You're probably better off sticking to a Windows Tablet with a digitizer. There reason has to do with both the hardware and the software options that are available with Android and iOS.
Hardware:
Only the new Lenovo Idea Pad has a digitizer built-in. None of the Android offerings do nor does the iPad. While you can get a capacitive touch pen, the problem there is it is an on/off sensory and can't tell the difference between the pen and your palm. Most people write better with their palm resting on the writing surface and that can be hell with a capacitive touchscreen. A digitizer will eliminate that problem and is responsive to pressure so your strokes will feel much more organic in that you can create thin to thick lines within the range of your chosen brush tip size. My HP TM2T has a digitizer and a capacitive touchscreen built-in. The digitizer allows me to write with the pen and then I can use my fingers to scroll or zoom. This makes for very simple navigation.
Software:
Arguably, one of the best note taking programs out there is Microsoft OneNote. Not only does it provide you with a lot of tools for drawing and writing, but it also helps you to organize much like a notebook. And a huge advantage here is you can hide and open notebooks as you please so notes from old classes that you have stored on your hard drive will always be available. This can be really helpful when you need to refer back to concepts from a previous class. iOS does have a version of this software, but the iPad doesn't offer the digitizer input. And while it may be possible technically to use the Lenovo, Android lacks any really good software choices for note taking. I can't remember which, but one comes awfully close in that it can read OneNote files (perhaps add to existing notes) but offers no ability to create new notebooks or pages IIRC.
I know my HP can handle the task well and of course it is notably bulkier than the current Android and Apple tablets, but having owned the Xoom, Transformer and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (which I still have), it still blows the Android Tablets out of the water as far as practical use for notetaking is concerned. And since its a convertible tablet, it still functions quite well as a laptop so I also won't have to worry about compatibility issues with some of the software I need for school either.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to have the convenience of a thinner and lighter tablet but ultimately, until Android has OneNote, I'll stick with my Windows laptop for sure. With my need to run programs that aren't available on Android, I'll probably not have much of a choice anyways. . I haven't shopped around or kept up with any of the current crop of Windows Tablets (both slate and convertible) so I don't know what other hardware options there really are at the moment, but I can't recommend the iPad or any Android tablet at the moment.
Dattebayo wrote:I'm trying to understand how a tablet is good for note-taking?
I mean, notes are usually written down, right? And typing isn't good enough?
Typing doesn't work well for math and science based courses. I'm pretty good at typing equations in word, but I would still struggle at keeping up with the lectures if I tried to do that. Not to mention, its not easy to draw with a mouse and keyboard. I have to draw lots of diagrams in my courses. The biggest reason I decided to put all my notes in a computer is because my last year at community college, my notes for the semester took up more space than my books. As I mentioned before, I can now carry all my prior notes with me without taking up any extra space. And in the case a friend misses class and needs to copy my notes, it no longer requires me to give them my notebook for any period of time. I just print the notes for that day to PDF and email it to them. Lastly, have you ever had a professor that jumped around the board a lot while lecturing. Perhaps adding more notes to an area you didn't leave enough space on your paper for? I can add space. I can also copy or move notes around. Works great when my professors reuse diagrams that are already on the board. While everyone is quickly trying to redraw the diagram in the new configuration, I just copy and paste it into a new spot and modify the drawing. The only disadvantage for me is that my writing is a little worse on the tablet. My sister, who has the same laptop and much better writing, uses it to teach with (geometry) and has no issues writing neatly though. I think it has to do with the slick surface. I tend to use layers of paper and press down kind of hard with a pen when I write on paper and that helps slow me down. But with the tablet, I also tend to feel less fatigue in my writing hand since I'm using a lighter touch...
