Should I buy a graphic tablet?

[antog]

I'm in my first year of undergraduate, and I'm wondering if a graphic tablet could help.
I'm always losing sheets and notes, so I'm trying to put every note/chart/graph on my laptop, as well as recording every lesson.
Do you think it could help me take better notes? Such as drawing slides and schemes?

[FPEPro]

I would if it was me. I'd get a convertible UltraBook (both a PC and a tablet). Then get Microsoft OneNote. You can use your computer to write all your notes by hand and it organizes them very well. If you writing is decent enough it will also convert it to regular text too to save space. So much easier to carry that than 20 notebooks. Plus as you progress in school, you can review material from old classes quickly and easily without needing to pull out old books (if you haven't lost them).




Chris

[roomie]

Dropbox is a must if you ask me db.tt/JEhuZAo
Dropbox helps sync files and folders over many computers, tablets, and mobile phones. You can even share files with people just by sending them a link.  Everything is saved on your computer and is synced as long as you have an internet connection.
not to mention facebook for teamwork projects (if your university has them)

If you ask me a Gamer Laptop is the best since you will be doing cad drawings and the graphics cards used to calculate polygon's in a gamer laptop are just as strong as the ones in work stations (i don't want to bring up a debate) but for my use as a student the graphics card inside a gamer laptop will do the job just fine.  

[FPEPro]

However, his question was in regards to "Graphics Tablets", which primary benefit is being able to write directly on the screen and save your notes on the hard drive. That was specifically what he was asking about. And if you are looking to replace paper notebooks with a computer, then you either need a good tablet, or a convertible ultrabook.

In my humble opinion, the best five for this application are the following:

1. Lenovo ThinkPad X-series, X230t, 12.5" Convertible Ultrabook

2. Lenovo ThinkPad Twist, 12.5" Convertible Ultrabook

3. Lenovo Yoga 13, 13" Convertible Ultrabook

4. Dell XPS 12, 12.5" Convertible Ultrabook

There is more convertible notebooks out there, but most the others require you to remove the keyboard unit to use it as a tablet, which I find annoying. The ones listed above simply twist or fold to conceal the keyboard.


For more of a Tablet and Less of a Laptop Computer:

1. Microsoft Surface Pro, high performance, yet compact. It is just like carrying a single small paper notebook. NOTE: never get the Microsoft Surface RT, only get the Microsoft Surface Pro if you do.


Overall note for every one listed here, never buy one with Microsoft Windows RT. Be sure it is not the RT version, get the full Windows 8 (preferably the Pro version).


As a second possibility, you could match a normal laptop with an external Graphics Tablet too. Something similar to the Bamboo Pad by Wacom would work well. But you don't actually see your writing on the pad (only on the screen). This is why I don't like the external pads. I prefer to visually see feedback of my writing right away, and only the Tablets and the Ultrabooks achieve that.



Chris