Do I really need a laptop?

[603pharmacy]

Hey there,

So I'll be starting my Undergrad years in the fall. At the moment, I have a Microsoft Surface I bought a few months ago. I'll be studying Biochemistry and was wondering if the Surface will suffice my Undergrad years, or if I should buy a laptop such as Mac before I leave for college?

What were some of your experiences using a tablet vs a laptop?

Thanks for your responses!!

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[bearded frog]

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[mrh125]

It really depends on individual preference. I'll always stick with my mac laptop just bc it works for me.

 

[darklabel]

Depends on your school. For me, it was necessary since a lot of power points were posted and I read them on the computer but you can hit the computer lab and print them. Also even with the RT, you should be fine. Unless your school uses ExamSoft or something like that. Check with your university's computer requirements to see if you need it.

 

[Mr Roboto]

I needed it, because I used it for classes/notes/ppts. You might not. Ask current students at the university.

 

[Lucca]

Just buy a laptop. They are super mega useful and if your research/classes ever require programming or something CS-like it'll come in handy.

 

[TheShaker]

Laptops vs. Ipad/tablet

What do you guys think? I just remembered that my undergrad laptop is dead now so I have to buy a new one...

 

[frosted_flake]

Be careful with going from a laptop to a surface. I did and I missed the pen/paper feel. It threw me off big time on an exam... I switched back right away.
Don't fix what isn't broken.

 

[frosted_flake]

Laptops vs. Ipad/tablet

What do you guys think? I just remembered that my undergrad laptop is dead now so I have to buy a new one...

I have an iPad I use for looking up notes on the go, otherwise I have my laptop and good old fashioned notebook/pens + heavy arse hardback textbook.

 

[911 Turbo]

no I have literally never used a laptop at school and im doing fine. just use that money to buy a nice desktop.

why not try to build your own desktop..... www.newegg.com

 

[MidwestLovin]

Yes, if money is an issue, there are lots of great - not 1k costing laptops. Because I break every laptop I own within a year, I buy 300-400$ HP's.

 

[moop]

Yes, if money is an issue, there are lots of great - not 1k costing laptops. Because I break every laptop I own within a year, I buy 300-400$ HP's.

lol wut

Maybe if you invested in a nice Lenovo/MacBook Air, you'd want to take care of it more and not have to switch so often lol

But yes, OP – a tablet is no match for a computer of any sort, laptop or desktop, Mac or PC. It just isn't the same.

 

[darkjedi]

Ask the upperclassmen, but I would be surprised if just a tablet was enough for med school.

 

[MidwestLovin]

lol wut

Maybe if you invested in a nice Lenovo/MacBook Air, you'd want to take care of it more and not have to switch so often lol

But yes, OP – a tablet is no match for a computer of any sort, laptop or desktop, Mac or PC. It just isn't the same.

I have a nice laptop and then one I can study with/take to class/entertainment. I always end up falling asleep with it and it falls onto the floor. Oops

 

[Avicenna]

Build your own pc! A good one can be made for $500, and it'll perform better than $1000 laptops

 

[Boolean]

I use my Macbook Pro and iPad. However, Surface RT and Macbook Pro was my prior set-up and that worked just fine.

 

[hlancaster]

I recommend a laptop if you can afford it unless you don't mind going to the computerlab often for work. I imagine you'll be using a lot of software like chemdraw, msoffice, maybe Matlab.

 

[Ryank327]

Yes, if money is an issue, there are lots of great - not 1k costing laptops. Because I break every laptop I own within a year, I buy 300-400$ HP's.

HPs are some of the worst quality laptops out there, I went through 2 that failed after a year, the second one was a $900 one with dedicated graphics which died out. Such a waste of money. I bought a Lenovo Thinkpad T420s last year and it was the best purchase I have ever made, this thing is solid. I bought it refurbished off ebay for $590, comes with a SSD, i5 and 8gb of RAM, you really can't beat it for the price. Thinkpads are some of the best laptops out there and last forever.

 

[optimistic3]

You definitely need a laptop. I would not have been able to get through undergrad on just a tablet. I've written so many papers and lab reports. I've had so much data analysis to do (on excel and other programs like Origin). I've had so many powerpoints and pdfs to exam. It's not as easy to do any of that stuff (and I don't think a tablet is compatible with Origin) on a tablet.

Go for a laptop.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

Hey there,

So I'll be starting my Undergrad years in the fall. At the moment, I have a Microsoft Surface I bought a few months ago. I'll be studying Biochemistry and was wondering if the Surface will suffice my Undergrad years, or if I should buy a laptop such as Mac before I leave for college?

What were some of your experiences using a tablet vs a laptop?

Thanks for your responses!!

Straight up buy a MacBook

 

[Pacna]

Just my $0.02: I got a Duo 13 and it works great for note taking and studying.

 

[wanderer]

In MS1 my laptop stopped working and I tried using a tablet because I didn't want to spend money for another laptop. It went well for about two weeks until I started going crazy and bought another laptop. Don't rely on just using a tablet unless you have a desktop at home and just need the tablet for its portability.

 

[wanderer]

HPs are some of the worst quality laptops out there, I went through 2 that failed after a year, the second one was a $900 one with dedicated graphics which died out. Such a waste of money. I bought a Lenovo Thinkpad T420s last year and it was the best purchase I have ever made, this thing is solid. I bought it refurbished off ebay for $590, comes with a SSD, i5 and 8gb of RAM, you really can't beat it for the price. Thinkpads are some of the best laptops out there and last forever.

+1. All my family's HPs have lasted about a year or less; I'm never getting another HP. Lenovos are decent for the money and last a couple of years in my experience.

 

[DermViser]

Hey there,

So I'll be starting my Undergrad years in the fall. At the moment, I have a Microsoft Surface I bought a few months ago. I'll be studying Biochemistry and was wondering if the Surface will suffice my Undergrad years, or if I should buy a laptop such as Mac before I leave for college?

What were some of your experiences using a tablet vs a laptop?

Thanks for your responses!!

Yes you need a laptop. Please enter 2014.