Replacing my notebook…

There was a time where I used to collect notebooks as a hobby! Even though I never wrote anything in them, I was proud to own so many for some reason… I was a weird one…

But as time went on, my work life became very dependent on writing notes within meetings. I explored many different options when writing notes and the best way for me was to write on a piece of paper with a biro pen.

After the many notebooks (lined and plain notebooks) I found that I would always need to go out to buy a new notebook when they become full… Also, the information that I write is sensitive information and if they become pointless, I will need to find a way to get rid of it securely so that no one else sees it.

Enter the iPad Pro…

So I use my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to draw a lot and when I am at work, I do not use it for any purpose unless it is for video calls as an alternative for my webcam. This made me realise that using the iPad for writing notes could be useful for note taking.

I took a look from YouTubers and articles to see the pros and cons. Then I took a look at the apps that people use too and compared them to each other.

I decided to use the app GoodNotes (https://www.goodnotes.com/).

I have now been writing notes on this app for over 6 months now and I think its safe to make a review of what my opinion.

When writing notes, the notes are being saved locally and having to know that they are accessible at anytime is great. The app also emulates reviewing your previous pages.

For the first few weeks, I found it a bit hard to write on a screen as the physical interaction between the Apple Pencil and the iPad screen was slippery. This caused my handwriting to look wobbly in the strokes. This was a

Also, there were a few times I had a split decision upon whether I should use the erase tool or the undo function. Often than not, during the pressure of writing the notes, I am faced with that dilemma which makes me miss a few points within meetings. Sounds like a small thing but thinking about all my previous meetings, I have noticed myself hovering over erase or undo…

I found a few settings within the GoodNotes app where I am able to change the sensitivity of the movement with the stylus. This makes my writing less wiggly so that makes it readable when I come back to it. I also bought the Paperlike screen cover to make it feel like I am writing on paper.

As an overall experience, I would still prefer the pen and paper. Something about writing on a screen makes my eyes feel tired and the slippery screen makes me break the illusion that I am writing on a screen. Also, when coming to the bottom of the screen, my finger makes the screen move.

I will continue to keep using it for work just for security purposes but if there is another way I can save paper AND cover security, then I would like to try it…

I hope this helps in some way for those trying to pick between a notetaking device or the classic paper and pen…

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