Tablet VS Laptop to bring to uni? (1 Viewer)

[iheartOJ]

Hi!

I was just wondering if a laptop or a tablet would be better to bring into lectures at uni (or if I need to bring one at all?)

Thanks!

 

[Jinks]

It comes down to what you prefer. I personally print out the slides provided and annotate them during the lecturers. Plenty of people bring laptops or tablets to take notes and do whatever else they need. Out of the two I would go with a laptop simply because it's just easier to use for long periods of time and you're not going to run into any compatibility issues with random documents or websites. In the end its your choice.

 

[Crobat]

I use the lecture slides and hand annotate them along the way, but I have tried with a tablet and I can say from genuine experience that it simply does not work. For one, the separate keyboard is incredibly inconvenient because you barely have space to set up for both the screen and the keyboard. The only benefit of the tablet is perhaps easy internet browsing, but realistically that isn't much more difficult on a laptop. The only tablet I have seen work out well is the Microsoft Surface. It's durable, the keyboard connects to the screen like a laptop, it performs quite well, particularly for uni purposes, and its touch screen nullifies the advantages of touch on a regular tablet. One of the most infuriating things I found about a tablet was its weight and the fact that touch typing on it was near-impossible for a number of reasons, mainly that of no resistance as it made navigating the on screen keyboard a hassle and a half.

Funnily enough, just last week my friend did not listen to me about this same issue, and he bought a tablet. He now regrets the $400 he wasted every day and blames me for not forcing him into a decision hard enough I implore you for your sake to go with a laptop.

 

[Jinks]

I use the lecture slides and hand annotate them along the way, but I have tried with a tablet and I can say from genuine experience that it simply does not work. For one, the separate keyboard is incredibly inconvenient because you barely have space to set up for both the screen and the keyboard. The only benefit of the tablet is perhaps easy internet browsing, but realistically that isn't much more difficult on a laptop. The only tablet I have seen work out well is the Microsoft Surface. It's durable, the keyboard connects to the screen like a laptop, it performs quite well, particularly for uni purposes, and its touch screen nullifies the advantages of touch on a regular tablet. One of the most infuriating things I found about a tablet was its weight and the fact that touch typing on it was near-impossible for a number of reasons, mainly that of no resistance as it made navigating the on screen keyboard a hassle and a half.

Funnily enough, just last week my friend did not listen to me about this same issue, and he bought a tablet. He now regrets the $400 he wasted every day and blames me for not forcing him into a decision hard enough I implore you for your sake to go with a laptop.

I see so many people using a stylus to write on a tablet as well, impossible to read haha!

 

[Crobat]

I see so many people using a stylus to write on a tablet as well, impossible to read haha!

It's actually shocking with the stylus. You'd think it wouldn't be a problem for the ones that translate the writing into the computer letters, but you have to write in perfect print to have the tablet recognise the letters... and that's harder than you'd think haha

 

[iheartOJ]

I'll probably leave the tablet and laptop out then, thanks for the input Jinks and Crobat!

 

[Crobat]

I'll probably leave the tablet and laptop out then, thanks for the input Jinks and Crobat!

No worries! Don't be too discouraged about using the laptop though. They'd be pretty useful, but of course, they could also have distractions, and tbh, i see more people on facebook in lecture halls than I do taking down notes or even looking at the soft copy of lecture slides on their screen

 

[D94]

If you want to do some study at uni, then having a tablet is convenient if you have PDFs of exercises or textbooks etc. You could use a laptop, but it weighs more for not that much extra in return, IMO.

 

[nerdasdasd]

No worries! Don't be too discouraged about using the laptop though. They'd be pretty useful, but of course, they could also have distractions, and tbh, i see more people on facebook in lecture halls than I do taking down notes or even looking at the soft copy of lecture slides on their screen

+1. Not to mention people blogging and reading news. I used a laptop last sem... now I just grab my tablet.

 

[pHyRe]

What about a keyboard attachment to the tablet?

 

[Drifting95]

Would you all consider a 15 inch MBP retina too big for uni use? It only weighs 2kg so the weight is fine, i'm more concerned about desk size etc

 

[OzKo]

What about a keyboard attachment to the tablet?

From experience, I've never needed a keyboard for the iPad I use because it isn't difficult to touch type even on a glass screen.

 

[Jinks]

Would you all consider a 15 inch MBP retina too big for uni use? It only weighs 2kg so the weight is fine, i'm more concerned about desk size etc

Thats what I use, on some desks in lecture theatres there is a little bit of overhang but never enough to put it off balance, on tables and what ever else you rest it on it's fine. I carry it every day with a few folders and usually a text book and don't have any issues.

If the laptop is just for uni I would probably go with the 13inch model, but at home I use it for movies and everything else so I'm very happy with the 15inch.

 

[Drifting95]

Thats what I use, on some desks in lecture theatres there is a little bit of overhang but never enough to put it off balance, on tables and what ever else you rest it on it's fine. I carry it every day with a few folders and usually a text book and don't have any issues.

If the laptop is just for uni I would probably go with the 13inch model, but at home I use it for movies and everything else so I'm very happy with the 15inch.

Thanks man.

Na i need it for home as well, mainly for photoshop and video editing so the extra screen size was important.

 

[Jinks]

Thanks man.

Na i need it for home as well, mainly for photoshop and video editing so the extra screen size was important.

Yeah I would go for the 15' then for sure!