Technology Lenovo Tablet v.s. MacBook Pro

[kywii]

Hello,

I'm beginning medical school at UPenn this August and I have been having a hard time deciding on a laptop. I have narrowed it down to the Lenovo ThinkPad X201 Tablet and the MacBook Pro. I think the MacBook is an excellent very user friendly computer, but I am really fasinated with the ability to write on my powerpoint presentations on my computer. Can anyone comment on either of these models and also on how useful it would be to annotate copies of their course handouts electronically.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[justaregularmed]

If you really want a tablet consider Fujitsu as well.

But a tablet computer is not even in the same class as a MacBook Pro. They don't really compare.

Either will be more then adequate for medical school.

Personally I don't see a huge benefit to the tablet unless you plan to distribute/edit your notes heavily.

 

[reedman]

i have a lenovo tablet. love it to death. the tablet function is cool and convenient, but it wont give you an edge. i learned pretty quickly that there is no reason to write on most powerpoints in med school because all the info is there, or in your lecture notes/handouts/assigned readings.


get the macbook

not the pro, just the macbook.


save your money. take a cool vacation. have a good computer for the next 5 years.

 

[plauto]

I remember being fascinated with being able to write on powerpoint as well....I am happy I did not buy a tablet though. 2 or 3 people in my class did and stopped using it as such after the 1st week of classes. I don't think there is an advantage to it in med school. Lenovo is a good brand though for a windows-based product.

 

[Slevin]

Never saw the point in writing on a powerpoint, I usually just typed out notes. Typically all the info is on the slide.

If I were you I would skip the tablet and get the MacBook Pro

 

[da8s0859q]

If you really want a tablet consider Fujitsu as well.

But a tablet computer is not even in the same class as a MacBook Pro. They don't really compare.

Either will be more then adequate for medical school.

If you want to go the tablet route, you might also consider the HP Elitebook 2740p. I had its predecessor, the 2730p, for a brief while -- as far as tablets go, it's a nice piece of hardware. The slim dock/DVD drive was awesome imo, especially when you have a few external USB devices you want to easily connect at the end of the day.

I'm currently on a 15" MacBook Pro from the 06/2009 refresh, but I'm not "a Mac"; I like Windows 7 / a couple of Linux distros / OS X for their own reasons.

i learned pretty quickly that there is no reason to write on most powerpoints in med school because all the info is there, or in your lecture notes/handouts/assigned readings.


get the macbook

not the pro, just the macbook.

Well, yes and no. OP, if you're a writer when you study -- you like to annotate notes, etc. -- you might be well served by a tablet. Some of my classmates use tablets or go all paper for their notes, and it works well for them, but you do get everything you need to know handed to you in some form or another. It's just a matter of what's most efficient for you in terms of actually knowing it.

If you do choose to get a MB/MBP, I'd vote for getting the MBP flat-out. Yeah, it costs a bit more off the bat, but if you're gonna get a laptop like that, might as well spring for the "pro" unless you really want the base MB. The aluminum unibodies are awesome machines, and the great battery life from the mid-2009 refresh got better with the 04/2010 refresh (see Anandtech's reviews, like this for the 15" and this for the 13", FMI).

Oh, and if you're interested in that kind of machine but would rather go with a native Windows laptop, check out the HP Envy 14. Similar aesthetics, but Windows 7 without the handful of quirks you'd get by running Windows 7 under Boot Camp in OS X.

 

[ddsddsdds]

While I agree that you don't need the tablet, I personally have found it very helpful. I tend to be more engaged in class when I am actively scribbling on my slides vs typing or just listening. Each person is different though. I know in dental school it has been very helpful to be able to draw on some slides. I also found it convenient in classes like histology where there is a bunch of junk on the slide and the prof points at it briefly with the laser pointer and moves on. You can definitely get by without the tablet, but I personally wouldn't want to. As mentioned there are many good tablets out there. I use a Toshiba M700 while classmates use a fujitsu, lenovo and (consumer) HP.

As for the macbook vs mbp each has advantages and disadvantages. My wife has the mbp and loves it. Just remember that you'll probably use the laptop throughout your medical school career so think long term.

You could also get a netbook and make a hackintosh for 1/4 the $ of mbp A friend did this with amazing results... just do your due diligence before you buy.

 

[jasin]

One person on here was saying there school requires them to have a tablet Pc.

see:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=170745

 

[Slevin]

One person on here was saying there school requires them to have a tablet Pc.

see:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=170745

You do know that that post was made in 2005 right? Things might have changed since then

 

[da8s0859q]

You do know that that post was made in 2005 right? Things might have changed since then

That, and "required" isn't always actually required. Many schools "require" certain books and Tablet PCs, but then half the class is happy with their copies of First Aid/BRS and non-tablet laptops.

 

[jasin]

You do know that that post was made in 2005 right? Things might have changed since then

The school has not changed its requirements since then though.

http://www.alliedhealth.kumc.edu/pr...cuments/PDF/HIM-LaptopRequirement-apr2010.pdf