Best Laptop?

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Hey everyone, I'm trying to figure out which laptop would be best to buy for med school in fall. Please let me know if you have any recommendations or any laptops I should avoid! Thanks so much!
 
Dell XPS or Any Macbook Pro. I've got the 13' XPS and it is SO GOOD! Amazing battery life and works well for all my needs! Macbook would probably last ya longer by a bit, but I've grown up with Windows my whole life, so the Dell XPS is pretty good!
 
It depends on your budget, personally I'm thinking of buying MSI GS65. It's been made to look more business style and has good graphics in the event that I need to use VR to learn and anatomy
 
microsoft.com having a sale on the XPS 13
 
I have the 2017 MacBook Pro and it's flawless. It is a bit pricey, but I absolutely love the thing, and MacBooks tend to last a little longer than other laptops do as far as I know.. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong.
 
manofgod747 said:
I have the 2017 MacBook Pro and it's flawless. It is a bit pricey, but I absolutely love the thing, and MacBooks tend to last a little longer than other laptops do as far as I know.. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong.
Click to expand...

Do you have any trouble with incompatible programs you need to download for med school?
 
I'm also starting this fall so I can't speak yet to compatibility, but I like my Macbook Pro a lot. I'm not an Apple person, at all, but I have to admit that they make a good laptop. Mine is 4 years old and literally perfect. I charge it 1-2 times a week and use it for several hours a day. It's fast and easy to navigate.

My mom actually offered to buy me a new laptop for graduation and after thinking about it, there was nothing I could have found that would be an upgrade. After almost 5 years, that's saying a lot.
 
What's your price range?

I've been wanting to make this post for a while, so I'm going to do it here.

I'll post what I think is best from what I consider Very low tier (around $500), low tier (Under $750) Mid tier (Under $1000) and upper tier (Under $1250) and top tier (Over $1500). I think that if you spend more than $1500 on your laptop, you're crazy.
This list is not all encompassing by any means, but here are what I think are good laptops at every price range.

Very Low Tier:
Inspiron 15 3000 Laptop (Intel®) with long battery life | Dell | Dell United States
Pros: Good Hard Drive Size, 8GB Memory
Cons: Maybe Bulky, integrated graphics, 7th Gen Intel processors are much slower than 8th gen, Hard drive isn't solid state

Inspiron 15 5000 2-in-1 Laptop | Dell United States
Pros: Touch Screen, Good hard drive size
Cons: Maybe Bulky, integrated graphics, 7th Gen Intel processors are much slower than 8th gen, Hard drive isn't solid state, 4GB memory, i3 processors are literally trash, Hard drive isn't solid state

Acer Store: Switch Alpha 12 2-in-1 Laptop - SA5-271-57DS | Acer
Pros: Touch screen, detachable, QHD display, lightweight, 8GB memory
Cons: Small Hard drive, old processor, integrated graphics, Hard drive isn't solid state, made by Acer.

Low Tier:
Costco Wholesale
Pros: 8th Gen i5 processor, touchscreen, lightweight, dedicated graphics, 4 year Costco warranty, SSD
Cons: Hard drive is a little small, 8GB memory (which is small for this price)
Honestly, this is an amazing laptop for the price.

520S (14”) | Lenovo US
Pros: 8th generation i7, lightweight, dedicated graphics, two hard drives (one for space, another for boot speed)
Cons: Small SSD, 8GB memory, not touchscreen

Inspiron 13 5000 2-in-1 laptop | Dell United States
Pros: Touchscreen, small and lightweight, 8th generation i5 processor, 360 degrees
Cons: No SSD, 8GB memory, no dedicated graphics

Mid Tier:
Costco Wholesale
Pros: Good SSD Size, touchscreen, 360 degree, dedicated graphics, lots of memory, 4 year warranty, great processor (8th gen i7)
Cons: a little bulky
This is the laptop I settled on.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-2...tate-drive-matte-gray/5768302.p?skuId=5768302
Pros: Touchscreen, lightweight, 512GB SSD, 16GB Memory, 360 degrees
Cons: integrated graphics, 7th gen intel processor, best buy bloatware

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo...id-state-drive-bronze/6061500.p?skuId=6061500
Pros: Lightweight, touchscreen, YOGAs are super reliable, SSD, great 8th gen i7
Cons: SSD is small, 8GB memory, best buy bloatware

Upper Tier:
Costco Wholesale
Pros: Lightweight, great processor, lots of memory, dedicated graphics, good SSD, 4 year costco warranty
Cons: Not touchscreen, costs $1200.

IdeaPad 720S 14-inch | Cutting-Edge Stylish Laptop | Lenovo US
Pros: Lightweight, great processor, lots of memory, dedicated graphics, good SSD
Cons: Not touchscreen, costs $1200.

XPS 13 Laptop with Dell Cinema and Next-Gen InfinityEdge | Dell United States
Pros: Small and lightweight, PCIe SSD (A little faster than the other SSDs)
Cons: Everything else is bad. I'm not a fan of the XPS series.

Top Tier:
Costco Wholesale
Pros: Lightweight, touchscreen, great processor, lots of memory, good SSD, 4 year costco warranty
Cons: Price, Integrated Graphics

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-z...-512gb-ssd-slate-gray/6219257.p?skuId=6219257
Pros: Lightweight, touchscreen, great processor, lots of memory, good SSD, dedicated graphics
Cons: Price, Best buy bloatware

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/new-alienware-15/spd/alienware-15-laptop/dkcwcflf011
Pros: Get to make this computer from scratch and pick components. Price may increase a bit.
Cons: Price, Heavy AF, Everyone will think you're a virgin.
 
LoveBeingHuman:) said:
Do you have any trouble with incompatible programs you need to download for med school?
Click to expand...

I am still in my undergrad so I wouldn't be able to speak on that.
With that said, almost all programs come with two versions, for PC and Mac's, and I doubt that would be an issue down the road for you! To add to my initial point, I just feel there are so many applications out there for MacBook's that enhance your productivity/organization and etc.

Having a MacBook is like going on a honeymoon... except it doesn't end. Your wife(MacBook) looks gorgeous every time you look at her, even without make-up, and she will be by your side 24/7, never breaks and complains.
 
Some schools will give you a laptop that you have to use or have requirements so definitely check with them to make sure!
 
manofgod747 said:
I am still in my undergrad so I wouldn't be able to speak on that.
With that said, almost all programs come with two versions, for PC and Mac's, and I doubt that would be an issue down the road for you! To add to my initial point, I just feel there are so many applications out there for MacBook's that enhance your productivity/organization and etc.

Having a MacBook is like going on a honeymoon... except it doesn't end. Your wife(MacBook) looks gorgeous every time you look at her, even without make-up, and she will be by your side 24/7, never breaks and complains.
Click to expand...

LOL XD. I know what you mean. MacBooks have been getting extremely strong. I’ve spilled milk on mine and dropped it twice and it still works like a charm!
 
XPS 15 checking in. Enough umph to play video games, enough screen real estate to be more productive than the macbook crowd.

Look at your school they sometimes have requirements.
 
LoveBeingHuman:) said:
Do you have any trouble with incompatible programs you need to download for med school?
Click to expand...

Nope, and if you do research most of the bioinformatic softwares are developed for linux systems. Use a new MacBook Pro and thing's just downright beautiful. Get something you really like -- you'll be staring at that screen a *lot* over the next few years.

Ah and that touch bar is super cool. Totally worth the >$2k :sorry:

Stick to Mac OS d/t stability & amazing integration between MacBook > iPad Pro to hand write notes into notability, iCloud sync and export when needed as .pdf to dropbox
 
Just saw a commercial for a lenova yoga pc featuring a medical student LOL Anyways they are supposedly doing a sale- $100 off
 
MacBook Pro. Expensive, but I literally ran mine over with my truck and it cracked the screen but it still works.
 
If you get a Macbook Pro and take decent care of it, it should last you a decade. Not many computers on the market can say the same thing. There's a reason why Apple has skyrocketed to the number one company in the world (Fortune500) and it's not even close.
 
I had a poor laptop all through undergrad and bought a Dell XPS 13 when I found out I was accepted. I’ve had it 6 months and it’s AMAZING. You can get all the same specifications as any Mac for $300 less.
 
MDPedigree said:
If you get a Macbook Pro and take decent care of it, it should last you a decade. Not many computers on the market can say the same thing. There's a reason why Apple has skyrocketed to the number one company in the world (Fortune500) and it's not even close.
Click to expand...

Because they use sweatshops and charge twice the amount a windows PC does with the same specs?

Not to mention their customer service. Hand over a broken piece of tech to them and their "genius'" will basically go "yeah that's f*cked, we can off you a replacement... for full price of course."
 
Last edited:
doctorcocter said:
Because they use sweatshops and charge twice the amount a windows PC does with the same specs?

Not to mention their customer service. Hand over a broken piece of tech to them and their "genius'" will basically go "yeah that's f*cked, we can off you a replacement... for full price of course."
Click to expand...

Get you a windows with the same specs as a mac and see which lasts longer.. I have a Macbook Pro 2.3 Ghz intel core i5 from 2013 and still runs 100% perfectly (no exaggeration) and a lenovo with similar specs from the same year which runs at about 50% of original quality. And don't act like other companies like Dell or Lenovo don't outsource for cheap labor either... All companies do, the difference is Apple has perfected their products and are the reason people will spend 2x on a computer from them than a trash Dell or Lenovo.. they last MUCH longer.

And for your second point, I said take decent care of your device. It's not that hard to not run over your computer or spill coffee on it. Their customer service makes a lot of money due to *****s not knowing how to take care of their devices.
 
For those of you who plan to do research, you might need something with a stronger processor/ram. I worked in a lab that ran flow cytometry was always able to analyze my data quickly with 16gb ram + i7 (Sony Vaio from 5 years ago)from home. Other peoples personal laptops did not have enough umph to use the flowjo software and had to do it at school with the Mac desktops.
 
MDPedigree said:
Get you a windows with the same specs as a mac and see which lasts longer.. I have a Macbook Pro 2.3 Ghz intel core i5 from 2013 and still runs 100% perfectly (no exaggeration) and a lenovo with similar specs from the same year which runs at about 50% of original quality. And don't act like other companies like Dell or Lenovo don't outsource for cheap labor either... All companies do, the difference is Apple has perfected their products and are the reason people will spend 2x on a computer from them than a trash Dell or Lenovo.. they last MUCH longer.

And for your second point, I said take decent care of your device. It's not that hard to not run over your computer or spill coffee on it. Their customer service makes a lot of money due to *****s not knowing how to take care of their devices.
Click to expand...

I did take care of my device. My iPhone just shut off one day and would not turn on no matter what. You honestly think Apple products don't have issues? Either way it still doesn't change the fact that they are terrible with customer service and make devices that are designed to be hard to self repair, and that their profit rank literally means nothing.

Macs slow down too, so your anecdote doesn't mean anything. Also is this the same Apple that caved into accusations of planned obsolescence? And also marketing. Apple markets their stuff like a fashion accessory. When you look their commercials, do you think of a med student or tryhard hipster? Do I really need to explain that perceived value doesn't matter when you actually need to use the computer for productivity?

But hey, if you want a computer with maybe a slighty better touchpad, less customization, an OS with a terrible UI and multitasking, you can have it for twice as much.
 
I got a Macbook Pro and an Ipad pro. I wanted something to last me for such a long time. I have a macbook since 2011 without any issues, and I am afraid that it wont last me for med school.
I work full time, and saved few thousands 😉
 
People are right in saying that MacBooks are durable, but I don’t think people understand just how price inflated they are. Let’s take a look.

A 13 inch MacBook Pro is $1,299. It comes with 8Gb of memory, a 128Gb SSD, and a 7th gen i5 chip.

I can get a PC with those specs for about $550.

So the question becomes: will my MacBook last me about 2.5x as long as this PC and run cleanly throughout?

The answer to that is probably not.

For those who don’t believe me on the price: here’s an acer with a newer (8th Gen which are literally a massive step above 7th gen, for those who don’t follow intel news, they said the 8th gens are up to 40% faster and people are comparing the speed leap as the equivalent of 2-3 generations of chips) i5 chip and twice the SSD size for $550

Costco Wholesale
 
FlavivirusProtease said:
People are right in saying that MacBooks are durable, but I don’t think people understand just how price inflated they are. Let’s take a look.

A 13 inch MacBook Pro is $1,299. It comes with 8Gb of memory, a 128Gb SSD, and a 7th gen i5 chip.

I can get a PC with those specs for about $550.

So the question becomes: will my MacBook last me about 2.5x as long as this PC and run cleanly throughout?

The answer to that is probably not.

For those who don’t believe me on the price: here’s an acer with a newer (8th Gen which are literally a massive step above 7th gen, for those who don’t follow intel news, they said the 8th gens are up to 40% faster and people are comparing the speed leap as the equivalent of 2-3 generations of chips) i5 chip and twice the SSD size for $550

Costco Wholesale
Click to expand...
I still believe MacBooks last longer for some reason. I don’t know why. I have a MacBook since 2011, and did not have any problems.
 
I’ve had my MacBook Pro since 2012 and have never had problems with it. On the other hand, we’ve had numerous PC’s in that same time frame that die for one reason or another. MacBooks are expensive, yes, but the fact that is has better performance than the Lenovo ThinkPad we got around Christmas says a lot.

As far as compatibility, you’ll find in med school that a majority of your classmates seem to have MacBooks, so that is a non-issue.
 
ciestar said:
I’ve had my MacBook Pro since 2012 and have never had problems with it. On the other hand, we’ve had numerous PC’s in that same time frame that die for one reason or another. MacBooks are expensive, yes, but the fact that is has better performance than the Lenovo ThinkPad we got around Christmas says a lot.

As far as compatibility, you’ll find in med school that a majority of your classmates seem to have MacBooks, so that is a non-issue.
Click to expand...

That’s fair.

Personally, I’ve owned a MacBook and I don’t see the difference.

I am a bit of a techie though, so my laptops are meticulously cared for and tend to retain their performance for a long time.

I will say that a MacBook is 1000% easier to care for, but I believe that PCs have a much bigger upside in running well.
 
I would never get a Lenovo, as an FYI. They are notorious for having issues and breaking after a year or two. I've owned three Lenovos in the past and all three have had multiple hardware issues (one was school-issued new and was sent back to manufacturer MULTIPLE times in one year). I am very gentle with my laptops and devices (e.g. a 2009 Kindle Fire working like new now) and I wouldn't go for it. Do something like Dell or Mac (as ASUS and Hp also are not so great).
 
RockMcat520 said:
I still believe MacBooks last longer for some reason. I don’t know why. I have a MacBook since 2011, and did not have any problems.
Click to expand...

Apple controls everything so of course things will be more optimized. Microsoft for the most part is just licensing its OS. The companies themselves then decide what parts to add in which may not work the absolute best. But the major thing that works best on Windows is Microsoft Office and OP should definitely think about that when choosing.
 
The question is wrong. It’s like asking what is the best new car to buy.

Having said that, As a laptop, Macs are superior and last longer. Take it from an IT professional developer/programmer with 25+ Years of experience who mostly programs against Microsoft platform. Btw Macs run on intel processors and are capable of running windows as well. I have Parallels installed on my Mac that allows me to run windows and Mac OS side by side (without booting into each OS separately). It works flawlessly.
 
ShyGuy0082 said:
The question is wrong. It’s like asking what is the best new car to buy.

Having said that, As a laptop, Macs are superior and last longer. Take it from an IT professional developer/programmer with 25+ Years of experience who mostly programs against Microsoft platform. Btw Macs run on intel processors and are capable of running windows as well. I have Parallels installed on my Mac that allows me to run windows and Mac OS side by side (without booting into each OS separately). It works flawlessly.
Click to expand...

How is that working for you? I tried boot camp to get windows on my MacBook Pro 4-5 years ago and it was pretty laggy?

I think I also tried to VM windows too, but it was even worse. How’d you get that to work?
 
Windows 10 has really dealt a serious blow to any remaining goodwill towards windows products. Will probably get a mac for my next laptop to see how it goes.
 
doctorcocter said:
I did take care of my device. My iPhone just shut off one day and would not turn on no matter what. You honestly think Apple products don't have issues? Either way it still doesn't change the fact that they are terrible with customer service and make devices that are designed to be hard to self repair, and that their profit rank literally means nothing.

Macs slow down too, so your anecdote doesn't mean anything. Also is this the same Apple that caved into accusations of planned obsolescence? And also marketing. Apple markets their stuff like a fashion accessory. When you look their commercials, do you think of a med student or tryhard hipster? Do I really need to explain that perceived value doesn't matter when you actually need to use the computer for productivity?

But hey, if you want a computer with maybe a slighty better touchpad, less customization, an OS with a terrible UI and multitasking, you can have it for twice as much.
Click to expand...
That’s weird because I have gone into Apple stores to get my products serviced many times and have had nothing but good experiences. They even replaced my iPhone X at no cost and I didn’t even have the AppleCare. I dropped a weight on it at the gym. I’ve come to notice people are more willing to do favors for nicer people.
 
MDPedigree said:
That’s weird because I have gone into Apple stores to get my products serviced many times and have had nothing but good experiences. They even replaced my iPhone X at no cost and I didn’t even have the AppleCare. I dropped a weight on it at the gym. I’ve come to notice people are more willing to do favors for nicer people.
Click to expand...

Calling massive BS here. ****, even if this was true I think I was nice enough given that a 400$ phone just stopped working out of nowhere. Plus it was your fault you dropped it. Can you really be mad at anyone else but yourself?
 
doctorcocter said:
Calling massive BS here. ****, even if this was true I think I was nice enough given that a 400$ phone just stopped working out of nowhere. Plus it was your fault you dropped it. Can you really be mad at anyone else but yourself?
Click to expand...
100% true. It was completely my fault, but I didn’t know it was bent until they took the case off infront of me.

Another reason I love Apple. Amazing products, amazing customer service. #1 company in the world for a reason. It’s not just me saying it
 
MDPedigree said:
100% true. It was completely my fault, but I didn’t know it was bent until they took the case off infront of me.

Another reason I love Apple. Amazing products, amazing customer service. #1 company in the world for a reason. It’s not just me saying it
Click to expand...

The reasons are: cheap labor, planned obsolescence, tax evasion, marketing and perceived value, and introducing old tech as something innovative and new.

Reasons not: giving a free replacement worth 1 grand to any ***** that breaks their phone.
 
FlavivirusProtease said:
How is that working for you? I tried boot camp to get windows on my MacBook Pro 4-5 years ago and it was pretty laggy?

I think I also tried to VM windows too, but it was even worse. How’d you get that to work?
Click to expand...

It works out great for me. I don’t use bootcamp. I use parallels which is really a VM. I have a full suite of development tools installed: Visual Studio, MS SQL SERVER etc. not a single issue. My Mac has 16GB of ram. So I allocated 6GB for Windows and it works just great. Having a SSD helps too.
 
The discrepancy here is people are comparing $1300+ Macbooks to $500 PCs. It's not hard to predict the more expensive item lasts longer. I don't expect similar performance from my Corolla to a Porsche.

It would be fairer to compare similar price-level and quality PCs to Macbooks. Something along the line of a Dell XPS or Microsoft Surface Laptop. Those will last you just as long and will often be a little cheaper for better specs. With Apple you do pay extra for the brand.
 
dark_knight said:
The discrepancy here is people are comparing $1300+ Macbooks to $500 PCs. It's not hard to predict the more expensive item lasts longer. I don't expect similar performance from my Corolla to a Porsche.

It would be fairer to compare similar price-level and quality PCs to Macbooks. Something along the line of a Dell XPS or Microsoft Surface Laptop. Those will last you just as long and will often be a little cheaper for better specs. With Apple you do pay extra for the brand.
Click to expand...

The price is not the reason why it works longer. Windows has to accommodate for all possible vendors and therefore ship their OS with boatload of stuff you don’t need. Mac control hardware and software. That’s why their OS is a lot leaner and optimal.
 
Anyone have thoughts on the HP Spectre? Should I avoid HP?
 
doctorcocter said:
The reasons are: cheap labor, planned obsolescence, tax evasion, marketing and perceived value, and introducing old tech as something innovative and new.

Reasons not: giving a free replacement worth 1 grand to any ***** that breaks their phone.
Click to expand...
Hey you don’t have to agree with it. The people and their opinions speak for themselves. Number one company. Other PC companies utitlize all of the same things you said, they just aren’t Apple.
 
ShyGuy0082 said:
The price is not the reason why it works longer. Windows has to accommodate for all possible vendors and therefore ship their OS with boatload of stuff you don’t need. Mac control hardware and software. That’s why their OS is a lot leaner and optimal.
Click to expand...

That's not how computers work. Windows is optimized to run well on any hardware it's installed one. PC manufacturers install the relevant drivers/software for their build. Yes many Windows vendors do pre-load their computers with lots of unwanted software/spam.
But again that's mostly on the cheaper, entry level products.

Also this magical control of software and hardware is not unique to Apple. Microsoft has the same thing going with their Surface product line. Look at reviews for the latests Surface laptops. They have been much more glowing than for Apple's newest line of Macbooks (unfortunate lack of ports and poor battery life)

My advice is do your research. Don't buy a mac just because of the marketing gimmick. Most high-end PCs will do just as good of a job, if not better. You will also end up with less compatibility issues with Windows compared to MacOS.
 
SpringsHTTR said:
Anyone have thoughts on the HP Spectre? Should I avoid HP?
Click to expand...

HP Spectre line is pretty good. If you can get a good deal I would recommend it. I would also research Dell XPS (those bezels are so beautiful) and they are frequently on sale.
 
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