Imagine needing to write something in a hurry. Well, if you have a Galaxy Note, you can just pull out the S Pen and scribble on the lock screen. And well, you can do that on the iPhone and iPad too.

If you've ever wanted to create a new note in the Apple Notes app almost instantly, your iPad can do that — with the help of an Apple Pencil. Here's how.

You can also use the pen tool to write numbers stacked vertically and draw a straight horizontal line to get the sum. These methods can make using Math Notes on your iPad a dream, especially if ...

To take truly useful notes that can replace that spiral notebook, you're going to need the help of an app or two. Here are five apps that will help you take effective notes on your iPad.

Alas, it's missing some obvious features. When you set a page style (lined, blank, or grid), for example, it affects every page in the book, so you can't mix up page styles throughout your notes.