I’m struggling to keep on top of notes / actions in meetings and land up with pages of scrawls in an increasingly massive notebook.

My laptop is normally being used for video etc so I can’t use that so I’ve been looking at two options:

1. The reMarkable notepad – a bit like a kindle but with a pen and basic cloud sync

2. An iPad Pro using OneNote so I can write on screen and convert to text

Has anyone tried either of these and if so, what did you like / note like?

Is there anything else worth looking at?

Are you taking the minutes or is it notes for yourself? If minutes, maybe speak to the chair to see if it can just be main actions or points of importance. Good luck eitherway.

Good Q MrSheen – often a combination of the two which makes it even more challenging!

No personal experience, but work with a couple of people using reMarkable pads. They rate them highly and certainly take them to meetings with them (so they aren’t just a desk decoration). Whether they are worth the money is another question 🙂

I’m struggling to keep on top of notes / actions in meetings and land up with pages of scrawls in an increasingly massive notebook.

You’re doing meetings wrong if you’re the one coming out of them with actions…

Notability works on my iPad.

I bought a ReMarkable when they first came out – only thing remakable about it was how overpriced it was (I think I got an early release deal). The pen/screen marking was good, but the processor was like something out of an old 486. They might’ve improved them, but it’s still too much money for something which has quite limited use. Sold mine pretty sharpish. Can’t compare it to an iPad, which is a wonderful thing.

Why not go old school and use any device you have at the moment to record the entire meeting and then take only light notes and when more detail is needed listen to the recording to add them?

Have you looked at rocket book? works well, reusable pad, set up multiple directing options on the app e.g. to onenote or an email, scan notes with pad and it fires them off. One thing I couldn’t get to work well which is a shame is OCR….but I have shocking handwriting so you may be ok.

I use iPad/apple pen/Notability too, I like it a lot.

Nice to be able to use split screen to be scribbling notes on 3/4 of a screen, and referencing slides/emails on the other 1/4. Syncs notes across devices too. V handy.

I do wish the Apple Pencil had a more natural feel, its a bit too ‘slick’ on the screen. Tried various screen protectors but they bring other compromises that I find more annoying.

Others apps are available, I find them all pretty much of a muchness, but I would very much want to keep iPad/split screen/ppt/email/word etc capability. Looked hard at the remarkable thingy, but its too much of a one trick pony.

I use a Samsung Tab Active 2 with the included S Pen. With One Note.

Works a treat.

Linky

I’ve used an iPad and Apple Pencil and found it very nice to use. A few people at my work are using iPads to take hand-written notes. As mentioned you can do split screen or annotate on the slides or take a photo of white board and annotate over the top etc …

Also Pencil gen 1 works with some iPads so you may not need to fork out for the all singing all dancing Pro version if you don’t need the extra processing power. No actual experience but there are reviews on the web and you tube where users are happy taking notes on non pro iPads.

I used my iPad for meetings/mapping/sketches on and off for maybe 6 months. My app of preference was Conceptboard due to the infinite canvas. Also experiments with many other apps.

In the end I got fed up of having everything in digital fashion. It was kind of okay for recollecting/archiving but not okay for editing.

It’s a very subjective thing and IMO the most important element is how the whole process becomes a part of your workflow.

Now I just record all meetings on my iPhone (using Voice Record as it has solid features and syncs up to Drive etc) and makes notes on an old skool pad. Specific points are marked with a timestamp so I know to refer to that particular part of the recording if I want more detail.

FTR I’ve also used RockeBook for taking notes and syncing them immediately. Loads of peope seem to love them but I didn’t like the plasticky page texture or pen. I’m very picky about writing/drawing implements – they have to feel ‘right’ to me.

I normally swap over to Notepad ++ on the projector as I type up an action so everyone can see and agree / not agree with it as I write it. Saves confusion later on when the minutes come out as in no surprises….

I find telling a junior officer it’s a developmental opportunity works best for minute taking.

I find telling a junior officer it’s a developmental opportunity works best for minute taking.

Yeah – a note-taker needs a skirt and heels, not a plastic screen 🙂

It was kind of okay for recollecting/archiving but not okay for editing.

I’m puzzled by the not ok for editing. Surely digital makes editing much easier?

Post it notes, stuck up on a wall as the meeting progresses.
Photo of the notes at the end as the formal record if required.
Maximise the work not done, but make it visible (like Footflaps’ suggestion)

I use iPad/apple pen/Notability too, I like it a lot.

+1

I use OneNote on whatever I have to hand. Phone, tablet, etc. Don’t need an iPad to have a tablet type device and OneNote works on Android and obviously Windows devices.

Also, can you set the laptop to dual screen so video is on projector or whatever but you still see desktop on laptop to make notes?

Further… Less meetings, or less content in them. Less to make notes on.

Yep OneNote user here as well. Really useful, meeting notes, briefing info, site reports for each project available across my devices.

I like the fact I can get actions underway in the office when I’m sat in the meeting. It’s great clearing an action before the meeting wraps up 🙂

I recently switched to iPad Pro + Pencil + OneNote and I’m liking it a lot.

I’m sure there are better apps than OneNote, but syncing across all devices + integration with other Office apps wins out.

OneNote on iPad can’t actually convert handwriting to text can it – or am I missing a trick?