Computer Recommendations for Med School

[wonderdog]

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A Macbook pro is overpriced and you can get a much better computer for the same cost. Ipads are useful for taking notes and going through PDFs but you definitely need a laptop. But it's not as if you'll be doing graphic design or playing Crysis. There's no need to drop 1.2k on a laptop, especially if you're taking out student loans.

A Mac is well worth the investment. Along with my Mac, I purchased the AppleCare extended warranty. If I ever have a problem, I know I can get it fixed THAT DAY (hardware or software) with a short drive to the apple store. Other laptops, I would need to go to Bestbuy and drop it off there with them for several weeks. You definitely get what you pay for...

 

[jr93]

Most schools that I applied to told you what computers to get and there wasn't much of a choice. It sucks but I guess it helps with warranty and repair issues and software compatibility issues.

 

[LiveLoveLearn]

Whew - thanks for all of the responses!

Will your school provide you with an Ipad?

Nope.

You are better off having both a laptop in combination with an iPad. For support and continuity, you would be best with an iPad (w/ retina display-much easier to read texts), a Macbook Air, and an iPhone.

With my iPad, I got a Lifeproof nuud case, which has a thick bezel. So when taking notes-with a Pogo Connect stylus (there may be better ones out since when I got it in December), my hands do not get on the screen. This makes writing notes on the iPad feasible. It is like writing on a blackboard, although it does take a little bit of practice before you just "whip it out" in class.

This sounds awesome. 😀 My biggest challege has always been, as other posters have agreed, efficiently taking notes directly on an iPad. If this case makes it more feasible, I'll probably go with that.

Also, most of the OneNote capabilities are built in to Microsoft Word for Mac. You just need to google. If this is unsuitable, I am sure there is a decent replacement in the Mac App store.

Anyways, the point is to do your research and find a suitable setup for you.

I actually looked into this a fair amount when I went into my Post-bac a couple of years ago (I had used OneNote at my previous job and LOVED it). What I love about OneNote is the ability to efficiently take notes directly on something that has been printed to a page (picture, PowerPoint, etc.), anywhere on the page, and easily set the boundaries for the text. While this is technically possible in Word, it is super cumbersome, so not really an option for every-day note taking. I spoke with some peopel at the Mac Store, and unfortunately, they don't really have anything comparable.🙁

Consider running parallels on your Mac, then you can run any program you want.

This sounds like a good option.

 

[bboy doc]

Starting med school in the fall, but over the course of Undergrad, I've gone through 7 different computers Macs and PCs, not because they've broke or anything but rather I'm always looking for something better.

By far the best i've used for school is the Samsung ATIV PRO. This is truly an all in one solution
I also have a desktop for gaming and long projects tho. I use the ATIV PRO for active digitizer note taking (iPad will never come close regardless of nib), and reading textbooks

If you don't want a desktop. Then get a RETINA Macbook Running Windows (preferable if you have good eye sight) or OSX. Then wait for the Samsung Galaxy NOTE 10.1 2nd generation and get that for note taking and reading

Also, if you go the desktop route with Dual Link DVI, I highly recommend buying a 30" WQXGA monitor from Korea. I have two and that much screen real estate is quite liberating

 

[impermanence]

Best combo would probably be a macbook air and an iPad, but if I had to choose between an iPad or a macbook air, I'd go with only the macbook. I have a macbook pro, but would honestly prefer to have the air because its smaller, lighter, and has a longer battery life. There really is no point in having the 'pro' specs in medical school, at least not at the expense of the benefits of the air.

I am currently trying to decide between the MBA vs the MBP. I already have an ipad 3. Would you say that the main benefit of the MBA is its weight? The MBP-Retina is also light (then again at least $300 more)... Should I just do the MBA due to price?

 

[deleted303591]

What's an ideal screen size for a laptop in medical school?

It depends on the individual.

For medical school (and even for university), the most portable solution is probably the most suitable, given what you are asking.

However, I would not weigh in screen size too much in to the selection of laptops, with all of the variations with screens. There are "retina displays", crappy screens on PCs that should be at least halfway decent, etc.

I worked in Geek Squad (for 2.5 years) and I had to set up brand new PCs all the time. There were plenty of HP and Dell computers that were selling for $1000+ with really crappy screens.

With all of the reading done in medical school, with the material becoming more digitalized, I would focus on getting a screen that is easy on the eyes, and not hard to read. There is a (relatively strong) correlation between screen resolution and the ability to read text efficiently. So, retina-like displays would probably be favorable, given the amount of digital material being read in medical school and the amount that is going to be digital in the future. I also prefer "matte" anti-glare screens (I have one on my Macbook Pro. I paid more for it. I do not have a retina display.)

Here is laptop failure rates by brand (make sure to look at page 6)

http://www.squaretrade.com/htm/pdf/SquareTrade_laptop_reliability_1109.pdf

 

[deleted303591]

I am currently trying to decide between the MBA vs the MBP. I already have an ipad 3. Would you say that the main benefit of the MBA is its weight? The MBP-Retina is also light (then again at least $300 more)... Should I just do the MBA due to price?

Weight is the primary benefit.

If you get a Macbook Air, make sure to upgrade the RAM before you purchase it, because if you don't there is no way to upgrade the memory in the future. The motherboard can only accept so many slots of memory on a Macbook Air. (This does not apply as much with a pro).

Keep in mind if you buy a laptop from Apple and you get a warranty, it does not cover accidental damage.

Best Buy does cover accidental damage, if you get such a plan. I wouldn't recommend getting it from there. (I used to work there and I wrote service orders for computers being sent to the service centers.) Plus, your laptop will be gone for 2 weeks while they send it to their repair center.

Squaretrade would be your best bet if you wanted a warranty with accidental damage.

If you crack the screen on your laptop (any sort of laptop), the price of repair likely will exceed the value of the laptop. The same goes for a bad motherboard. Keep this in mind.

 

[impermanence]

Weight is the primary benefit.

Good to know, thank you!

 

[scrubs1489]

I am planning to get a new computer for medical school, which I will be attending in the Fall. I'm wondering if any current med students have recommendations for what computers are best?

For instance, I currently have a Mac, but would like OneNote, which isn't available for them. Additionally, have people found touch-screens to be helpful for writing notes directly on PowerPoints, while keeping it in an electronic format?

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Also looking for a good tool. I love OneNote because of the text type and recording feature. My future school records the lectures but I love the idea of using a touchscreen/stylus on a powerpoint and the recording function

I know that recording the lectures twice seems redundant but I think the ability to search the notes as well as play recordings at the time that I type/write something on OneNote seems like a powerful feature.

Currently open to suggestions since I have not found anything particularly appealing. The spectre Xt, yogapad, Suface Pro, and Helix are all on the maybe list. I would love the Helix if the SSD was slightly larger also for less $$$.

Any thoughts or suggestions are very appreciated