Ipad Pro or Surface Pro

[Arjw2]

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Which one is better for note taking when starting pharmacy school? I have a laptop but I want one or the other specifically for taking notes!

 

[Lnsean]

surface pro all the way...it's not even a discussion. microsoft's pen technology is unmatched with anything that's on the market right now.

 

[sosoo]

have u tried pen and paper? when you're just starting something, don't go all out.. i had a friend in their last year of pharmacy borrowing thousands n thousands of dollars from me and other people because financial aid wasn't enough to cover her excessive spending habits.

 

[student089]

I used surface 3 (not pro) during school and rotations. Love it.

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[sosoo]

Wtf how is that relavent?

obviously this person's spending habit is similar to that friend, and will end up in her last year of pharmacy school broke and have to borrow money from friends n families..

 

[ldiot]

I see several people use the surface pro to write notes on, but they also use it as their main computer as well. Since you already have a laptop I'd just buy whichever is cheaper to be honest.

 

[Old Timer]

As an owner of the Surface Pro 3, there is no question it us better than any Ipad. The keyboard is better. The pen is better, and it's a full version of Windows.

 

[gwarm01]

I've been on the Surface bandwagon for many years. I had the original Surface RT, purchased on clearance for about $150 and loved it. Last year I bought a Pro 2 refurbished on Amazon for around $250 or so and it was a steal at that price. I could never bring myself to pay the >$1200 price for a new Surface Pro, but consider getting a refurb unit. Even the older models work great due to the relative stagnation in PC tech over the past decade.

 

[smercer]

Really, I would just hold off on purchasing anything. If you have a laptop, then just use that for the 1st semester and see how you feel about note taking. Most professors use PPT slides for lectures and from experience, the professors style will greatly vary, which may or may not make using a tablet easy. We had several professors that used the heck out of animations, which reduced needing to take down detailed notes about some stuff or needing to have a pen/stylus to draw on the slides. On the other hand, we also had a couple use word documents, which basically made the tablet worthless to me.

This is from someone who had a tablet (Galaxy Note) and a laptop going into school. I used the tablet some, but definitely not enough to feel like I would have made a good decision to just go buy one, if I did not already have it. Basically, don't go buy a device that you may realize a few months in you either don't find convenient to use or don't feel you need to use. Also, once you get onto campus, you can talk to students above you to see what they use and how they feel about devices for note taking. This will really be more relevant, as it will be in relation to the exact teaching styles and materials you will be encountering.

 

[escanoke]

I have an iPad Pro the big one and I bought a zagg wireless keyboard. I've been able to do 95% of my work on my iPad alone. I basically bring my iPad to class and that's it. I'd push towards the surface pro just because you can run full desktop programs and flash. If you know your program and doesn't have any requirements for a quiz program or flash. I would get the iPad Pro just because of the bigger screen size. Anything smaller and the real estate on the screen to write notes and have the textbook up is too small.

I'd suggest notability for note taking app, you can upload slides and write on them.


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[RxPreceptor]

Although the surface pro has impressive touch screen capabilities somewhat close to actual pen & paper, it's still more cumbersome writing with a stylus vs. pen & paper. The other technology flaw to keep in mind is that the touch screen capabilities (mouse/pointer when stylus is activated) do not work in hot environments. Surface pro does not feature all common drug apps (for instance, does not include Lexicomp) which could be a factor for when there is no sufficient internet coverage. PM if you want to know more about which apps are available on surface pro

My vote is for pen & paper, although the surface pro is a good hybrid for rotations (assuming internet is ok). Can not stand trying to use word or powerpoint on apple devices or touchscreen only

 

[hopebuilders1305]

Any suggestions on the best keyboard or stylus to purchase for an iPad for the purpose of taking notes


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