As mentioned earlier, I am locked into the OneNote ecosystem so there are most likely applications that provide richer functionality. The solution overall works very well for me however there are a few areas that could still be improved.
I am able to take very rich notes that include images that I take on the fly with the camera. Furthermore, given my typical left-handed illegible writing I can quickly erase letters/words/highlights and update with a few movements versus search for an eraser while I miss the opportunity to keep taking notes.
You have a pen for drawing and writing (thickness and colour options), highlighting (multiple colour options), erasing, OCR (yes even with my illegible writing), unlimited pages, shape detection (option to turn on/off), take and attach photos on the fly (good crop option available), zooming and ability to select your hand position (whether you are left or right handed). The drawing functionality is quite rich in OneNote. There are plenty of note taking applications on the iPad that provide more functionality and compatibility with the Apple Pencil however I have been a OneNote user since 2008 and am locked into the ecosystem even though I am wholly on the Apple ecosystem with a Mac, iPhone and iPad. What about the applications I’m using? The Apple Pencil works on all iPad applications, however, for note taking I am using OneNote.
If my Apple Pencil and iPad are 100% charged in the morning, then I get full use for the entire day without having to charge either component. The Apple Pencil and iPad combination has stood the test of times in work meetings, conferences, seminars and while I’m standing up taking notes. All in all the device has worked well, especially given I am left-handed and I rest my palm on the device most of the time. The Apple Pencil can be charged via the iPad itself (faster charge) or with an additional connector you can charge via USB. Both devices are magnetic therefore I can rest the pencil on top of the iPad (and cover) and it will sit there without falling off. The Pencil connects to the iPad via BlueTooth. It has a white colour with a fine nib on one end and a cap hiding a connecter you can plug straight into the iPad for pairing and quick charging. Without going into too much detail on the Apple Pencil (see the Apple website for technical specifications), it is the size and weight of a typical pen. Yet the latter is more efficient in the medium to long term timeframe. Throughout my career I have been looking and trying new technologies and tools to find the panacea of note taking and I have found it with the Apple Pencil and iPad combination this is Note-taking 2.0! The former certainly is better in terms of retention (see a previous post for more on this: The Pen is Mightier Than The Keyboard).
The main struggle I have had is choosing between writing in a traditional notebook with a pencil or pen versus typing notes on a laptop. For me the brain just doesn’t absorb information unless I write it down notes in some way, shape or form.
I have been a big note taker for many years now and I am always looking to improve (see my book review on how to Take Notes Quickly and Easily).