MD & DO Dell XPS vs Surface Pro for M1

[putmynameinbold]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi all you tech savvy people!

I'm trying to decide between two laptops that I've heard are highly rated in terms of PC's (switching over from Mac due to school requirements) and was wondering which one would be better to have in med school.

I'm between the Dell XPS 13 2in1 (i5, 8gb, 512gb SSD) or the new Surface Pro (i5, 8gb, 256gb SSD). I've played with both in store and they felt like they're useful/reliable, and everyone I've spoken with have mixed recommendations. They're also within $200 of each other, pricewise. I'd appreciate anyone's suggestions of one over the other for med school. Thanks!

 

[bigindian4891]

I was in the same situation, but I went with the Surface Pro. After playing around with both, I realized that the XPS has a wider screen, whereas the Surface has more vertical real estate for taking notes. In addition, I found that Dell has iffy customer support and variable quality control. Both are great, but I could see myself using the Surface more effectively.

 

[787593]

Hi all you tech savvy people!

I'm trying to decide between two laptops that I've heard are highly rated in terms of PC's (switching over from Mac due to school requirements) and was wondering which one would be better to have in med school.

I'm between the Dell XPS 13 2in1 (i5, 8gb, 512gb SSD) or the new Surface Pro (i5, 8gb, 256gb SSD). I've played with both in store and they felt like they're useful/reliable, and everyone I've spoken with have mixed recommendations. They're also within $200 of each other, pricewise. I'd appreciate anyone's suggestions of one over the other for med school. Thanks!

I'd definitely go with a MacBook Pro

 

[neoevolution]

Surface Pro also has better stylus support, palm rejection and pressure sensitivity are huge if you plan to handwrite notes during lectures

 

[putmynameinbold]

I was in the same situation, but I went with the Surface Pro. After playing around with both, I realized that the XPS has a wider screen, whereas the Surface has more vertical real estate for taking notes. In addition, I found that Dell has iffy customer support and variable quality control. Both are great, but I could see myself using the Surface more effectively.

Gotcha gotcha. I felt the XPS was suuuper wide too, but I could also see that as a good thing (watched a video in store that fit the screen perfectly). The rep I spoke with at Dell said they sent IT out within 12-24 hours of putting in a ticket, have you experienced otherwise?

Surface Pro also has better stylus support, palm rejection and pressure sensitivity are huge if you plan to handwrite notes during lectures

Good to know! I'm thinking it'll be a 50/50 b/w typing and handwritten (that's how it was in undergrad when I was using an iPad + keyboard). Do you find yourself doing something similar, or is it more handwritten/highlighting slides in school?

 

[putmynameinbold]

I'd definitely go with a MacBook Pro

My school doesn't allow us to use Macs on tests, and I don't think it's feasible to buy two laptops given the strict requirements we have on laptops :/

 

[bigindian4891]

Gotcha gotcha. I felt the XPS was suuuper wide too, but I could also see that as a good thing (watched a video in store that fit the screen perfectly). The rep I spoke with at Dell said they sent IT out within 12-24 hours of putting in a ticket, have you experienced otherwise?

True, it is a beautiful machine, but I felt that for school and taking notes, the Surface was better for me. And yeah, I'm sure they'll say that but Ive read many models have coil whine and backlight bleed, and that the replacements also had the same issues. Of course, once you have a good one youre golden. But that's the case with any laptop. Overall I felt more comfortable with Microsoft.

 

[jordansnfootbal]

Macbook and ipad pro

 

[justabanana]

Probably amazing for people who like to draw.

 

[787593]

My school doesn't allow us to use Macs on tests, and I don't think it's feasible to buy two laptops given the strict requirements we have on laptops :/

🙁 bunch of commies

 

[Laito]

I'm currently using MacBook pro + SP4 + Ipad Pro. I would go with MacBook pro + ipad combo. I have had many issue with SP4, like freezing, stylus not working, wifi, battery, loud fan issues to list a few... I've had MBP for 3 years now and haven't had a single issue. You will have enough stress in school, so you wouldn't want any computer issue to add on to your stress.

 

[putmynameinbold]

I bought a surface and I used it for note taking for like month before I went back to just typing up my notes like a modern human being. Yes, handwriting supposedly helps with memory, but typing is faster and I like lectures at 1.7x. If I would have known that I was barely ever going to use the stylus on my surface, I wouldn't have bought it. I'd prefer a laptop that I can set on my lap because it has a solid hinge between the screen and keyboard. I also saw a lot of surfaces around in M2 and I barely saw anyone writing on them. Cool machine though. Probably amazing for people who like to draw.

I'm currently using MacBook pro + SP4 + Ipad Pro. I would go with MacBook pro + ipad combo. I have had many issue with SP4, like freezing, stylus not working, wifi, battery, loud fan issues to list a few... I've had MBP for 3 years now and haven't had a single issue. You will have enough stress in school, so you wouldn't want any computer issue to add on to your stress.

Thanks guys! I ended up going with the XPS for the sake of having a solid laptop. I spoke with a friend who had both, and she recommended the XPS over the Surface. Hopefully it turns out okay! Excited to start playing as soon as my laptop is built/shipped!

 

[jamiemac20053]

Go with one of 256GB SSD or an external hard drive can be a good choice too.