For engineering and computer science major, is it worthwhile to get a 2-in-1 instead of a traditional laptop? I’m trying to find out if the convenience of taking notes in college that is touted by 2 in 1’s is utilized by students. In theory it sounds great but want to know if students agree with it in practice.
I don’t think the question is “does anyone else use this?” so much as it is how likely you, specifically, are to use the tablet functionality. A lot of people get 2-in-1s and don’t use them in tablet mode, but some people do.
I think the first thing to consider is how much do you take notes by hand now? Is taking notes on a computer just easier/more intuitive to you? I know sometimes for math classes, it’s nice to be able to draw certain symbols/equations by hand, but you could do that with a stylus/pen on a regular old touchscreen computer.
It also depends on the 2-in-1. If you get a 13" 2-in-1, you might be less likely to use it in tablet form because the form factor’s too big and heavy to reasonably use that way. But if you get a 10-12" one, maybe you’re more likely to use it in tablet…but maybe then you dislike the size of the screen.
Personally, I think that on a large scale, the lure of convertability is more hype than actual utility. I work at Microsoft, and the Surface Book 2 has become standard issue for people’s work machines around here. I see hundreds and hundreds of people a day using one of the best 2-in-1s on the market. I rarely see anyone using the SB2 in tablet mode with the Surface Pen. I do see it occasionally, but it’s not very common. I’d say that’s at least in part because of the size - a 15" tablet is going to be heavy and unwieldy. But a lot of people around here also use the Surface Pro, and I see people using that with the Type Cover in laptop mode FAR more often than I actually see them writing on it with a Surface Pen.
But for ME, personally - I have the new iPad that you can use the Apple Pencil with and I use that all the time, including every day at work. I love taking notes by hand. I think I’d use a Surface Pro or Surface Book 2 in tablet mode all the time, especially assuming I had a table or desk to take notes on. Then that’d be one less device I’d have to carry around!
I love using my surface book to take notes by hand for engineering. You can use onenote to take lecture notes, notes and screenshots from digital textbooks or websites, links, pictures, videos etc. all in one spot. Its not going to magically make notetaking easier though.