Can't find a good handwritten note taking app. Suggestions?

[loribinca]

The Surface RT IS BETTER than the iPad FOR MY NEEDS. And that's the case for most people here in the SURFACE FOR WINDOWS RT forum, most of whom probably did some research before purchasing. That doesn't mean it's better for everybody.

Evidently the Microsoft Store does not meet your needs. As I said before, no tablet is everything to everybody. If the iPad best meets YOUR needs, why buy the Surface and then spend time here complaining about things it never claimed to do? I don't get that mentality. It's not like Microsoft's limited selection of apps is a big secret, it's mentioned in every review I've ever read.

Actually, my post was to find out if there was a good handwritten note app available for the Surface.

It seems not, You'd have thought that something like that for a tablet. would be a no-brainer.

I Guess not.

 

[prlundberg]

Actually, my post was to find out if there was a good handwritten note app available for the Surface.

It seems not, You'd have thought that something like that for a tablet. would be a no-brainer.

I Guess not.

Amid the condescension and sarcasm, yes, there were genuine questions at some points, ones that could have been answered with 5 minutes of research prior to purchase.

I can't imagine why people aren't more helpful.

 

[johninsj]

Try Note Anytime. Pretty good inking even with your finger...

Note Anytime app for Windows in the Windows Store

 

[loribinca]

Thanks John.

I tried that -- actually bought the app - I had traded emails with the developer as well early on because it was initially not ported to ARM - and to be honest it was the best one I found, the palm block is still a bit kludgy for my liking as you need to move it yourself manually as you move down the page (at least that's how I remembered it working)

It would be great if it automatically moved as you filled the area above it with text - that's how noteshelf works, and works well.

I've been trying to google the specs/resolution of the digitizer on the surface, but I cant find it. but it sure seems to me that it's not as good as the ipad when it comes to pen input. I think it was designed more for 'touch' than handwritten/pen input, is my theory - maybe there is a subtle difference in the technology used.

I am sure if i put screenshots side-by-side using the same pen, to write the same sentence the ipad will look a lot smoother - and this is a gen1 ipad (non-retina) - actually I already tried this, so I know it's the case, which leads me to believe there is something more going on than a lack of note-taking software

I'm still not sure which research i would have needed to have read (from comments above) that would have told me the surface was so weak at taking handwritten notes

oh well.. thanks for peoples feedback on the thread.

 

[johninsj]

Without a doubt the digitizer on the RT is designed for 10 point touch, not inking.

I have the RT and an HP Elitebook Revolve 810 (with a pen digitizer) and the HP is quite good at taking ink notes (with the pen) while the RT isn't very good at all, even using the same app.

Note Anytime did the best at software smoothing the RT ink, but it's still not great, and doesn't do what the iPad does ink wise.

I'd have to agree that if your goal is inking, the RT isn't the device for you. I stick with keyboard entry on the RT. I've done a bit of light pen notetaking on the HP, but even there I just type so much faster that I just don't do it much at all.

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

Unfortunately, I think the Pro might be the best choice for you. But be sure to ask around in our Surface Pro section, to check if it has all the stuff you need. That will then allow you to make an informed choice. Don't get me wrong, the Surface RT looks like a great device, but I also use my tablet for note taking, which is why I own a HTC Flyer with an active-capacitive dual-digitizer (I got it before Windows 8 and the Galaxy Note series, so at the time it was the only semi-mainstream tablet available). Much as I would love the Pro, not sure I can justify the cost given I have a MacBook Pro (with a dual-boot). Just thought I would also share my experiences. But yeah, ask around here about the Pro, and see if you can sell your Surface RT here (we have a marketplace section but make sure to check our rules).

 

[loribinca]

I'm going to keep it Daniel, and hope that at some point MS or a third party addresses these shortcomings. I can but hope

I hear you about the 'inking' being better on the Surface pro, and with an active pen I am sure it is way better than capacitive, but I would have at least hoped/assumed that the capacitive pen capabilities on surface/RT were at least on par with an iPad1, which doesn't seem to be the case. That's kind of mind-blowing really, but it is what it is I guess.

There are a few things I could still use it for. It's such a shame because if it was able to do a couple more things (capacitive pen note taking, Cisco VPN) , I could really make a lot more use of it, than I currently do.

Most days, it just sits lonely in my office, while I take my gen1 iPad out on the road with me, which can do both of these things

 

[johninsj]

The iPad appears to have a higher resolution grid of touch sensors, which gives it smoother inking ability. The RT's touch hardware was designed primarily for touching UI elements, because the OS supports dual touch (active pen and capacitive) and the active digitizer is WAY more accurate for inking. Software (like the app I linked to) can do some smoothing/fitting of the rough points into more curved shapes, but at that point it's just guessing

So on Windows 8 - use digitizer based hardware for fine inking. Use capacitive for touching UI elements. On the iPad, use capacitive for both.

 

[rdubmu]

The Surface RT only supports 5 point multitouch while the pro supports 10 point. I use One Note 13 for taking hand written notes on my Surface Pro. Works great.

Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 using Tapatalk

 

[Rhody#WP]

Did MS scrap Journal? That was a pretty good bare-bones note taking app, like a pad of paper.

 

[11B1P]

Do these apps recognize input with just you're fingertip?

 

[loribinca]

Did MS scrap Journal? That was a pretty good bare-bones note taking app, like a pad of paper.

Apparently it's still in windows 8 - but NOT RT .. again RT seems to get the shaft .. sigh

 

[Rhody#WP]

Apparently it's still in windows 8 - but NOT RT .. again RT seems to get the shaft .. sigh

That might be a sign MS does not envision an RT tablet with an active digitizer.

 

[jhoff80]

Or, it's because Journal is a small subset of the features in OneNote, and OneNote is included in Windows RT, whereas it's not in Windows 8?

 

[Vinayp]

hey - did you end up finding anything?
about to try 'scribbleRT'

 

[loribinca]

I tried scribble, and I found this to be the best of the bunch, but to be honest, at the end of the day, you are going to be hamstrung by the capabilities of the digitizer grid in the hardware.

It kinda boggles my mind why the digitizer resolution is not at least on par with a gen1 iPad, but there you go. That's MS's design decision.

 

[infinidim]

Try Note Anytime. Pretty good inking even with your finger...

Note Anytime app for Windows in the Windows Store

When I tried to get to it in the store it said "it was no longer available" - sad...

 

[Nick Miller2]

Something I've noticed with ALL the tablets... iPad, Samsung, and Microsoft. .. I've had all 3. If your tablet doesn't support a dedicated stylus, make sure you get a "mesh tip" stylus, rather than a rubber tipped one. That makes a HUGE difference in your experience. I switch to the mesh stylus and the Surface exceeded my iPad 2.

 

[loribinca]

Something I've noticed with ALL the tablets... iPad, Samsung, and Microsoft. .. I've had all 3. If your tablet doesn't support a dedicated stylus, make sure you get a "mesh tip" stylus, rather than a rubber tipped one. That makes a HUGE difference in your experience. I switch to the mesh stylus and the Surface exceeded my iPad 2.

Good to know Nick. I've ordered one from Amazon, to see if it's better. thanks

 

[Philip McDunnough]

It may be true that few people handwrite but if you are just going to type text you might be better off with a laptop. There are many scientific fields where handwriting is important. Try taking notes in a math lecture using a typewriter. Unless you are the best TeX person in the world it won't do. I'd imagine the same would hold in any field which uses a fair amount of mathematics. That is not something to write off so easily. I happen to like Windows RT, but the Surface RT is not to me a real tablet. It is uncomfortable in portrait mode and really does work better in landscape mode.

The iPad has many excellent note apps that do have palm rejection capabilities and they work really well. If you are willing to spend $70 on a stylus then you get palm rejection via Bluetooth 4.0 from several of the newer stylii.

Samsung has their Note 8.0 and 10.1 Android tablets with excellent note taking using Wacom active screen technology.

I really want win 8 to succeed as it's very neat but falling back on the old Office trick is not going to work. Office is not state of the art. It's very good but it's really part of technology that is fading. I realize most businesses still are into it but they will at some point move into a more scientific era and not the VisiCalc one. The Surface strategy, both Pro and RT, didn't work obviously. Nothing wrong with RT not running legacy apps but that seems to have not gone over well with Windows' users. Odd as I thought the RT approach made more sense than the expense, low battery life, Suface Pro.

Using OneNote on the RT is painful. It just doesn't compare to many iPad and even Android apps. I don't think the handwriting recognition thing is important and hence whether or not something integrates well with Office is not a priority for me.

I am not saying there is no place for the Surface RT. It's a very good first shot, but things are moving quickly and Android and iOS devices are not making it easy for people to bother with a 3rd platform. I guess as an Office machine it makes sense as is. Beautiful hardware, great GUI, ... just missing an identity. Obviously something is wrong as no one is buying them.

Philip