Laptop for OMS I

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SurgDoc95

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Yes this is a rehash of others, but those are somewhat old threads. I'm debating between a Mac Book Pro and a Surface Book for classes in the fall. At KCU they give us iPads so I can see the benefits of having a Mac so the two could be synced up, but I've always been a PC guy. Thoughts?
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My school provides us with an Ipad. I currently use a surface pro 4 though for all of my note taking and studying. There is plenty of cross platform ways to sync up devices. I will say though that I never use my Ipad for anything but taking tests now. Both the MacBook pro and the surface book seem to be excellent computers and for the things you will be using them for as a medical student will honestly be overkill.
 
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I'll voice a bit of a different perspective. I use my iPad to study slides while simultaneosly looking up info on my computer (makes things more efficient than using one and constantly moving from slides to the internet). Though, I'm not very tech savvy so I'm sure there is some awesome set-up I'm missing.

You'll be fine with either. Go with what's best for you, man.
 
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Strong recommendation for the Macbook Pro. I switched from mac to PC early in my 1st year and I regret the decision. Because the iPad is a touch screen you'll be able to draw on your notes, which is good because there are no touchscreen macbooks. I know quite a few people with a surface pro and they unanimously do not like it. I dont know anyone with a surface book though. Also the 2015 macbook is the one you'll probably want because of the better selection of ports. If you are dead set on a PC then a Dell XPS might be a better option than the surface book.
 
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Best Buy recently had a pretty good sale on the 2015 MBP. I think price was around ~$1200 and ~$1700 for the 13" and 15" respectively. Thats only about $400 more than a 15" Dell XPS.
 
Yadster101 said:
Best Buy recently had a pretty good sale on the 2015 MBP. I think price was around ~$1200 and ~$1700 for the 13" and 15" respectively. Thats only about $400 more than a 15" Dell XPS.
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Ugh... currently have the same problem. PC user debating on whether to go for MBP or XPS. I'm leaning more towards the 13 inch because it's extremely light. The 15 inch for both are pretty light as well, but I don't think the extra specs are needed. Anyone know the minimal specs needed for med school?
 
Same dilemma as OP. MacBook pro or Surface Book. I've got an old 2011 MacBook and it is extremely reliable. I've literally spilled beer on it and it's all good.

But I am hearing of the great potential in productivity with the SurfaceBook. Why can't the mac be touchscreen??


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TheaterOfTheme said:
Same dilemma as OP. MacBook pro or Surface Book. I've got an old 2011 MacBook and it is extremely reliable. I've literally spilled beer on it and it's all good.

But I am hearing of the great potential in productivity with the SurfaceBook. Why can't the mac be touchscreen??


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b/c less people will buy the ipad pro
 
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edawgmd said:
Ugh... currently have the same problem. PC user debating on whether to go for MBP or XPS. I'm leaning more towards the 13 inch because it's extremely light. The 15 inch for both are pretty light as well, but I don't think the extra specs are needed. Anyone know the minimal specs needed for med school?
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I've heard good things about the dell BUT I'd still go with the mac if it's within ~$400 of the dell. I figure macs are known to have much better track pads, better build quality, and are known to be more reliable. Apparently the xps has a significantly improved track pad and Dells reliability has supposedly been much better in the past couple years.

I certainly would not get the 2016 15" MacBook Pro. It literally costs like twice as much as a base model 15" xps (which goes for ~$1100). Even if dells reliability fails you could just buy another 1k laptop compared to a single mac.
 
Depends on your school. Some schools are set up to be much more PC friendly like my school, and people are having issues with Macs. Plus you can't write on the screen if you're into that. I use a surface pro 4 and I freaking love it. Get the i7 if you get one.
 
Also consider the resale value. MBP will have a very good resale and on a long enough timeline could be considered the least expensive laptop out there when you factor the resale value down the line. Windows laptops simply do not hold their value very well.
 
I don't know much about the surface book but I switched from PC laptops to a Macbook pro two years ago. I can't imagine ever going back. There was an initial learning curve after switching platforms but I truly love how easily it syncs with my iphone and apple watch. My school also distributes ipads for taking tests so that's an even bigger bonus for me. I also love that I never have to worry about antivirus software and my computer is still as fast as it was the day I bought it. I'm notorious for destroying laptops in a year by loading them up with games and such that bog everything down but this laptop has been amazing. I paid about $1600 for this one but it's already paid for itself considering I've already gone through 3 PC laptops before this one (all were different brands and price points). My laptop still feels brand new and I have no desire to replace it anytime soon. I'm very confident that this laptop will still be going strong through my time in medical school. My vote is definitely with the MacBook.
 
GBCrzzyy said:
I don't know much about the surface book but I switched from PC laptops to a Macbook pro two years ago. I can't imagine ever going back. There was an initial learning curve after switching platforms but I truly love how easily it syncs with my iphone and apple watch. My school also distributes ipads for taking tests so that's an even bigger bonus for me. I also love that I never have to worry about antivirus software and my computer is still as fast as it was the day I bought it. I'm notorious for destroying laptops in a year by loading them up with games and such that bog everything down but this laptop has been amazing. I paid about $1600 for this one but it's already paid for itself considering I've already gone through 3 PC laptops before this one (all were different brands and price points). My laptop still feels brand new and I have no desire to replace it anytime soon. I'm very confident that this laptop will still be going strong through my time in medical school. My vote is definitely with the MacBook.
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Do you ever have the urge to write on PowerPoints? Do you keep a notebook?


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TheaterOfTheme said:
Do you ever have the urge to write on PowerPoints? Do you keep a notebook?


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I tend to not like taking notes directly on slides. For some reason with note taking, I have always craved having physical copies of my notes. Sometimes I print slides out but more often than not I like to have notebooks of graph paper and take my own notes and only use slides for reference. I can be very particular lol
 
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I have a 2010 MBP. Definitely considering upgrading to the newest MBP (fully loaded most likely, since I plan to use it all 4 years + residency) before med school. I know they give an iPad, but would it be too much to get a Surface Pro alongside it?
 
Mr. D.O.five said:
I have a 2010 MBP. Definitely considering upgrading to the newest MBP (fully loaded most likely, since I plan to use it all 4 years + residency) before med school. I know they give an iPad, but would it be too much to get a Surface Pro alongside it?
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Surface Pro 3s are going to drop in price due to rumors of the 5 being release. I'm personally will be using my gf's pro 3 until I need an upgrade. My school is "providing" us MBP for exam purposes and an ipad mini for quizzes, but I need something for electronic note taking. I have another laptop and a desktop at home also lol. I don't think having another device would be too much for you :).
 
popopopop said:
Surface Pro 3s are going to drop in price due to rumors of the 5 being release. I'm personally will be using my gf's pro 3 until I need an upgrade. My school is "providing" us MBP for exam purposes and an ipad mini for quizzes, but I need something for electronic note taking. I have another laptop and a desktop at home also lol. I don't think having another device would be too much for you :).
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Makes sense. I just want to be able to have good tech for efficient studying and note taking that will not give me any problems. I'm a huge MBP lover, ever since switching in 2010 so I plan to keep that OS for med school. Def want to broaden a bit and use a windows-based tech like the Surface Pro since I have heard good reviews on it.
 
Mr. D.O.five said:
Makes sense. I just want to be able to have good tech for efficient studying and note taking that will not give me any problems. I'm a huge MBP lover, ever since switching in 2010 so I plan to keep that OS for med school. Def want to broaden a bit and use a windows-based tech like the Surface Pro since I have heard good reviews on it.
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Same exact boat as you except since 2011 :p
Let us know what you decide. I'm gonna hold off until the S book 2 is out.


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I remember thinking I was going to be all about the handwritten electronic notes, was gonna get one of those WACOM tablets, etc; it never really went anywhere. I never really looked at slides and said "I wish I could draw on them". At most I would type in the notes section below.
 
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TheaterOfTheme said:
To me, MBP would be an easy winner if it was touch screen. I worry about the longevity of the Surface book. Its tough though.
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I agree if the MBP was touch screen it'd be perfect! I may go XPS dual since it has better specs than surface book and MBP, but I'm still torn.
 
If the school provides you with an ipad, would that make the decision easier between MBP, XPS, or Surface Book? Would it make sense to choose MBP to stick with the same brand or would that not be an important factor at all?
 
RamsFan&FutureDO said:
I agree if the MBP was touch screen it'd be perfect! I may go XPS dual since it has better specs than surface book and MBP, but I'm still torn.
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To me it's all about convenience and productivity value. If I can save minutes a day with a more convenient setup, then it's worth it to me.


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RamsFan&FutureDO said:
I agree if the MBP was touch screen it'd be perfect! I may go XPS dual since it has better specs than surface book and MBP, but I'm still torn.
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the dual XPS just doesnt have a good enough processor or battery life to get my recommendation. MBP, although it has the downfalls of being an apple product, is the best all around laptop for medschool with the XPS coming in a close 2nd. People vastly overestimate how much a touch screen is utilized. although it should be stated that XPS comes in models that can be touch screen and also 2-in-1. Consider just buying an ipad to go along with a MBP if $$$ isnt a factor.
 
doing_all_the_things said:
the dual XPS just doesnt have a good enough processor or battery life to get my recommendation. MBP, although it has the downfalls of being an apple product, is the best all around laptop for medschool with the XPS coming in a close 2nd. People vastly overestimate how much a touch screen is utilized. although it should be stated that XPS comes in models that can be touch screen and also 2-in-1. Consider just buying an ipad to go along with a MBP if $$$ isnt a factor.
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We're given iPad pros at orientation so I was thinking the 2-in-1 XPS
 
MADD!!! said:
Anyone have thoughts on Lenovo Thinkpads? I've always loved Macs but for the first time I'm considering this... It looks sweet!!!

ThinkPad X1 Carbon | Ultralight Business Ultrabook With Windows 10 | Lenovo US
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But if you're going to stick with a PC, why don't you go with XPS 15? With the $1350 trim for XPS 15, you get a better processor, 256GB PCIe, and a better graphics card. Battery life is probably similar. The Lenovo is 1.5 pounds lighter, but I'm not sure if that factor alone offsets the higher price.
 
I've got a new MBP, but i was considering a tablet for note taking. What would be the best tablet for the price? Not looking to spend a ton, but i recently got an app to annotate PDFs on my laptop(sucks without a touch screen) but im loving it compared to printing out and handwriting notes(my handwriting is atrocious)


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Try to see if you can return the "free" Ipad, and with that cash get yourself a nice sub 1,000 USD laptop and blow the rest on coffee supplies. I paid 500 for my brand spanking new Thinkpad and I love it. Wait for deals, it will pay off.

If you want to splurge: Surface book. That thing is amazing.
 
Scrubs101 said:
I've got a new MBP, but i was considering a tablet for note taking. What would be the best tablet for the price? Not looking to spend a ton, but i recently got an app to annotate PDFs on my laptop(sucks without a touch screen) but im loving it compared to printing out and handwriting notes(my handwriting is atrocious)


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Click to expand...

Since you have a MBP, you probably aren't an Apple product hater, go with the iPad Pro plus the Apple Pencil. Some people will tell you the iPad Pro isn't worth it or they hate Apple, but I disagree. I've used my iPad Pro the whole year and would buy it again if I had the choice to do it over again.
 
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RamsFan&FutureDO said:
Yes this is a rehash of others, but those are somewhat old threads. I'm debating between a Mac Book Pro and a Surface Book for classes in the fall. At KCU they give us iPads so I can see the benefits of having a Mac so the two could be synced up, but I've always been a PC guy. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
surface all the way
 
CoomassieBlue57 said:
Since you have a MBP, you probably aren't an Apple product hater, go with the iPad Pro plus the Apple Pencil. Some people will tell you the iPad Pro isn't worth it or they hate Apple, but I disagree. I've used my iPad Pro the whole year and would buy it again if I had the choice to do it over again.
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Ive been looking into that the iPad Pro + Apple pencil looks sweet! The Pro is a bit expensive though, any idea if the Apple Pencil works well with other iPads?


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Scrubs101 said:
Ive been looking into that the iPad Pro + Apple pencil looks sweet! The Pro is a bit expensive though, any idea if the Apple Pencil works well with other iPads?


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The Apple pencil does not work with other iPads. It is specifically for the iPad Pro. I retain material better if it's handwritten vs. typing, so going with the Pro was the better choice for me.

And for size, I got the 128 gb and still have 93 gb left nearing the end of MS1. This is with PDF's of every required book, all lecture handouts, and lecture powerpoints from the whole year FWIW. So a 64 gb will probably be filled by the end of MS2 if you keep everything on it.
 
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I would recommend the new MBP over anything else. If funds are limited check Craigslist for deals. I was able to pick up the new 13" MBP with touch bar for $860 on Craigslist: (guy said he needed the cash for grad school). Thing was literally brand new with 4 cycles on it. I made sure to methdocially check everything out though.

All the best,
 
Jordan95 said:
I would recommend the new MBP over anything else. If funds are limited check Craigslist for deals. I was able to pick up the new 13" MBP with touch bar for $860 on Craigslist: (guy said he needed the cash for grad school). Thing was literally brand new with 4 cycles on it. I made sure to methdocially check everything out though.

All the best,
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Yeah, no.

Apple admits the Mac Pro was a mess

(As if user experience and the last few years wasn't enough evidence that you shouldn't be buying apple products...)
 
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Jordan95 said:
That's the "Mac Pro," or desktop version. I have the MacBook Pro laptop which has been nothing but astonishing.
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I've heard complaints about the new Macbook Pro, but nothing that strikes me as worthy of consideration for your average computer user (now if you're apart of the whole PC master race gaming community obviously a mac isnt for you). I've got the new MBP, love it. The only complaint your average run of the mill computer user should ever take into consideration with apple products is the insane over pricing. Other then that, theyre a great user friendly and fun product IMO(I'm no computer expert, I just think apple gets a lot of hate when they actually put out a pretty solid product they just over price it like any brand name would).
 
Scrubs101 said:
I've heard complaints about the new Macbook Pro, but nothing that strikes me as worthy of consideration for your average computer user (now if you're apart of the whole PC master race gaming community obviously a mac isnt for you). I've got the new MBP, love it. The only complaint your average run of the mill computer user should ever take into consideration with apple products is the insane over pricing. Other then that, theyre a great user friendly and fun product IMO(I'm no computer expert, I just think apple gets a lot of hate when they actually put out a pretty solid product they just over price it like any brand name would).
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On a long enough timeline, MBPs are actually one of the least expensive laptops when you consider how well they keep their value during the re-sell. Just look on ebay and see what people are willing to pay for macbook pros that are 4 years old. It's more than you think and definitely more than any windows notebook. The 2015 MBP is the best around despite being a couple years old simply due to the variety of ports and battery life. I would LOVE to have an HDMI on my windows laptop but it didnt come with one :(. YOu can do more with a windows PC and that is definietly true, but it's really only stuff you wouldnt want/need to do as a student.
 
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doing_all_the_things said:
On a long enough timeline, MBPs are actually one of the least expensive laptops when you consider how well they keep their value during the re-sell. Just look on ebay and see what people are willing to pay for macbook pros that are 4 years old. It's more than you think and definitely more than any windows notebook. The 2015 MBP is the best around despite being a couple years old simply due to the variety of ports and battery life. I would LOVE to have an HDMI on my windows laptop but it didnt come with one :(. YOu can do more with a windows PC and that is definietly true, but it's really only stuff you wouldnt want/need to do as a student.
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Is your laptop from 2002? I'm sorry, but "windows" laptops adopted HDMI possibly before and have more widely used HDMI than apple by "insert hyerbolic distance here". I always get a kick of the fact that most apple users I've encountered at school don't even know what HDMI is or what it does. Which of course makes you wonder if they even have a clue about what they're purchasing.
 
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Giovanotto said:
Is your laptop from 2002? I'm sorry, but "windows" laptops adopted HDMI possibly before and have more widely used HDMI than apple by "insert hyerbolic distance here". I always get a kick of the fact that most apple users I've encountered at school don't even know what HDMI is or what it does. Which of course makes you wonder if they even have a clue about what they're purchasing.
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I have a brand new HP the school gave us that doesn't have an HDMI...just a VGA. I didn't expect it but I have a secondary monitor that has VGA and its no problem. Also...highly recommend a second monitor. I have a 27" one and its a lifesaver on the eyes/neck/back
 
Check out the HP spectre 2in1 if you want a high quality computer with equal to better specs as a Mac book pro for about 1.8K if you get the 15inch!


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Four months in, my Surface Pro has been a lifesaver with being able to annotate Powerpoints and PDFs. Its really worked out for me, and definitely cuts my notetaking time down compared to my classmates.
 
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