Technology

[MJHUSKERS]

So I was thinking of some things to buy that will aide me in PT school such as a nice digital camera (no I don't have one) to take pictures in the lab to study at home later or take a picture of a classmates notes if needed.

Also I am going to start looking at a new laptop since mine is a Sony Vaio from my freshman year in college. I was thinking about making the switch to the MAC so I don't have to worry about computer crashes or viruses etc....more reliable.

Any insight or tips on gadgets that can help out?

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[johncronejr]

Well, I am not in PT school yet, but I have recently upgraded a few gadgets. I had wanted a digital camera for quite some time and I also needed a new phone. So, I got an IPhone. It has a great camera on it, I can look up things on the internet, and there are some incredible apps available like Anatomy & Physiology, etc....

My Acer laptop I had owned since 2006 was getting very sluggish and I decided to go with a Macbook Pro. It was very pricey, but I enjoy the speed it has a backlit keyboard that makes typing in dim classrooms a breeze. As far as viruses/malware, I haven't had any problems, but I have only owned it for about 3 months so the jury is still out on that.

Once I get to PT school, I may decide to purchase a good recorder for the lectures. I will wait to see about that one.

 

[MJHUSKERS]

John,
All the apps for IPhones are awesome! I'm jealous of all my friends who have one, but I'm happy to say my 2-year contract is up and I can finally drop this sidekick slide!

Does it matter in PT school if you use a Mac or PC? I know it mattered 4-5 years ago when I bought my Sony Vaio because the MAC users in my science classes could never access software needed or had problems downloading assignments from D2L/Blackboard.

I'm still a little skeptical about making the change to Mac…but I am sick of the blue screen of death with the PC.

Taperecorder is a good idea...but I take really good notes in class.

 

[Bigshoguns]

Mac = a-ok! get crossover! or Bootcamp!!!! i do this i have xp and leopard..

Iphone/crackberry good investment but more of a gadget remember prof frown upon you 4 txting etc

voice recorder=best puchase i ever made esp when u space out or loose track of prof while writing te prior point down. Just buy a mac compatible n Olympus!! not sony

a legit camera is good > then phone cam bc better quality videon pics !

Noise Cancelling headphones 4 pre-test hype n not listen to everyonr blab n avoid confusion (buy a legiy pair like bose or audio techica) trst me on this one, you wont regret it

a ok digital watch like G-shock for exams n practicals. you will need one for Vital Signs and other exams i @ least did

thats bout it from my side

John,
All the apps for IPhones are awesome! I'm jealous of all my friends who have one, but I'm happy to say my 2-year contract is up and I can finally drop this sidekick slide!

Does it matter in PT school if you use a Mac or PC? I know it mattered 4-5 years ago when I bought my Sony Vaio because the MAC users in my science classes could never access software needed or had problems downloading assignments from D2L/Blackboard.

I’m still a little skeptical about making the change to Mac…but I am sick of the blue screen of death with the PC.

Taperecorder is a good idea...but I take really good notes in class.

 

[MJHUSKERS]

I read somewhere that the bootcamp feature where you can run windows or leopard really slows things up...but maybe that's just for the Ibook?

Do a lot of you guys record your lectures at PT school??? Just a simple tape recorder or a digital tape recorder?

 

[MinnDasota]

A lot of my classmates used digital recorders, typed out the lecture and sent out to the class. Was definitely helpful, especially when you have that "I just missed what the prof said and I'm sure it was important" moment...

 

[johncronejr]

The only issue I have had regarding blackboard with my Mac, is the online assessments some teachers give. I downloaded Mozilla and it works fine through that. I also bought Office for Mac and it works great with any powerpoints, documents, etc... the teachers may put out.

 

[MinnDasota]

Also, before buying a laptop, I think you can buy a mac for a discount with a valid student ID. Dell might offer this too. Columbia gives a bunch of software such as Office, etc for free to its students. Not sure about your school.

Might be worth looking into.

 

[vederosa]

A lot of my classmates used digital recorders, typed out the lecture and sent out to the class. Was definitely helpful, especially when you have that "I just missed what the prof said and I'm sure it was important" moment...

If you get a good laptop, it will have a sound recorder on it, so you can save some cash that way. I 'd suggest a good printer/scanner combination that is ink efficent, or at least change your settings to save $$ on ink, you will blow through it quickly thru the semester....

 

[MinnDasota]

If you get a good laptop, it will have a sound recorder on it, so you can save some cash that way. I 'd suggest a good printer/scanner combination that is ink efficent, or at least change your settings to save $$ on ink, you will blow through it quickly thru the semester....

True...speaking of ink, make sure you utilize your print quota at the school library (and print 2 sided) as this will save you tons of money on ink...at least this is what we did. Unfortunately, you can go through the quota quickly. Obviously depends on your school.

Truthfully, I would wait on some of the electronics until you get a feel of what would most beneficial for you (after your classes have started). No sense on spending a ton on electronics without probable cause. Like I said before, some schools essentially have contracts with major companies and give you discounts or even free software....take advantage of this!!

 

[MJHUSKERS]

Thanks for the advice. I doubt my school has any contracts since it's private, but it's something I will look into.

I currently print everything on school printers (black and white) since it's free, but it sounds like that's not the case at other schools? Do you guys pay for your printing?

Are you guys all using Mac at PT school? Mac's seem like the way to go, but I don't want to run into problems such as I can't download an assignment because Mac doesn't support the software...

One more question for you guys, do you need to bring your laptop to class for PT school? Or can you just print off the powerpoint slides and take notes with paper and pencil like undergrad?

 

[seminolefish]

People who go for MACs typically just don't know much about computers and want the easy way out because they complain about the blue screen of death or "my comp is just super slow". Have you ever looked at how many applications are running at the same time? If not many are running then all you have to do is increase your RAM. Also, use Firefox not IE that is just dumb. It's things like that that drive me crazy and further feed the MAC giant.

Yes having a PC is more prone to viruses but if you know how to use and manage a computer then you will not have any problems. I feel Mac's are a waste of money when you can build a sick PC desktop for $1600 and I mean a "gaming/can do everything under the sun" computer. If you want a PC laptop then building it might be a little harder but it's possible. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MJHUSKERS]

That's great, but I don't need a "sick" PC for gaming...I can play PS3 or 360 for that. I am only looking for an efficient school laptop. You obviously have more background in computers if you're interested in building them etc....I simply just use them and Mac's cater to people like me who want nothing more. Sure, if you're a programmer and gamer, PC is much better.

Anyways, I'm not asking which is better because there is never an answer for this, but rather I am asking if Mac can be used in PT school? This is not a PC vs. Mac debate...

 

[Akiramay]

I currently print everything on school printers (black and white) since it's free, but it sounds like that's not the case at other schools? Do you guys pay for your printing?

Are you guys all using Mac at PT school? Mac's seem like the way to go, but I don't want to run into problems such as I can't download an assignment because Mac doesn't support the software...

One more question for you guys, do you need to bring your laptop to class for PT school? Or can you just print off the powerpoint slides and take notes with paper and pencil like undergrad?

At Northwestern we get a certain amount of free pages to print out each semester but once that runs out we have to pay.

I don't use a MAC. My PC works fine, and I'm able to download things from the course websites. Rarely when I can't, I just use the computers at school.

Some people bring their laptops to class, but most students don't. The professors always print out the lecture slides for us, and we write our notes directly on it. Sometimes there's supplemental material that we have to print out like extra notes or pictures. For us at least, typing out the notes isn't necessary.

 

[Bigshoguns]

I am all for PC, but no one needs a gaming rig for PT school. Everyone, including I (Die hard Xp/2000 guy) knows PC requires maintenance. Every 2 months you better reimage your machine or else things go south and slow. I rock XP on my macbook pro, not b/c "mac rule dude" they are more stable. Yes i agree with you you can buy a $700 HP or Dell and get by and with Win7 things are improving compared to Vista. BUT when you are in Grad school the less computer related headache the better. If I had about 2 hours of free time to putz around on my computer then I would have bought a sick ASUS or HP, but I predicted I didn't and hence stuck with a Macbook Pro. But remember I am a computer guy, so I run stuff the general public doesn't and at times they are more prone to viruses and malware.

I dont mean to turn this into a MAC vs PC fight, but I really want ppl to see why we recommand macs in THIS CASE!

Also Did I mention I work for HP, so even with me getting a nice discount I still chose mac b/c of the lower maintance required.

OP. You can buy a $300 NETbook and get by PT school. You don't need the latest and greatest. Many in my class have netbooks. I just prefer a bigger screen cuz I type everything from lectures to notes b/c I have bad handwriting.

Anyways back to study.

People who go for MACs typically just don't know much about computers and want the easy way out because they complain about the blue screen of death or "my comp is just super slow". Have you ever looked at how many applications are running at the same time? If not many are running then all you have to do is increase your RAM. Also, use Firefox not IE that is just dumb. It's things like that that drive me crazy and further feed the MAC giant.

Yes having a PC is more prone to viruses but if you know how to use and manage a computer then you will not have any problems. I feel Mac's are a waste of money when you can build a sick PC desktop for $1600 and I mean a "gaming/can do everything under the sun" computer. If you want a PC laptop then building it might be a little harder but it's possible. Just my 2 cents.

 

[seminolefish]

Sorry for the ridiculous post. I personally wouldn't get a mac because of cost and I hear the maintenance is a pain. I actually didn't build my computer and I'm not saying you need a nice rig for PT school DEF not. That was just my choice. It is just much cheaper to go with PCs in general. You can get a "decent" PC for wayy cheaper than a mac of comparable stats. It sucks that people have so many problems with PCs though. They are just misused. But, anyways, JMO. Go ahead and get a mac if you really feel inclined.

The only reason I used the "sick" PC example is to compare pricing. The mac will be much more expensive and not nearly as good as the PC that will blow your socks off. That is all.

 

[Bigshoguns]

Say Word! It was nothing personal, and I totally understand you! I help my classmates maintain their computers, and its a pain @ times when I am fixing a problem when i should be studying... so as it's appropriate to my cardio final tomorrow: Take the path of least resistance! buy a mac LOL! or a cheapo netbook and back up your life on an external hdd so you can reimage it every few months and start fresh..

Sorry OP for the hostile takeover, but i hope you got some good suggestions and points out of our conversation!

back to cardiopulm! yippee NOT!

Sorry for the ridiculous post. I personally wouldn't get a mac because of cost and I hear the maintenance is a pain. I actually didn't build my computer and I'm not saying you need a nice rig for PT school DEF not. That was just my choice. It is just much cheaper to go with PCs in general. You can get a "decent" PC for wayy cheaper than a mac of comparable stats. It sucks that people have so many problems with PCs though. They are just misused. But, anyways, JMO. Go ahead and get a mac if you really feel inclined.

The only reason I used the "sick" PC example is to compare pricing. The mac will be much more expensive and not nearly as good as the PC that will blow your socks off. That is all.

 

[MJHUSKERS]

More than enough help...going with Mac. Thanks guys.