Netbook vs iPad for clinical rotations?
 

Hi, everyone! I'm about to start clinical rotations again, and I'm trying to figure out whether to buy a netbook or an iPad. I want something extremely portable, that I can take to clinics with me and:

1) use for writing discharges and ordering labs etc (since we're often short on computers in the hospital and it's annoying to waste a lot of time standing around waiting for one).

2) easily carry around (iPad might be better here since it would fit in my white coat pocket, which I don't think a netbook would do).

3) take notes on in lectures and rounds (here a netbook might be better unless I buy the roll-up keyboard for the iPad).

Do you have any opinions about which would be more useful in clinics?

Thanks!

I have an Ipad, and it's kind of a pain in the butt. I really only use it to play Words with Friends and check my email (but not respond, unless it's just a short reply) - I find typing on it to be really annoying, especially the autocorrect part. I thought I would use it a ton, but honestly I don't use it that much...and it was a lot more expensive than a netbook (I got mine as a gift). It might be worth checking out what apps are available though, as I'm sure that could make a difference!

FYI....you can turn the autocorrect off. I loathe it.

1) will you be able to do discharge/labs/etc from a generic program? or will you need the software from the school?

2) ipads easier to carry. I keep mine in a portfolio that has an IR keyboard, but I write on mine a lot. I personally find the net book keyboards small enough to irritate my wrists.

3) there are lots of keyboard options for the ipad.

if you are likely to need to draw anything, go with an ipad. otherwise, it comes to preference. I use a keyboard portfolio, and its still super light.

Angie, even if this thread hasn't been helpful for you, it has for me!

Sumstorm, any recs for keyboards?

I'll have to explore to figure out the autocorrect!

Thanks guys!

I got mine from brookstone

Autocorrect
 

I have my iPhone right now and to turn off autocorrect it is:
Settings~General~Keyboard~Autocorrect~Off

Probably similar or the same sequence for iPad

as an iPad alternative, I have looked at slates similar to this:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en...0-4332585.html

The handwriting recognition is supposedly lightyears ahead of that of the iPad, so you could write your notes from lectures/rounds right on the screen. It would also run any windows programs (ie, whatever you might need to write/print discharge reports)

Oh, I forgot to mention the other reason I tend to use my Ipad for convenience....fast start up.

even when my tablet is asleep, I'm going to wait at least 20 seconds for it to be up and usable, while my ipad is up in about 2 seconds.

Now, having said that, in classes I use my tablet far more frequently than my Ipad.

So to sum it up...I use the ipad when I want carrying ease, long battery life, and fast access. I use the tablet when I'm going to sit somewhere, put in a lot of info/long period of time, or really need to use multiple windows.

I've never used the slates...I've wanted to, and their handwriting recognition is likely better (the slates have been around for quite a while) but I'd be worried the windows based software would still have a slow wake up time.

just looked at the HP slate. *drool*

i already use an HP tablet, so this would either (a) be total overkill/needless replication, or (b) integrate really nicely with my current setup.

i like (b) more, but i need to see if my bank account agrees.

:)

Ok so if I want something I can write on or use a keyboard (roll up or otherwise) has anyone had any luck with something specific? Some kind of tablet or the iPad?

I'd love any other input from students who have used iPads in their clinical rotations... :)

So I started clinics about a month ago and ended up using my iPad (more than!) daily. I didn't use it to take notes, but having a good PDF program on there, along with DropBox, made my life so much easier - I could upload my notes, book chapters, good papers, etc and have them all there to access for rounds, discharges, SOAPs, etc.

I also downloaded 2 books - one of the Blackwells series, and Plumbs - and used the Kindle app to access them. It's great because I can also access them quickly on my phone and (if I have it handy) on my laptop. The only thing I wish is that there was a really great anatomy text or app available for quick access. Based on what I've heard, the kindle texts with lots of pictures don't always translate well!

As an aside, it was really the first time I've used my iPad regularly and enjoyed having it around, other than while traveling. :)

I like mine for looking up things (e.g. for rounds), but it's too difficult to write records with.

Not in clinics yet but I love my iPad for everyday use - easy to view PDFs and has a bunch of good note-taking apps. I have a Logitech keyboard which can prop the iPad up like a computer screen and doubles as a protective cover for the face of the iPad.

I ended up going with an Asus Eee Pc Seashell netbook, which cost about $250. It has a great battery life (at least 6-8 hours of active use) and is small and light enough that I think nothing of toting it back and forth to the hospital every day.

However, I don't actually use it that often for discharges or looking things up -- now that I have an iPhone, I find it MUCH more convenient for quick web searches, and while the netbook is portable, it's a pain to lug it around all day and it doesn't really fit in my white coat pocket. Sometimes I take notes on it during didactic rounds. And our hospital has about 20 computers for about 80 rotating students, so it saved my butt on many early mornings when my SOAP was due and I couldn't find a free computer anywhere!

But I could have done all of those things on an iPad, too. And I don't think any of it (well, maybe the SOAPs) was mission critical. I think iPads are definitely better for organizing electronic resources, and my friends who've downloaded electronic textbooks onto their iPad LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!! Those types of documents are a pain to navigate on the netbook.

I guess if money wasn't an issue, I'd go with an iPad. More versatile, lighter, more user-friendly. But the netbook was fine.

I'm 10 weeks in on clinics here and we generally have enough computers that finding a free one isnt a big issue. Honestly I have never really wished I had an netbook or iPad while on clinics(and I've been looking for an excuse to buy an ipad). Theft in the teaching hospital here is a very real problem though so its not very practical to have them as there isn't convenient access to secure storage.

My solution has been an iPhone and a thumb drive. Iphone is great for the quick searches you might want to do. And the thumb drives makes it easy to bring documents back and forth from home like templated SOAP's. The phone is also wicked handy for snapping pictures of treatment sheets at the end of the night, so I can write up treatment sheets at home for the next day. Starting the SOAP's and treatment sheets at home save me a lot of time at school in the AM.

Everything seems to be going iPad centric. I'd stick with an iPad, it's a safe bet.

This is really true, unfortunately. I hate that everything is going in 'one direction' but it really seems like Apple got their cards right when they made everything so dang user friendly. I avoid an iPhone like the plague, but when I finally got it, I felt like an idiot for having avoided it for so long! I'm no computery person, so the windows phones where you can endlessly customize your interface and setup are neat, but I realized I honestly don't care about that.

Back on topic(ish): I'm in the market for an iPad right now...several of our texts are available as ebooks called PageBurst books. These seem like a really neat way to utilize technology and hopefully get into a good groove for studying/notetaking, etc. (if you haven't heard of them, here's a link to a video from their website...they can explain them better than I can! http://www.elsevieradvantage.com/art...p?pageid=10701).

My dad's a physician at a teaching hospital, and says just about EVERY student/resident/new doctor on staff has an iPad and uses it almost exclusively for write-ups for patients, and just in general. So they offered to get me an iPad for getting accepted (and for like every holiday from now until I graduate, haha).

I'm trying to decide whether the wifi is adequate or whether the 3G/4G access is pretty crucial. Anyone have any suggestions on that? I mean, honestly, where will I ever be where there is no internet connection....studying, I would probably always have access to some WiFi (at a house/the school/a coffee shop), right?

I think you'll find only having WiFi is very limiting. Also, unless you VPN through the WiFi, it is inherently insecure at a coffee place, etc... where as a 3G/4G connection is always secure.

Thanks for the input, PMS. :)

Also the refurbished iPad 2 on the apple website aren't really refurbs, they just tend to be cheaper floor models. iPad 3 is only needed if you care about pics from you iPad. Otherwise they overheat faster and are heavier

The pictures with the iPad 2 aren't too bad either. So if that's the only change, I wouldn't go for the 3.

I would definitely agre with you guys here on principle. A lot has changed on the inside (apparently, according to computery review sites)

However with the rate at which Apple releases new products and 'leaves behind' the older models, I'd be afraid that it would become obsolete more quickly. Right now, the original iPad isn't going to be getting the new IOS 6 when it comes out. The original iPad came out in April of 2010. That's just barely two years ago. Just makes me nervous that I'll spend all that money (it's still a lot!) on something that will end up being left behind, you know?

That is bad, yeah. Is the first one even for sale still? I haven't seen it in any stores here anymore..

Not in stores, I don't think. Probably still on eBay and the likes, though. But if people bought the first generation, they're screwed come the next IOS update.

Same with the iPhone 3G. It's not getting the updates, either. I just hate how fast Apple's products upgrade to new ones.

Just because the connection is "inherently insecure" doesn't really mean anything. If you were to decide to do internet shopping while your there(or access any modern website that requires you to login) your information will be going over a secure connection on top of that "inherently insecure" wifi connection. Your personal data isn't going to be at increased risk.

So security would be one of the last reasons I would ever suggest someone an ipad with a 3g/4g connection.

Anyone have suggestions on capacity of an iPad? I know I wouldn't feel comfortable with the 16GB with the new retina display thing (with apps and photo sizes getting bigger and bigger to still look 'sharp' on the new iPad), but would 64GB be complete overkill?

I know it depends on what I plan on putting on there and everything....but what are your personal thoughts?

You're assuming these sites are implementing a secure socket connection, which is not a given, and if they are, it was implemented correctly, which is also not a given. When it comes to my data, I always assume everyone else is not doing their job correctly, so it's best to use the most inherently secure method possible.

I always suggest going with the higher spec config if the spec in question is not upgradable (and in this case it isn't), unless it's a major financial hardship to go for the higher spec. It's always better to have too much than not enough of something you can't change in the future. Even if you only keep it for a year or two, it will still have a higher resale value than a lower spec. model.

I do assume a lot of things. I do assume Amazon.com and most other major online retailers are implementing proper security. 3G/4g is more secure than an unsecured wifi connection, but it also come at an approximate cost of $360 a year.

So the bigger question is how often do you(a generic you) think you will find yourself wanting to transmit confidential information, at random public locations to websites that you dont inherently trust? And is that convenience worth $360 a year?

And I've actually personally considered setting up a VPN so I can direct my own traffic securely back to my own network, but even with no added expense, dont really see any logical justification for it.

I've been on clinics for exactly two weeks. I bought an iPad just before starting, and I have to say, I am incredibly glad that I did! I use it all the time, to look up patient records (I can look something up in the wards, without having to leave to go find an empty computer), work up cases, to take notes during rounds (which is great, because they're searchable later while my colleagues are flipping through endless pages of paper), look things up in my notes (so amazing to have them all at hand all the time). I honestly can't imagine doing clinics without it. But that's just me.

Also: I got the wifi only, as my entire school campus is wifi and the only other places I would use it are a coffee shop and at home. I personally saw absolutely no point in spending the extra money for 3G/4G. So far, I have not regretted that choice. And as for space, I only got the 16 gig one and don't foresee any issues. I converted all of my OneNote notes to PDFs and have all of my electronic textbooks... and it's nowhere near 16 gigs. But my iPad is pretty much exclusively for clinics. If you also want to use it for entertainment (apps, games, movies, music, etc.) then a bigger one would be better.

This is a bit of an assumption, but if you guys are using WiFi provided through the university that your veterinary school is a part of, odds are it's pretty damn secure. It's not like using the internet at the local Starbucks where they just have a linksys in the back room or something like that. University networks are pretty well fortified.

If it's not a university network, I still hope it's better than the connection at Starbucks, especially with all that patient info flying around. :)