Technology iPad for med school?

[ero87]

Hey friends,

What do you think - will the iPad be a useful tool for a med student? I'm about to begin my first year, and I'm debating whether or not to get an iPad.

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[Cybii]

I'd rather invest in a tablet pc.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP7yPfw0E7Y[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Klemptor]

I don't know dude, the iPad looks like a glorified Kindle to me.

 

[Laryngophed]

I don't know dude, the iPad looks like a glorified Kindle to me.

x2

Apple had an opportunity to dominate the tablet market and I feel they really dropped the ball.

FWIW, I'll buy a new MacBook Pro this fall and use my iPhone for all the other stuff that iPad would have offered.

 

[Electronegative]

Hey friends,

What do you think - will the iPad be a useful tool for a med student? I'm about to begin my first year, and I'm debating whether or not to get an iPad.

It would be useful, but isn't tampax cheaper?

 

[monkeygirl09]

Hey friends,

What do you think - will the iPad be a useful tool for a med student? I'm about to begin my first year, and I'm debating whether or not to get an iPad.

Can you view a ppt presentation on it (I honestly don't know)? If not then I can't imagine what purpose it would serve during the first 2 years. It's too big to carry in your white coat so what good would it be fore 3rd and 4th year?

So my answer is no, I don't think the iPad will be a useful tool. If you want something small get a netbook. Better yet get a tablet like the previous poster mentioned.

 

[deleted87716]

Can you view a ppt presentation on it (I honestly don't know)?

Yes.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/appple-announces-iwork-for-ipad/

I don't think the iPad will be a useful tool.

I think that's a little premature, considering it's not even available yet. If you find the iPod Touch or iPhone useful, it's hard to imagine that the iPad (which will run the same software with the added advantage of a larger display) wouldn't have some applicability. The fact that you can't pocket it isn't necessarily a deal-breaker.

The thing that will make or break the iPad will be the applications. I'm predicting that we'll see a lot of interesting stuff for the iPad in the medical realm. Maybe not so much for an MS-I or MS-II, but certainly for anyone in clinical medicine.

 

[psipsina]

Yes.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/appple-announces-iwork-for-ipad/



I think that's a little premature, considering it's not even available yet. If you find the iPod Touch or iPhone useful, it's hard to imagine that the iPad (which will run the same software with the added advantage of a larger display) wouldn't have some applicability. The fact that you can't pocket it isn't necessarily a deal-breaker.

The thing that will make or break the iPad will be the applications. I'm predicting that we'll see a lot of interesting stuff for the iPad in the medical realm. Maybe not so much for an MS-I or MS-II, but certainly for anyone in clinical medicine.

Reviews on itunes show the i-works suite has some serious kinks in it. Reports of not being able to transfer a ppt from a mac to the ipad, let alone from the ipad to a pc. This will be a serious issue for many educational/business users that hopefully they will work out. I do have my doubts because of cross-compatibility issues with the full version of iwork. I had to buy microsofts package for my macbook after being told that there was no compatibility issues. I couldn't open my friends study guides on pages (well some opened but had lost all formatting and were a big hot mess).

 

[funkless]

It will be immensely useful to me when I can:

1. Read/organize .pdf articles.
2. Watch .vob format review videos on it.
3. Connect my USB external hard drive to it, to access said videos.
4. Run Osirix on it
5. Sync with gmail/google docs/google calendar via cellular connection.
6. Purchase access to a decent amount of specialty-specific textbooks
7. Ideally, connect a wireless keyboard/mouse to it.

Some of these probably are possible now. If/when all (or most) are possible, I will pay top dollar for one. Until then, it's useless to me.

 

[omniatlas]

It will be useless for medschool.

Do you know how many flash presentations we have on the web? Sorry Apple, but your nono to flash means that med students like me won't be able to access 80% of our lecture materials online.

 

[1UP]

Apple has always hated on Flash for some reason. It's somewhat stupid not to have flash support on the iPad since even the little netbooks I have tried can do Flash reasonable well. However, it won't matter in a few years when HTML5 is dominant and replaces Flash in about ~80% of the places it is used now.

 

[Vol tron]

Apple has always hated on Flash for some reason. It's somewhat stupid not to have flash support on the iPad since even the little netbooks I have tried can do Flash reasonable well. However, it won't matter in a few years when HTML5 is dominant and replaces Flash in about ~80% of the places it is used now.

Won't there be a newer, better iThing by then any way? It seems like its lack of flash support is a glaring problem. Steve Jobs dissed netbooks, but they can still do something as basic as incorporate flash functionality.

 

[THP]

I really like apple products overall. I can't think of a reason to get an ipad currently. I think that if it had a feature where I could hand write notes about a patient visit it could potentially replace the paper chart. Currently in my clinic we have a mix of paper and computer records and it is a nightmare. The problem with computer only EMR is that it generates so much useless information just for billing purposes it is difficult to identify what the doctor is really thinking about a given patient. If it would allow instant saving of hand written notes into the EMR that would be very useful.

Also, what is flash that the ipad can't use?

 

[RELAX11]

I really like apple products overall. I can't think of a reason to get an ipad currently. I think that if it had a feature where I could hand write notes about a patient visit it could potentially replace the paper chart. Currently in my clinic we have a mix of paper and computer records and it is a nightmare. The problem with computer only EMR is that it generates so much useless information just for billing purposes it is difficult to identify what the doctor is really thinking about a given patient. If it would allow instant saving of hand written notes into the EMR that would be very useful.

Also, what is flash that the ipad can't use?

I am on an iPad right now typing this, very easy actually.

People are underestimating the ipads capability. Just like the iPhone there will be a delay before more iPad only apps are released.

There are already stylus note taking program that is great for taking notes wherever and it converts the handwriting into text if u want.

Also doctors already tested a beta version of a program for patient charts, and 90% of them said that the iPad will revolutionize medicine. There will be countless other iPad ONLY apps in the future that will show the real power of this thing. I have yet to run into a flash problem because there is a way around anything. Also sites are switching to html5 so there will no need to worry.

All the negativity right now will change once the apps are released. Trust me.

It is not meant be a computer, rather a tool for convenience.

 

[deleted87716]

Also, what is flash that the ipad can't use?

Apple supports web standards like HTML5. It does not support Adobe Flash, for a variety of reasons. This is not a limitation of the hardware or software itself, rather an intentional decision by Apple.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/11/adobe-flash-on/

And aside from taking software control away from Apple, Flash would introduce a slew of other potential headaches as well. Flash apps could hurt battery life, suck up the graphics-processing unit’s power, use an inordinate amount of memory, or potentially introduce security risks.

 

[Myuu]

I use one without issue, for the most part. Our video streamed stuff is all flash, though, and I can't print. Otherwise, it's just fine for how I take notes and go about my daily school tasks. I haven't brought my laptop to class in weeks, actually. Your mileage may vary.

I haven't really noticed any differences in productivity since jailbreaking, but that has a lot more to do with Spirit having been released so recently.


Edit: Perhaps the most noticeable feature is how much lighter my bag is now that I don't have to drag my laptop to school.

 

[Tiktaalik]

I use one without issue, for the most part. Our video streamed stuff is all flash, though, and I can't print. Otherwise, it's just fine for how I take notes and go about my daily school tasks. I haven't brought my laptop to class in weeks, actually. Your mileage may vary.

I haven't really noticed any differences in productivity since jailbreaking, but that has a lot more to do with Spirit having been released so recently.


Edit: Perhaps the most noticeable feature is how much lighter my bag is now that I don't have to drag my laptop to school.

What software are you using for notes? I'm looking at Evernote, esp. because they say they'll be adding handwriting support.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Purchase a Tablet PC.

 

[StatCoder]

Purchase a Tablet PC.

Yes. Join the revolution of the 2000's.

 

[MossPoh]

Purchase a Tablet PC.

We are all given tablets at my school. I despise it with a passion. It has made my life miserable and I contemplate hurting myself or others every time I have to use it.

My handwriting is impossible to read on it. It randomly dumps my notes and ppts for weeks at a time, only to reappear 2 weeks after an exam. The screen resolution is mediocre at best. It crashes fairly frequently. It melted down and had to get repaired 3 weeks after I got it and then the USB ports didn't even work on it. It is also fairly heavy. The only tablet feature I use consistently is to circle and highlight stuff.

If I had paid for it then I'd probably be pretty close to burning Lenovo down by now.

 

[1UP]

Well, you technically did pay for it, with your tuition...

We are all given tablets at my school. I despise it with a passion. It has made my life miserable and I contemplate hurting myself or others every time I have to use it.

My handwriting is impossible to read on it. It randomly dumps my notes and ppts for weeks at a time, only to reappear 2 weeks after an exam. The screen resolution is mediocre at best. It crashes fairly frequently. It melted down and had to get repaired 3 weeks after I got it and then the USB ports didn't even work on it. It is also fairly heavy. The only tablet feature I use consistently is to circle and highlight stuff.

If I had paid for it then I'd probably be pretty close to burning Lenovo down by now.

 

[Tiktaalik]

We are all given tablets at my school. I despise it with a passion. It has made my life miserable and I contemplate hurting myself or others every time I have to use it.

My handwriting is impossible to read on it. It randomly dumps my notes and ppts for weeks at a time, only to reappear 2 weeks after an exam. The screen resolution is mediocre at best. It crashes fairly frequently. It melted down and had to get repaired 3 weeks after I got it and then the USB ports didn't even work on it. It is also fairly heavy. The only tablet feature I use consistently is to circle and highlight stuff.

If I had paid for it then I'd probably be pretty close to burning Lenovo down by now.

Everyone in the vet student forums is talking about getting Lenovos, but I already have a laptop, so I kinda think it'd be stupid to shell out for another, crappier laptop with a touchscreen. Sucks that you're having such an awful time with yours.

 

[UF2099]

Myuu, are you able to view on your ipad the streamed flash videos from your classes you mentioned? I know you can watch some flash videos like on youtube because there is a special app for that, but I am wondering if I will be able to view individual videos used by professors or online simulators.

 

[UF2099]

I use one without issue, for the most part. Our video streamed stuff is all flash, though, and I can't print. Otherwise, it's just fine for how I take notes and go about my daily school tasks. I haven't brought my laptop to class in weeks, actually. Your mileage may vary.

I haven't really noticed any differences in productivity since jailbreaking, but that has a lot more to do with Spirit having been released so recently.


Edit: Perhaps the most noticeable feature is how much lighter my bag is now that I don't have to drag my laptop to school.

Myuu, are you able to view on your ipad the streamed flash videos from your classes you mentioned? I know you can watch some flash videos like on youtube because there is a special app for that, but I am wondering if I will be able to view individual videos used by professors or online simulators.

 

[TMP-SMX]

If you join the html5 youtube beta no need for another app.

As for flash, that's too bad they use that format for streaming. I thought most used windows media streaming.

 

[1UP]

If you join the html5 youtube beta no need for another app.

As for flash, that's too bad they use that format for streaming. I thought most used windows media streaming.

Nah, WM-Streaming seems to have died back quite a bit in the last year or two. I think it's the Mac influence, as WM-Streaming worked and was supported quite poorly on the Mac platform, from what I was told.

 

[Tiktaalik]

Nah, WM-Streaming seems to have died back quite a bit in the last year or two. I think it's the Mac influence, as WM-Streaming worked and was supported quite poorly on the Mac platform, from what I was told.

Well, that's ironic.

(Not that WM streaming works on the iPad either.)

 

[TMP-SMX]

Works quite well in quicktime. (Though if you want to watch at 2X speed you have to load it beforehand fully prior to watching). Otherwise, it is possible to stream at normal speed.

 

[Tiktaalik]

Works quite well in quicktime. (Though if you want to watch at 2X speed you have to load it beforehand fully prior to watching). Otherwise, it is possible to stream at normal speed.

Really? Guess I never noticed which format I was getting.

 

[Tom Applewood]

There is an app in beta right now that will allow handwriting with a separately purchased stylus, with palm ignore area, on the iPad; however, I've used a tablet PC for the past 3 years of pharmacy school.

1) Gateway m275 tablet (newer versions exist now, but these are super cheap, and the true size of a full sheet of paper on-screen. Love mine. Durable, treated me very well)

2) HP 1100 TC tablet - detachable keyboard, smaller, bigger Cross-pen-like stylus, optional docking station that puts your tablet up at an angle like a monitor with cdrom drive built-in the base.

3) Lenovo x60 tablet - too pricey, imo, when cheaper and just as nice options exist.

 

[jimmypop]

In the latest commercial for the iPad they say, "You already know how to use it." All I could think was, "duh, of course you do, thats because its an over-sized iPhone"

 

[xanthomondo]

There is an app in beta right now that will allow handwriting with a separately purchased stylus, with palm ignore area, on the iPad; however, I've used a tablet PC for the past 3 years of pharmacy school.

1) Gateway m275 tablet (newer versions exist now, but these are super cheap, and the true size of a full sheet of paper on-screen. Love mine. Durable, treated me very well)

2) HP 1100 TC tablet - detachable keyboard, smaller, bigger Cross-pen-like stylus, optional docking station that puts your tablet up at an angle like a monitor with cdrom drive built-in the base.

3) Lenovo x60 tablet - too pricey, imo, when cheaper and just as nice options exist.

I absolutely love my Gateway 142xl. It's ashame Gateway ran away from the tablet business, though.