Effectiveness of a PDA for notetaking

[saguy]

I'm looking for different solutions to taking notes in class (from digital
pens to PDAs). Does Pocket PC provide an effective way to keep up with
notetaking in a lecture class?

Essentially I'll be taking the notes in class and then copying them to
onenote for organization. I can find a cheap pocketpc (thats not the latest)
on ebay and thats why I was wondering if the device would be effective in
that environment.

 

[Rob Schneider]

My hunch is, assuming you know how to type, is that you'll be
disappointed with a PDA simply becuase they are not fast enough.
However, try it. Get a keyboard test it yourself to see if it can type
fast enough to meet your needs.

While it's been a while since I was at university, if I were to be there
in today's world I'd use a laptop and type directly into OneNote.
Invest in the smallest but best performing laptop you can afford.

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

I doubt a pda will work well, even if you write, rather than type, the
notes. the screen size is too small to work fast enough or see your previous
notes.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)



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[Grant Robertson]

I'm looking for different solutions to taking notes in class (from digital
pens to PDAs). Does Pocket PC provide an effective way to keep up with
notetaking in a lecture class?

I am an avid Palm Pilot user and, believe me, I tried every way I could
to take notes on my Sony Clie. Even at 320 x 480 resolution it is just
too darn small. You will spend way too much time scrolling around trying
to find where the heck you took THAT particular note so you can add to
it. I suspect the problem will be the same with the Pocket PC.

Unless you get an external keyboard that is almost full size and then
only use it to dump text into the PDA as fast as you can with no editing
whatsoever then you will be disappointed with any PDA for note taking.

 

[Ben M. Schorr, MVP-OneNote]

I am an avid Palm Pilot user and, believe me, I tried every way I could
to take notes on my Sony Clie. Even at 320 x 480 resolution it is just
too darn small. You will spend way too much time scrolling around
trying to find where the heck you took THAT particular note so you can
add to it. I suspect the problem will be the same with the Pocket PC.

Unless you get an external keyboard that is almost full size and then
only use it to dump text into the PDA as fast as you can with no
editing whatsoever then you will be disappointed with any PDA for note taking.

Unfortunately I have to agree. The screen is too small and the digitizer
not fine enough. I'm lucky to get more than half a dozen words on a page
with my Dell Axim unless I use the screen keyboard and tap-tap letters
that way. (which is usually how I'm forced to do it). I really hope somebody
develops a PDA that is a good replacement for the little pocket notepad
but the current digitizers aren’t up to the task, IMHO.

 

[Erik Sojka]

I've had limited success using the Targus Folding keyboard with my IPaq.
It's good for typing fast into a Pocket Word doc, but as all have said
here, not too good for editing and reviewing what you've typed.

The Targus KB also had a wierd plug that didn't fully support the weight
of the IPaq, so at least once or twice during a class, the IPaq would
fall off the KB stand.

 

[Rob Schneider]

Mindmanager is a terrific, world-class, and yet-to-be-discovered by
many, tool.

 

[Rob Schneider]

Yes, I felt the same transformation in ways of working. As Microsoft
bought Visio, I expect them to buy MindManager at some point ... I know
that the Visio folks were ex-Microsoft, so they presumably had
"connections". I don't know about Mindjet. Hard connections between
OneNote and MindManger boggles the mind with possibilties.

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

 

[Gordon Staley]

I had the same problem with the Targus keyboard. I returned it and purchased
the HP keyboard specifically made for the iPAQ (I have the 5450). It works
like a champ.

Gordon

 

[Rob Schneider]

You may be interested to read the blog at http://www.writingonyourpalm.net/

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

 

[rap2792]

Managed to use the original iPaq for a couple years as a
note taking tool. Only real way to use it for handwritten
notes effectively was to link it with the now discontinued
SmartPad
(www.siibusinessproducts.com/support/discsupp.html)
Ingenious tool to view, save and share your notes online.

However, combining TabletPC (Toshiba M200) with Outlook,
OneNote, MindManager - getting close to the perfect note
taking hardware and application mix.