iPad vs Paper Notebook: Which is a Better Note-taking Platform

Note-taking has always been a pen-paper process for all of us. But now, we see numerous note-taking devices, such as iPads, tablets, and laptops around us. Clearly, digitalization has a huge impact on students as they are inclining more toward digital learning. There are tons of articles around comparing the iPad and notebook for note-taking. Though both of them have their pros and cons, you need to figure out which is more productive for you. Here, we will compare certain parameters to comprehend the significance of digital note-taking and traditional note-taking.

iPad for Note-taking

An iPad is one of the potential note-taking tools in this digitally advancing era. It is a versatile digital device when coupled with an Apple pencil provides a good handwriting experience. Over the years, it has proved itself as one of the best note-taking tools. You can read more about the features and performance of the latest iPad version here. Let us now see some of the pros and cons of using an iPad for note-taking:

Pros

• Portable and handy — iPad usually weighs around 1.5 pounds/500–650 gms. It is slim, portable, and fits anywhere like your usual notebook. A single iPad can include several digital notebooks.
• Easily edit notes — With note-taking apps such as Noteshelf, you can easily edit your text multiple times and add several images. With cut, copy, undo, redo, and resize options, you can create notes much faster and easier.
• Sharing and backup — Because of easy sharing and backup, iPad is considered better than a notebook. With an iPad, you can easily share your notes with anyone and keep them backed up in cloud, google drive, etc.
• Attach images/voice recording, etc. — In note-taking apps such as Noteshelf, you can easily attach any image, annotate PDFs, and voice record your lectures. You can also bookmark any topic and access it easily.

Cons

• Not so cost-effective — iPads are quite expensive when compared to other devices. But the one-time investment in this high-tech device can surely increase your productivity.
• Needs charging — You cannot just pick up the iPad and leave for your classes. Proper charging is needed so your iPad does not run out of battery during any lecture. But the best thing about the iPads is that its battery life can give 10 hours of usage.
• Lacks natural writing feel — It is difficult to get natural writing feel on a digital notebook. It takes a little time for someone to get used to the Apple pencil. However, Noteshelf is one of the apps that provides a closer natural handwriting experience.
• Could be distractive — An iPad cannot restrict us to single-tasking, continuous pop-ups and notifications on the iPad could be distracting. However, you can easily overcome it by putting off the notifications whenever required.

Paper Notebooks for Note-taking

When it comes to writing, it is difficult to beat a classic paper notebook. Notebooks are a part of our life right from our elementary days to record our learning and writing abilities. The natural writing experience with different pens and paper texture feel are not easy to match. So, here are some of the pros and cons of using a paper notebook for note-taking:

Pros

• Natural handwriting — Nothing can beat the feel of writing with a pen-paper. The writing experience we get with a paper notebook is better than a digital notebook.
• Easily accessible and handy — You can easily pick out a random notebook and start scribbling down your thoughts or ideas at any time.
• Cost-effective — Anyone can buy a notebook easily. You don’t have to think or check your budget before buying one. Apart from cost-efficient, they are also easily available.
• Healthier option — Notebooks don’t harm your eyes as digital screens could do. It is a healthier option if you have weak eyes.

Cons

• Notes editing — Once you have written down something with a pen, you can’t easily edit it. In notebooks, you can’t cut, copy, or delete any text.
• Sharing and backup — In notebooks, you can’t share your notes with just a tap as compared to the iPad. Also, there is always a fear of losing the notes created on a notebook.
• Multiple notebooks — You need different paper templates according to your subjects. It is not possible to get those in a single notebook so you need to carry a bulk of notebooks.
• Accessibility — Flipping through an entire notebook is not easy. If you are looking for a single topic, you need to go through the entire notebook, unless you have created an easy system for accessibility such as indexing or bookmarking.

It is not easy to choose between a paper notebook and a digital notebook. If you want your note-taking to be cost-effective, then you can go for traditional paper notebooks. But going digital can certainly increase your productivity. With Noteshelf app, you can create your notes much easier with minimum effort. Various features such as vertical scrolling, lasso rotation, audio recording, bookmarking, etc., can provide you a better learning experience and help you keep your work organized. Digital notebooks can be a great way to keep up with today’s advancing technology. Checkout Noteshelf club for more such interesting articles.