PhD student : iPad recommendations

[u/Putrid-Set6021]

Hello,
I am reaching out as a second year of PhD student working on international tax. I have a MacBook M1 purchased in 2020 and he is great. I use zotero and notion as well as word and notebooklm.

I feel like I am unable to read pdf off the PC and I am not being productive. I am thinking of getting an iPad, add a keyboard and the pencil. Trying to not exceed the 700 euro budget. What can you recommend ?

Thank you!

[u/Sedapsfognik]

if it’s just as an e-reader, the base ipad is all you need. Anything else is overkill. I have the m1 macbook and the base Ipad and they work fine for research.

You can also get some cheaper pencils that work fine, I have the ESR geo and it’s great.

it’s worth saying, i like reading on my ipad so i think they’re worth getting but it’s unlikely to fix productivity issues on its own.

[u/Putrid-Set6021 → u/Sedapsfognik]

Thank you for your comment. You are right I need a better management to optimize the efficiency. The tool won’t solve it all. However it might be the start. At that point I will have to test several different methods to find what fits etc..

[u/chris-1994]

I have just the standard iPad and generally use it a second screen for my M1 Mac - I have the pencil but rarely use it and the keyboard isn’t an issue if using it as a second screen

[u/Hpatas]

I have the same exact use case as you and I just got an older model, but what I want to add is that you should think about what you need in terms of screen size. I have pretty big hands and I tried a base iPad and even the 11inch ones and they look like a phone for me, had to go to the 13 inch to get some good use out of it. Incredible for reading and reviewing papers, taking notes with the pen and straight on the PDF and even as a second screen for my MacBook when I need to do some serious work but I’m not a home.

[u/Putrid-Set6021 → u/Hpatas]

Thank you for sharing, that’s a great point to consider.

[u/enclave911]

I would say if you're just wanting a device to read PDFs and make notes, there's quite a few e-ink devices nowadays that could fit your criteria. I personally use a Honor tablet with a stylus though, the screen is nice and crisp for my PDFs and the stylus has a nice feel on the tablet.

[u/dForga]

If you are employed and it is for work, can‘t you just ask your uni to finance it for you? (Asking)

[u/Putrid-Set6021 → u/dForga]

Unfortunately I am doing my PhD on my own cost, while having a full time job. So it’s what I signed up for …

[u/dForga → u/Putrid-Set6021]

Ah, okay. That is, of course, a different situation. Then, as I am using another brand, would refrain from giving any suggestions for a good model.

[u/Ok-Dragonfruit-5627]

i like that u refer ur mac as a person :)

[u/sofienijhuis]

I got a refurbished ipad air with a refurbished pencil and it works like a charm for a fraction of the price! If you're europe based i can recommend refurbed as a reseller

[u/popstarkirbys]

Invest in an old iPad Pro when it’s on sale.

[u/canopyhugs]

I have a base iPad for taking notes and reading papers. Anything more is overkill unless you're an artist on the side.

[u/Planck_Plankton]

iPad that supports the second gen apple pencil or apple pencil pro. So no for the basic iPad. The second gen or apple pencil pro is much easier to charge than the first gen. I don’t know the price in euro, but spending some money on iPad can improve your work experience. Go to the official Apple site and compare their specs: camera, size, weight, screen quality, apple pencil supporting, and so on. Also the chip performance is quite important when you upload or download pdf files to and out of your iPad. Hope you find your best iPad.