ipad tips

[turbodream]

Anyone use an ipad for school stuff (pdf reading/annotating, note-taking, scheduling, etc...)? Are there apps you recommend? I'm not sure what pdf readers I should check out that might be better than Acrobat.  

 

I know there are a few threads on topics like this in other forums but I thought it would be useful to hear from the sociology group. 

 

Thanks.

[C.Kleiber]

pdf reading/annotating: PDF Expert 5, iAnnotate, iBooks (for epub)

note-taking: Evernote, Notesplus, Drafts, Audionote, Day One

scheduling: iStudiez Pro

scanning: Scanner Pro

word-processing: Pages, Microsoft Word for iPad

referencing: Papers 3/2, Mendeley, Endnote for iPad, etc.

[Maleficent999]

Similar question: does anyone have suggestions for laptops? My 2008 MacBook is on it's last legs. I've been looking at laptop/tablet hybrids but I haven't found one I like yet.

[C.Kleiber]

Macbook Pro:

 

writing: Scrivener, TextExpander

note-taking: nvALT, Evernote, Drafts, Audionote, Day One

database: DEVONthink Pro Office

stats: SPSS, etc.

mindmapping: Scapple, Mindnode Pro, iThoughtsX, MindManager, etc.

timeline: Aeon Timeline

RSS (for journals): ReadKit

scheduling: iStudiez Pro

project org.: TaskPaper

books: Calibre, iBooks

OCR: ABBYY FineReader Pro for Mac

word-processing: Pages, Microsoft Word

presentation: Keynote, PowerPoint

referencing: Papers 2 (not 3), Sente 6, Zotero, Mendeley, Bookends, Endnote X7, etc.

Edited April 16, 2014 by C.Kleiber

[amlobo]

I use iAnnotate to mark up articles.  

 

And, I got a MacBook Air.  My main requirements were something light that wouldn't get damaged being lugged around... and so far, so good!

[Maleficent999]

If I go the Mac route, I'd have trouble deciding whether to get an iMac for at home and an iPad for in class and at school or just a laptop for both at home and school. I want an iPad for reading articles and that sort of thing but it seems silly to have a laptop AND an iPad. I'm just not sure how I'll feel about trying to take notes on an iPad. Does anyone have experience using two easily transported devices? Do you find you just use your laptop because it's easier? That's the draw of the hybrid for me. I could have the best of both worlds if only the technology was more reliable. I haven't read many convincing reviews of things like the HP Split x2.

[entdeckung]

iPads have some great attachable keyboards that retail for $50 i think that make note-taking really easy -- I could definitely not take good notes using the build-in touchscreen, but with the keyboard it's very doable. I still am not able to really work on full substantive papers on an ipad however because I haven't yet found a good program that allows you to edit text-heavy footnotes.

[amlobo]

I have a laptop and an iPad (I got the iPad as a gift, so I don't know if I'd invest personal money in both devices) ... but you could definitely use just an iPad for taking notes; a girl in my cohort has an attachable keyboard that seems to work really well.  But, I hand-write notes so as to not tempt myself with the internet in class, lol.  I really use the iPad solely for reading/annotating at this point.  Though, I know they now have Office for iPad, so I might have to give it a try.  I like the larger screen of a laptop and don't know if I'd ever switch to solely iPad, mostly due to liking the larger screen for writing.

[Maleficent999]

I have a laptop and an iPad (I got the iPad as a gift, so I don't know if I'd invest personal money in both devices) ... but you could definitely use just an iPad for taking notes; a girl in my cohort has an attachable keyboard that seems to work really well. But, I hand-write notes so as to not tempt myself with the internet in class, lol. I really use the iPad solely for reading/annotating at this point. Though, I know they now have Office for iPad, so I might have to give it a try. I like the larger screen of a laptop and don't know if I'd ever switch to solely iPad, mostly due to liking the larger screen for writing.

Ahhh perfect! So I can pick your brain. In your experience so far, do you think then that it could be do-able to get an iMac for at-home heavy processing like SPSS and writing papers and then have an iPad for toting around? A professor of mine in undergrad used her iPad for lecturing so I know they work for presentations and that kind of thing. I also prefer to work from home so I'm not worried about trying to write papers in the library on my iPad. And anyway, that's what Dropbox is for if I absolutely need to. Otherwise I'll probably just get a MacBook Pro and be done with it. I haven't had a desktop in years but I'm really wanting one these days. Lol

Edited April 16, 2014 by Maleficent999

[Darth.Vegan]

I have an iMac and a Macbook Air, and it seems like the perfect combination. The air battery lasts all day and it can do anything I need it to, including statistical analysis in Stata. I also use preview for annotating and highlighting articles. 

[RandomDood]

Yay, I love technology topics!

So, being the geek that I am, in the months prior to September 2013 I probably spent more time thinking about a good technological workflow for academic work than preparing for grad school itself. This is what I came up with:

iPad with this (http://tinyurl.com/nstmsn3) keyboard. This is what I usually carry around on a day-to-day basis. I found that I have no need for a notebook for 99% of my tasks, and none of the 1% is something I need to do daily. The apps I have installed for academic use are:

- Zotpad: An iPad client for Zotero. The advantage of Zotero over most other reference managers is that it exists on practically any mobile or desktop platform, and that it allows you to sync pdfs using box.com (which means that a) You essentially get 50GB of storage for free No matter what, even if you decide to change reference manager you will always have your pdf files with all the annotations intact). I find reading and annotating PDFs on the iPad way better than reading them on a notebook.

- iAnnotate: Rather pricey, but has the useful function of adding a note containing the highlighted text to every highlight. This allows to use any desktop or mobile program to generate advanced annotation reports.

- Pages: Cleanest interface among the document processors on iPad. Has webdav support, which is nice combined with box.com. (Textilus deserves an honorable mention when it comes to apps with this kind of functions)

- Outline+ for taking notes. It's a fully functional software that allows you to view and edit OneNote files (as usual, syncs with box.com). OneNote is, in my opinion, the best and most flexible note-taking software around.

- Jump: An app that gives you access to your PC or Mac from your iPad.

- iStudiez Pro for assignment management. It is quite simply the best at what it does, period.

Lenovo X200t. I bought this--used, but in perfect conditions--for less than 200 dollars on eBay. I have not yet found any particular justification to spend more than 200 dollars on a notebook, given that the iPad basically does everything I need, apart from very few things which do not require particular horsepower (this may change if you do a lot of HEAVY data-mining, for example). Most days I just leave it at home and access it through Jump Desktop if I really really need to use it, but most of the tasks are no so urgent that they can't wait until evening when I go back home. I have installed the following programs for academic purposes:

- Zotero: Obviously, it allows me to access my pdf and reference database from the PC.

- PDF X-Change: By far the best PDF reader. Fast, reliable, hundreds of functions, allows to generate advanced annotation summaries.

- Office: Duh, still the best productivity suite around. As I said, OneNote is great for note-taking, and your files will automatically sync with Outline+ on your iPad.

- SPSS: Works just fine on the notebook for what I need it to do.

- Jump Desktop: To access my PC from my iPad at any time.

The advantages of this setup are that it's fairly cheap (less than 800 dollars, which is less than a MacBook Air alone), everything is constantly synced on the cloud (I found box.com to be more flexible than dropbox), and none of the programs "lock me down," in the sense that if one day for some reason I decide to get an Android tablet/a Mac/whatever, I will have full access to all of my files.

God, I love talking about technology.

[RandomDood]

I haven't read many convincing reviews of things like the HP Split x2.

If you want to go the hybrid route (which I personally would not, given that cloud storage allows for constant syncronization across dedicated devices...but that's just my opinion) your best bet is probably the Dell Venue 11 Pro.

[IRToni]

I've got an ipad and a laptop. So far, I didn't spring for the ipad keyboard, but I do take class notes etc. on it. I still use my laptop, and carry it around sometimes, but its been much better for my back having the ipad, since most days, this is all I need. I also read most of my papers on here, so aside from a couple sheets of paper and a pen, this is literally everything I need most days. At the same time, though, for writing long texts (papers etc), and for running stata etc., I still need my laptop, and I do carry it around sometime, when I know I'll have to do either of these. I also travel quite a bit, and especially for conferences, I prefer having both, because I can't properly work on my presentation from the ipad. I probably wouldn't want a PC and the ipad, but the again, I haven't had a pc for 5 years, and have really gotten used to laptops, even before I had my ipad.

[Maleficent999]

I've got an ipad and a laptop. So far, I didn't spring for the ipad keyboard, but I do take class notes etc. on it. I still use my laptop, and carry it around sometimes, but its been much better for my back having the ipad, since most days, this is all I need. I also read most of my papers on here, so aside from a couple sheets of paper and a pen, this is literally everything I need most days. At the same time, though, for writing long texts (papers etc), and for running stata etc., I still need my laptop, and I do carry it around sometime, when I know I'll have to do either of these. I also travel quite a bit, and especially for conferences, I prefer having both, because I can't properly work on my presentation from the ipad. I probably wouldn't want a PC and the ipad, but the again, I haven't had a pc for 5 years, and have really gotten used to laptops, even before I had my ipad.

Food for thought...hmmmm

[SocGirl2013]

My plan is to get a MacBook Air, as well as set up a "desktop" at home, where basically I hook up my laptop to additional monitors, a larger keyboard and a nice mouse. During the day I'll carry the Air around and at night connect it to work on my desk feeling all professional etc.

Maleficent, if you are thinking of iMac/iPad combo for wanting a desktop, you should also consider what I am doing as a cheaper option. 

[turbodream]

thanks for the suggestions everyone! does anyone else ever daydream about a solar flare or something knocking out electricity and sending us back to hand tools and letter carriers?

[Maleficent999]

My plan is to get a MacBook Air, as well as set up a "desktop" at home, where basically I hook up my laptop to additional monitors, a larger keyboard and a nice mouse. During the day I'll carry the Air around and at night connect it to work on my desk feeling all professional etc.

Maleficent, if you are thinking of iMac/iPad combo for wanting a desktop, you should also consider what I am doing as a cheaper option.

This was actually my first thought. I have a nice TV in my living room currently I'll probably use in my bedroom and the one currently in my room I could use as a monitor. My biggest qualm with laptops is their propensity to overheat. I have cooling pads but those make laptops even bulkier for carrying around. Additionally, I don't like how much higher the pads make laptops sit because it makes the edges of the laptop dig into it wrists when I'm typing. I know that sounds nitpicky, I just don't like the idea of relying on a laptop as my main tech power for 8 years when I've had so many issues with laptops in the past. Albeit, my MacBook has lasted a long time and although it overheats, it hasn't completely fried itself like other brands I had before. I also really like the idea of a touchscreen, which is why I like the iPad for reading.

In the end, like most decisions, it's going to come down to how much money I have to spend come September. Thanks for all the insight, guys!

Edited April 16, 2014 by Maleficent999

[Darth.Vegan]

thanks for the suggestions everyone! does anyone else ever daydream about a solar flare or something knocking out electricity and sending us back to hand tools and letter carriers?

 

Okay John Zerzan.   

[turbodream]

This was actually my first thought. I have a nice TV in my living room currently I'll probably use in my bedroom and the one currently in my room I could use as a monitor. My biggest qualm with laptops is their propensity to overheat. I have cooling pads but those make laptops even bulkier for carrying around. Additionally, I don't like how much higher the pads make laptops sit because it makes the edges of the laptop dig into it wrists when I'm typing. I know that sounds nitpicky, I just don't like the idea of relying on a laptop as my main tech power for 8 years when I've had so many issues with laptops in the past. Albeit, my MacBook has lasted a long time and although it overheats, it hasn't completely fried itself like other brands I had before. I also really like the idea of a touchscreen, which is why I like the iPad for reading.

In the end, like most decisions, it's going to come down to how much money I have to spend come September. Thanks for all the insight, guys!

Kinda ironic how as I was reading your post, on my new ipad, about liking touchscreens, I accidentally touched the red down vote button on your post! Damn touchscreen! Anyone know how to undo those vote things?

I got mine refurbished from the apple store online... It's cheaper and still comes with a warranty.

[Maleficent999]

Kinda ironic how as I was reading your post, on my new ipad, about liking touchscreens, I accidentally touched the red down vote button on your post! Damn touchscreen! Anyone know how to undo those vote things?

I got mine refurbished from the apple store online... It's cheaper and still comes with a warranty.

Now that's an interesting idea. Did you get a student discount? The website says up to $200 off computers but I don't know if iPads qualify.

[turbodream]

I think when u get refurbished there isn't a student discount too.

[pinwheelb00kshelf]

Hey all, I'd highly recommend emailing a current student in your program (maybe someone who's advanced past the first couple years) to ask about this sort of thing. I had a great conversation with a third year today who told me that, basically, it doesn't matter. Any operating system can run basic stats software, and you only need worry about hardware if you're looking to work with really big data sets. The major qualitative softwares are available on either mac or PC platforms. Having something small, like an iPad or Chromebook, seems to be a personal preference, and only necessary if you enjoy the aesthetic of those devices. I don't have money to blow, so I'm going to invest in a lightweight, standard-equipped laptop and go from there. After all, the first year won't be that different (in terms of schedule, computing needs) from college.

 

One last piece of advice given to me by the student, FWIW: "One last piece of advice that you didn't exactly ask for:  Many students are in the habit of bringing their laptops to class for note-taking, but I really strongly feel that this isn't wise.  All you have to do is look around the room and you'll see students checking their email, shopping for shoes, etc.  I think it's simply too easy to get distracted during class time if you have access to the internet.  I have always used a good ol' spiral notebook and pen to take notes, and I find that I tend to remain much more absorbed in class discussions that other people.  The process of hand-writing notes is also great for my memory too.  I keep my notebooks organized so that's it's very easy to look up notes I took on a particular lecture or assigned reading, and I really don't think I miss out by not having my notes in digital form."

[Roll Right]

I'm curious, everyone seems to love Mac products. They seem a little expensive for what they are, though. So I'm wondering-what is the advantage to using Mac? I'm genuinely interested and have been thinking about trying out a Mac computer.

Also, could a Mac laptop handle big data (15 million cases or more)?

[Maleficent999]

It's a matter of preference really. I've owned a lot of different brands of laptops and I simply have had the best luck with my MacBook. It doesn't crash, the hinges haven't broken, no viruses, no lost data, and I find it the most aesthetically pleasing. To me, they're like the Honda of laptops (except price). It'll never die. I've had mine for 6 years and it still works. I'm retiring it only because Apple stopped making updates for it and I need something newer for school.

Edited May 2, 2014 by Maleficent999

[Roll Right]

Yes I'm told the quality of Mac is a cut above Linux and Microsoft machines, thats why I'm considering the switch. I wonder how much of a pain it would be to reorient myself and my files to Mac...has anyone made this change recently? Can you offer any insights?