iPad for planning school

[Vancity]

Disclaimers: 1. I did a quick search and didn't find anything on this. 2. I didn't know if this should go in Info Tech forums or here... I'm putting it here because it's less scary in the student lounge .

H'okay!
So, here is my odd, maybe a little bit stupid question (as per usual )

I want to know if any CAD/Sketchup/Design/Adobe apps exist & work well on the iPad... y'know for the purposes of learning how to use them/fiddling around... not for the purposes of actual work in the planning world.

Secondly, if any students have insights into using the iPad as your main note-taking device (with a physical keyboard ofcourse) please, let me know what you think/what apps are useful/etc.
I am considering a mini, because I can't afford a laptop, and am sick of writing by hand/iPads are cool and I want one

[Vancity]

well... maybe someday for CAD

http://www.macrumors.com/2013/08/20/...creen-devices/
haha

[nrschmid]

Adobe Touch Apps: http://www.adobe.com/products/touchapps.html
AutoCAD 360: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...utocadws&hl=en
Sketchup Model Browser: http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com/201...ewer-with.html

My boss has tried AutoCAD WS, the predecessor to AutoCAD, on his tablet and was impressed with the functionality.

Apps will share some of the functionality of the main programs, whether it is AutoCAD, Photoshop, etc. However, they are apps not software packages. I have cloud-based subscriptions to AutoCAD and Adobe Creative Suite on my home computer for my own start-up company doing graphics production. These are fully downloadable programs that I install on a hard drive from the cloud. It is not the same as an app. Most of these heavy graphics production software programs rely on desktop power (or high speed laptops). Tablets lack the accuracy and precision at this time to do the drafting/design work one can do with practice and a good four-button mouse or trackball. Then again, it took us a good decade to get used to using a mouse with a keyboard. Maybe the general public needs to start making adjustment in using tablets for drafting. I think we are still 3-5 years away, and that is a very conservative estimate.

[jwhitty]

Shoot, just for the handouts and readings it makes sense. I saved hundreds on printing/book costs. There are also the reference apps that you can sync direct, if that's your bag.

Check with your institution, I was able to rent an iPad for a majority of the time I was enrolled with Virginia Tech.

[Gotta Speakup]

I take notes on my iPad all the time. It's great for that.

One big word of caution: your iPad will drop all your notes every so often (google it if you like to hear people in extreme distress). So use the cloud or email yourself everything.

[akshali2000]

I'm considering getting a tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab is less expensive than an iPad but serves same function) but mostly only for convenience of readings, and checking and sending emails/looking up things quicker than possible on a phone. Notes though, I find much more useful to take by hand, but that's just me. For the days you need actual programs, lug your laptop to campus (heave!) but it's nice when you don't have to take your laptop everyday for small things and can use a tablet that has a long battery life instead.

[Queenducky21]

I was given an Ipad mini as a surprise "YAY for going to grad school!" gift from my folks. I was not expecting to use it as much as I have. I use the FoxIt app to mark up PDFs, which allows me the ability to mark it like its paper without the cost of printing. I then can use the FoxIt App on my desktop and then see my notes bigger.

I've been amazed at the number of people in my program who use Ipad for note taking with a keyboard. I don't think I could do that.

[Vancity]

I'm considering getting a tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab is less expensive than an iPad but serves same function) but mostly only for convenience of readings, and checking and sending emails/looking up things quicker than possible on a phone. Notes though, I find much more useful to take by hand, but that's just me. For the days you need actual programs, lug your laptop to campus (heave!) but it's nice when you don't have to take your laptop everyday for small things and can use a tablet that has a long battery life instead.

Haha I do not have a laptop. If I did I would not need an ipad. My idea was to buy an ipad+keyboard as a replacement for a laptop, since it would be much cheaper.

[OfficialPlanner]

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-E1-531-26...words=notebook

Good luck running GIS on an iPad.

[Raf]

Haha I do not have a laptop. If I did I would not need an ipad. My idea was to buy an ipad+keyboard as a replacement for a laptop, since it would be much cheaper.

One thing that people always seem to think that an IPAD can be a replacement for a laptop. It can't. Sorry. Never will. You can't run GIS, you can't run design software programs, or have enough processing power at this point to really replace a laptop/desk top.

On the other hand, the IPAD is handy as a task, or notepad, but not in the way 95% of the population think it should be done with a standard keyboard set-up. To really get a good bang out of the ipad, transform it to a supreme organizer/note taker is to by a stylus pen, and then use iannotate and ghostwriter notes apps and go from there. Truly, this replaced pen/pad and gives you a great way to organize thoughts, ideas and take notes, email them, share them in the cloud and provide a good digital record.

My boss and I have been doing this for the last two years. He has completely transitioned out pen and paper and relies solely on his ipad. I can't break the habitat, but I am getting there.



This was done on the ipad using the stylus pen, i annotate for the mark-ups in PDF and ghostwriter for the notes section. Yes it takes practice to get the writing on the ipad, but after about an hour or so of using it, you get the feel on how to write on it.

[rcgplanner]

One thing that people always seem to think that an IPAD can be a replacement for a laptop. It can't. Sorry. Never will. You can't run GIS, you can't run design software programs, or have enough processing power at this point to really replace a laptop/desk top.

On the other hand, the IPAD is handy as a task, or notepad, but not in the way 95% of the population think it should be done with a standard keyboard set-up. To really get a good bang out of the ipad, transform it to a supreme organizer/note taker is to by a stylus pen, and then use iannotate and ghostwriter notes apps and go from there. Truly, this replaced pen/pad and gives you a great way to organize thoughts, ideas and take notes, email them, share them in the cloud and provide a good digital record.

My boss and I have been doing this for the last two years. He has completely transitioned out pen and paper and relies solely on his ipad. I can't break the habitat, but I am getting there.

This was done on the ipad using the stylus pen, i annotate for the mark-ups in PDF and ghostwriter for the notes section. Yes it takes practice to get the writing on the ipad, but after about an hour or so of using it, you get the feel on how to write on it.

This is why I have been interested in a Microsoft Surface, the added keyboard and the ablity to run Microsoft Office make it a strong contender for ridding my life of a lot of paper. The lack of apps when compared to the iPad or Android is a bit concerning, plus my office is pretty techno-phobe, so I am not sure how bringing a tablet into a staff meeting would go.

[Vancity]

I never meant to ask about running software, obviously I can't run GIS... but that doesn't matter because I can't afford GIS, and for the next 3 years, I'm a human geographer first and a planning student second. I would be using an ipad as a replacement for the pen and paper that I have now.

I asked about Adobe mainly because I was just generally curious if there was anything like that, specially developed apps and what not... as I know Microsoft Office has begun moving into the Tablet platform..

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-E1-531-26...words=notebook

Good luck running GIS on an iPad.

That laptop is $480.00 in Canada. I don't have that kind of cash. Can pick up an iPad on craigslist for 250


Rcgplanner, The surface is the price of a laptop. I don't see the advantage of getting one over a laptop?

[rcgplanner]

I never meant to ask about running software, obviously I can't run GIS... but that doesn't matter because I can't afford GIS, and for the next 3 years, I'm a human geographer first and a planning student second. I would be using an ipad as a replacement for the pen and paper that I have now.

I asked about Adobe mainly because I was just generally curious if there was anything like that, specially developed apps and what not... as I know Microsoft Office has begun moving into the Tablet platform..





That laptop is $480.00 in Canada. I don't have that kind of cash. Can pick up an iPad on craigslist for 250


Rcgplanner, The surface is the price of a laptop. I don't see the advantage of getting one over a laptop?

If you keep your eyes posted on Ebay you can get a Surface RT for around $250 US. The retail price is $349 US. The Surface RT will not run legacy Windows apps, but it does include full blown Office 2013 and pdf readers are available as well. You don't have to get the Microsoft keyboard, any bluetooth keyboard will work with the Surface. To be fair, the application ecosystem is woefully lacking when compared to iOS and Android, but the ability to have full Microsoft Office is pretty sweet for a student.

[OfficialPlanner]

I never meant to ask about running software, obviously I can't run GIS... but that doesn't matter because I can't afford GIS, and for the next 3 years, I'm a human geographer first and a planning student second. I would be using an ipad as a replacement for the pen and paper that I have now.

Planning schools usually have a partnership with ERSI in which students can get a free one-year license to use ArcGIS for educational purposes. Every school probably has something equivalent to a 'GIS lab', but being able to work on GIS from home is a huge convenience.

That laptop is $480.00 in Canada. I don't have that kind of cash. Can pick up an iPad on craigslist for 250

I suspect laptops in Canada will also be less expensive on craigslist. I can't imagine going through graduate school with an iPad as a replacement for a laptop or PC. If money is tight and you're going to use the iPad strictly for note taking, go for the pen and pad instead. Otherwise, the few extra bucks for a laptop is a smart move.

[Queenducky21]

One thing that I'm playing with is Adobe Ideas, where you can take an image and trace it on the ipad. I'm not sure if it is going to be any better than doing it in illustrator, but I'll be honest, I'm bad at drawing with a mouse. The ouput is a vector file that I can work with in illustator.

[Queenducky21]

[QUOTE=


This was done on the ipad using the stylus pen, i annotate for the mark-ups in PDF and ghostwriter for the notes section. Yes it takes practice to get the writing on the ipad, but after about an hour or so of using it, you get the feel on how to write on it.[/QUOTE]

I was wondering what stylus you use? I have an Amazon Basics one, which works ok. I've read a number of reviews and have gotten a little overwhelmed.

[Raf]

I was wondering what stylus you use? I have an Amazon Basics one, which works ok. I've read a number of reviews and have gotten a little overwhelmed.

The post had a link to the stylus i use. Click on "stylus pen"

[Queenducky21]

Thanks, Raf! Sorry for missing the link!