Buying a computer for medical school

[gbiz]

The only benefit that Macs still have over PCs is battery life; however, this gap is decreasing thanks to Intel Centrino components. If you get yourself PC with at least a 1.8 GHz Pentium M, 1GB RAM, and a 40GB HD, it will last for 4 years.

No... battery life is an issue for cheaply built laptops. Look for business model. My nc6000 gets about 4 hours on the main battery. I can also buy an extra battery for in the multibay to achieve about 6 hours.

You dont need to get the 1 gig right now, you can wait 2 years for prices to go down and upgrade your laptop, which will extend its life.

Also, the time they last is really dependant on how slow you think your computer is in that amount of time, if you get a durable computer. Like ive said before, there are many cheaply built laptops that wont last that long, but if youget a good one, it can. Mine has a 3 year warranty, which is easy to use, you simply go to compaq's website and fill out a form if something is wrong with it. So it will last at least 3 years.

The issue is speed. Will this be different for a Mac, no! So 3 years ago in laptops we had the PIIIm pusing the 1 ghz barrier. These chips are still on the market today in low voltage machines, meaning could you manage with a laptop today that is over 3 years old, easily, as does my bro. His is 3.5 years, and still strong (Compaq n600c, PIII 866 mhz). Upgraded memory and hdd in it once, and its gold.

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[stoic]

well, despite what vdp says, i say get a mac unless your school specifically requires you to have a windows based machine.

i'm a little biased, though. i just made the pc to mac jump (and i couldn't be happier - i honestly can't believe how much i love both the hardware and the software).

i've been a pc user for my entire life. i'm also very pc savy. i've built several pc's and do most of the tech support (hardware and software) for several professors in the department where i work (b/c the univesrity service sucks serious balls). the bottom line is that i know my way around windows. and i got completely fed up with dealing with all of the bull**** and instability. so, after some amount of duress, i decided to get a mac.

i wish i had made the switch sooner. this stuff about office being slower is BS. office runs way, way, way faster on my powerbook than it did on my 1.4ghz athalon. i really like the OSX dock, too. It's a really neat way to use your computer.

 

[gbiz]

well, despite what vdp says, i say get a mac unless your school specifically requires you to have a windows based machine.

i'm a little biased, though. i just made the pc to mac jump (and i couldn't be happier - i honestly can't believe how much i love both the hardware and the software).

i've been a pc user for my entire life. i'm also very pc savy. i've built several pc's and do most of the tech support (hardware and software) for several professors in the department where i work (b/c the univesrity service sucks serious balls). the bottom line is that i know my way around windows. and i got completely fed up with dealing with all of the bull**** and instability. so, after some amount of duress, i decided to get a mac.

i wish i had made the switch sooner. this stuff about office being slower is BS. office runs way, way, way faster on my powerbook than it did on my 1.4ghz athalon. i really like the OSX dock, too. It's a really neat way to use your computer.

you know there are free dock programs for windows too. i use y'z dock. i also use style xp to make windows look as I want it to

 

[TheRussian]

Our school requires us to get computers and they strongly recommend PC's. This is interesting because a lot of our professors use Macs to make the powerpoint presentations and some of them are not compatible with PCs. I still like my PC and I know that it will pay of once we hit 3rd and 4th year because the hospital is entirely based on PCs but in the meantime the few Mac users in our class are silently laughing at the rest of us.

 

[JAMMAN]

Macintosh is the way to go. They are a far superior computer when compared to a PC. Most people will agree with this...even PC owners. The most common excuse a PC owner uses is "there is more software" followed by "it is cheaper".

The truth is that most software the average PC user is going to use is available on the Mac as well. Microsoft Office is cross platform compatible.

Although Macs are more expensive in general, they hold their resale value much better than a PC. If you don't believe me, check out the prices of a two year old Mac v. two year old PC on eBay.

The price of Macs are coming down. Witness the new Mac Mini. For a student I recommend an iBook. For the price is comes generously loaded with user friendly software. Don't forget to get your educational discount on Macs which can amount to as much as $300 off a computer.

 

[myodana]

thanks for the advice everyone, i was leaning on getting a laptop, i just needed a little push from everyone

now ive read the posts here and now im torn between getting a MAC or a PC...i havent done much research into it yet, but how much more expensive are MACS as compared to PCs? Are MACs more expensive because they last longer? I've been a PC user all my life, but it would be nice not to have to buy a new computer every 4 years....any advice is welcomed!

i was a PC user all my life too. my advice? go to the apple store (if you have one nearby) and PLAY WITH THEM. just plant yourself in front of the computers and fiddle around with it. or find a friend that has a mac laptop (i highly recommend the ibook - better value) and ask if you can use it for a couple of hours. try running different programs, etc. as far as office, i just switched to mac and find that it's almost exactly the same as windows. it was a much less traumatic switch than i was expecting. same with photoshop. and with macs you get the great little program pack with itunes, iphoto, imovie, and if you have a superdrive, idvd (burning dvd's of your home movies is super fun!).

edit:
a 12" ibook is here and i don't think $999 is an outrageous price... if you are going to add more RAM, DO NOT get it from apple, they will charge you an arm and a leg... go to a reputable place that is an apple dealer. it should be cheaper that way.
if you have more questions feel free to PM.

 

[VPDcurt]

A centrino is a Pentium M with built in wireless; just the name Intel gave to it.


You can find a great business model compaq (3 year warranty), with centrino, for $1,000.

And dont get a Pentium 4 in a laptop if you want to use it on battery.

Never buy a celeron, worst processor ever.

Haha, it must have been getting late for me. I screwed up centrino and celeron. I have a centrino and I love it.

 

[drguy22]

Do you guys suggest buying a decent laptop or a really nice desktop? Do laptop owners find their laptops useful *specifically for studying* when they are studying somewheres, or is just nice to have around when you're taking a break....maybe its a distraction? Im trying to figure out what I should buy as well before school starts, so any advice/suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

yo did u know that the library at NJMS lets u loan laptops for use in the library, and the entire campus is wired for wireless. so techincally we dont need a computer, but im prolly gonna buy one just for the sake of buyin one..and a PDA too, but im not sure bout that yet

 

[Blue Scrub]

yo did u know that the library at NJMS lets u loan laptops for use in the library, and the entire campus is wired for wireless. so techincally we dont need a computer, but im prolly gonna buy one just for the sake of buyin one..and a PDA too, but im not sure bout that yet

You're right, they mentioned that at the tour...that is a nice thing, but i might just buy my own as well...Im gonna use it for other stuff as well as med school stuff...I am excited about buying a PDA as well, but I thought we only need that for 3rd year? For personal use though, those things are pretty cool!

 

[hb2998]

You'd think a computer programmer would be capable of fixing computer problems on his/her own.

Yeah, I would've bought a nic card on my own, but I did get the support, so I figured dell was obligated to fix my computer. I knew exactly what was wrong with my computer. Everytime i sent it in, I always told them what I wanted replaced. Everytime they sent me a card, I had told them I want a Wireless NIC card for my computer... But everytime, they sent me a nic card for a differen series computer, and everytime i sent it in rather than replacing my wireless nic card, they replaced my motherboard (twice). I would never buy a laptop without a factory warranty just because the parts are very expensive and hard to replace (have fun replacing a motherboard, or your lcd [my brothers is burning out he has black spots all over].) Warranty is like insurance, you buy it so you don't have to worry about it. Plus, part of the reason i never gave up sending my computer to dell and bugging them on the phone is because I knew their support sucks, and if you can prove to them that their support sucks, they'll reward you with a new computer.

ps. Dells customer support is very hard to deal with if you know anything about computers. I really can't see how dells support can be considered anything close to "good." I've delt with waay too many support people at dell, and simply put, they spend way more time training them to talk, than training them how to diagnose a computer problem.

 

[Mothra]

Apple is a counter-culture brand.

No one I know that has a Mac really uses a computer for much (email and a letter or two every now and then). There might be an Apple store/vendor or two in your town. And again there might not be...

But if you buy an Apple, you do get to carp at the 96%+ of the planet that runs some flavor of Windows. But please don't bother a Windows person when your doorstop stops working. We don't know/don't care/quietly wonder why you bought that thing.

 

[VPDcurt]

No... battery life is an issue for cheaply built laptops. Look for business model. My nc6000 gets about 4 hours on the main battery. I can also buy an extra battery for in the multibay to achieve about 6 hours.

You dont need to get the 1 gig right now, you can wait 2 years for prices to go down and upgrade your laptop, which will extend its life.

That battery life really isn't all that impressive. Mine lasts for over 3 hrs and I wouldn't consider that great. If you don't get 1 gig of RAM right now, make sure you buy 512 MB in one chip so you still have a slot remaining for the upgrade.

 

[VPDcurt]

Apple is a counter-culture brand.

No one I know that has a Mac really uses a computer for much (email and a letter or two every now and then). There might be an Apple store/vendor or two in your town. And again there might not be...

But if you buy an Apple, you do get to carp at the 96%+ of the planet that runs some flavor of Windows. But please don't bother a Windows person when your doorstop stops working. We don't know/don't care/quietly wonder why you bought that thing.

I love the signature by the way.

 

[palminator2003]

Apple is a counter-culture brand.

Yes, Steve Jobs is a hippie liberal. Big deal. Rush Limbaugh uses macs heavily as well. To say that Apple is a counter-culture brand is far too simplistic. Apple has its niches in the creative arts and education. However, it is now a pop icon. The counter-culture brand thing is yesterdays news.

No one I know that has a Mac really uses a computer for much (email and a letter or two every now and then).

Umm...that's what probably 90% of the people want to do anyway. Check email, write a paper, surf the web, an occasional game. Not everyone spends all day using their computer.

There might be an Apple store/vendor or two in your town. And again there might not be...

Apple's coverage isn't perfect, but then again Dell doesn't even HAVE a store in town. If you live in a major city, there are venders there. Plus, there's always mail order and the internet.

But if you buy an Apple, you do get to carp at the 96%+ of the planet that runs some flavor of Windows. But please don't bother a Windows person when your doorstop stops working. We don't know/don't care/quietly wonder why you bought that thing.

Mac folks stick together. There's plenty of community support out there. We don't DO Windows.

 

[stoic]

Apple is a counter-culture brand.

No one I know that has a Mac really uses a computer for much (email and a letter or two every now and then). There might be an Apple store/vendor or two in your town. And again there might not be...

But if you buy an Apple, you do get to carp at the 96%+ of the planet that runs some flavor of Windows. But please don't bother a Windows person when your doorstop stops working. We don't know/don't care/quietly wonder why you bought that thing.

i don't really see an arguement against getting a mac anywhere in your post.

 

[heeter]

No one I know that has a Mac really uses a computer for much (email and a letter or two every now and then).

Plenty of computer people prefer macs... I do network security engineering and use my mac every day. It runs linux network tools natively and lets me compile homegrown code. In fact, its reliance on a bsd core makes it very flexible. You can run unix scientific tools on them with few problems.

It is difficult to infect a mac w/ a virus/exploit and there are far fewer mac virus writers. Put those together and you have a very safe OS. Waaay safer than windows machines.

I work for a network security company and I can tell you with certainty, if every one of our clients switched their windows machines for macs, our jobs would be much easier.

Plus its easy to use but powerful if you need it. The big downside w/ macs is they don't play nice w/ windows machines and vice versa. Making them talk over a network is a nightmare. Also, file interoperability is ok and getting better.

I'm saving my money for g5 powerbooks, which may or may not come out this year.

 

[Mothra]

I love the signature by the way.

Feel free to plagiarize.

 

[Mothra]

Mac folks stick together. There's plenty of community support out there. We don't DO Windows.

OK, everything you've said seems to be the Apple argument. But why would you want to struggle so hard to be so different? Are there any med schools that standardized on Apple? (I don't know of any, but I haven't looked for any either.)

 

[JimmyPopAli]

I'm saving my money for g5 powerbooks, which may or may not come out this year.

Same here.. I'm hoping they come out in June.. But I'm thinking it's more like early in 06

 

[stoic]

OK, everything you've said seems to be the Apple argument. But why would you want to struggle so hard to be so different? Are there any med schools that standardized on Apple? (I don't know of any, but I haven't looked for any either.)

i don't see what's so counter-culture about wanting a computer that doesn't crash often and is virus/pop-up free. why are you so against giving something different a shot?

 

[gbiz]

its not that its counter cultural to many people, its the familiarity of windows. thats why mac gives computers to schools, and discounts to higher education; so people will get used to them.

im still a PC person b/c of networking/functionality/performance. macs are aesthetically pleasing. they do a great job with that, they make them look like it wasnt designed by an engineer however, pcs are more powerful (i know a RISC processor is faster, but Reduced Instruction Set Computer processors are what their name says, reduced instruction set. Meaning it takes more instructions to do the same thing on a RISC processor.

all in all, both are powerful machines. get what pleases you, what YOUD BE COMFORTABLE with.

ive been using windows since i can remember, and their networking support is very good (but dont get me started on how bad XP is when using novell). i do prefer Linux, actually, but there is the app problem :/

 

[VPDcurt]

i don't see what's so counter-culture about wanting a computer that doesn't crash often and is virus/pop-up free. why are you so against giving something different a shot?

If you own a PC and it crashes or has tons of pop ups, I would recommend using Firefox instead of Internet Explorer. I used to use internet explorer, but I ended up formatting my hard drive and doing a clean install about every month or so. Now, with Firefox, I haven't had to format my PC in over 5 months and I still don't get any popups.

 

[evajaclynn]

Okay, I have to come to the defense of Macs here. I actually am a PC user and have been all my life. I prefer PCs because I'm used to them. However, my boyfriend has a Mac and I use it a lot. They're awesome. He uses it for everything - not just sitting around and typing an email or too, but for tons of projects/music/movies/etc. I haven't seen anything yet that it can't do, and in many instances the software is easier to use than that of a PC. Sounds like the type of computer you should get is from your own personal preferences.

 

[LRmed2003]

i want a mac sooooo bad..but i think duke is going to make me get a dell.

 

[stoic]

If you own a PC and it crashes or has tons of pop ups, I would recommend using Firefox instead of Internet Explorer. I used to use internet explorer, but I ended up formatting my hard drive and doing a clean install about every month or so. Now, with Firefox, I haven't had to format my PC in over 5 months and I still don't get any popups.

like i said, i know my way around pc's. i've been using firefox since it came out. it slowed the popups but didn't help the system instability that tormented me and my hp notebook.

 

[red dot]

I have been in desperate need of a computer for the last year. However, I keep putting off the purchase, because I want to wait until right before medical school starts to get the new computer so that it will get me through all four years. Plus, I've heard rumors that some medical schools can help defray the cost of a new computer. Would you guys suggest waiting to buy it, or buying it now to help me get through my last two quarters as an undergrad? Thanks

i heard some schools have preferences, so you ought to ask. i know this one guy who was told he had to go get a 15" laptop.

 

[Blue Scrub]

i heard some schools have preferences, so you ought to ask. i know this one guy who was told he had to go get a 15" laptop.

 

[palminator2003]

OK, everything you've said seems to be the Apple argument. But why would you want to struggle so hard to be so different? Are there any med schools that standardized on Apple? (I don't know of any, but I haven't looked for any either.)

That's what your missing. It ISN'T a struggle to use a mac. The PC that I use at work, on the other hand, IS a struggle to use. For personal and academic use, it is generally not a problem to use macs. As for standardizing on macs, no school does that. On the other hand, not too many schools force you to have a PC either. From what I've seen, Cornell seems to be pretty mac friendly though. In any case, there is no requirement to have a PC to be able to log onto a school network. Pretty much everything is open standards and cross-platform compatible.

 

[VPDcurt]

like i said, i know my way around pc's. i've been using firefox since it came out. it slowed the popups but didn't help the system instability that tormented me and my hp notebook.

There's your problem.