Laptops

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nowonder

nowonder

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Has anyone used an Macbook Air in class? Does it seem to hold up to usage? Or have you used any other comparable unit? Looks like I'll be using it mostly for Microsoft Office and Citrix.
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nowonder said:
Has anyone used an iPad Air in class? Does it seem to hold up to usage? Or have you used any other comparable unit? Looks like I'll be using it mostly for Microsoft Office and Citrix.
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The MacBook Air? I personally haven't, but I suspect it would work just fine. New MacBook Pros are expected Thursday though -- so don't go buy anything right this moment if you think you might be interested in what comes out.

My class uses everything from MBs / MBPs to tablet PCs to a wide variety of laptops.
 
exi said:
The MacBook Air? I personally haven't, but I suspect it would work just fine. New MacBook Pros are expected Thursday though -- so don't go buy anything right this moment if you think you might be interested in what comes out.

My class uses everything from MBs / MBPs to tablet PCs to a wide variety of laptops.
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If you want something light to take to class- I travel exclusively with my iPad now. It's awesome for lecture and class- I take notes right on the lecture slides, have instant access to everything I need and can watch lectures (2x speed available in iTunes on the ipad!), and even have an elaborate digital flashcard system worked out that incorporates images from the lecture slides. If I get bored, I can even Netflix ;)

I never take my laptop to class now- it stays at home. Might be a better choice than a Macbook air.
 
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nowonder said:
Has anyone used an Macbook Air in class? Does it seem to hold up to usage? Or have you used any other comparable unit? Looks like I'll be using it mostly for Microsoft Office and Citrix.
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The beauty is that it's not tough to hold up, usage or not.

Hope this helps!
 
nowonder said:
Has anyone used an Macbook Air in class? Does it seem to hold up to usage? Or have you used any other comparable unit? Looks like I'll be using it mostly for Microsoft Office and Citrix.
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You don't need much of a computer at all to look at powerpoints and write word files/emails. I was using a 10 year old desktop computer for all my school work including watching lecture vids up until a few months ago when the graphics card finally went out.

If you want something small and light you could save a bunch of money by purchasing a netbook like a dell or hp mini. There are a number of people in my class who use these as their sole computer and swear by them.
 
Fleur de Me said:
If you want something light to take to class- I travel exclusively with my iPad now. It's awesome for lecture and class- I take notes right on the lecture slides, have instant access to everything I need and can watch lectures (2x speed available in iTunes on the ipad!), and even have an elaborate digital flashcard system worked out that incorporates images from the lecture slides. If I get bored, I can even Netflix ;)

I never take my laptop to class now- it stays at home. Might be a better choice than a Macbook air.
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does this really work? ipad for everything? that sounds like an amazing idea! how do you type notes with it though? the onscreen keyboard isnt as fast as a normal/physical one?
 
samuraiR said:
does this really work? ipad for everything? that sounds like an amazing idea! how do you type notes with it though? the onscreen keyboard isnt as fast as a normal/physical one?
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Most of the tablets have a writing feature/application or you can buy a rubber keyboard you can roll up and put in your pocket, that just plugs right in.
 
nowonder said:
Has anyone used an Macbook Air in class? Does it seem to hold up to usage? Or have you used any other comparable unit? Looks like I'll be using it mostly for Microsoft Office and Citrix.
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That's a very expensive solution, especially if you're putting it on your student loans.
 
MightyMoose said:
Most of the tablets have a writing feature/application or you can buy a rubber keyboard you can roll up and put in your pocket, that just plugs right in.
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the ipad just got significantly more attractive to me... damn did not know that!
 
Only get the iPad if you want to waste money :) Otherwise, any old laptop works fine. If you want to save money, get a 2-3 year old Thinkpad (T61's are great) for under $500. It will likely last you all four years of med school, with maybe a battery change in the middle. Elitebooks are very nice, too.

Macs and other consumer-level laptops tend to be a lot more fragile than business laptops. Even the aluminum ones fall apart after a couple years of use.
 
bomgd3 said:
Only get the iPad if you want to waste money :) Otherwise, any old laptop works fine. If you want to save money, get a 2-3 year old Thinkpad (T61's are great) for under $500. It will likely last you all four years of med school, with maybe a battery change in the middle. Elitebooks are very nice, too.

Macs and other consumer-level laptops tend to be a lot more fragile than business laptops. Even the aluminum ones fall apart after a couple years of use.
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Not so sure about that last part. A unibody MBP, if taken care of like any other laptop, ought to do very well longevity-wise.
 
bomgd3 said:
Only get the iPad if you want to waste money :) Otherwise, any old laptop works fine. If you want to save money, get a 2-3 year old Thinkpad (T61's are great) for under $500. It will likely last you all four years of med school, with maybe a battery change in the middle. Elitebooks are very nice, too.

Macs and other consumer-level laptops tend to be a lot more fragile than business laptops. Even the aluminum ones fall apart after a couple years of use.
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ive had my macbook since 2007 and have used it heavily since then. ive had no problems whatsoever with it. depends on if you take care of your stuff as to whether or not it will fall apart - if youre rough with it then yea, its gonna fall apart after a while - mac, dell or whatever.
 
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exi said:
Not so sure about that last part. A unibody MBP, if taken care of like any other laptop, ought to do very well longevity-wise.
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My husband works for Apple, and we have 3 comps over 4 yes old that run great. I even play WoW on my old laptop. Also, we are pretty hard on our stuff.

My husband has an iPad and he loves it. He got rid of his laptop because he just uses the tablet everywhere instead. The lack of flash makes for a great battery life.

As far as tablets go, the Xoom is supposed to be pretty good also (a friend of mine worked on the project team for it). It will eventually support flash, but they rolled it out without it so the initial reviews wouldn't show the 10 minute battery life while using flash ;)

Anyway, I would suggest iPad instead of MB Air, although the airs are selling like hotcakes right now. And it also depends if this is Just for class, or other things as well. You'll probably want a comp that will do flash, but a desktop works for that.
 
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I'm just saying that based on anecdotal evidence--several of my friends have had Macbooks (particularly the plastic ones) fall apart with a few years of typical college use. But then again, damn near everyone owns one.

I stand by my "get a cheap Thinkpad/Elitebook" comment!
 
I'll admit, I'm leaning iPad. I have a servicable, but couple of years old PC/Laptop - but it's heavy. Since lectures look like the "death by Powerpoint" type, my thought was to use it to view slides during lecture, take notes by hand (I'm old school that way) and then pop them into the slides via laptop. I can then pop them back into the iPad for access and portability.

Has anyone used any of the stylus attachments? Do they work?
 
nowonder said:
I'll admit, I'm leaning iPad. I have a servicable, but couple of years old PC/Laptop - but it's heavy. Since lectures look like the "death by Powerpoint" type, my thought was to use it to view slides during lecture, take notes by hand (I'm old school that way) and then pop them into the slides via laptop. I can then pop them back into the iPad for access and portability.

Has anyone used any of the stylus attachments? Do they work?
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You don't want an iPad. You really want one of these!

Motorola Xoom. This thing is sweet!

http://ces.cnet.com/motorola-xoom-wins-best-of-show
 
Wow, that's pretty!

I'm glad this thread is here. As it is, I have a year and a half old HP laptop that we got for about $500 that has served me very well. It even handles the MMO the hubs and I play together without any problems. The only problem it has is that I broke the backspace key.

I'm not sure if I should even bother getting something else for school, and if so, should I get a tablet (which I never considered, really, but this thread makes some intriguing points), or a smaller netbook kind of laptop, or what. I originally thought I would need a higher-end laptop for some reason, but now I'm getting that's probably not the case. FWIW, I feel like I learn best when I handwrite my own notes, like if I filter it through my brain more thoroughly, I'll retain it better.

I'm still lost but this thread is giving me some stuff to think about.
 
I've been debating purchasing an iPad "for school" since they came out. At the $500 price point they're definitely the best tablet available, and will be for the foreseeable future.

I highly suggest going with the least expensive option, though. An iPad is pretty fragile and only has so much utility.

I have a 5 year-old MBP whose life is now analogous to our friendly community DKA's in the ER. The battery died (again) and I decided to replace it, again (3rd time, you're welcome Apple) and post this thing as long as possible while just upgrading my home desktop for more power/processing/gaming intensive pursuits.

It's annoying always having to bring the power cord, but for the most part plugs are widely available at my school and in the libraries. I keep the computer pretty limited to try and maximize its remaining life but I know its got one foot in the recycling bin because its just not the same speed anymore.
 
Geekchick921 said:
Wow, that's pretty!

I'm glad this thread is here. As it is, I have a year and a half old HP laptop that we got for about $500 that has served me very well. It even handles the MMO the hubs and I play together without any problems. The only problem it has is that I broke the backspace key.

I'm not sure if I should even bother getting something else for school, and if so, should I get a tablet (which I never considered, really, but this thread makes some intriguing points), or a smaller netbook kind of laptop, or what. I originally thought I would need a higher-end laptop for some reason, but now I'm getting that's probably not the case. FWIW, I feel like I learn best when I handwrite my own notes, like if I filter it through my brain more thoroughly, I'll retain it better.

I'm still lost but this thread is giving me some stuff to think about.
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I think you should just stop making mistakes and you'll be just fine. ;)

It's a trade off, you still have a good laptop, so a tablet could add some additional portability. If you get a keyboard, you'll be able to do just about everything that most people do on a laptop with a tablet. You can download programs that emulate Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc..

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do yet either, so I'll probably just get a bigger, faster phone (Thunderbolt), and keep my laptop.
 
Being perfect is hard, man. ;)

I've got awhile longer to figure it out, thankfully. I do think something smaller/more portable would be nice; my laptop's not enormous but it is a wide screen. I also wonder if it'll be worth it to have a tablet for clinicals (I have NO idea), but if it is, if I don't feel like I need one for preclinical years, it would probably be smart to wait and see what advances they make with them by that point.
 
I am going to get an iPad2 and med school will be the excuse. But I need funding...plz donate ty
 
MBP here. 13 inch is the most common computer in my class of 190 students.

IMO, you would be an idiot to have only an IPAD at medical school. I can't imagine having to deal with typing out patient interviews, physicals, learning issues, group projects, designing powerpoint project, etc. on nothing but an IPAD.

If you have an iMAC at home then get the IPAD, if not, get an Air or a MBP.
 
It also looks like I could get a sizeable discount (several hundred dollars) through my school with a Lenovo laptop, which I've heard great things about on SDN. It's just a matter of whether I need to or not.
 
I have a MBP as well, can't recommend it enough. I was kind of turned off by the schools that mandated you have a specific kind of computer (i.e. Albany requires you buy an IBM tablet).

What's the benefit of having a tablet?
 
fahimaz7 said:
MBP here. 13 inch is the most common computer in my class of 190 students.

IMO, you would be an idiot to have only an IPAD at medical school. I can't imagine having to deal with typing out patient interviews, physicals, learning issues, group projects, designing powerpoint project, etc. on nothing but an IPAD.

If you have an iMAC at home then get the IPAD, if not, get an Air or a MBP.
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There are accessories suck as this: http://www.zagg.com/accessories/zaggmate-ipad-case

This makes your ipad a computer. Just plug in a mouse and your good to go.
 
bomgd3 said:
I'm just saying that based on anecdotal evidence--several of my friends have had Macbooks (particularly the plastic ones) fall apart with a few years of typical college use. But then again, damn near everyone owns one.

I stand by my "get a cheap Thinkpad/Elitebook" comment!
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I have had a macbook since 2006 and my school gives us thinkpad tablets which I got in summer of 2009. My macbook is still my home computer. I beat that thing to hell and back. It does have a little plastic shard that came off, but it is a character builder and doesn't affect functionality. I've had to send my thinkpad in 3 times for repairs and the latch is broken right now, but I don't want to send it in until after step 1. It took them 3 months to fix it and then when I got it back, they cracked certain parts and tried supergluing them. I have also had it crash multiple times and ever since having Windows 7 on it, it doesn't seem to want to connect to any network without me troubleshooting the connection, toggling the wireless switch or going in and turning on the wireless in settings that was mysteriously turned off, despite the switch being on. Oh, and the thinkpad was more expensive.

Like every product on the market, it is the luck of the draw sometimes.

For me, the tablet is more of a novelty. I don't really use it, but I also don't really go to class. Most of my classmates that do use the tablet type features like to put the slides into onenote and write and circle stuff on them, but they do end up typing a fair bit. I hate studying from my computer screen and printing off of onenote sucks. It is a great program for most people if you are dead set on using your computer for all since you can organize notes, color code, etc. I did have it crash and mysteriously delete a ton of my notes before an exam when I was using it.

It is also fun to doodle on to kill time.
 
I have a MBP and enjoy it. But I probably would have gotten something cheaper if this wasn't free. One class mate has a macbook air and has no problems using it in class. I think an iPad could have varying degrees of usefulness depending on your school, but also remember that an iPad isn't going to fit in your pocket very well in a couple years during clinical years.
 
bomgd3 said:
Get yourself some of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Clairefontain...K56U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298735718&sr=8-1

The paper quality is incredible--I definitely love the tactile feedback of a good pen and notebook for note-taking. Unfortunately our school mandated that we buy overpriced ($1500) HP Elitebooks.
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I agree with this. I think my pen was almost as much as an iPad, but it was well worth it. I love it and will be able to pass it on to my kids one day, because it will retain its value (assuming I don't lose it... That would be a bad day...).
 
MightyMoose said:
I agree with this. I think my pen was almost as much as an iPad, but it was well worth it. I love it and will be able to pass it on to my kids one day, because it will retain its value (assuming I don't lose it... That would be a bad day...).
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I met a guy just the other day that went on a rant about how someone stole his Monte Blanc a few days after he bought it to replace his prior one, which was lost.

Unless I have to sign a major contract or my soul, I will stick to my pilots and sakura pens.
 
MossPoh said:
I met a guy just the other day that went on a rant about how someone stole his Monte Blanc a few days after he bought it to replace his prior one, which was lost.

Unless I have to sign a major contract or my soul, I will stick to my pilots and sakura pens.
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I would lose it if someone stole my pen...

Mine has a cap though, so I can always have the cap in one hand when I am using it. This discourages it from ever being set somewhere, and if I ever let someone use it to sign something (I usually don't if I can avoid it), I have the cap, so they can't just walk away with it.

The cap makes a world of a difference. When it is capped it resides in my front pocket (it has an awesome clasp, that ensures it won't slide out). I made myself establish a system that worked before I splurged on the pen, but now it's as common to me as holding onto my wallet or watch.
 
MightyMoose said:
I agree with this. I think my pen was almost as much as an iPad, but it was well worth it. I love it and will be able to pass it on to my kids one day, because it will retain its value (assuming I don't lose it... That would be a bad day...).
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I do appreciate a good pen. What's yours?
 
MightyMoose said:
Here is the exact one:

http://www.montblanc.com/products/precious_white_metals_dou.38011.php


What about yourself?
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Absolutely beautiful thing. Always did like the Starwalkers.

Many many years ago, I was given an MB Noblesse Oblige fountain as a gift, and it kinda started from there. I've got a few others hanging around that aren't quite the same league as yours -- a Century II, Lamy Studio, a Waterford, a few others -- but med school has made me lean towards retractable pens. Been thinking about either getting one of the Pilot/Namiki capless fountains, or something like yours that's just worth losing the retractable-ness for.

Random question, but are there any waterproof inks available that can be used in MB fineliners/rollers like yours?
 
Fountain pensssssssss. One of these days, I'll buy myself one. It will be a great day.:love:

And on an on-topic note, the iPad is great for class (if you buy yourself a nice $15 stylus accessory). I was still able to do alright without the stylus, but I retain more through the process of physically writing, rather than typing.
 
People seriously buy 500 dollar pens?

Pretentious is too mild a word to use here. You're not a goddamn CEO signing checks or important documents for the camera. You're taking notes and doodling other random crap on paper. This is disgusting. :thumbdown:
 
Myuu said:
Fountain pensssssssss. One of these days, I'll buy myself one. It will be a great day.:love:
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15 years of working in the business world has taught me that the niceness of the pen is inversely proportional to the time it takes for it to be walked away.
 
nowonder said:
15 years of working in the business world has taught me that the niceness of the pen is inversely proportional to the time it takes for it to be walked away.
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Ahh, this is certainly true. S'why I mostly rely on my bic round stic grips for day to day stuff. The 0.38mm uniball stays home.:love:

But man, a fountain pen would be pretty sweet. Alternatively, I could old-school it and cart my india ink and nibs to school with me...

...but that would be super-annoying and super-messy.
 
I'll take a regular, old Pilot gel pen, TYVM. The only downside is the rubber grip means I can't stick it in my hair, which is one of the two ways I won't lose a pen. The other is if it's clipped to a lanyard or something, which those are perfect for. After working on a hospital floor for two years I learned if I didn't have the pen attached to me somehow it would be stolen.
 
SilverBvllet said:
People seriously buy 500 dollar pens?

Pretentious is too mild a word to use here. You're not a goddamn CEO signing checks or important documents for the camera. You're taking notes and doodling other random crap on paper. This is disgusting. :thumbdown:
Click to expand...

In all fairness, I would probably draw the line quite a bit south of that for a pen for myself, but I can appreciate them when I see them. You know, instead of jumping to "pretentious" and "you're not a goddamn CEO" and "this is disgusting" in reference to people you'll probably never even meet in your judgmental life.

Now relax and stop bashing strangers on an online forum.
 
SilverBvllet said:
People seriously buy 500 dollar pens?

Pretentious is too mild a word to use here. You're not a goddamn CEO signing checks or important documents for the camera. You're taking notes and doodling other random crap on paper. This is disgusting. :thumbdown:
Click to expand...

:thumbup:
 
nowonder said:
Has anyone used an Macbook Air in class? Does it seem to hold up to usage? Or have you used any other comparable unit? Looks like I'll be using it mostly for Microsoft Office and Citrix.
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I have a macbook air 13 inch the newest version and it's pretty sweet. The SSD makes it a lot faster than the specs say it is. I like to take notes on it sometimes. The best thing about it is that it's really light. I would say if you don't mind ponying up 1300 dollars for a laptop it's worth it.
 
exi said:
Absolutely beautiful thing. Always did like the Starwalkers.

Many many years ago, I was given an MB Noblesse Oblige fountain as a gift, and it kinda started from there. I've got a few others hanging around that aren't quite the same league as yours -- a Century II, Lamy Studio, a Waterford, a few others -- but med school has made me lean towards retractable pens. Been thinking about either getting one of the Pilot/Namiki capless fountains, or something like yours that's just worth losing the retractable-ness for.

Random question, but are there any waterproof inks available that can be used in MB fineliners/rollers like yours?
Click to expand...

Nice, man. Those retractable fountain pens look really nice. I love the way a good fountain pen writes.

In answer to your question about the ink; it is permanent, fadeproof, waterproof, and acid free. I love the way it writes as well.

Myuu said:
Fountain pensssssssss. One of these days, I'll buy myself one. It will be a great day.:love:

And on an on-topic note, the iPad is great for class (if you buy yourself a nice $15 stylus accessory). I was still able to do alright without the stylus, but I retain more through the process of physically writing, rather than typing.
Click to expand...

Totally worth it. It's a good graduation present to yourself. ;) I actually picked mine up as a congratulations for giving up your old career, going back to college, graduating, and getting into medical school present to myself. I will most likely never take it into the hospital during rotations or residency, but I'll always have it for clinic days, leisure writing, etc.. It's probably one of my favorite items.


SilverBvllet said:
People seriously buy 500 dollar pens?

Pretentious is too mild a word to use here. You're not a goddamn CEO signing checks or important documents for the camera. You're taking notes and doodling other random crap on paper. This is disgusting. :thumbdown:
Click to expand...


Different strokes for different folks. :shrug:
 
exi said:
MB's roller/fineliner refills are waterproof? I've not used either.
Click to expand...


This is what the guy at the store told me, but when I tested the waterproofing of the ink, it does bleed just a little when exposed to water (I only actually tested the fineliner). However, it was very little ink bleed and I could see why the guy said it is waterproof, but I'm not convinced that it is. I tested it on cheap printer paper though, so that could have been part of the reason for the bleed.
 
I like how it went from laptops to fountain pens, but I like to use a nice, highly expensive BIC Corporation GSFG11BLK Stick Grip Fine Point Pen

However, if I really feel fancy Zebra F-301 BOLD STEEL...

But for a laptop, I just have a Compaq Presario... don't really need a Macbook with dedicated memory. You're paying for ~$800 more than what you actually need. Unless you're constantly making music/accessing graphics card (which youre not by watching flash plug in videos)....you don't really need a mac. Anyways, if I could though, I would buy an iPad for its versatility as a bigger iPod Touch
 
exi said:
In all fairness, I would probably draw the line quite a bit south of that for a pen for myself, but I can appreciate them when I see them. You know, instead of jumping to "pretentious" and "you're not a goddamn CEO" and "this is disgusting" in reference to people you'll probably never even meet in your judgmental life.

Now relax and stop bashing strangers on an online forum.
Click to expand...
It is pretentious to use a 500 dollar pen to take notes. Period. Appreciate it all you want, it doesn't lessen the ridiculousness, but hey that's their choice just like it is my choice to mock and laugh at them.
 
to follow up with the iPad question- yes, i think it is great and i do everything with it now.

i used to type out notes but noticed that i was spending more time typing than "thinking" in class and usually had to go over it all with the video recording anyway.

what i like about using the ipad (with a stylus) and noterize- is that i write directly on the slides. i can also highlight and draw, or put digital "sticky notes" on a slide where i can write/type additional notes. it's flawless, i spend more time ON the slides during lecture and i get 10x more out of it than i did when i was purely typing notes.

but yeah, if you insist on typing you can definitely get a portable/roll-up keyboard, i just don't find it necessary.

i also love love love it for the flashcard program that i have where i import pictures from slides into the flashcards.

i also have textbooks on it (some through the library portal, a few bootleg), and First Aid. Also, Kaplan gave away 3 books for USMLE for free on Kindle- I got those on the Kindle for Ipad.

Life with iPad is awesome- it fits in my white coat too when the time comes. Never drag my laptop to school anymore.

Worth it- and the new ones are coming out soon, so you can get a new one or an old one for cheaper.
 
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