You can configure the pen for left or right hand dominance, use the digital eraser at the end of the pen to quickly erase notes, and with one click on the pen, you can open OneNote, which is included with the Surface, which will allow you to take notes and then open those notes on any device with OneNote installed (goodbye to the “dog ate my homework” excuse). I use to use an ipad that I use to take notes, I was hoping that the surface pro 7 can replace that. But my favorite note taking app is not on windows (Notability). Does anyone have any recommendations for note taking apps that can import pdf files and allow me to write/type notes on.

Taking Notes On Surface Pro 7

OneNote is a free application from Microsoft that allows you to collect notes in a variety of formats – handwritten text, typed text, digital drawings, photographs, links, screenshots, videos, and audio files – and organize them, share them, and use them to create other documents. OneNote is an excellent app whether you take notes in a classroom, convention hall, or business meeting. However, the usefulness of OneNote is greatly increased when you use a tablet with it. The two top competitors on the market today are the Surface Pro and the iPad Pro, and both are compatible with OneNote.

Because the Microsoft Surface Pro is a Windows device, there are many more apps available that are compatible with OneNote. It works like a Windows PC, which means you can run the basic OneNote App available in the Microsoft Store. This is also true for the Surface Pro.

One of the benefits of the app is the ability to easily add pictures to your notes using the Surface Pro’s camera. Just keep in mind that the photo quality may not be very good, especially in conditions with little light. The iPad Pro offers a much better picture-taking (and editing) experience compared to the Surface Pro.

On a Surface Pro, the typical battery life is about 7 hours, which could leave someone looking for an outlet near the end of the workday even if they charged it the night before. However, the battery life is considered an improvement over the previous versions of the Surface tablet.

One of the key benefits of the Surface Pro is its physical, tactile keyboard a part of the cover. The Surface Pro does need to be docked in order to use the keyboard, but it is an option that isn’t available with an iPad Pro. Note that the keyboard can be tilted at a slight angle when used. These features would be very important to someone who plans to type their notes into OneNote rather than write them.

The ability to lay the Surface Pro screen almost flat while it is still attached to the keyboard works extremely well for adding handwritten notations to something you are working on in OneNote. Of course, the screen can be completely detached from the keyboard when needed.

Note that one of the commands available on the Surface Pro tablet that isn’t available on the iPad Pro is the Add/Remove Space command located on the Insert tab. This makes the process of rearranging the content in your notes very easy.

OneNote on an iPad Pro

Compared to the Surface Pro, the iPad Pro is both lighter and thinner, making it easier to carry around, more mobile, and easier to hold for notetaking. This can be a major benefit for those who have to spend extended time taking notes without the convenience of a desk or table. The battery life of an iPad Pro averages about 15 hours, almost twice that of the Surface Pro. This is great for users who often struggle to find an outlet to charge their device.

One of the outstanding features of the iPad Pro is the Apple Pencil. The Apple Pencil glides very smoothly and is better at capturing handwriting when compared to the Microsoft Surface Stylus, which is a great bonus for OneNote users that depend on handwritten notes. It also has a solid tip, unlike the soft tip of the Surface Stylus. The size of the tip is also slightly larger on the Pencil.

Another plus of the Apple Pencil is that you don’t have to switch tabs to erase something. Rather, you can simply flip the Pencil over and use its eraser. The lasso tool can also be turned on instantly by using the magnetic button on the Pencil.

Unlike the Surface Pro, the iPad Pro allows you to take very high-quality photos even in low-light conditions. You can then easily add them to your OneNote document, as well as zoom, crop, and focus them. This is very useful for capturing content-heavy slides during a presentation or extensive notes someone has written on a whiteboard. Also remember that the Add/Remove Space command is not available for the iPad Pro, and this can make it difficult to rearrange content you have added to your notes.

Conclusion

Both the Surface Pro and the iPad Pro work extremely well with the OneNote app, but only the Surface Pro can be used with the full-fledged desktop version of OneNote (aka, OneNote 2016). The Surface Pro offers the Add/Remove space command, a tactile keyboard, and the ability to easily switch between typing in notes and writing notes. The iPad Pro, on the other hand, offers a much better writing experience when the Apple Pencil is used and the Pencil offers more functionality for things like erasing text and lassoing content. Both tablets, however, are ideal for notetaking.

Writing a report, research paper or even a novel is easy on your Surface.

The Surface family of devices is known for its versatility, and nowhere is that more evident than in the many ways you can interact with your Surface. Whether it’s through the keyboard, Surface Pen, or by voice, you can always connect with loved ones, friends, and colleagues.

Taking notes on your Surface is a great example. Jotting a quick note or even writing a long-form story can be done by typing, writing by hand, or even by dictation.

And with Windows 10, your Surface continually collects and assesses your handwriting and voice so it can improve character recognition and provide you with a personalized user dictionary and text completion suggestions.

Keyboard

For most people, typing is the easiest way to take notes on a Surface device. On a Surface 3, Surface Pro 3 or Surface Pro 4, make sure you attach a Type Cover or, if using a Surface Book, ensure that the display is locked into the keyboard.

For the best possible typing experience on your Surface Pro, we recommend using the new Surface Pro 4 Type Cover or Surface Pro 4 Type Cover with Fingerprint ID. This next generation of Type Cover offers the most advanced typing experience yet, with a redesigned mechanical keyboard that’s thinner, lighter, and more spacious than before.

The Surface Pro 4 Type Cover is compatible with the Surface Pro 3, so you can still benefit from its design improvements even if you don’t upgrade to the new Surface Pro 4.

To start typing notes quickly on your Surface with Windows 10, swipe in from the right side of the Surface screen to open the Action Center and select OneNote. You can also tap the Windows icon to open the Start Menu, and then click OneNote.

It will open OneNote, the digital note-taking app that comes pre-installed with Windows 10. Notes taken using OneNote will then be accessible on any of your devices that have OneNote installed.

Or if you own a Surface Pen, click its eraser button once to launch OneNote (even if your device is locked). Double-clicking the eraser button will take a screenshot of whatever is currently on your Surface screen, allowing you to make notes or draw on it.

Surface Pen

First, configure your Surface Pen for your dominant hand. Go into Settings on your Surface device, open Devices, and select Pen. From there, you can choose either right or left hand.

Taking Notes On Surface Pro With Pen

You can make simple hand-drawn notes on web pages in Microsoft Edge or, with the November update to Windows 10, you can hand-write reminders directly into Cortana. (For example, write “Call Steve at 3 p.m.” and Cortana will remind you to call Steve at that time.)

In Microsoft Word, you can also jot handwritten notes on a report or other text document with your Surface Pen or even write a full letter by hand.

And if you want to handwrite long notes on your Surface and convert them to text, you have a couple of options.

OneNote 2013 and OneNote 2016

Taking Notes On Surface Pro 6

Flash cc 2018. If you installed OneNote 2013 (available as part of Office 2013) or OneNote 2016 (available as part of Office 365 or Office 2016), you can convert lengthy notes you’ve written with your Surface Pen to text.

After you’ve handwritten a note, select it—or any portion of it—and then tap on the Ink to Text option in the Draw section of your toolbar. The selected handwriting will automatically convert to text, and you can also make corrections and edits as necessary.

Windows Journal

Windows Journal is a free Windows app in the Windows Accessories folder in your app list. Use this app if you don’t have OneNote 2013 or 2016.

After handwriting a note, tap the Selection Tool button on the Tool Bar and draw a line around the handwriting you want to convert. Next, tap the Actions menu and select Convert Handwriting to Text.

A Text Correction dialog box will pop up so you can make corrections or edits. You can either copy the converted text to the Clipboard or insert it into a text box in your original note and delete the original handwriting.

Dictation

Taking Notes On Microsoft Surface Pro X

Last, you can control apps and dictate notes with your voice using the built-in Windows Speech Recognition software in Windows 10.

To enable, go to the Windows Ease of Access folder in your list of all apps and select Windows Speech Recognition. After completing the set-up wizard, a tutorial will teach voice commands and train your Surface to recognize your voice.

For best results, we highly recommend using a headset that has a high-quality microphone and to dictate your notes in a quiet environment.