A lot of the decision in my opinion depends on how you like to study. If you are the type that likes to study pretty much anywhere and takes advantge of any spare time you have (like walking from classes to your car, while walking the dog, or if with another perosn who is driving, studying while traveling somewhere) and not have to lug around all your notes, then getting tablet is great. Having all your notes stored on the labtop is great in my opinion. I take my laptop with me most places and if I feel I need to look something up while I am thinking about a certain class or I want to take advantage of a little time to study, then I just pull out the computer and open up the PPT with my notes attached and study. The down side is that the notes aren't as nice looking as if you took them by pencil or pen on paper. Plus, it isn't as easy to write small if you like to take lots of notes with little room for notes. The tablet will only alow you to take notes at a certain speed. If you can write quicker than it can process, then you are out of luck with the tablet.
Do you just use the webcam on your laptop. In other words, do you just aim your screen towards the professor? How does that work? Thanks.
If you like to study using standard paper notes, then there really isn't an advantage of purchasing the tablet unless you just want to take notes that way. You can take notes better and quicker using a pencil or pen than if you are using the little wand of the tablet. You are going to print off the PPTs eventually (if you like to studywith paper notes), so you might as well print them off before class and take notes on paper. The only benefit I can think of right now is that if you forget your notes or the prof hasn't places the notes on Blackboard before you leave the house in the morning, you would have the tablet to take notes on if you desired
I don't have a tablet (which I only found out about them after classes started and I already have a standard laptop.) I purchased a think pad that plugs into the computer and acts like a tablet, but you write on the thinkpad instead of the screen. Works fine for me. For around $100, I was able to have the ability to write as if it were a talet laptop. Packing around that thinkpad clutters up my backpack a little more, but well worth the price I paid.
Since we are on the topic of computers, one thing I found extremely helpful this year was that I purchased a web cam and I video record most lectures. I don't sit down and watch all the lectures, but there are times where you want a re-explanation of what prof said or you just missed the notes because you were asleep. With the video cam pointed at the screen, you can see what PPT slide the prof is talking about. In a matter of seconds, you can scroll to the part of the lecture where you need an explanation. You may think, you can review lectures with a hand held voice recorder, but the voice recorder takes longer to locate exactly where you need explanation and also you cannot see where the prof is pointing to if there is a picture he is using his laser pointer on. Just a side note for anyne who cares.
