Start Writing Electronic Notes in 2018
Have an iPad in your bag, Surface Pro on your desk, and still jotting down notes on a slip of paper? Don’t be an animal. It’s 2018, and it’s time for you to ditch paper and embrace the future of notes, a future that will allow you to do so much more with every note and scrawl. If you need an app that converts handwritten text to text, or you’re ready for a complete notebook management system, it’s time to stop digging around for the right folder when it’s time to study (or draw). There are tons of tools you can use to take all your notes with you wherever you go.
No, you don’t need special paper
If you want to jot down handwritten notes in a digital notepad, don’t worry; You don’t need a clunky document scanner, expensive OCR software, or a proprietary pen and paper combination to jot your handwritten notes into your notebook. If you have an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, an Android device with a powered stylus (such as the S Pen), or a Surface device with the included Surface Pen (or compatible powered stylus), you’re good to go.
Yes, an active stylus is important
If you own an Android device, you can go out and buy a $ 2 stylus from Staples, but it won’t do you much good if you try to take handwritten digital notes. Apps like Nebo require a powered active stylus to accurately recognize what you are writing, and you should double check your note-taking app to see if your stylus or device is supported .
If you’re using iPad Pro, you’ll need an Apple Pencil. End of story. On a surface, it is best to use a Surface Pen. For real writing, the Apple Pencil is slightly smoother and incredibly responsive, but the Pencil’s lack of extra buttons, the eraser function I like on Surface Pen, and the unorthodox charging mechanism means you’ll be tapping the screen or using app-specific gestures. moving text or erasing what has been written.
Use one app to convert and sync notes
It helps keep all of your notes under one roof, especially if you’re switching devices. Linking to one application or storing notes in one place reduces friction when writing, editing and searching notes.
If you want to get the most out of the written word, you’ll also need an app that can instantly identify and convert your scribbles to text. You can then search your documents for specific notes or narrow down the number of pages you need to browse to find exactly what you are looking for.
Want a fully functional app? Try OneNote first
If you live a multi-platform life – for example, a Surface laptop at work, a Pixelbook at home, or an iPad Pro in a backpack – Microsoft OneNote makes it easy to access your notes across devices (if you have an active Office 365 subscription). It also has a useful handwriting conversion feature, but only on Windows 10.
These quirks aside, OneNote is a great note-taking and idea management app, and the ability to write, convert, and sync notes across multiple devices is a huge asset. And while you can’t convert ink to text when using OneNote on iPad, you can still access this content through OneDrive.
Hate subscriptions? Consider MyScript Nebo
If you don’t want to pay a monthly fee to access your notes, use MyScript Nebo – it’s also helpful if you know you’ll be writing or sketching more than drawing and painting. Nebo converts your handwritten words to text in real time, and you can use gestures to activate editing tools like corrections, line breaks, and erasure. It has a simpler interface than OneNote, and its real-time conversion on supported devices makes it a great gateway app for getting used to digital notes.
You can also use the app to create shapes and lines, draw paths, scribble diagrams, and solve handwritten math equations (also available in OneNote). The app syncs your work with Dropbox on iOS and Windows, or Google Drive if you’re an Android user. You can download MyScript Nebo for Windows 10, iOS and Android.