Laptop/tablet suggestions for podiatry school

[head over heels90]

I will be starting podiatry school in the fall and am looking into buying a new laptop. I just wanted to see what people recommend/ have found to be helpful. Specifically, I will be attending Scholl. I had originally been thinking a Surface Pro might be a good choice so I'm also wondering if anyone has any opinions on that? Also, is it recommended to have both a tablet and laptop? Thanks so much for your input!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[PeaJay]

Here is a quick list of things your computer will need to do at Scholl:
-Lecture videos (Some lectures are recorded in video format/audio format)
-PowerPoint (For class notes/presentations)
-Word Processing (For group projects/papers)
-PDF viewing (Some class notes are in this format)
-PDF editing (If you want to make notes in the margins on the computer)
-Flash/quicktime (Pathoma review videos/USMLE reviews for part 1/Flash games for boredom)
-VLC player (Free downloadable video/audio player which allows you to easily double the video speed to hasten lecture videos)
-Spotify/Pandora (You will need music)
-Firefox/chrome (These browsers are much more secure and much faster)

All of these tasks can be accomplished on most PC/MAC machines. The ipad family may be a little underpowered to handle all the tasks and they tend to only last about 3 years because like any apple product the mandatory software updates render it as an expensive paper weight. The Microsoft surface luckily avoids this. The main thing is to get a computer with plenty of RAM and a large hard drive. The RAM will all you to run music, powerpoint, word, a PDF, 10 webpages, and a flash game without crashing (this is what everyone should be worried about).

Edit: I don't mean to bash on the ipad, they are great. They just function better as an adjunct to an actual computer. The Surface functions as a normal computer and avoids the pitfalls.

 

[pacpod]

Really, any decent, dependable build will suit you fine for school as far as a laptop goes. I wouldn't go sole tablet (maybe surface pro?). I did switch to use of an iPad during 2nd year but I was glad to have a laptop available. If you do get an iPad, I recommend notability. Great app, let's you write anywhere on your lectures.

 

[OhEmGee]

macbook air.
easy to haul around. never slows down. does everything you need it to do.

 

[I post PRN]

Tablet is a must, you will end up getting tons of books on pdf, reading them on a laptop is annoying. I'd get both.

 

[SandersCalc]

Tablet is a must, you will end up getting tons of books on pdf, reading them on a laptop is annoying. I'd get both.

Tablet is definitely not a "must". I've done just fine during school with a computer and plan to get an iPad mini or something similar for residency. Absolutely depends if you are someone who can read off a computer, someone who prefers printed documents, or if you prefer a tablet.

 

[josebiwasabi]

i'm still using my 2008 toshiba satellite laptop. granted, it's dying as we speak but it served its purpose during school. i got a galaxy tab for cheap ($150) for 3rd/4th years and it came in handy during clinic and externships. It was convenient to have a bunch of journal articles, textbooks, and manuals in one slim device. get a tablet that fits into a white coat pocket, which means the screen should be 8" or smaller.

 

[illinigrad11]

I will be starting podiatry school in the fall and am looking into buying a new laptop. I just wanted to see what people recommend/ have found to be helpful. Specifically, I will be attending Scholl. I had originally been thinking a Surface Pro might be a good choice so I'm also wondering if anyone has any opinions on that? Also, is it recommended to have both a tablet and laptop? Thanks so much for your input!

I got a tablet between 2nd and 3rd year, right before the clinical phase of our curriculum started, and I've found it to be an extremely functional purchase. I don't think it was a necessity the first two years (though I can only speak for the experience at DMU), but it definitely enhanced studying/looking things up during rotations in the clinical years. As I believe someone already said, if you're going to get a tablet, get one that fits in a white coat pocket (I have the iPad mini).

 

[dyk343]

Don't spend a lot of money. It's really not needed. My $350 Toshiba did me well all 4 years. Powerpoint, pdf, and youtube is really all you need. Everything else would be for personal use and not school use. Cell phones are fine for looking things up in clinic.

 

[air bud]

Anybody who doesn't get a Surface Pro 3 is crazy. Buy PDF annotator and boom, everything you need. Between OneNote and PDF annotator, you can mark up all the articles/books you need. Surface replaced my tablet and laptop. It was an easy switch too since I came from DMU and was used to the Toshiba Portege tablet with pen.