Some great Windows tablets for note-taking

We're here to help you to find some great Windows tablets with solid stylus support.

It's hard to ditch paper when it comes to the flexibility of freehand notetaking, but with the right Windows tablet and stylus, you can get pretty close. We're gathering up some of our favorite note-taking Windows tablets that are built with stylus input in mind. Whether it's for taking notes in meetings or drawing digital sketches while on the go, any of these could meet your needs.

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

The grand-daddy of Windows tablets has been running the Windows 10 Technical Preview fine since the October release, and will no doubt be the first consideration for anyone in the market for a Windows 10-ready tablet. The Surface Pro 3 is just as much a laptop replacement as it is a tablet, thanks in no small part to its generous 12-inch 2160 x 1440 display, adjustable stand, smart keyboard cover, and full-sized USB 3.0 port. That said, the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is priced in line with laptops rather than most tablets. The Surface Pro 3 stylus sports a top button, right-click button, and eraser button.

Lenovo ThinkPad 10

The Lenovo ThinkPad is a business-oriented Windows tablet with plenty of battery life and 10.1 -inch 1920 x 1200 display. A wealth of accessories include desktop dock, keyboard dock, and an included active stylus. Even the snappy cover offers an imaginative flip-down corner for rear camera access. Tucked away inside is a 2.4 GHz processor with 2 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The starting price is a little high given the alternatives available with similar processing power, but the ThinkPad 10 offers great quality for those with a flexible budget.

Toshiba Encore 2 Write

One of Toshiba's newer Windows tablets is built specifically for note-takers. Its included Wacom stylus stays accurate thanks to new Active Electrostatic technology. The Toshiba Encore 2 Write packs a 1.8 GHz Intel Atom processor with 2 GB RAM, 64 GB of flash memory, and a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 display. An 8-inch version is also available for $50 less. You'll find a 5 megapixel camera on the back and a 1.2 megapixel camera on the front. Battery life is listed at 11.1 hours.

ASUS VivoTab Note 8

The ASUS VivoTab Note 8 is an affordable Windows tablet with a dedicated port for a pressure-sensitive Wacom stylus. This port is perfect for anybody that takes digital notes, but worries about losing or forgetting their (often pricey) stylus somewhere. With the VivoTab Note 8, users get an 8.1-inch 1280 x 800 display, 1.3 GHz Atom processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of storage. There's no Windows button the face of the tablet itself, but you can still work your way around with the Charms menu just fine.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 AnyPen

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 AnyPen is ready for stylus input, but don't worry about having to carry around a dedicated, expensive Wacom pen. Just about anything with a point to it can be used as a stylus on this Windows tablet. The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 AnyPen has an 8-inch 1920 x 1200 screen with an 8 megapixel camera on the back and a 1.6 megapixel camera on the front. Under the hood is 32 GB of storage, 2 GB of RAM and a 1.3 GHz Intel Atom processor powering Windows 8.1 with Bing. The two-cell 6400 mAH battery should last you about 15 hours.