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Note Taking Devices for Students?

Posted by Cliff on from the save-the-trees dept.

Gavin Scott asks: "I'm looking for solutions for a college student who needs an inexpensive mechanism for note taking in class. She suffers from a condition that makes writing notes out by hand slow and painful. One of the small sexy sub-notebook computers would be ideal, but at $1,500-$2,500 these are completely out of reach budget-wise. She has a perfectly good desktop system at home, so something that simply allowed typing in notes that could then be transferred to the PC would be ideal. I've considered things like a Palm-type device with an external keyboard, but I'm interested in knowing what other options people might suggest. Or any opinions on what kind of lightweight almost-laptop devices are good in, say, the sub-$500 range?"

6 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Get back to work!! by SlashChick · · Score: 4, Funny

    Signed, Your Boss

    (Yes, I really am his boss! Note to Slashdotters: Don't send a link to your f1rstp0zt on Slashdot to your boss during your working hours. :D )

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    1. Re:Get back to work!! by menscher · · Score: 4, Funny

      More importantly, make sure you know your Boss' Slashdot username. Had an occasion about 9 months ago where my boss submitted an "Ask Slashdot". I posted a rant about how it was the most utterly moronic question ever asked, etc. As you might guess, that didn't go over so well. ;)

    2. Re:Get back to work!! by bergeron76 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Do you not find it ironic that you're lambasting your employee for reading slashdot via a posting on slashdot?

      Apparantly, you "lead by example"...

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  2. I suggest... by I_Love_Pocky! · · Score: 2, Funny

    Affixing Bionic Arms.

    Perhaps you could try to get her into some kind of pilot program so that it doesn't cost her anything. Then not only will she be able to take notes, perhaps with her new super-human strength she could fight crime on the side.

    Seriously though, I think the palm idea is a good one. A notebook is a lot to lug around, and the head aches involved with an out of date one (the kind you will get for sub $500) may not be worth it. I picked up my last laptop ($350) for this very purpose, and the stinking hard drive crashed on me in the first month. Laptop components take a lot more abuse than desktop computers, so it is worthwhile to consider the wear and tear a used laptop has already endured.

    A palm (or other pda) on the other hand doesn't have any moving parts, so they are a lot harder to break.

  3. Re:eMate by green+pizza · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bulletproof
    I was in a CompUSA store in early 1997 when an Apple rep was demoing the eMate to some CompUSA salespeople. Part of his demo was to fling the eMac down the aisle!! It cartwheeled, tumbled, and finally skidded to a stop about 50 feet away. He picked it up and went back to showing off the various preinstalled applications!

  4. Pricing by cbr2702 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sure. $250 for the first and $25,000 for the second.

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