Note-taking in a digital age: Which App should you use for stylus and tablet?

Preramble: As my previous article mentioned the importance of notetaking in the digital age. I wanted to offer some solutions that would help support this. Caveat: My tablet is an iPad and the stylus an Apple pencil, so my recommendations will be exclusive to this hardware.

Conclusion

So I'd rather save you time and start with my conclusion. Goodnotes. It's the only paid app among the three I tested and for a one-off price of 11.11 USD it's invaluable. Not only does the functionality modify what you can do with a typical pen and paper, but the aesthetic also captures the tangible essence of a notebook—a quality that personally resonates with me. While there exists some drawbacks, I've completely replaced all my physical books for learning and professional ideation with Goodnotes.

Deduction

Notetaking is crucial for effective learning. And when it comes to interfaces, nothing beats the simplicity of a stylus and tablet. It takes us back to the era when we etched our thoughts onto clay tablets with reed styluses. Over time, pen and paper became the norm, but now we have the opportunity to blend the convenience of traditional writing tools with the organizational power of digital folders!

Writing serves as a powerful tool that not only gives shape to our thoughts but also offers endless possibilities for expression on the page. Moreover, it serves as a valuable record that we can revisit to gain a deeper understanding. The process of writing often requires more time and effort to distil concepts into concise summaries. However, it is not limited to mere text; the advent of stylus and tablet technology has expanded the horizons of writing, enabling diverse modes of expression such as drawing and other artistic forms. Consequently, our thoughts are no longer confined to the constraints of words alone, allowing for more comprehensive exploration.

When learning anything new one should consider what type of notes they would like to take in order to embed novel concepts. While mind maps are widely known, note-taking options are virtually limitless. By utilizing spatial freedom and incorporating drawings, one can create personalized systems that enhance comprehension. These approaches offer creative and adaptable methods suited to individual learning styles. Leveraging location-based organization and visual elements unlocks boundless potential for deepening understanding and pursuing knowledge.

Accessible storage of notes is vital for learners to revisit their materials. With exercise books, this required a whole lot of lugging around of weighty backpacks. Today, however, we have the luxury of storing notes neatly online, in referenced folders. This modern approach simplifies the retrieval process for both teachers and students alike.

So the question is: Which is the best application for this?

A. GoodNotes

Price

Free Use: Importantly this is NOT a time-constricted trial then an automatic subscription. Instead, you are limited to 3 notebooks. But you can do loads with these and really determine the value of the application before purchase.

Full Version: 14.98 SGD [11.11 USD]

Functionality

Pros:

1. Lot's of templates to choose from - although we need freedom on the page to enact different visual elements, templates can offer a structure to actually make this easier. My personal favourite is the Cornell note-taking template.
2. Multiple notebooks accessible at once - now I know multi-tasking is no bueno, but moving from one notebook to another with such ease simplifies ideating across topics. Thus maintaining your flow whilst working.
3. Easy insertion of PDF 's for annotation - I used to use PDF Expert for this, but the Goodnotes tools fare better.

Cons:

1. Can't crop images - when I insert images into the notes I can change the size but not edit in the platform. That would be a huge bonus.
2. Annotations of images don't move with the image - linked to the above. I'm able to segment and move my notes within Goodnotes and that's great. But the functionality is limited when applied to images.
3. Can't insert space - this one is a big hit for me. I mention below my affinity for the Feynman technique. This requires a seamless page. You can segment and move text in Goodnotes but if you've written a ton and realise you'd like to add more to an earlier concept you have to rearrange pages to make this happen.

Interoperability

Apps are available on mobile, iPad + Mac, and sync using the cloud so all your documents are up to date on every device.

B. Notes (Apple)

Price

Free with iPad

Functionality

Pros:

1. Infinite page feature - I often use the Feynman Technique to learn a topic and for the second part of the process, 'write everything you know down', a single page feels much more fluid.
2. Inserting space - at this point, a basic feature, but combined with the above it allows you to come back to concepts that escaped you're memory when writing down what you know. So you can keep these ideas in their own sections whilst working dynamically across the page.

Cons:

1. No templates for structure - You have the option of multiple backgrounds, but I wouldn't consider these templates to support the type of note-taking you might undertake.
2. Infinite scrolling with no real folder capability without page options - in opposition to Goodnotes the infinite scrolling is great! But notes lacks in organisation on a larger scale. This can severely hamper your learning if you go into any depth with a topic.
3. Can't crop images - see previous
4. Buggy - I didn't come across one bug with the other two apps but notes had a few. Unfortunately, I didn't record these as I basically rage quit...sorry for the unprofessionalism!
5. Only one note is accessible at a time - the biggest flaw with notes is referencing. But partnered with the difficulty of maintaining the flow of your work with the lack of this feature makes for a frustrating experience.

Interoperability

Obviously being an Apple product you would expect notes to work well across your hardware. I can access them from my iPhone, iPad and Mac very easily. However, other notetaking software typically have apps across devices that allow for the same interoperability and Apple doesn't appear to really offer much more save the ability to move your notes whilst working on them between devices. Admittedly this is pretty cool but substance wise isn't a game changer.

C. OneNote

Price

Free but some features are only available with Microsoft 365 subscriptions

Functionality

Pros:

1. Infinite page feature - see above
2. Inserting space - see above
3. Pencil Case - So the pencil aesthetic choices in OneNote far exceed the other apps. I mean I was engrossed with this to a point where I was just playing around with ink settings instead of working...

Cons:

1. You can't customise the pen as you are using it - which restricts your freedom somewhat. Though the pencil case they have set up allows you to create multiple digital pens with interesting ink
2. Folder organisation - the user interface when you have multiple notes within folders is clunky. However, this could be my personal distaste for sideways menus.

Interoperability

If you're in a Microsoft school it's a no-brainer. A big part of the EdTech you use in an institution has to take integrations into account and if you use Microsoft everywhere else, it makes sense to sacrifice some functionality in order for easy interoperability. This is the reason my hardware is all Apple. The interoperability is second to none for ease of use and setup. The same applies to your software tools.

Final Word

This is obviously an anecdotal account of my playtime with these apps. Below I include other comparison articles for you to peruse.

Reference/Further Reading:

• Ransom Patterson - 2022 - The 6 Best Note-Taking Apps for iPad in 2023 - Collegeinfogeek [Systematic]
• Michelle Martin - 2023 - The 7 best note-taking apps for iPad in 2023 - Zapier
• Lindsay Armstrong - 2023 - 13 Best Notetaking Apps for iPad for 2023 - Paperlike