Macbook Pro vs iPad2

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rhombo777

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Hey everyone!

I am a M1 and thinking about investing in either iPad2 or Macbook Pro 13" for the upcoming year. There are pros to both of these and would like to see what you guys would recommend.

Currently, I have a really nice high end sony vaio (6.2 on Win 7 index scale!) but the problem with that is its a massive 6.5lbs 16.4" entertainment laptop with horrible battery life (< 1hr) and just barely fits in my swiss backpack. And the screen is not as sharp and nice on eyes as Macbook Pro's, which I feel had very low strain on my eyes after spending 15mt on it. I don't know if people's eyes still get strained after spending 3-4hrs daily and 5-7hrs during exam weeks on Macbook assuming that 10mt breaks are taken hourly. P.S. I tend to keep all my devices on the lowest brightness levels and trying to minimize as much strain on my eyes as possible. I have no vision problems but little concerned after my number went up a little in past two years due to MCAT studying and M1 studies so far, majority of which has been done on computers.


iPad2: 16gb*
Pros:
1. Only 1.5lbs, 10hrs battery life
2. Boxwave Stylus and Dropbox for taking notes on PDFs and PPTs. I don't use books at all except for Netter's as we get very thorough packets
3. Eliminate possible distraction in class (fb, youtube, gchat) caused by using laptop as I'll start printing out notes in paper
4. Use iPad 2 to supplement my studies and keep my current laptop for in-class exams on computer and practice questions during Step I prep.

* Will be using mostly for school purposes - so 16gb should be plenty for pdfs and powerpoints along with few apps/music loaded on it!

Macbook Pro 13"
Pros:
1. It's a legit laptop with complete functionality and great battery life!
2. LED screen with dimmest levels can be useful when spending hours on computer esp when it its time to practice all the USMLE World Qs and Kaplan Q-bank next year.
3. My school uses this computer software for our long 3-4hr tests every two weeks and vaio tends to strain my eyes a little after 2-3hrs. So having a Macbook Pro might be an advantage here as well.
Cons:
- $642 extra

Any input will be greatly appreciated! Technology makes life wonderful 🙂
 
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iPad 2 is not a computer.. you can't download files directly.

so I suggest you go buy a macbook pro..
 
If you have a decent computer for getting stuff done, I recommend the iPad.

I love mine (may be giving the iPad 1 to my mom and upgrading to iPad2), and it can do everything I need at school + lightweight.

I highly recommend the Noterize program- it works with Dropbox. It also lets you highlight and write anywhere on PDF or PPT, and you can add sticky notes and change pen/highlighter colors.

My other favorite feature is that it lets you watch stuff in iTunes at 2x speed (which I do for the podcasted lectures), on my Mac I have to open the files in Quicktime/VLC to change the speed.

Also- I dont know why you'd print anything out if you have an iPad- wouldn't you just write on that?

Although I still sometimes Youtube/Facebook from the iPad 😉 Plus there are a bunch of cool apps that are super easy and efficient to use on the iPad- epocrates, medscape, and I have a nice digital copy of First Aid that I browse when I'm bored.
 
I would recommend neither. For the price of an ipad 2, you can get a really nice laptop. For the price of a macbook pro, you can get an awesome laptop (but it won't be the macbook pro). If you already drank the Apple kool-aid, then just buy whatever overpriced accessory you want, it doesn't really matter.

There is also a sub-forum for tech, which has been eluding everyone recently.
 
rhombo777 said:
Hey everyone!

I am a M1 and thinking about investing in either iPad2 or Macbook Pro 13" for the upcoming year. There are pros to both of these and would like to see what you guys would recommend.

Currently, I have a really nice high end sony vaio (6.2 on Win 7 index scale!) but the problem with that is its a massive 6.5lbs 16.4" entertainment laptop with horrible battery life (< 1hr) and just barely fits in my swiss backpack. And the screen is not as sharp and nice on eyes as Macbook Pro's, which I feel had very low strain on my eyes after spending 15mt on it. I don't know if people's eyes still get strained after spending 3-4hrs daily and 5-7hrs during exam weeks on Macbook assuming that 10mt breaks are taken hourly. P.S. I tend to keep all my devices on the lowest brightness levels and trying to minimize as much strain on my eyes as possible. I have no vision problems but little concerned after my number went up a little in past two years due to MCAT studying and M1 studies so far, majority of which has been done on computers.


iPad2: 16gb*
Pros:
1. Only 1.5lbs, 10hrs battery life
2. Boxwave Stylus and Dropbox for taking notes on PDFs and PPTs. I don't use books at all except for Netter's as we get very thorough packets
3. Eliminate possible distraction in class (fb, youtube, gchat) caused by using laptop as I'll start printing out notes in paper
4. Use iPad 2 to supplement my studies and keep my current laptop for in-class exams on computer and practice questions during Step I prep.

* Will be using mostly for school purposes - so 16gb should be plenty for pdfs and powerpoints along with few apps/music loaded on it!

Macbook Pro 13"
Pros:
1. It's a legit laptop with complete functionality and great battery life!
2. LED screen with dimmest levels can be useful when spending hours on computer esp when it its time to practice all the USMLE World Qs and Kaplan Q-bank next year.
3. My school uses this computer software for our long 3-4hr tests every two weeks and vaio tends to strain my eyes a little after 2-3hrs. So having a Macbook Pro might be an advantage here as well.
Cons:
- $642 extra

Any input will be greatly appreciated! Technology makes life wonderful 🙂
Click to expand...

skip the apple. use the flux.
http://stereopsis.com/flux/
 
thechad said:
I would recommend neither. For the price of an ipad 2, you can get a really nice laptop. For the price of a macbook pro, you can get an awesome laptop (but it won't be the macbook pro). If you already drank the Apple kool-aid, then just buy whatever overpriced accessory you want, it doesn't really matter.

There is also a sub-forum for tech, which has been eluding everyone recently.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you should have a MBP before you talk so much crap about one. I was an avid gamer and builder of PC's for 10 years before I made the switch to the MBP.. I will never go back. My water cooled i7 with 8 gigs of ram and 2 gigs of video ram is sitting in the closet upstairs.
 
fahimaz7 said:
Perhaps you should have a MBP before you talk so much crap about one. I was an avid gamer and builder of PC's for 10 years before I made the switch to the MBP.. I will never go back. My water cooled i7 with 8 gigs of ram and 2 gigs of video ram is sitting in the closet upstairs.
Click to expand...

There is no way you can justify the price of their machines. They use the same parts as any other manufacturer, but charge twice as much. You are only buying a trendy brand.

The OS is not that great either. Is it better than Windows? Yeah. But Linux is better than both, and it's free. If you want a machine for gaming, get a desktop.

I have tried one of my friends as well, was not impressed (except by the price tag people pay for these).
 
this is my combination: mac air 13inch + ipad, and they have been working extremely well.

mac book vs. ipad is kinda like orange vs. apple to me.
rhombo777 said:
Hey everyone!

I am a M1 and thinking about investing in either iPad2 or Macbook Pro 13" for the upcoming year. There are pros to both of these and would like to see what you guys would recommend.

Currently, I have a really nice high end sony vaio (6.2 on Win 7 index scale!) but the problem with that is its a massive 6.5lbs 16.4" entertainment laptop with horrible battery life (< 1hr) and just barely fits in my swiss backpack. And the screen is not as sharp and nice on eyes as Macbook Pro's, which I feel had very low strain on my eyes after spending 15mt on it. I don't know if people's eyes still get strained after spending 3-4hrs daily and 5-7hrs during exam weeks on Macbook assuming that 10mt breaks are taken hourly. P.S. I tend to keep all my devices on the lowest brightness levels and trying to minimize as much strain on my eyes as possible. I have no vision problems but little concerned after my number went up a little in past two years due to MCAT studying and M1 studies so far, majority of which has been done on computers.


iPad2: 16gb*
Pros:
1. Only 1.5lbs, 10hrs battery life
2. Boxwave Stylus and Dropbox for taking notes on PDFs and PPTs. I don't use books at all except for Netter's as we get very thorough packets
3. Eliminate possible distraction in class (fb, youtube, gchat) caused by using laptop as I'll start printing out notes in paper
4. Use iPad 2 to supplement my studies and keep my current laptop for in-class exams on computer and practice questions during Step I prep.

* Will be using mostly for school purposes - so 16gb should be plenty for pdfs and powerpoints along with few apps/music loaded on it!

Macbook Pro 13"
Pros:
1. It's a legit laptop with complete functionality and great battery life!
2. LED screen with dimmest levels can be useful when spending hours on computer esp when it its time to practice all the USMLE World Qs and Kaplan Q-bank next year.
3. My school uses this computer software for our long 3-4hr tests every two weeks and vaio tends to strain my eyes a little after 2-3hrs. So having a Macbook Pro might be an advantage here as well.
Cons:
- $642 extra

Any input will be greatly appreciated! Technology makes life wonderful 🙂
Click to expand...
 
Make sure you're okay with the super-glossy Macbook Pro screen. I find that they cause more eyestrain than regular matte screens. I had both a MacBook Air and a Vaio TZ, both of which have semi-glossy screens. I found them distracting and uncomfortable to work with for long periods of time--I can't imagine using the glass screens for more than 2-3 hours a day. I now use a Thinkpad.
 
thechad said:
There is no way you can justify the price of their machines. They use the same parts as any other manufacturer, but charge twice as much. You are only buying a trendy brand.

The OS is not that great either. Is it better than Windows? Yeah. But Linux is better than both, and it's free. If you want a machine for gaming, get a desktop.

I have tried one of my friends as well, was not impressed (except by the price tag people pay for these).
Click to expand...


Maybe Apple products are expensive, not maybe...they are.......but my macbook has been totally worth it. I owned at least 6 laptops prior, and ranging in prices from $1200-3000 and they all turned out to be crap. Always got a virus or got damaged by me somehow. But that problem is saved with a mac because of the amazing warranty, which is what you are actually paying for when you pay the high prices. I've had my motherboard replaced just because I felt it was running slower than it should. I have had friend spill a drink on theirs and had everything replaced. Everything in my mac has always been repaired, ie replaced completely and they always bring my laptop up to speed everytime I take it in.

My 3 year warranty just expired, and amazingly enough I can still get by for another 6 months to a year without a new laptop, because it's actually not antiquated as it would have been if it were a pc. My mac has been worth every penny and more.
 
Just my two cents..

I don't really think there's really even an argument here. I just got my new 15" MBP today (my first mac) and I am loving it so far. I bought an ASUS G73JH gaming laptop/desktop replacement ~5 months ago - it was already having blue screens of death issues/ constantly restarting etc etc and I spent 900$ on it.

I was sick of its issues, ended up selling it on craigslist and ordering this MBP and although i've only used it for a day I can already tell how superior this machine is (this is coming from a PC person). Yeah, it's expensive. But i'm planning on this lasting me from when i start this august until the end of med school. I'm never going to have to worry about viruses / it crashing / constantly updating the latest antivirus software. I also think the drop box is going to be super helpful.

Also just a note: my work bought me an Ipad to use in clinic and although it is awesome it is in no way suited for any heavy school/home use. I basically use it to write quick emails in clinic or to hook up to EMR on the go. It's awesome for surfing the net at home and whatnot but I cannot imagine how terrible it would be to have it as my main/only computer. I'll be sad about giving it up when i quit but i'm definitely not going to shell out the $$ for a convenient web surfing tool.


TLDR: Like an earlier poster said Ipad v MBP is like comparing apples and oranges. Spend the extra money on a MBP - it'll last you for med school and you'll be happy you did.
 
Belleza156 said:
I owned at least 6 laptops prior, and ranging in prices from $1200-3000 and they all turned out to be crap. Always got a virus
Click to expand...

That's because you don't know how to properly use/protect a computer.

Belleza156 said:
or got damaged by me somehow.
Click to expand...

That's probably because you are clumsy (if you are damaging so many computers).

Belleza156 said:
But that problem is saved with a mac because of the amazing warranty, which is what you are actually paying for when you pay the high prices. I've had my motherboard replaced just because I felt it was running slower than it should.
Click to expand...

Proof you know nothing about computers. If you mobo was the problem, your computer wouldn't even boot.

Warranties are sold to 2 major groups: women (not all women), and old people (once again, not all old people) who don't know anything about the computers they are buying. At least this is what I'm told by my friends in retail and IT.

Belleza156 said:
I have had friend spill a drink on theirs and had everything replaced.
Click to expand...

Hence, the warranty. Good thing to have, but your friend probably lost everything on their harddisk. I've been alive for almost 3 decades, and I've never bought a warranty on any of my computers. I have also yet to spill anything on any of my computers, but maybe I'm doing it wrong.

Belleza156 said:
Everything in my mac has always been repaired, ie replaced completely and they always bring my laptop up to speed everytime I take it in.
Click to expand...

What magic do you think they work in there? I'm seriously so curious. (as an aside, macs DO get viruses/spyware/adware/trojans/etc, contrary to what most people think)


Belleza156 said:
My 3 year warranty just expired, and amazingly enough I can still get by for another 6 months to a year without a new laptop, because it's actually not antiquated as it would have been if it were a pc. My mac has been worth every penny and more.
Click to expand...

The fact that this is your SEVENTH laptop (again, for emphasis, 7th laptop), suggest the problem most likely lies within the user, not the product.

I'm done with this thread, you can not reason with unreasonable people, but thanks for playing. 🙂
 
If you have infinite money, get both a MacBook and iPad. My school gave the iPad out free this year (only notified us after I bought a MacBook)...so I have both. Honestly, the iPad has been getting better with software improvement and new Apps...but it doesn't replace the easy use of note taking in class that goes only with a real computer. I see tons of students who portable wireless keyboard for the iPad....which leaves me baffled as to why they just aren't using a real laptop.

I started off trying to use my iPad in class everyday...but find myself incredibly distracted by the annoyance of entering and drawing things in that I would end up missing out on lecture. I'd much rather using Preview Annotation or Skim to just add in typed blurbs to the slides.

It's not a bad idea to become familiar with it though. To be honest, we definitely will all be using them in residency when we're in the clinic. I guarantee it.
 
mdeast said:
If you have infinite money, get both a MacBook and iPad. My school gave the iPad out free this year (only notified us after I bought a MacBook)...so I have both. Honestly, the iPad has been getting better with software improvement and new Apps...but it doesn't replace the easy use of note taking in class that goes only with a real computer. I see tons of students who portable wireless keyboard for the iPad....which leaves me baffled as to why they just aren't using a real laptop.

I started off trying to use my iPad in class everyday...but find myself incredibly distracted by the annoyance of entering and drawing things in that I would end up missing out on lecture. I'd much rather using Preview Annotation or Skim to just add in typed blurbs to the slides.

It's not a bad idea to become familiar with it though. To be honest, we definitely will all be using them in residency when we're in the clinic. I guarantee it.
Click to expand...

agreed. lets be honest here, OP, you're going to end up getting both, so the question should be which will you get first.
 
thechad said:
There is no way you can justify the price of their machines. They use the same parts as any other manufacturer, but charge twice as much. You are only buying a trendy brand.

The OS is not that great either. Is it better than Windows? Yeah. But Linux is better than both, and it's free. If you want a machine for gaming, get a desktop.

I have tried one of my friends as well, was not impressed (except by the price tag people pay for these).
Click to expand...

That's actually quite false there.

Go try and build a 13 inch laptop with an LED screen, DDR3 ram, i5, backlit keyboard, and a 8 hour batter life.

You can't do that for half of the price of a MBP. Hate to tell you that. I also hope that you're not about to link me to the POS Dell Inspiron either, as that computer will have keys falling off and it's battery lasts about 30 minutes.

I've owned top of the line laptops from HP, Dell, Compaq, Alienware (b4 it was dell), Toshiba, and Asus. Non of them are remotely close to as nice, dependable, quiet, or functional as the 13inch MBP.
 
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fahimaz7 said:
That's actually quite false there.

Go try and build a 13 inch laptop with an LED screen, DDR3 ram, i5, backlit keyboard, and a 8 hour batter life.

You can't do that for half of the price of a MBP. Hate to tell you that. I also hope that you're not about to link me to the POS Dell Inspiron either, as that computer will have keys falling off and it's battery lasts about 30 minutes.

I've owned top of the line laptops from HP, Dell, Compaq, Alienware (b4 it was dell), Toshiba, and Asus. Non of them are remotely close to as nice, dependable, quiet, or functional as the 13inch MBP.
Click to expand...

Ive used the 13 inch MBP quite a bit and honestly its nothing special especially for how much more it is than a similar spec'd computer.

I never found the battery life to be 8 hours, and it was pretty much the same as any other laptop, maybe a little better.

The things that really stood out about it were how well the trackpad worked and the charger adapter design. To me though thats not worth the extra $300, id rather have more power.
 
fahimaz7 said:
That's actually quite false there.

Go try and build a 13 inch laptop with an LED screen, DDR3 ram, i5, backlit keyboard, and a 8 hour batter life.

You can't do that for half of the price of a MBP. Hate to tell you that. I also hope that you're not about to link me to the POS Dell Inspiron either, as that computer will have keys falling off and it's battery lasts about 30 minutes.

I've owned top of the line laptops from HP, Dell, Compaq, Alienware (b4 it was dell), Toshiba, and Asus. Non of them are remotely close to as nice, dependable, quiet, or functional as the 13inch MBP.
Click to expand...

If you build it yourself, you can most definitely build a comparable machine for half the price. If you prefer to buy a prebuilt computer, you can get a comparable Lenovo (one of the best quality laptops out there) for $350 less with better specs.

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...=6FB3EF28D7B74759958A46C33DBE0CD5&action=init
 
fahimaz7 said:
Perhaps you should have a MBP before you talk so much crap about one. I was an avid gamer and builder of PC's for 10 years before I made the switch to the MBP.. I will never go back. My water cooled i7 with 8 gigs of ram and 2 gigs of video ram is sitting in the closet upstairs.
Click to expand...

Well, if you're still an avid gamer you'll switch back. You pay 2-3x more for the same parts in any Mac computer AND have way less options. It's just plain stupid.

Now, if you're just saying that you like the OS soooooo much that you'll give up PC gaming, well... that's still rather silly.

BUT, if you no longer play games AND like the OS sooooooooooooo much that you'd rather pay way more for less, I can understand that.

P.S. Being that you're talking about an i7 rig it's obviously a rather recent switch to Mac. I also bought a macbook a while back, and although I do really like OS X, I just couldn't handle the slow components and lack of games and sold it for an amazing ASUS Republic of Gamers PC that costs a very small fraction of the highest end MBP but as much or more power. And, I'll never go back.

fahimaz7 said:
That's actually quite false there.

Go try and build a 13 inch laptop with an LED screen, DDR3 ram, i5, backlit keyboard, and a 8 hour batter life.

You can't do that for half of the price of a MBP. Hate to tell you that. I also hope that you're not about to link me to the POS Dell Inspiron either, as that computer will have keys falling off and it's battery lasts about 30 minutes.

I've owned top of the line laptops from HP, Dell, Compaq, Alienware (b4 it was dell), Toshiba, and Asus. Non of them are remotely close to as nice, dependable, quiet, or functional as the 13inch MBP.
Click to expand...

The low end MBP's are priced better than their high end stuff, but still at least 30-40% too high. For $1200 you can get a 17.5" core i7 machine, 6GB DDR 3, and a radion 5870 mobile gpu (1GB RAM) w/ backlit keyboard. The only thing you'll give up is the LED screen, which I must admit is consistently way better on Mac's--but for the price difference you can invest in a massive LED TV to hang in your bedroom. A similarly spec'd MBP is --INSANELY-- priced.

And, IMO, battery life for computers is overrated. I rarely use my computer anywhere I don't have a plug available to me.
 
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@ the OP

IMHO the thing that the iPad is best for is going over slides and lecture material rather than carrying around huge binders and/or stacks of printed PPT slides. That's about it. But, to me it is still worth it. As an aside, there are digital copies of some of the best med school books floating around, so if you can get your hands on them that also makes the iPad worth it.
 
bakanoisha said:
Well, if you're still an avid gamer you'll switch back. You pay 2-3x more for the same parts in any Mac computer AND have way less options. It's just plain stupid.

Now, if you're just saying that you like the OS soooooo much that you'll give up PC gaming, well... that's still rather silly.

BUT, if you no longer play games AND like the OS sooooooooooooo much that you'd rather pay way more for less, I can understand that.

P.S. Being that you're talking about an i7 rig it's obviously a rather recent switch to Mac. I also bought a macbook a while back, and although I do really like OS X, I just couldn't handle the slow components and lack of games and sold it for an amazing ASUS Republic of Gamers PC that costs a very small fraction of the highest end MBP but as much or more power. And, I'll never go back.



The low end MBP's are priced better than their high end stuff, but still at least 30-40% too high. For $1200 you can get a 17.5" core i7 machine, 6GB DDR 3, and a radion 5870 mobile gpu (1GB RAM) w/ backlit keyboard. The only thing you'll give up is the LED screen, which I must admit is consistently way better on Mac's--but for the price difference you can invest in a massive LED TV to hang in your bedroom. A similarly spec'd MBP is --INSANELY-- priced.

And, IMO, battery life for computers is overrated. I rarely use my computer anywhere I don't have a plug available to me.
Click to expand...

Battery life may be overrated, until you find yourself doing something that drains the battery (watching videos for procedures) without your precious cable or plug around.

I spent 15 years of my life playing computer based video games. I've been in top 10 guilds WW in several different MMORPG's, and I have absolutely no plan on ever going back to that type of a lifestyle. If medical school has taught me one thing, it's that video games are a complete waste of time.

I have a 2009 core2duo MBP with 4 gigs of ram and a 250 gig hd. It's as fast now, as it ever was, and it's still running without a single glitch. I've never had this experience with any of the PC's (laptop or desktop) that I've owned, and I don't plan on ever owning a different companies laptop.

When it comes to desktops, I will either build my own or get a display for the MBP that I'm using.

I use my MBP at least 6 hours/day.. and have done so for 2 years now.

PS. I think you are missing the point of my thread here. Who in there right mind wants to carry around a 8lb, 17 inch gaming laptop that requires an external cooling system? I've owned 2 different alienware 17 inch laptops and they are an absolute POS when it comes to anything other than gaming. All of the people that came to my school with a 17 inch laptop (windows based) have traded them in for 13 inch MBPs.
 
thechad said:
If you build it yourself, you can most definitely build a comparable machine for half the price. If you prefer to buy a prebuilt computer, you can get a comparable Lenovo (one of the best quality laptops out there) for $350 less with better specs.

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...=6FB3EF28D7B74759958A46C33DBE0CD5&action=init
Click to expand...

It's a $250 difference, and they are somewhat similar specs.

What's funny about this is 2 years ago I would have argued tooth and nail that the PC's are better than the macbooks.

Can we extend this argument to Hyundai and Kia.. vs Toyota and Honda? I mean, if they both have four wheels and a 4 cylinder engine, why would anyone pay a few thousand extra to get a Toyota badge on it?
 
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fahimaz7 said:
It's a $250 difference
Click to expand...

MBP base price (1200) - Lenovo price (850) = 350 difference

But I'm bad at mathing stuff out, so I guess I could be wrong...
 
I am by no means an Apple/OSX fan (every computer I have is Windows, including my MacBook) but MacBook Pros, especially after the Sandybridge refresh, are so far ahead of their competition quality-wise. You really can't understand until you use one.

Also, the $1099 (say you're a student to get the discount) MBP 13'' Core i5 is faster than comparable i7 laptops thanks to the new Intel structure.
 
thechad said:
MBP base price (1200) - Lenovo price (850) = 350 difference

But I'm bad at mathing stuff out, so I guess I could be wrong...
Click to expand...

It's $1,100 with a student discount. Also, nearly every laptop on the market is made by Quanta Computer (Lenovo, Sony, Apple, etc). You'd (falsely) assume that means they're all equal.

Quanta Computer deliberately manufactures different brands' laptops to different quality standards, even if they use "the same parts". Quanta has stated repeatedly that Macbooks are "substantially more durable and reliable" than their other products.

But in any case, the number one reason to buy a Macbook over PC laptops:

EFI

Windows laptops still use BIOS, which is an absolutely ancient and horrifically terrible technology that was outdated in the 1980's. The primary reasons why Macbooks don't lock up / crap out like other laptops:

1. EFI is faster and more reliable than BIOS, by exponential levels

2. A far better power cord design that prevents shorts (MagSafe is brilliant)

3. Macbooks have better cooling fans (especially when you directly control them with smc) than most laptops, especially when GPUs are enabled. Lenovo, Sony, and especially HP laptops will overheat to absolutely ludicrous levels because they -always- skimp on ventilation. Apple doesn't.
 
thechad said:
MBP base price (1200) - Lenovo price (850) = 350 difference

But I'm bad at mathing stuff out, so I guess I could be wrong...
Click to expand...

Students get the MBP for 1099. Perhaps you should look into discount for students.
 
Phange said:
MBP 13'' Core i5 is faster than comparable i7 laptops thanks to the new Intel structure.
Click to expand...

Could you please explain this further or post a link, I'm just curious for my own knowledge how the i5s are faster than the i7s.

Phange said:
But in any case, the number one reason to buy a Macbook over PC laptops:

EFI

Windows laptops still use BIOS, which is an absolutely ancient and horrifically terrible technology that was outdated in the 1980's. The primary reasons why Macbooks don't lock up / crap out like other laptops:

1. EFI is faster and more reliable than BIOS, by exponential levels
.
Click to expand...
I'm a strong believer in Linux. I only run Win7 for gaming purposes. I can't speak on powercords or fans, I haven't looked at the different ones used.

fahimaz7 said:
Students get the MBP for 1099. Perhaps you should look into discount for students.
Click to expand...
Lenovo has a 10% student discount, so it's a $335 difference.
 
For another point of reference:

I picked up an 11" Acer Timeline X laptop few months ago and really like it.
Intel i3 (i5 and i7 also available), LED screen, DDR3 Ram, thin, 7-8hr battery life for ~$600 I think.

Granted, I wouldn't consider it as well built or "sexy" as most MBPs but I generally take good care of my stuff and I love this thing. Just throwing that out as a PC alternative.

I'm actually a MacOS fan as it's a pretty "maintenance free" OS, but if you're very careful an security conscious then you should be able to keep Windows 7 running just fine.
 
Phange said:
It's $1,100 with a student discount. Also, nearly every laptop on the market is made by Quanta Computer (Lenovo, Sony, Apple, etc). You'd (falsely) assume that means they're all equal.

Quanta Computer deliberately manufactures different brands' laptops to different quality standards, even if they use "the same parts". Quanta has stated repeatedly that Macbooks are "substantially more durable and reliable" than their other products.

But in any case, the number one reason to buy a Macbook over PC laptops:

EFI

Windows laptops still use BIOS, which is an absolutely ancient and horrifically terrible technology that was outdated in the 1980's. The primary reasons why Macbooks don't lock up / crap out like other laptops:

1. EFI is faster and more reliable than BIOS, by exponential levels

2. A far better power cord design that prevents shorts (MagSafe is brilliant)

3. Macbooks have better cooling fans (especially when you directly control them with smc) than most laptops, especially when GPUs are enabled. Lenovo, Sony, and especially HP laptops will overheat to absolutely ludicrous levels because they -always- skimp on ventilation. Apple doesn't.
Click to expand...

You can get non apple computers with sandy bridge too.

I'll give you point 2 the charges are very well designed, but point 3 is crap. Those MBPs get real hot. My laptop while gaming is about as hot as my gfs MBP gets watching a video.
 
thechad said:
There is no way you can justify the price of their machines. They use the same parts as any other manufacturer, but charge twice as much. You are only buying a trendy brand.

The OS is not that great either. Is it better than Windows? Yeah. But Linux is better than both, and it's free. If you want a machine for gaming, get a desktop.

I have tried one of my friends as well, was not impressed (except by the price tag people pay for these).
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I have a MBP that runs both windows 7 and mac os. I always boot it up in Windows 7 because it is more functional and easier to use. Maybe Apple's new Lion OS will be good but as it stands Windows 7 > Mac os. If you have a desktop pc already I would get the iPad 2 for sure.

When you are on the go you don't want to have to deal with the **** laptops make you deal with. iPad does most needed things and is way lighter, easier to use and has a awesome battery life at 10 hours or so. There is also the Android Honeycomb tablets coming out but they are very new and iPad has greater developer support at the moment.
 
Sorry, no time to read all the back&forth in here, so just my 2 cents

I) I just checked my school folders and combined they take up 6.5 gigs for the first two years; that doesn include any electronic study guides for step 1. 16GB seems awfully little in my opinion

II) I've worked with mutliple different sytems (black Macbook a few years back, one of the first generation netbooks, etc) and now I have arrived at an alienware m11x...they generally get good reviews and because they are now owned by Dell you get a student discount. I've loved this little power-house machine...its fast, light (I travel ALOT to europe so portability & battery life is a must) and, yes, it does have enough graphics power to render games or nifty new 3D anatomy models (my netbook basically burned a hole into its onboard graphics processor trying to put those on my screen)

If i had to choose between the two that you are looking at; i'd probably get the iPad2 with a keyboard and 64 gigs...its got a stronger hardware profile now (compared to iPad 1) and its very portable with good battery...perfect for when you start hauling around first aid whereever you go.

Let us know what you decide on
 
thechad said:
That's because you don't know how to properly use/protect a computer.



That's probably because you are clumsy (if you are damaging so many computers).



Proof you know nothing about computers. If you mobo was the problem, your computer wouldn't even boot.

Warranties are sold to 2 major groups: women (not all women), and old people (once again, not all old people) who don't know anything about the computers they are buying. At least this is what I'm told by my friends in retail and IT.



Hence, the warranty. Good thing to have, but your friend probably lost everything on their harddisk. I've been alive for almost 3 decades, and I've never bought a warranty on any of my computers. I have also yet to spill anything on any of my computers, but maybe I'm doing it wrong.



What magic do you think they work in there? I'm seriously so curious. (as an aside, macs DO get viruses/spyware/adware/trojans/etc, contrary to what most people think)




The fact that this is your SEVENTH laptop (again, for emphasis, 7th laptop), suggest the problem most likely lies within the user, not the product.

I'm done with this thread, you can not reason with unreasonable people, but thanks for playing. 🙂
Click to expand...

I have a degree in Information Sciences and Technology. I own or have owned multiple machines. The only machine to last me a significant period of time has been my macbook.

They aren't as expensive as you think. This is a common argument but it just doesn't hold true for several reasons. One is that you can't compare the raw stats of the hardware fairly between windows and osx machines. But also, the average lifespan of an OSX computer is significantly longer than that of a windows machine. If you were to throw down 1500 dollars on a computer, then there isn't that much difference between the machines, except for the fact you may have to thrown down extra money for software not included and tons of random crap you don't want on the windows machine. The numbers always look more impressive, but my experience has been that the machine ends up feeling like a slug about 1 or 2 years before my OSX computers, even with those supposedly better numbers.

It really just comes down to different design philosphies with the OS. Apple is fixated on consistency, control, usability and streamlining. When they release a new version of OSX, you do not (usually) need to buy a new computer for it. I put leopard (released in 2007) on an imac from 2002 with really no problems. I would never even dream of putting windows 7 on my laptop that I got in 2005 (for $2000). My thinkpad I have now struggles with windows 7 at points and it is barely 2 years old and only has school stuff on it.

I'm not arguing for or against either really. I have both. I like both for their own reasons. I'm just tired of the same old hearsay being spread around about crap. I have my linux, osx and xp/vista/windows 7 boxes. I choose to use my macbook when I'm at home. If I had to start coding again, do lots of excel work, or some other random things, I'd probably prefer my windows machine.

Anyway, get whichever one you want. If you have a true computer at home to do stuff, then you can probably get by with an ipad and being a little innovative. The books are going to start getting much better for the ipad soon. Oh, and you can save .pdfs and highlight/annotate/underline, etc. as well as open most document types and edit. It isn't ideal and I would never use it to write a paper, but if you had to have something for class you could.
 
OP, I am in the same boat. I have been trying to decide between the 13" MBP or iPad2. I've been leaning towards the iPad2 for these reasons, but am still unsure:

1. It's lighter and smaller (I hated toting my laptop around during undergrad).
2. I retain things better when I hand write notes rather than typing them and with a stylus and a program like Noterize, UPAD, or Circus Ponies Notebook I would be able to write directly on the slides of a PP or PDF file in different colors and line widths.
3. I already have a laptop that works just fine, although a little rough around the edges.

However, I am still unsure for these reasons:
1. Typing up papers is still easier on a laptop or desktop.
2. I am not sure if you can download PDFs or PPs directly onto the iPad vs. having to transfer them from a computer to the iPad.
3. My laptop is a Macbook running 10.4, with 2.16 GHz and 1GB MHz DDR2. So this is rather old and does not have a ton of memory, though it is more than sufficient for creating word docs, PPs, etc.

I am not sure how often I will be typing papers at campus, but I will only be living ~10 bus ride from the school. I'm also not sure if, given my current laptops specs, an iPad2 will be sufficient for med school (though it has the most appropriate annotating features for my wants and would be a lot easier to tote around than a MBP with a stylus and pad). I'm done printing out PP lectures and PDFs and although I type pretty fast, typing distracts me from lecture and is not as conducive for my note taking style as using a stylus on the iPad2.

Anybody have any other suggestions?

inb4 another laptop/tablet like Lenovo Thinkpad. I'm sticking with mac.

EDIT: I found this so I guess typing is no longer a problem unless iPad2 doesn't have a Word or PP app: http://www.zagg.com/accessories/zaggmate-ipad-case
 
ipad + fujitsu scansnap 1500. The scanner can scan your largest textbook to pdf in ~20min. The texts are much more functional in goodreader (or other pdf reader) than the craptastic kindle versions, which doen't let you name or organize bookmarks or print pages, annotate, share files. Robbins, Goljan, etc are great in goodreader, you can zoom in and the resolution is excellent (not so on kindle versions of the few textbooks that are available). can also shrink/zoom the print size more easily to whatever size you want. It's personal preference; the ipad has not made me AOA. But has made my back happier, and school a little more fun.

PS, you do have to take the spines off you're books, but I'm glad I took the plunge and did this. I found I was only reading the books I had with me. i like being able to reference Netter, Robbins et al but would sooner repeat histo than carry them around.

Also, I use a bluetooth keyboard, which I can leave at school. Even when I'm carrying it, the combination is WAY lighter than a laptop and probably most netbooks. I'm in NYC and walk everywhere; it makes a big difference

Hope these ramblings are helpful...
 
This was one of the reasons I have been considering the iPad 2 over a MBP. I have a bad back and do not wish to carry a laptop + textbooks everywhere I go. Med school will be hard enough; I want to make things as easy and convenient for me as possible.
 
Sesom said:
I always boot it up in Windows 7 because it is more functional and easier to use.
Click to expand...

LOL WUT?!

I have a 15" MBP i5 that I love. Best computer I've ever owned. I'll probably end up with an iPad as well, so why not both? Unless you already have a computer...
 
I'd go with neither, but definitely the MBP over the iPad. The processing power is crap and you'll most likely be into heavy MS Office use, which isn't optimized for Macs. PPT should be okay but if you do any heavy excel work, you'll regret the MBP.

If you want a portable, cheaper, laptop, with a lot more processing power, and a longer battery, look at the Toshiba Portege line and add the 9 cell battery.There are other portable laptops but imo that is the best combination of battery life and small weight.

An iPad along with a laptop would work fine, but you'll likely need more than an iPad to get your work done.
 
I have a Mac desktop and an iPad.

The long and short of it is that if that the iPad can replicate 90% of what a laptop can do, but when you're up against the 10%, including:

- Transferring a file to another computer...when there's no wireless;
- Printing to a printer that isn't on your home network;
- Anything that might need a scroll wheel, including zooming in on scans;

you're going to be stuck.

If you want to type out notes, annotate Powerpoint slides, or watch videos...just get a netbook or a used Mac laptop.
 
I got an Asus K50i (2nd laptop in life) since I got into med school and that's been lasting for a year now, no problems. It's the most quiet laptop I've ever had, no matter how much I try to overheat it, it's cool and quiet. I need a laptop, not a netbook or an ipad. I take my notes on the computer, type them up on word. I need the ability to have a large keyboard and large screen as well as all the ports and standard hardware. My friends and I constantly send files to each other, so I need file transfer. I had initially got a netbook before coming to med school and I just didn't like it so I returned it and got this. The only advantage of getting an ipad imo, is that you can read e-books as if you were actually reading a real book. Though I've gotten used to reading e-books on my laptop, so I don't care.

The only thing I might change is get a tablet. Right now, flow charts is the only thing I have to keep a paper copy of, the rest of my notes are all stored in the computer. If I had a tablet, I could draw all my flow-charts on the computer and not have to scan it since it'll already be there. Warning though, if you want a tablet, make sure the palm rejection is working. There's only 2 brands that I know of that have a good capacitive (not resistive) touch and good palm rejection - lenovo and hp. All the other tablets I've tried have very bad palm rejection, so when you try to draw or write, it'll mess up greatly.
 
thechad said:
Could you please explain this further or post a link, I'm just curious for my own knowledge how the i5s are faster than the i7s.


I'm a strong believer in Linux. I only run Win7 for gaming purposes. I can't speak on powercords or fans, I haven't looked at the different ones used.


Lenovo has a 10% student discount, so it's a $335 difference.
Click to expand...

I have read most of your posts in this thread, and to be frank they kind of annoy me. I own three Windows computers and one mac and there is a huge difference. I love my Windows operated laptops for a vast majority of reasons, but the computer I use for school is a macbook. I am no expert about computers (I know my fair share though) and I'm ready to say that most medical students aren't either. You also can't expect them to be since they're in a field learning medicine not IT.

Apple computers are durable and the fact of the matter is, they will last no matter how little you know about protecting a computer or using it properly as you have stated in a post above. When you pay the more expensive price tag you are paying for your ******ness with computers. There is nothing wrong with not being as adept with computer technology. I would rather pay the extra $$$ for peace of mind then waste my time researching everything about PC's to have a cheaper computer. I'm sure there are many like me.

So instead of flaming people for liking macs you could understand that they really appeal to a group with different interests which aren't "worse" than yours.
 
mkietu said:
and to be frank they kind of annoy me.
Click to expand...

If you're frank, can I still be chad? HAHAHAHA

mkietu said:
Apple computers are durable and the fact of the matter is, they will last no matter how little you know about protecting a computer or using it properly as you have stated in a post above. When you pay the more expensive price tag you are paying for your ******ness with computers. There is nothing wrong with not being as adept with computer technology. I would rather pay the extra $$$ for peace of mind then waste my time researching everything about PC's to have a cheaper computer. I'm sure there are many like me.
Click to expand...

Asus and toshiba have lower failure rates than macs.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/most-least-reliable-notebooks-laptops,9102.html
 
Iwy Em Hotep said:
I have a Mac desktop and an iPad.

The long and short of it is that if that the iPad can replicate 90% of what a laptop can do, but when you're up against the 10%, including:

- Transferring a file to another computer...when there's no wireless;
- Printing to a printer that isn't on your home network;
- Anything that might need a scroll wheel, including zooming in on scans;

you're going to be stuck.

If you want to type out notes, annotate Powerpoint slides, or watch videos...just get a netbook or a used Mac laptop.
Click to expand...

There is a cool program now that can pull computers from your home to your iphone, ipad or ipod touch. Drop Box, recently discovered it.
 
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