estate I think. Right?
7. For multi-windows, if we open 2 windows, the amount of things that we can see is less on each window. If we open 4 windows, the amount of things that are displaced is even smaller in each window. Can anything be done on this?
8. Can the PRO 12.2 and 10.1 2014 be connect to a projector?
9. Besides a bigger screen, what is the point of buying the PRO 12.2 compared with the 10.1 2014?
Diogenes5: how is your experience? I am considering to buy either the Note PRO 12.2 or 10.1 2014.
Thanks

Just because resolution is the same doesn't mean you cant comfortably fit more information on screen. On the contrary, if pixel density is such that that things can be zoomed out on multiple windows then the additional screen size of the 12.2 can be an advantage over the 10.1, even without the advantage of rooting and adjusting lcd density settings.
Screen size positives go beyond just fitting information on the screen though, such as having larger areas to write on when taking notes or having a more comfortable viewing distance, or having a more natural sized landscape keyboard.
On the flip side the larger screen means more weight which goes beyond just the weight in your bag but also stress on your wrists during extended use handheld.

I just got the Note Pro from work in addition to my Note 10.1. If I had to choose just one I'd go for the 10.1 because the weight makes it a better all purpose tablet. Gaming is better because the weight of the 12.2 is more fatiguing and the size makes some on screen controls awkward.
The full size keyboard on the Pro makes typing a breeze - it's the first on screen keyboard that allows me to type with two hands just like a physical keyboard. The larger screen makes it much easier to take handwritten notes. Video is impressive and more immersive, and it is the best comic book and magazine reader ever made - nothing ever seems cramped or requires zooming.
If you can handle the extra 8 ounces, the Pro is a no brainer. But after using both, the size and weight of the 10.1 is perfect.
Or you can get both!

Not sure about the s-pen

Hi all,
I am really turn between the LG G3 and the NOTE 4
in my country, the price difference is about 250$
my "fear" regarding the NOTE 4 is that i wont really use the S PEN
I feel that its a cool thing to play with for about a week and then forget about it.
i saw lots of reviews and the main thing i saw were:
write phone numbers and name to put as a contact- seems like an action i do once a month. tops
send screen shots- nice but not an everyday task for me.
doodle- not relevant for me
all pen apps are for samsung apps and not for GMAIL and so...??
So.... am i missing something?
if any of you feel like sharing what you really do with the s-pen, especially as a student or at work (engineer) it will be really great.
My phone use profile consists off:
- i rarely use the cell for talking
-a lot of browsing- looking up for articles (as a student or at work)
-GMAIL
-WHATSAPP
-games: rarely
THANKS

dman230 said:
Hi all,
I am really turn between the LG G3 and the NOTE 4
in my country, the price difference is about 250$
my "fear" regarding the NOTE 4 is that i wont really use the S PEN
I feel that its a cool thing to play with for about a week and then forget about it.
i saw lots of reviews and the main thing i saw were:
write phone numbers and name to put as a contact- seems like an action i do once a month. tops
send screen shots- nice but not an everyday task for me.
doodle- not relevant for me
all pen apps are for samsung apps and not for GMAIL and so...??
So.... am i missing something?
if any of you feel like sharing what you really do with the s-pen, especially as a student or at work (engineer) it will be really great.
My phone use profile consists off:
- i rarely use the cell for talking
-a lot of browsing- looking up for articles (as a student or at work)
-GMAIL
-WHATSAPP
-games: rarely
THANKS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It totally depends on you personally and what you use your device for.
Personally i use the S-Pen everyday - taking notes in meetings, i even use it for sketching and drawing. There's some pretty awesome drawing and painting apps available allowing me to be creative anytime and anywhere.
It also comes into it's own for usual OS tasks, selecting text, multiple documents, images, copying etc
I even sometimes just use it instead of my finger for usual stuff too, i dont really see the issue of people saying they would hardly use it, almost like it's some chore to take it out...
I feel that the S-Pen actually makes me use my device a lot more than i usually would! I don't think i could ever use a device without it going forward!
Cheers
Paul

paulrgod said:
It totally depends on you personally and what you use your device for.
Personally i use the S-Pen everyday - taking notes in meetings, i even use it for sketching and drawing. There's some pretty awesome drawing and painting apps available allowing me to be creative anytime and anywhere.
It also comes into it's own for usual OS tasks, selecting text, multiple documents, images, copying etc
I even sometimes just use it instead of my finger for usual stuff too, i dont really see the issue of people saying they would hardly use it, almost like it's some chore to take it out...
I feel that the S-Pen actually makes me use my device a lot more than i usually would! I don't think i could ever use a device without it going forward!
Cheers
Paul
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see lots of people being that positive about the S pen, Yet I own the note series since the beginning. each time a new generation came, I was interested by the Spen features. However I don't use it as much as I thought I would be.. I don't know why, maybe its cause I suck at drawing

As a student you could take notes from classes on the note4, ye I know, small screen. Backup everything at every save so you don't loose any page or note. But you have to try it yourself. If you have a budget dilemma then go for the g3.

I'm a visual manager for a retail store. I use my Note 4 and it's S pen daily. I'm constantly making To Do lists and writing notes to myself. So that's actually why I got my Note 4. I always have my phone with me in my pocket, so it's easier to take it out and jot down some things than to carry a pen and paper... which I'll eventually have to set down in order to do something and then leave it there until either someone else finds it or I end up running around the store looking for where I put it.
I also use the S pen to sketch up floor plans. I even take photos of an area and make notes on it.
"Move this here" (using a drawn arrow to point from the object to the new location)
"Get rid of this" (X something out)
"Paint this wall yellow. This one blue."
Etc
I also use the S pen when I'm eating my lunch and don't want to get the screen all dirty with my messy fingers lol.
The honest truth is that if you're going to use the S pen for JUST writing down phone numbers or something, then you won't be utilizing it's full potential. In that case, why spend the extra money?
I'd suggest only get the Note 4 if you truly do a lot of writing that doesn't have to be on paper (such as having to submit hand written notes to someone). If you need to write a lot, and have no issue with the notes being digital (or printed from a printer), then this phone is worth it.
I actually had an LG G Pro and was very happy with it, but the phone didn't have a stylis. I ended up making the decision to get the Note 4 and so far, I'm quite happy with my decision. It sure as heck beats carrying a pen and paper around!

Yep I use the S-pen maybe once every two days. I use it when I come across complicated websites (ability to use it like a mouse is good), and when I RDP into PC's as it gives mouse like accuracy compared to fat fingers.
Although I would actually give up the spen for a slightly smaller screen. I watch a lot of videos and browse the net a lot and the screen size is fantastic. But it's living with it which gets to me. It's just so big, having it in your pocket is extremely noticeable. Sitting down with tight pants is super uncomfortable and even just taking it out of your pocket you realise how big it is. I came from an S4, perhaps my next phone will be 5.5" or less. I still enjoy using my S4 (wifes phone now), and do miss the size of it. Hope that helps you.

i use the s-pen as a notebook. write all you want and hit print for hardcopy. you can actually print from the note 4 directly over wifi.

Note 4 caused me to remove all paper from my home office. I write all work notes in LectureNotes. I also use it as notepad after work - for new words, sentences, reminders and todos.
For university note taking I prefer a tablet with stylus (I use Note 10.1 for that - I wrote hundreds of pages on it).

Besides s-pen, Note4 is the only phone working with Gear VR (snapdragon versions so far)
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app

I use the S-Pen for everything. I rarely is my finger. The S-Pen is so much easier to use when typing, tapping on links on a web page, playing games, etc. And the screen doesn't get smudged up.

Thank you all!
this is exactly what i was looking for, if anyone else wants to add his experience, it will be great.
still not so sure why writing on a screen with a pen is more comfortable than typing a screen keyboard.
I guess I'll visit SAMSUNG store and play with it a bit

That little Wacom pen is THE reason why I only consider the Galaxy Note line as my smartphone of choice. It's that important.
Jot down notes in OneNote just like on my Tablet PCs (thank god they finally added ink support!), sketch things in Clover Paint, work as a mouse substitute for those pesky mouseover navigation bars on Web sites, maybe even serve as an external drawing tablet with the right software; it's like having a Tablet PC in the palm of my hand, just with Android instead of WIndows.
I admittedly don't use it on the keyboard. There's no reason for me to do so when the sheer width of the screen makes it easy for me to just use my fingers, especially compared to the old Galaxy S3 I was stuck with for the last two years. The Graffiti input panel (remember Palm OS?), on the other hand, would work really nicely with the pen if I decide to use that again.

dman230 said:
Thank you all!
this is exactly what i was looking for, if anyone else wants to add his experience, it will be great.
still not so sure why writing on a screen with a pen is more comfortable than typing a screen keyboard.
I guess I'll visit SAMSUNG store and play with it a bit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sometimes its quicker to write a note than type. Sometimes you want to circle typet text to call it out.
Maybe you want to sketh a diagram. Pen is more accurate than finger.
Got a pdf file you want to write a note in? Or take a picture then circle something in the picture?
Just a few of many possibilities.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk

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