Good laptop computer?

[808premed]

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Can any med students recommend a good laptop computer to buy for incoming medical students? Some schools actually recommend a certain model...would anyone mind sharing that knowledge? I know I'll need one when I start in a month, but there's like 50 choices at compusa. Help!

 

[bigdan]

808-

I posted the exact same question in the pre-allo forum, and got tons of great responses - you may wanna check there if this thread doesn't give you the results you want.

dc

 

[TrojanDoctor]

12' or 15' apple powerbook with superdrive. apple has a student discount that is pretty sweet. You can also be a "student developer" for a year which costs like 99 bucks, but knocks down the price like 120ish on top off of the student discount with the added bonus of getting mailed the new OS X for free.

if you are worried about pc to mac compatibility, don't be. I have not had a compatibility issue yet.

 

[DW3843]

I have to chime in on getting an Apple

I have a 15 in PowerBook that I bought a year ago before I started my first year, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've never used a Mac before and had no problems switching. Also, my school requires laptops for all students and we use them all the time. Even though I might have paid a little bit more for mine it was definitely worth it, and it is a hell of a lot better than those crappy Dells that everyone else got suckered into wasting their money on.

get an Apple. you will not regret it

 

[mikedc813]

I'm using an HP Compaq nc6000. It's relatively light, fast, and has lots of hard drive space.

 

[zion]

any people with a computer that has a 12.1" scrn, have any problems looking at the small size for a long study period (8+ hours). I was looking into the 700m, but some people mentioned that it may create to much eye fatigue and strain due to the small screen.

your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[aragonh]

808-

I posted the exact same question in the pre-allo forum, and got tons of great responses - you may wanna check there if this thread doesn't give you the results you want.

dc

Heres the previous thread:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/sho...ghlight=laptops

 

[nutmegs]

any people with a computer that has a 12.1" scrn, have any problems looking at the small size for a long study period (8+ hours). I was looking into the 700m, but some people mentioned that it may create to much eye fatigue and strain due to the small screen.

your thoughts would be appreciated.

chances of studying for 8+ hours on a computer the entire time are slim, no? while I think a laptop is invaluble most of my studying was still with paper notes and review books. I have the 500m, I forget how big the screen is but you're welcome to look it up, I have NO problems with the screen size and in fact would not recommend anything bigger, I can fit it in its soft case in my backpack which I do quite often, hate dragging around 2 bags

 

[_J_]

12' or 15' apple powerbook with superdrive. apple has a student discount that is pretty sweet. You can also be a "student developer" for a year which costs like 99 bucks, but knocks down the price like 120ish on top off of the student discount with the added bonus of getting mailed the new OS X for free.

if you are worried about pc to mac compatibility, don't be. I have not had a compatibility issue yet.

u should opt for the 15' pb as the screen of the 12' looks like $hit

 

[raidermedic]

If I had it to do over again I would of just kept my old desktop. My laptop's portability hasn't come in handy that often. In fact it stays on the desk for months at a time without being moved.

 

[zion]

chances of studying for 8+ hours on a computer the entire time are slim, no? while I think a laptop is invaluble most of my studying was still with paper notes and review books. I have the 500m, I forget how big the screen is but you're welcome to look it up, I have NO problems with the screen size and in fact would not recommend anything bigger, I can fit it in its soft case in my backpack which I do quite often, hate dragging around 2 bags

thnx for the reply. i actually do look at a screen over 8 hours. all of our class materials are ppts. i also do alot of typing so that adds extra time.

 

[nutmegs]

thnx for the reply. i actually do look at a screen over 8 hours. all of our class materials are ppts. i also do alot of typing so that adds extra time.

was just saying their experience may not be the same as yours. not many people study exclusively from powerpoints.

 

[Angeliqua]

😍 I love my iBook 14". Cheaper than the powerbook. I bought the most highly pimped iBook + Apple Care Protection + printer (super deals on rebates right now) + a few accessories that weren't *totally* necessary (but fun!) and spent just under $2000 with the student discount. Highly recommmend. The screen is a decent size and very clear...the 12" is too small imho. The 15" powerbook is too long (for me) and for some reason I hate the feel of the powerbook keyboard, kinda like nails on a blackboard, but then again I am strange.

happy shopping 🙂

 

[zion]

was just saying their experience may not be the same as yours. not many people study exclusively from powerpoints.

hey nutmegs. again, tnx for the reply. i checked up on the 500m, which seems to have a 14.1 scrn. the computer i was looking into has a 12.1, but widescreen. do you think you'd still be as satisfied if your 500m had a smaller scrn or do you consider 14.1 to be the bare minimum.

 

[nutmegs]

hey nutmegs. again, tnx for the reply. i checked up on the 500m, which seems to have a 14.1 scrn. the computer i was looking into has a 12.1, but widescreen. do you think you'd still be as satisfied if your 500m had a smaller scrn or do you consider 14.1 to be the bare minimum.

hmmm, I just don't know. I have a hard time conceptualizing screen sizes. I don't think I'd want it to be much smaller than this, and I don't really like the widescreen shape. thanks for looking that up 😉

 

[sdnstud]

I just got a dell 700m, 1.8ghz pent M, 512mb ram, 60g hd, 8cell battery for $940.

 

[zion]

I just got a dell 700m, 1.8ghz pent M, 512mb ram, 60g hd, 8cell battery for $940.

how is the scrn size on the 700m? also the keyboard.

 

[aragonh]

I'm using an HP Compaq nc6000. It's relatively light, fast, and has lots of hard drive space.

I also have one of these. I like the long lasting battery

 

[zion]

hmmm, I just don't know. I have a hard time conceptualizing screen sizes. I don't think I'd want it to be much smaller than this, and I don't really like the widescreen shape. thanks for looking that up 😉

Thanks for the input. 👍

 

[deleted59964]

any people with a computer that has a 12.1" scrn, have any problems looking at the small size for a long study period (8+ hours). I was looking into the 700m, but some people mentioned that it may create to much eye fatigue and strain due to the small screen.

your thoughts would be appreciated.

If the laptop is your only computer you can always hook it up to an external monitor. The 12" ibook/powerbook is great to carry. If you are going to use an external LCD screen the powerbook is a better choice as the iBook will only run external screens at max 1024 X 768.

Oh and OS X kills windows

 

[zion]

If the laptop is your only computer you can always hook it up to an external monitor. The 12" ibook/powerbook is great to carry. If you are going to use an external LCD screen the powerbook is a better choice as the iBook will only run external screens at max 1024 X 768.

Oh and OS X kills windows

Thnx for the input. I already have a nice desktop so the notebook wouldn't be my sole computer. I'd only need it when i study at school, which is every day. the apples do look great the the os looks user friendly, but i've been bred of pc's and our school requires PC's (there is some non-Mac compatible things that supposedly come up in 3rd/4th year).

thnx.

 

[izibo]

Buying a Mac now = Dumb

They just announced that they are completely changing their hardware (going with Intel over IBM processors). This will be a major change for macs and their hardware... and there will be software incompatibilities.

If you want a Mac, wait until the new 'MacTels' are released. If you buy one now, it will be obselete in a year and a half.

Edit: Oh, and the new macs will be able to duel boot into Windows and Mac OS X (or so the rumor says)... so incompatibility wont be a problem.

 

[jackb79]

Buying a Mac now = Dumb

They just announced that they are completely changing their hardware (going with Intel over IBM processors). This will be a major change for macs and their hardware... and there will be software incompatibilities.

If you want a Mac, wait until the new 'MacTels' are released. If you buy one now, it will be obselete in a year and a half.

Edit: Oh, and the new macs will be able to duel boot into Windows and Mac OS X (or so the rumor says)... so incompatibility wont be a problem.

eh, if someone needs a new computer now then get it now, it'll serve them when they need it. I know someone who had a 867PB and bought it in the early 00's if not 99 and was waiting till the PB G5 came out and waited and waited and then poof nothing. Now they are getting a new PB and cursing the waiting. Remember the next best thing is always around the corner... and if you play the waiting game you'll always find reasons to wait.

The current PowerPC chip will be supported for close to the next 10 years way after the lifespan of any laptop you buy today is over so compatibility problems are a non-issue.

 

[islanddoc]

Can any med students recommend a good laptop computer to buy for incoming medical students? Some schools actually recommend a certain model...would anyone mind sharing that knowledge? I know I'll need one when I start in a month, but there's like 50 choices at compusa. Help!

808,
Are you off to UH? If so/if not, what type of computers does your school use and what do most there recommend?

 

[domukin]

I have an IBM X31 and love it, it weighs 3 lbs and is about an inch thick. (doesn't have built in drives thou, but you can get external USB drives if need be). Oh, and it has survived multiple accidents, i've dropped it, stepped on it, spilled water (full glass) on it, and it still works great.

Although i love this thing, I think I might get a tablet PC for med school, currently looking at the ibm (now lenovo) x41t , and motion computing's LE1600 . (I'd really like to make notes and draw during class.)

 

[cheapdate]

I have an IBM X31 and love it, it weighs 3 lbs and is about an inch thick. (doesn't have built in drives thou, but you can get external USB drives if need be). Oh, and it has survived multiple accidents, i've dropped it, stepped on it, spilled water (full glass) on it, and it still works great.

Although i love this thing, I think I might get a tablet PC for med school, currently looking at the ibm (now lenovo) x41t , and motion computing's LE1600 . (I'd really like to make notes and draw during class.)

Oh ****, forget tablet, I just saw this notebook on sale that's perfect for med school. I gotta warn you, it is high-end and kind of pricey, I think the Chinese first came out with it, but it'll definately enhance your medical learning experience. It's pretty light and smooth platform for writting and drawing. Good luck.

 

[nockamura]

Buying a Mac now = Dumb

They just announced that they are completely changing their hardware (going with Intel over IBM processors). This will be a major change for macs and their hardware... and there will be software incompatibilities.

If you want a Mac, wait until the new 'MacTels' are released. If you buy one now, it will be obselete in a year and a half.

Edit: Oh, and the new macs will be able to duel boot into Windows and Mac OS X (or so the rumor says)... so incompatibility wont be a problem.

Yeah, this is totally wrong. If you need a mac, then get a mac. It's not as if it's going to stop working when they release the MacTels. In other words, if it can do what you want right now then it will do what you want in the future. I'm sure the G3/G4/G5 architectures will be maintained until they become obsolete (read: ~5 years post MacTels).

 

[domukin]

Oh ****, forget tablet, I just saw this notebook on sale that's perfect for med school. I gotta warn you, it is high-end and kind of pricey, I think the Chinese first came out with it, but it'll definately enhance your medical learning experience. It's pretty light and smooth platform for writting and drawing. Good luck.

LOL. Nice. Yea, I'm a geek, so what? Plus I type faster than I write, plus slides are on powerpoint, plus I email a lot, plus I like to keep in touch with friends, oh and then there's SDN. But point taken 🙂

 

[Zazoo]

happy with my IBM R51 😀 , does the job.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

You won't regret an IBM laptop. I just got an IBM T42 and it is one of the best. Lightweight, almost full keyboard and many features. If you use Visa/MC you get 12% off as well. PM me if interested b/c I'm too lazy to find the link right now.

 

[tinkerbelle]

I just got a dell 700m, 1.8ghz pent M, 512mb ram, 60g hd, 8cell battery for $940.

How are you not having the same damn problems I am? Is it because we have different models (i have an inspiron 6000)? I hate this stupid Dell laptop. The pictures are all blury and the fonts are either humongous or super tiny 😡 I'm so annoyed. I'm tempted to send it back.

 

[Taus]

try this for the dell...should get rid or all your probloems....

Go to Start > Run > type REGEDIT and click OK. Once in the Registry Editor,
click the + signs to navigate to the following key (folder):

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Main

Click on the "Main" key (folder) in the left pane to highlight it. In the right
pane, you'll see the contents. Look near the bottom for a value named "UseHR".
If it doesn't exist, you'll have to create it. To do this, right-click on a
blank area of the right pane and choose New > DWORD Value. Name it "UseHR"
(without the quotes). If you just created it, it will automatically have a
value of 0 (zero), which is what you want. If it already exists, and has a
value of 1 (one), double-click it to edit it (or right-click > Modify), and
change the value to 0 (zero). Click OK and close the Registry Editor.

Open a new browser window and you should see the difference. If not, try
rebooting your computer and then try it.

 

[gerido]

How are you not having the same damn problems I am? Is it because we have different models (i have an inspiron 6000)? I hate this stupid Dell laptop. The pictures are all blury and the fonts are either humongous or super tiny 😡 I'm so annoyed. I'm tempted to send it back.

I had this same problem when I got my 600m, THe problem I had was that the computer resolution was not set at default. There's a bunch of resolution, but only one will be sharp and nice. Try different ones out, maybe that'll solve the problem.

1) right click on destop
2)setting
3) mess around with the screen resolution

 

[tinkerbelle]

Hmm. Ok, I'll try playing with the resolution and the regedit thing. Hopefully it'll fix it! Thanks for the suggestions 🙂

 

[aragonh]

Hmm. Ok, I'll try playing with the resolution and the regedit thing. Hopefully it'll fix it! Thanks for the suggestions 🙂

Try the resolution first.

be careful with the regedit thing. If you're an expert, go for it. But if your a beginner, it would be better to get someone else to assist you.

In fact here are some links for you if you want to go the regedit way. They explain what is happening:

www.nigelcoldwell.co.uk/userhr/
msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/dhtml/overview/highdpi.asp
www.howtofixcomputers.com/bb/ftopic102783.html

Heres a link to what other dell users that have similar problems to yours:

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportfo...essage.id=79808&view=by_date_ascending&page=4

 

[Taus]

Yeah, I agree that playing with the registry is not that safest thing in the world, but if you follow the above instructions and read the pointers on the dell forums (where I got the regedit from) you should be find. The regedit fixed my problem 100% on my 600m.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Well, I already changed the regedit thing. So hopefully I didn't screw it up even more 😛

 

[j0v1al]

lcd screens have native resolutions where the images are the sharpest.

usually this resolution is the highest available, just select the highest available resolution and the highest color.

 

[Zong117]

I suggest looking into the Averatec's (www.averatec.com). I've had one for about a year, and a few of my friends have had them, and they've worked great for all of us. Personally I'd go with a 13-inch or 15-inch, but either way they're good deals for the most part. With mine, too, they had about $300 in mail-in rebates which made it an amazing deal, so keep an eye out for those!

 

[Taus]

Well, I already changed the regedit thing. So hopefully I didn't screw it up even more 😛

Did the regedit solve your problems??

 

[tinkerbelle]

Did the regedit solve your problems??

Well, it fixed the picture blurriness on internet explorer. But the fonts are still super small (no matter what settings i change). But I suppose small text is better than blurry text & pictures.

 

[Taus]

Glad it fixed it worked out so far. For the fonts you can select the tools tab, then options, then font and simply enlarge the font.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Glad it fixed it worked out so far. For the fonts you can select the tools tab, then options, then font and simply enlarge the font.

I already tried that though. It doesn't work. Or at least is doesn't increase the size of all the text. Like some things will become a tiny bit bigger, and other text just stays super small. I don't know why it won't make everything bigger.

 

[Taus]

To make everything bigger you can decrease the dpi. I have mine at 108 and not the 120 max allowed. If that doesn't work you could always switch your internet program to Mozilla Firefox, as its easier to configure and has less spyware problems (apparently...)

 

[oceans412]

If I had it to do over again I would of just kept my old desktop. My laptop's portability hasn't come in handy that often. In fact it stays on the desk for months at a time without being moved.

Do most people feel this way-- is there a real reason to get a portable computer if your desktop is fairly new and in pretty good shape?

 

[mdsadler]

Apple is once again having their free iPod mini offer if you buy a computer from them. I just thought I would let anyone considering a new Apple laptop know about this deal.

Free iPod Mini Deal

 

[rjb]

Do most people feel this way-- is there a real reason to get a portable computer if your desktop is fairly new and in pretty good shape?

bump

 

[germ]

I already tried that though. It doesn't work. Or at least is doesn't increase the size of all the text. Like some things will become a tiny bit bigger, and other text just stays super small. I don't know why it won't make everything bigger.

Under Viewalong the top menu there should be an arrow for TEXT SIZE.

 

[germ]

Do most people feel this way-- is there a real reason to get a portable computer if your desktop is fairly new and in pretty good shape?

Well, you likely don't need one, but many schools are putting more and more course info and notes on the web and it will be more convenient if you plan to study outside of your apt. Plus if you have wireless internet you can sit in your bed or move to the couch or the front porch. Very good for airplanes. You can watch DVDs as well while chilling at the beach or during long flights....and stuff

 

[michaeltodd]

check out the acer ferreri 4000, going to near $2200.
it's too rich for my blood, but for those of you with the means - the end is certainly justified.