As I promised, I have finally gotten around to evaluating the effectiveness of taking lecture notes using an Eee PC (a first model version, borrowed from a friend). I say evaluate, but I am effectively referring to one thing: the annoyance of typing mathematics in LaTeX on a keyboard less wide than my handspan. Although as a physicists student, this plan has turned out not to be the most effective, I would be inclined to think that many of the problems would be eliminated if you were just taking notes for a history lecture or such (pretty much any humanity for that matter, including law, as I’ve been told). Regardless, reST is at least a pretty nice format in which to write, and using doctutils to pdf-ify the notes is still the way forward, I would say. So to summarise, the quite horrible ineffiency (and concentration required) of typing was the main reason that led me to abandon the (initially very hopeful) endeavour by two weeks into term. I can’t be sure how much one of the newer Eee PC models would have helpd me – somewhat, but not hugely, I would think.
As it is, I am fortunate enough that all my lecturers have decided to hand out printed (and generally pretty complete) notes for the subjects this term. Me, being the lazy student I am, am finding it a good excuse to not bother with any notes for the current term. Saying that, at least it’s letting me focus more on actually understanding the (painfully opaque) material of the current courses, which is surely a good thing!
Well, at the least, I hope I have give some thoughts to anyone else considering a similar plan for lecture notes. It would be actually be quite satisfying to hear if there are any humanities students out there that have adopted the reST/PDF approach. Equally so, I would be rather surprised if any science guys have managed to make the thing work with an Eee PC.
While I’d hate to be lumped together with the history students, the Eee PC is very useful for notes that are (almost) entirely simple text; I really couldn’t be without mine now. I have some problems with the size of the keyboard, but bearing in mind each day I’m generally using three different keyboards, I don’t tend to notice the difference between changing from a smaller to larger keyboard any more than from a full-size laptop keyboard to a generic one.
Given the amount of bitching I heard about it, I’d be amazed if the Eee PC you’re using still had Xandros, but I seem to remember seeing something for writing equations when I was using it.
Oh, but I think rather highly of history students, for that matter! I’ve made a few updates to the post anyway, being more awake this afternoon, so you’re now specifically in the category of law students.
Anyway, I’m glad you’ve replied to this post, as there is now at least some evidence that taking notes on an Eee PC does work when you don’t have to write equations! Which model do you have, by the way? A slightly newer one, if I remember right. And no indeed, David installed plain old (Gnome) Ubuntu on the thing some time ago. Regarding equations, having a graphical user interface for writing them wouldn’t be a great advantage as I see, but then I don’t see how it could get much more painful that entering raw LaTeX…
Oh well, I’m not exactly wanting to complain here, given I have notes right in front of me that are better than any I could ever take.