Need help choosing a mini tablet for my son to take to school

[Puddle Jumper]

Well, that stinks.

For note taking, as least from my experience, the best option was typing notes and then drawing any diagrams or charts separately. Some apps offer good support for that type of work flow but I don't know any for iOS off the top of my head.

If writing notes or drawing is a priority the Galaxy Note 8 or a Windows tablet are really the only options. Contrary to popular belief many textbooks are available for Android via the Kindle app.

 

[runawayprisoner]

I have also tried Galaxy Note devices. And I must say... for writing, you should actually avoid them. Screen size aside, there is always a slight lag for each stroke when you write at much faster speed... just because the CPU can't keep up.

The best tablet device for writing I have worked with would actually be the Wacom Cintiq 13HD, and... to some extent, the new Wacom Companion tablets should be about the same. Microsoft's Surface Pro is also not too bad with some tweaks, but... it's still far from perfect.

And Kindle doesn't have all textbooks. That's the problem. Disregarding Kindle altogether, the PDF reader built into iOS is also far nicer than the one on Android, so loading PDF textbooks that you got off the publisher's website is also much better on the iPad.

I would love to be proven wrong, because I quite like the new Nexus with the 1080p screen. However, Android drove me away from the purchase.

And the thing is, I'm using a Surface Pro as my primary tablet, so it's not like I'm pro-Apple. I would have said Surface Pro had it not been for the price tag and the physical size... and the amount of things you gotta do to make the device work okay.

 

[Zaap]

The best tablet device for writing I have worked with would actually be the Wacom Cintiq 13HD, and... to some extent, the new Wacom Companion tablets should be about the same.

This comparison is really off- the Wacom Cintiq's are basically computer monitors with a pen interface- whatever speed you experience is based on the desktop or laptop you tether it to. Sure, let's *hope* that Wacom can achieve desktop-level performance in a mobile tablet device, (without it costing twice as much and no adequate battery life) but that's far from an assurance.

And one doesn't need Cintiq level of performance just to take notes anyway. Any current mobile device is going to be somewhat a tradeoff between desktop-level and mobile performance.

 

[runawayprisoner]

This comparison is really off- the Wacom Cintiq's are basically computer monitors with a pen interface- whatever speed you experience is based on the desktop or laptop you tether it to. Sure, let's *hope* that Wacom can achieve desktop-level performance in a mobile tablet device, (without it costing twice as much and no adequate battery life) but that's far from an assurance.

And one doesn't need Cintiq level of performance just to take notes anyway. Any current mobile device is going to be somewhat a tradeoff between desktop-level and mobile performance.

It's not about performance. A Surface Pro with its puny ULV processor is more than enough for jotting things down with One Note.

The main problem is with accuracy. People usually assume that a Cintiq is about the same as a tablet PC... until they actually sit down and use the Cintiq compared to a tablet PC. Cintiq is far more accurate because it has a far better digitizer. Writing and drawing on a Cintiq is much easier to deal with, especially for ultra fine strokes.

Don't ask me. Go ask anyone else who has used both, and they'll tell you.

The Cintiq Companion tablets are exactly as you describe: mobile devices with computer innards. The Companion Hybrid is an Android tablet, by the way. But it still has a much better digitizer compared to most other Android tablets, or even tablet PCs (including the Surface Pro). The price tag is insane and unreasonable to some especially considering the hardware is last-gen (Ivy Bridge Core i7 for the Windows 8 version and Tegra 4 for the Android version), but for those who have been waiting forever for such devices, they surely couldn't come any earlier.

 

[MrX8503]

Don't bother with a stylus if you have a keyboard. You can type much faster than writing.

 

[Red Storm]

Don't bother with a stylus if you have a keyboard. You can type much faster than writing.

Note taking is better done with a pen/stylus. I rarely if ever only type/write simple text lines when note taking. There's diagrams, arrows, stick figures in the margins when I'm bored...

 

[Zaap]

Writing and drawing on a Cintiq is much easier to deal with, especially for ultra fine strokes.

It's not a portable device, its a peripheral for a full sized computer so OF COURSE it works better, that's the point.

Don't ask me. Go ask anyone else who has used both, and they'll tell you.

I'm not sure what you're getting at, no one doubts the Cintiq is better than a tablet experience, but that's not the point. No one is using a Cintiq to take notes in class unless they have space to plug it in and tether it to a laptop. Maybe it happens, but it's the same percentage of people that bring a full-sized desktop monitor with them to class and use that instead of a laptop screen.

You're comparing a professional drawing tool that costs at minimum $1000 to a portable tablet for notetaking in a classroom.

The Cintiq Companion tablets are exactly as you describe: mobile devices with computer innards. The Companion Hybrid is an Android tablet, by the way. But it still has a much better digitizer compared to most other Android tablets, or even tablet PCs (including the Surface Pro). The price tag is insane and unreasonable to some especially considering the hardware is last-gen (Ivy Bridge Core i7 for the Windows 8 version and Tegra 4 for the Android version), but for those who have been waiting forever for such devices, they surely couldn't come any earlier.

Again, all fine and good, but the market for these isn't for students to take notes with, it's more for professional artists to draw and do design work with. Sure thing, it'll probably work really well for note-taking, and maybe all the kids who pony up $1500-$2500 just to take notes will love them for that. For everyone else... there's reality.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I have also tried Galaxy Note devices. And I must say... for writing, you should actually avoid them. Screen size aside, there is always a slight lag for each stroke when you write at much faster speed... just because the CPU can't keep up.

The best tablet device for writing I have worked with would actually be the Wacom Cintiq 13HD, and... to some extent, the new Wacom Companion tablets should be about the same. Microsoft's Surface Pro is also not too bad with some tweaks, but... it's still far from perfect.

And Kindle doesn't have all textbooks. That's the problem. Disregarding Kindle altogether, the PDF reader built into iOS is also far nicer than the one on Android, so loading PDF textbooks that you got off the publisher's website is also much better on the iPad.

I would love to be proven wrong, because I quite like the new Nexus with the 1080p screen. However, Android drove me away from the purchase.

And the thing is, I'm using a Surface Pro as my primary tablet, so it's not like I'm pro-Apple. I would have said Surface Pro had it not been for the price tag and the physical size... and the amount of things you gotta do to make the device work okay.

There are dozens of pdf readers for Android, all of which can be set as default. Besides Android tends to be better at viewing complicated pdfs since they tend to have much faster processors.

I have also tried the Galaxy Notes and I found writing to work very well, sure the Surface Pro is better but it ought to be.

 

[Chocu1a]

I have both a note 2 and 10.1, and handwriting works just fine for daily use. I take notes every single day, and I have never had an issue.

 

[runawayprisoner]

It's not a portable device, its a peripheral for a full sized computer so OF COURSE it works better, that's the point.

I'm not sure you're getting me there.

You can plug a Cintiq into a tablet PC, and it would work better than the built-in digitizer of that tablet PC.

You don't need a full-size computer to realize the benefit of a better digitizer. Though enough processing power to not make the experience a drag also helps.

I'm not sure what you're getting at, no one doubts the Cintiq is better than a tablet experience, but that's not the point. No one is using a Cintiq to take notes in class unless they have space to plug it in and tether it to a laptop. Maybe it happens, but it's the same percentage of people that bring a full-sized desktop monitor with them to class and use that instead of a laptop screen.

You're comparing a professional drawing tool that costs at minimum $1000 to a portable tablet for notetaking in a classroom.

What I'm trying to get at is that the experience is just at acceptable level for me with a Cintiq... and it's only with a Cintiq that I feel I can ditch pen and paper.

And anything below that is an exercise in frustration. But again, that's me. Other people may be able to get by with other tablets, and I'm not dissing their experience in any way.

Again, all fine and good, but the market for these isn't for students to take notes with, it's more for professional artists to draw and do design work with. Sure thing, it'll probably work really well for note-taking, and maybe all the kids who pony up $1500-$2500 just to take notes will love them for that. For everyone else... there's reality.

And I'm not suggesting that everyone should go out and grab one.

Just that from my experience, these devices are far better than anything else.

I think we can both agree on that.

There are dozens of pdf readers for Android, all of which can be set as default. Besides Android tends to be better at viewing complicated pdfs since they tend to have much faster processors.

Apple has since fixed their PDF viewing stack, so their devices are handling complicated PDFs much better now. As much as I hate iOS 7 interface, I gotta give props to them for doing that.

I have also tried the Galaxy Notes and I found writing to work very well, sure the Surface Pro is better but it ought to be.

Well, yeah. Though the number of hoops I had to go through to actually get the Surface Pro to be noticeably better is just... crazy. I can see why this device didn't become such a big deal.

I have both a note 2 and 10.1, and handwriting works just fine for daily use. I take notes every single day, and I have never had an issue.

Oh no, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it doesn't work for other people.

Just that it didn't really work for me. If it's anything less than a Surface Pro, I'd rather use pen and paper.