u/sadhakr

Hey everyone,

I am a computer engineering undergraduate trying to decide if buying a tablet is a smart move or just an unnecessary expense.

To be clear, I already have a proper, high-performing laptop that handles all my coding, IDEs, and heavy software engineering labs perfectly. My question is strictly about my note-taking and studying workflow.

Money is quite tight for me. I don’t have much to spend, but I can manage to squeeze my budget for a tablet if it genuinely improves my productivity. However, I don't want to waste money if it is just a luxury.

I am trying to choose between two workflows:

Workflow A: Laptop + Paper-based notebooks

Workflow B: Laptop + Tablet + Minimal Paper

For CE students or grads:

Is adding a tablet a game-changer, or is it an unnecessary expense when you already have a proper laptop?

How do you manage heavy math, physics, and complex circuit diagrams? Is it actually better on a digital screen, or do you still prefer spreading out real paper on a desk?

Thanks for the honest feedback!

Hey everyone,

I am a 2nd-year Computer Engineering student facing a tough hardware decision. I am looking to buy either the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE (Wi-Fi) or the Apple iPad 11th Gen.

Money is tight right now. I can scrape together enough to buy one of them, but it will fully empty my savings. I need brutally honest advice on whether this purchase makes sense for my major, and which device offers better long-term hardware value.

My Device Dilemma:

Samsung Tab S10 FE: Love that the S Pen is included for free. The screen is laminated and has a smooth writing feel. However, I am heavily worried the Exynos processor will lag or struggle when multitasking with massive engineering PDFs and split-screen web browsing.

iPad 11th Gen: The A16 Bionic chip is vastly superior and will easily last through the rest of my degree without lagging. However, the screen is unlaminated (60Hz), and buying a separate Apple Pencil will push me way past my strict budget limits.

My Questions:

For anyone in engineering or tech, is buying a tablet on a tight budget a bad financial move altogether?

Should I save my money for PC upgrades instead?

Does the Android or iOS ecosystem integrate better with a Windows/Linux laptop setup (which I use for programming)?

Performance-wise, does the iPad's superior chip make it worth the extra cost of the pencil, or is the S10 FE "good enough" for standard academic multitasking?

Thanks for the help!