Note taking tablet. Any to recommend?

[volarth]

I use AI transcribers. Most of my notes are of discussions.

If you wanna hand-illustrate a quick graph, my friend uses this -
https://www.moleskine.com/en-us/shop/molskine-smart/

 

[testerjp]

The plaud looks interesting but it is only free for 300 mins of recording a month. That's quite little.

 

[mooseolly]

There is a reason why many secondary schools are endorsing old gen ipad with apple pencil for students which is compulsory for their school learning activities. They use it for D&T drawings. If don’t believe can go ask your nephews or nieces.

 

[FlyGuardX]

there's also another version of it where you wear it on your wrist

The plaud looks interesting but it is only free for 300 mins of recording a month. That's quite little.

 

[Pearce]

Got money, can get a tablet. Then you can consider 1st hand or 2nd hand.

 

[testerjp]

there's also another version of it where you wear it on your wrist

Still the same. Only 5 hours of record. Quite little.

 

[BlackWing1977]

AI kept recommending Samsung s10 fe but not sure if it's worth buying.

Just use any tablet but check which AI service you can use to record notes... then maybe pair with a decent USB microphone... if the person speaking is further away, maybe buy a better directional microphone.

---

AI Overview




For capturing and transcribing notes via a tablet, web and app-based AI services are highly effective. If the speaker is further away, pairing your setup with a directional or wireless microphone isolates the voice from background noise and improves transcription accuracy significantly. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The top hardware, software, and microphone solutions perfectly suited for these scenarios include:

1. Best AI Services for Recording & Note-Taking

• Otter.ai: Excellent for real-time collaborative transcription, generating summaries, and identifying different speakers in multi-person rooms. [1]
• Fireflies.ai: Great if you need searchable meeting archives, actionable task extraction, and CRM integration. [1]
• VoiceToNotes.ai: An AI app that bypasses bots and uses your local tablet microphone to instantly convert speech into readable, structured notes. [1]

2. Best Decent USB Microphones (For Close to Mid-Range)
If you are sitting relatively close to the tablet (e.g., across a desk or small table), these plug-and-play USB options capture rich audio:


Audio Technica ATR2500X-USB Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone
$117.99
audio-technica.com& more
4.8
(592)
A superior cardioid condenser microphone that connects via USB-C and minimizes background noise.

---

Rode NT-USB Mini Studio-Quality USB Condenser Microphone Bundle with SC17 5-Foot USB-C to USB Flat Shielded Cable Cardioid USB C Studio Mic for Podca
$235.83(AED 674.00)
Desertcart.ae
4.8
(1.5K)
A compact, high-quality microphone requiring no drivers that sits easily on a desk. [1, 2]

 

[BlackWing1977]

3. Best Directional Microphones (For Further Away)
If the person speaking is far away or you are in a large, echoey room, a standard USB microphone won't be enough. You will need a wireless lavalier or a dedicated shotgun mic: [1]


Rode Wireless PRO 2-Person Clip-On Wireless Microphone System/Recorder with Lavaliers 2.4
$428.00$468
Shopee& more
5.0
(9)
The top choice for interviews and recording subjects at a distance. It acts as a wireless clip-on microphone and can connect directly to your tablet or a recording device. [1]

---

Sennheiser MKE 600 Shotgun Microphone
$399.00
Cathay Photo& more
4.8
(443)
An industry-standard shotgun (directional) microphone. It aggressively blocks out side and rear noise to focus entirely on the subject in front of it. (Note: Shotgun mics usually require an adapter to connect to a tablet). [1, 2]
Could you tell me what kind of environment you'll be recording in (a quiet office, a busy classroom, or an auditorium) so I can help you pick the perfect microphone setup?

 

[testerjp]

I think need to bring this guy in @Parka

 

[TVaddict]

No need to buy. Nowadays sign up a credit card can get an iPad for free. I got mine this way and now my daughter is using it for her Koobits lesson.

 

[NintendoSwitch]

AI kept recommending Samsung s10 fe but not sure if it's worth buying.

iPad cum Pencil. It worked well but broke within a year of almost daily usage. Unfit for actual heavy duty work use. Best for virtue signalling at Starbucks.

 

[testerjp]

I went to check the Plaud, it's from a China company.
I ordered one to try.

Then I realise that in China there's another big player call Dingtalk, apparently linked to Alibaba, the A1 gives like 1000+ minutes.

https://dingtalk.world.tmall.com/shop/view_shop.htm?shop_id=516769149&spm=a21m98.27004841

I went to use deepseek and other China AI to do some comparison.
The Dingtalk can reach further distance but the shortcoming is it is using those China AI, tbh the free versions are still okay. I mean plaud is likely only giving the free version too.

If it's just for notes taking, i suppose it won't matter that much.
The comparison says that Dingtalk has higher accuracy but i guess that's Chinese, not sure about English

 

[Parka]

Still the same. Only 5 hours of record. Quite little.

If you need transcription, iflytek ainote is the only one with free transcription.

My review


Most transcription services are not free.

As for Samsung Tab S10 FE, it's a good tablet. S Pen is better for writing than Apple Pencil.

Eink devices is for those who want to read and write mostly. A normal android tablet such as Samsung is more versatile.