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Laptop for School
Started by justAstudent
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Any specific model you would recommend? I actually had an Asus during undergrad.
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I'm just a PC guy. I got an Asus Zenbook Prime for med school, which is more or less a PC version of the Macbook Air and I love it. That being said, plenty of my classmates also have macbook airs/pros and love them. Personally I'd go with something lightweight and easy to carry, but whether you choose a macbook air or something else is largely personal preference. Realistically most of what you're going to be using it for (at least med school related) is reading powerpoints and looking stuff up on the internet, so you probably don't need outrageous computing power. You might want a nice screen for watching netflix/hulu when you're "taking a study break".
The new 12 inch MBA is supposed to come out right before medical school in July 2014.
It will have a retina option for $100 more.
It will have a retina option for $100 more.
I recommend any of these threads, all of which I found in under a minute by searching "laptop".
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...which-did-you-get-macbook-pro-or-air.1013355/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...-me-choose-a-tablet-laptop-ultrabook.1043995/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/laptop-for-med-school.1040669/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/windows-laptop-for-undergrad-med-school.1037859/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/laptop-for-medical-school.1010266/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/laptop-for-med-school.995509/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/laptop.993655/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/laptop-choices.979751/
I actually read through most of those. Many of them are debates between different Macbooks. I wanted to know what people thought about windows laptops also.
Fair enough. I agree with mcloaf on Zenbooks. I have one at home, and prefer it to the Macbook Pro I use at work.
I think I might get one of those ultrabook/tablet hybrids. You just have to make sure it has a great processor and things because a lot of those tablets are weak.
Since you have both, I'm going to direct this question to you. During undergrad I just absolutely hated lugging around my heavy 15' laptop from class to class everyday. From my understanding, medical school classes are usually in one building so there isn't too much moving around. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on the weight issues between the two laptops.
I'll start by saying I'm using a 15" MBP, so it's larger and about 2-3 pounds heavier than my 13" Zenbook. Portability is more important to me than outrageous processing power, since I use my laptop for basic tasks like web browsing, office documents, etc. I'm not a medical student, so I can't really comment on how either laptop meets the demands of medical school, but even with classes being held in the same building I would prefer to carry the lighter machine.
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deleted577188
ASUS Zenbook is what I use for undergrad. My choice was between the MBA and it; Asus was recommended by 3 different people from 3 different stores. Don't let the brand get to you like it does many other people (people as in Macbook, iPad AND iPhone users).
Just my personal experience... I went to Best Buy to get a new laptop and the guy talked me into getting a MacBook Pro. I returned it the next morning when the store opened and got myself a nice Asus ZenBook prime.
Check out this video if you're PC-curious:
Wow, seems to be a lot of people who like the ZenBook.
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I have my MB Air at home, and I'll probably just bring my iPad mini to class. I really like tablets, and use the following apps for most note-taking and annotation: Evernote and GoodReader, respectively.
I recently got the ASUS Q501 which is very nice. It's a 15.6" (I wanted the numpad) and it's pretty light for being a bigger laptop (~5 lbs). The power brick is also quite small and light. I get 4-8.5 hours of battery life depending on what i'm doing. 1080p touchscreen, and its got a ULV Haswell Core i5. Best of all it was only $650 at Best Buy.
It has 6gb of RAM which is more than enough, but 4gb are soldered to the motherboard so if you want to increase it there's only one DIMM slot, but you can put in a 8gb stick.
Also, it's got a 750gb HDD which is only 5400rpm. It runs pretty quick though, but in a couple of months i'll probably put in a SSD. Even then, for $650 this laptop is a steal. Unless you really like Macs then I think you're best off with a Windows laptop (just get a quality brand - ASUS, Toshiba, Lenovo). I feel like Macs are far too overpriced.
It has 6gb of RAM which is more than enough, but 4gb are soldered to the motherboard so if you want to increase it there's only one DIMM slot, but you can put in a 8gb stick.
Also, it's got a 750gb HDD which is only 5400rpm. It runs pretty quick though, but in a couple of months i'll probably put in a SSD. Even then, for $650 this laptop is a steal. Unless you really like Macs then I think you're best off with a Windows laptop (just get a quality brand - ASUS, Toshiba, Lenovo). I feel like Macs are far too overpriced.
All about that Macbook Pro 13". Extremely portable, powerful, sleek, and has a disc drive built in which the air lacks! Also. everyone has the charger for the pro so incase you lose yours or forget yours you can always bum a friends for that night of studying--cause everyone has it! The charger for the air is actually different thus no one has that one unless you have the air, I would go MB pro!
Definitely stick with something lightweight with a ton of battery life. MBA is more or less unbeatable as far as battery life goes and is more than powerful enough for most med school tasks.
oops triply post
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The new retina MBPs all use the same charger as the MBAs
Never trust store reps!!!
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deleted577188
^^^I was a store rep myself. I know who's flaky and who's not. We didn't sell laptops at Sears so I went elsewhere. 3 different people wouldn't tell me the same thing without having a grasp of what I had already been told or at least what my options were. Needless to say, I enjoy my Zenbook and will buy another one when the time comes.
Which model of the zenbook would you guys recommend?
What's your budget? I'd recommend you get one of the Haswell ones. You can tell by the processor, it will be Core i3/i5/i7-4xxx.
If it's 3xxx that's Ivy Bridge which is the 3rd gen. It's good, but there were some pretty good jumps in battery life in the Haswell microarchitecture so i'd go with that.
hey guys I have a 15' MBP and I love it but I am wondering whether I should get a tablet for note taking purposes in med school next year? I am torn between the iPad and the Surface Pro. I literally just want the best note taking capability. I want to feel like I am using paper and pencil in terms of flexibility and precision. However, being able to upload everything and keep it all together is another priority. thoughts??
(also keep in mind that I am practically technologically illiterate and won't be doing any crazy computing tasks)
(also keep in mind that I am practically technologically illiterate and won't be doing any crazy computing tasks)
If you want to get the "pen and paper" effect, you're going to need a stylus. If you get an iPad, you'll need to buy one in addition to the tablet. The Surface (and others like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1) come with integrated styluses (styli?). Just something to keep in mind.
Ya the digitizer pen sounds like it would be more along the lines of what I am looking for: http://www.ask.com/explore/stylus-vs-digitizer-pens-2034
However, I am very happy with my apple products including iPhone and while I dont use iCloud I am wondering whether I should stick with iPad for ease/convenience
I'm looking at a Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga with the Wacom digitizer, but I'm waiting to hear more opinions and experiences on it before I buy one. Anyone have any opinions on the ThinkPad Yoga?
I'm also looking at the Zenbook now since reading these good reviews. Asus seems like a good company. I bought a Japanese version of the eeePC when it first came out, maybe in like 2008 or 2009 and I just stopped using it a year and a half ago because it got slow, started getting really hot, and the fan got really loud (I had already replaced the fan once).
I've been borrowing my boyfriend's laptop and using the computer lab or library for the past two years, so I'm willing to drop a dime on a really good computer that will last, but I don't want to overpay for something that's not worth it. Really interested in hearing thoughts about the ThinkPad Yoga from people who are into computers.
I'm also looking at the Zenbook now since reading these good reviews. Asus seems like a good company. I bought a Japanese version of the eeePC when it first came out, maybe in like 2008 or 2009 and I just stopped using it a year and a half ago because it got slow, started getting really hot, and the fan got really loud (I had already replaced the fan once).
I've been borrowing my boyfriend's laptop and using the computer lab or library for the past two years, so I'm willing to drop a dime on a really good computer that will last, but I don't want to overpay for something that's not worth it. Really interested in hearing thoughts about the ThinkPad Yoga from people who are into computers.
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Yeah, you wan't a digitizer pen. Sorry about that, I was using "stylus" as a catch-all. Keep in mind that if you go with a third party pen, it might not work in every app, including the ones you're using for taking notes. But if familiarity is more important to you definitely go with an iPad.
I want to piggy back on this. I am set for the laptop. Is having an iPad or some sort of tablet worth it for medical school (I will already have 1-2 laptops). Also, should I upgrade my smart phone. I have an iPhone and I like it. Should I get like the iphone 5 with 16GB of memory, will that be enough? I currently have 8GB and I am at the max so I would probably need more, but 16GB is a lot, but is it enough for medical school?
Any recommendations? Should I keep everything apple or consider other brands? I like apple, I find it very user friendly but as my engineering friends like to point out it is limited. (But if it does its functions and is easy to use, I can be happy with it).
I have one PC laptop and the other is TBD...
Any recommendations? Should I keep everything apple or consider other brands? I like apple, I find it very user friendly but as my engineering friends like to point out it is limited. (But if it does its functions and is easy to use, I can be happy with it).
I have one PC laptop and the other is TBD...
All of my friends who are med students say they find a lot of use with a tablet, but YMMV. Depends on your study habits.
8gb on the phone will be fine. Outside of apps and maybe music there's nothing you really need that can't go on the cloud. Personally I have an GSIII so I can throw in a large SD card (or swap them out as necessary). If you really like your iPhone then by all means keep it.
I own two iOS devices (iPad and iPod Touch) and while they're pretty good in terms of build quality, I despise iOS. I also use OS X every day at work and i'm not a fan either. If you're one of the people that's big into cross-platform uniformity and you don't mind iOS/OS X then by all means go with Apple. Just realize that it's going to cost you significantly more.
After I did some window shopping I've noticed that the Zenbook is priced quite a bit more than Macbooks. Is that right, or am I looking at the wrong ones?
When I got my Zenbook Prime (August 2012) it was the same price as a MacBook Pro. I think I paid about $1,048 total. I have the UX31A model.
It depends on the Zenbook (and Macbook). There's obviously going to be a high degree of variability based on specs.
I'd also take a look at the Samsung ATIV Books. I've heard from a couple friends that they are very nice.
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Also - I think the Zenbooks are more of a competitor for the Macbook Air rather than the Macbook Pro.
I have a Macbook Air right now and I love it. Its 1.5 years old now. I hear the newer models have even longer battery life, which is a huge plus. Having a laptop that is extremely light like MBA is very convenient.
(It replaced a Thinkpad that I bought in 2007).
(It replaced a Thinkpad that I bought in 2007).
I'm trying to decide between the macbook air and the zenbook at the moment. It seems like the zenbook is about $400 to $500 more a macbook air though.
Where are you getting these numbers? Airs start at 1k and zenbooks around 800, no?
So you chose to look at a Zenbook with a higher resolution screen (+touch), faster processor, and twice as much RAM and you aren't sure why it's more expensive?
If you like/have a PC currently, can't go wrong with Asus. Personally, I have a MacBook Pro and love it. I'd say around 65-70% of my class also has a MacBook Pro/Air. Basically it comes down to what OS you are more comfortable using.
Edit: I would also recommend waiting until you know that the computer requirements are for your medical school. Most laptops will work for the majority of schools, but you never know...
Edit: I would also recommend waiting until you know that the computer requirements are for your medical school. Most laptops will work for the majority of schools, but you never know...
It's also a little bit lighter. 3lbs vs. 2.6lbs doesn't sound like a big difference but to cut down that much weight there is also going to be a price increase. Whenever you're miniaturizing electronics, expect to pay more. That's why you pay more for ultrabooks than a typical laptop.
I really like the Yoga style, but I wonder how it would actually function in class. If the idea is to use it 100% as a tablet in class, then I think it'll work. If you're going to be switching to a keyboard occasionally, I think there are better designs that won't have you looking like a karate master. The Acer* R7 or the vaio fit/flip seem to be good options if you're planning on using both keyboard and tablet in class.
Then again, I'm undecided on the same thing, too! Let me know what you choose. 🙂
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The R7 is an Acer fyi. Th Ezel hinge is kind of cool, lots of possibilities with it. I used to own a cheaper Acer and it was pretty decent for the price point (with meh build quality), but i've played with the R7 in-store and it's pretty solidly built. I personally liked it a lot more than the Yoga but it's definitely more of a full size laptop and considerably heavier than the Yoga series.
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My b, you're right of course.
Yeah the R7 is pretty large, but you never have to pick it up to manipulate it like you do the Yoga. There are definitely pros and cons to both. This is what makes this search so HARD. I wish there was just a clearly better product.
Well the Yoga is geared more towards portability whereas the R7 is more of a desktop replacement with flexibility. It really depends on what you're looking for in a laptop. Or you can split it up by getting a ~700ish bigger laptop (15.6") with full features and then a separate tablet. You could even use something like TeamViewer to connect between the two.
From my experience with TeamViewer, it's best used as a last resort. It's not as snappy as being right on the device, and it can really slow down your productivity because of the mild delay.
I think most people do what you're suggesting actually, but I think that this new 2-in-1 market is geared towards people in just our position that could benefit from a tablet and a full laptop. I don't think they've done it exceptionally well yet, so maybe staying with the tried and true method you're suggesting would be best still. I'm a bit of a nerd, and I like to be part of the new tech trends, but I don't want to sacrifice/experiment with anything when something as important as my medical education is at stake. I'm going to wait a few months and see what shakes out of the hybrid market. 🙂
If one is attending a school that gives an IPad to each incoming student how does that impact the laptop they should get?
Should they stay compatible and go with a Mac and can they go Windows?
If Yes for a Mac is the focus of portability with the MacBook Air that significant if already have the IPad?
Should they stay compatible and go with a Mac and can they go Windows?
If Yes for a Mac is the focus of portability with the MacBook Air that significant if already have the IPad?
