Mac Book Pro vs iPad pro

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BoroPreMed92

BoroPreMed92

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Hey all, I am debating on whether or not to get an iPad pro with the keyboard and the ipen for note taking for med school or should I just go for the whole thing and get the mac book pro?
I'm wondering what is easiest to use for note taking for those who have used either before. During undergrad I usually just took paper notes or printed out all of the power points and wrote on them directly.

I'm also wondering if I should be considering the surface pro?
Thanks all!

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
 
BoroPreMed92 said:
Hey all, I am debating on whether or not to get an iPad pro with the keyboard and the ipen for note taking for med school or should I just go for the whole thing and get the mac book pro?
I'm wondering what is easiest to use for note taking for those who have used either before. During undergrad I usually just took paper notes or printed out all of the power points and wrote on them directly.

I'm also wondering if I should be considering the surface pro?
Thanks all!

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
Click to expand...

I use a 9 inch iPad Pro with a apple pencil. I also have the school given computer I used to sometimes review notes on.

There is no right or wrong way, just do what works for you. But I like the iPad because I can sync to dropbox, and have everything there. I can also have the luxary of going home and just have to carry a charger, iPad and all my e-Books are on there as well.
 
radian313 said:
I use a 9 inch iPad Pro with a apple pencil. I also have the school given computer I used to sometimes review notes on.

There is no right or wrong way, just do what works for you. But I like the iPad because I can sync to dropbox, and have everything there. I can also have the luxary of going home and just have to carry a charger, iPad and all my e-Books are on there as well.
Click to expand...
So the iPad pro can handle storage of all the ebooks and notes you need to save? I'm leaning towards the iPad pro because it's cheaper too. Can you take notes on the iPad pretty easily?

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BoroPreMed92 said:
So the iPad pro can handle storage of all the ebooks and notes you need to save? I'm leaning towards the iPad pro because it's cheaper too. Can you take notes on the iPad pretty easily?

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Click to expand...

My institution uses clinical key and things similar where no storage is required. Just log on and use as needed. Its all electronic. Dont worry about cheaper, worry about what will work for you. I used different stylus but I loved apple pencil the best.

Honestly, I can tell you apple vs surface pro 6 days to sunday, but aint going to mean much till you try it. You have to figure out what works for you, and how you study.
 
The only thing I will add is, you will need some sort of computer maybe to take exams. I know an iPad wount cut it. I use a very old Mac Pro as a desktop, I have computer from the school I take exams on and then I have a iPad for myself. You dont need all that but you do need a computer that you may need to take exams on. If you have not been admitted, wait and see if your school is going to get you one.
 
radian313 said:
The only thing I will add is, you will need some sort of computer maybe to take exams. I know an iPad wount cut it. I use a very old Mac Pro as a desktop, I have computer from the school I take exams on and then I have a iPad for myself. You dont need all that but you do need a computer that you may need to take exams on. If you have not been admitted, wait and see if your school is going to get you one.
Click to expand...
Gotcha and thanks for your input! I have been accepted and my school unfortunately does not provide a computer. I'm thinking I might just get a MacBook pro but I'm worried about the functionality of being able to take notes directly onto power point slides if I need to.

I guess I'll just have to figure out exactly how my school gives out lectures and notes to figure out how to effectively and efficiently take notes

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
 
BoroPreMed92 said:
Gotcha and thanks for your input! I have been accepted and my school unfortunately does not provide a computer. I'm thinking I might just get a MacBook pro but I'm worried about the functionality of being able to take notes directly onto power point slides if I need to.

I guess I'll just have to figure out exactly how my school gives out lectures and notes to figure out how to effectively and efficiently take notes

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
Click to expand...

Your best resource will be a OMS II student who can give you insight on this. SDN posters like me can only give you generalized advice.
 
radian313 said:
Your best resource will be a OMS II student who can give you insight on this. SDN posters like me can only give you generalized advice.
Click to expand...
Thats what I was hoping for when I started the thread. Hopefully some current medical students can chime in here!

I think you gave some good advice though!

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
 
BoroPreMed92 said:
Thats what I was hoping for when I started the thread. Hopefully some current medical students can chime in here!

I think you gave some good advice though!

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
Click to expand...

I meant from your school. An OMS -II from another school will give you the same advice I gave. You need to speak to someone at your school who is an OMS-II.
 
I played around with the Surface Pro notebook and I found out it also doubles as a pad. Like you can detach the screen from the keyboard and it becomes a tablet! I think I'm sold on that computer as my main choice.
 
What if you bought a real computer instead of an overpriced toy? Or at minimum a Surface that has the same functionalities at a fraction of the price? Christ I hate Apple so much.
 
Mr. D.O.five said:
I played around with the Surface Pro notebook and I found out it also doubles as a pad. Like you can detach the screen from the keyboard and it becomes a tablet! I think I'm sold on that computer as my main choice.
Click to expand...
I do like the surfaces but people say that they're not as powerful as the apple products. I wouldn't mind a surface book or pro at all, I just want to make sure it can handle everything I need for school! I'll have to get some advice from someone at best buy about that

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
 
kelminak said:
What if you bought a real computer instead of an overpriced toy? Or at minimum a Surface that has the same functionalities at a fraction of the price? Christ I hate Apple so much.
Click to expand...
Real computers don't let you write directly onto them but I do feel the same way about the Apple cult but you can't deny that they're products are pretty powerful

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
 
BoroPreMed92 said:
I do like the surfaces but people say that they're not as powerful as the apple products. I wouldn't mind a surface book or pro at all, I just want to make sure it can handle everything I need for school! I'll have to get some advice from someone at best buy about that

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
Click to expand...
Agreed. For me, I kinda want variety with my tech going into med school. I plan to either buy a Macbook Pro 15 inch and a Surface Pro 4, or a Surface Book 2 (when it comes out in 2017) and a iPad pro. Either way, both are versatile pieces of tech that will serve you more than well in med school.
 
I am planning on the Surface Book 2 if I get in this cycle. I have the Surface Pro 3 currently and it has handled everything minus heavy duty games quite easily.
 
I have the iPad Pro. The apple pencil + notability + palm detection is so good. I'd recommend going to best buy and trying both the ipad/surface and see which one you like better.
 
drkube said:
I have the iPad Pro. The apple pencil + notability + palm detection is so good. I'd recommend going to best buy and trying both the ipad/surface and see which one you like better.
Click to expand...

Fluffy123 said:
I am planning on the Surface Book 2 if I get in this cycle. I have the Surface Pro 3 currently and it has handled everything minus heavy duty games quite easily.
Click to expand...
I'm just concerned that the iPad won't be able to handle the load and I wouldn't be able to take exams on it I'm pretty sure. I think the surface books are awesome too. Can you write directly on them like in powerpoint?

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
 
Then again, does writing directly onto the power points even work that well for note taking? I'm more of a pen and paper kind of guy but I want to make things easier on myself because of the amount of material

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
 
My first year, I took all handwritten paper notes and occasionally brought my laptop for lectures where I absolutely needed to annotate a powerpoint/PDF. For my second year, I purchased the 9" iPad Pro (+Notability) and love it. My notes are much more organized and it's easier for me to be able to have everything in one place on my iPad/computer vs. keeping track of binders and notebooks and random sheets of paper with sticky notes covering them etc. However, I also bought a keyboard because my wrist started hurting from taking notes with the pencil all the time. I don't necessarily think this is a common issue, I have a weird (read: poor form) pen grip and think I just do something slightly different with the pencil vs. a normal writing utensil that's causing my muscles to work differently. Anyhow, I *LOVE* being able to use my keyboard and still write on the screen when I want to take notes on diagrams etc., plus the portability of the 9" Pro vs. my normal laptop is phenomenal. Even with the keyboard, the Pro is lighter and easier for me to carry around all day, which is a huge factor for me since I'm always looking to minimize the amount of weight I'm carrying. Additionally, annotating PDFs (or converted PPTs) is a million times easier on an iPad than on a laptop for me. Keep in mind that any iPad might have some compatibility issues with certain tasks that are designed for non mobile device operating systems. I would hesitate to recommend an iPad in lieu of a computer, but if you have an older laptop that can function I would highly recommend the iPad as a great tool.
 
BoroPreMed92 said:
I'm just concerned that the iPad won't be able to handle the load and I wouldn't be able to take exams on it I'm pretty sure. I think the surface books are awesome too. Can you write directly on them like in powerpoint?

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
Click to expand...
Double check the schools tech requirements. Some schools give you an iPad to take exams on and it is your choice of what else to use it for.

You can't write on PowerPoint files with the pen but you can write directly on pdf files
 
I'd go with MacBook Pro. Use it for textbook reading. Lesser eye strain. I've heard handwriting notes helps more with memory consolidation as compared to typing. I'm a pen and paper kind of person as well. Definitely not too bad. I'd suggest sticking with what works best for you.
 
poloboy said:
I'd go with MacBook Pro. Use it for textbook reading. Lesser eye strain. I've heard handwriting notes helps more with memory consolidation as compared to typing. I'm a pen and paper kind of person as well. Definitely not too bad. I'd suggest sticking with what works best for you.
Click to expand...

Don't make me make another spreadsheet about the MacBook Pro vs a PC at the same price point 😛
 
poloboy said:
Obviously get a Mac over a PC.
Click to expand...

giphy.gif
 
poloboy said:
Obviously get a Mac over a PC. You don't want your laptop sounding like a hair dryer in lecture or at the library!
Click to expand...

Got the new MacBook recently and I 10/10 recommend it, thinner and lighter than the air 🙂 not to mention these things last forever. My last one was stolen otherwise I'd still be rocking a 6 Y/O Mac with no issues, that being said these things are wayyy over priced and had I not had an insurance plan I probably would have gone PC.
 
Scrubs101 said:
Got the new MacBook recently and I 10/10 recommend it, thinner and lighter than the air 🙂 not to mention these things last forever. My last one was stolen otherwise I'd still be rocking a 6 Y/O Mac with no issues, that being said these things are wayyy over priced and had I not had an insurance plan I probably would have gone PC.
Click to expand...
I can't deal with the garbage they did with the ports, sticking with my old mac for now.
 
Mad Jack said:
I can't deal with the garbage they did with the ports, sticking with my old mac for now.
Click to expand...

Yeah all USB-C is quite irritating as of right now especially. Had to blow some extra money on a USB-C -> HDMI, SD card, USB converter. Glad they kept the headphone port though lol. From what I've read though USB-C is the port of the future, should start seeing more of it eventually. Its just a bit ahead of it's time right now, but what better way to start the transition to USB-C than apple leading the way. Everyone else will follow, i hope.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Scrubs101 said:
Got the new MacBook recently and I 10/10 recommend it, thinner and lighter than the air 🙂 not to mention these things last forever. My last one was stolen otherwise I'd still be rocking a 6 Y/O Mac with no issues, that being said these things are wayyy over priced and had I not had an insurance plan I probably would have gone PC.
Click to expand...

I've seen the new MacBook. Looks pretty awesome. I'm still using my 6-year-old Mac too and not looking to get a new one anytime soon haha!
 
At the same price, Apple products will never perform at the speeds that a PC will. That said, if I was bleeding money and didn't know what to do with it, I might buy a Mac. The only thing I can concede that is good about them is the aesthetics and ease-of-use for basic users. If money is a factor and you want to get the best product possible with that money in terms of performance, Macs will never be the right choice.

Mad Jack said:
I can't deal with the garbage they did with the ports, sticking with my old mac for now.
Click to expand...
Scrubs101 said:
Its just a bit ahead of it's time right now, but what better way to start the transition to USB-C than apple leading the way. Everyone else will follow, i hope.
Click to expand...

I lied, there are two things that I can admit Apple is good at: realizing when technology will be outdated and unused in the future. When they removed the CD drive from the Macbook Air, people collectively **** their pants. A few years later, how many of you guys are still popping in CDs to install things? Everything's moving to web-based installations and there's virtually no reason to use that drive. The same thing will likely happen as the aux port capabilities could easily be done using a different port to save space (allowing them to cram more useful **** into the device).
 
kelminak said:
At the same price, Apple products will never perform at the speeds that a PC will. That said, if I was bleeding money and didn't know what to do with it, I might buy a Mac. The only thing I can concede that is good about them is the aesthetics and ease-of-use for basic users. If money is a factor and you want to get the best product possible with that money in terms of performance, Macs will never be the right choice.




I lied, there are two things that I can admit Apple is good at: realizing when technology will be outdated and unused in the future. When they removed the CD drive from the Macbook Air, people collectively **** their pants. A few years later, how many of you guys are still popping in CDs to install things? Everything's moving to web-based installations and there's virtually no reason to use that drive. The same thing will likely happen as the aux port capabilities could easily be done using a different port to save space (allowing them to cram more useful **** into the device).
Click to expand...
Remember when they threw FireWire on everything and it never caught on? Remember how the single button mouse is still a piece of garbage compared to its two button cousin? Remember Zip Drive capable Macs? Remember when proprietary Wi-Fi Airports were basically the only thing Apple supported?

Apple missteps about as often as it hits. For every iPad there's an Apple Newton.
 
kelminak said:
At the same price, Apple products will never perform at the speeds that a PC will. That said, if I was bleeding money and didn't know what to do with it, I might buy a Mac. The only thing I can concede that is good about them is the aesthetics and ease-of-use for basic users. If money is a factor and you want to get the best product possible with that money in terms of performance, Macs will never be the right choice.

I lied, there are two things that I can admit Apple is good at: realizing when technology will be outdated and unused in the future. When they removed the CD drive from the Macbook Air, people collectively **** their pants. A few years later, how many of you guys are still popping in CDs to install things? Everything's moving to web-based installations and there's virtually no reason to use that drive. The same thing will likely happen as the aux port capabilities could easily be done using a different port to save space (allowing them to cram more useful **** into the device).
Click to expand...

Not to mention there are certain use cases where a Mac just seems to be the preferred choice. Yea, if just comparing basic tech specs and the cost then you can figure any number of PCs for similar specs and for cheaper.

I've been a lifelong PC user up until about 3 years ago when I got a Macbook Pro and doubt I'd go back to Windows for personal daily use (unless Apple just gives up on the Mac/desktop OS which some think might happen). I've built my own desktop PCs and owned many Windows Laptops and none of them have been as well built overall as my Mackbook.

And I'm probably somewhat of an outlier, but I'm also a musician, play in a band and use it for recording with an audio interface and the Mac software just works, much less flaky than any windows audio software I've used.

Obviously for what 80+% of everyone needs it for, web surfing, taking notes, email, presentations, etc... than any Windows PC or laptop costing just a few hundred $$ is more than enough machine.
 
BoroPreMed92 said:
Hey all, I am debating on whether or not to get an iPad pro with the keyboard and the ipen for note taking for med school or should I just go for the whole thing and get the mac book pro?
I'm wondering what is easiest to use for note taking for those who have used either before. During undergrad I usually just took paper notes or printed out all of the power points and wrote on them directly.

I'm also wondering if I should be considering the surface pro?
Thanks all!

Sent from my SM-N920V using SDN mobile
Click to expand...

My school you need a laptop to take the tests, fyi!
 
Mad Jack said:
Remember when they threw FireWire on everything and it never caught on? Remember how the single button mouse is still a piece of garbage compared to its two button cousin? Remember Zip Drive capable Macs? Remember when proprietary Wi-Fi Airports were basically the only thing Apple supported?

Apple missteps about as often as it hits. For every iPad there's an Apple Newton.
Click to expand...

"You miss every shot you dont take" kobe
 
Mad Jack said:
Remember when they threw FireWire on everything and it never caught on? Remember how the single button mouse is still a piece of garbage compared to its two button cousin? Remember Zip Drive capable Macs? Remember when proprietary Wi-Fi Airports were basically the only thing Apple supported?

Apple missteps about as often as it hits. For every iPad there's an Apple Newton.
Click to expand...

71805972.jpg


I'm not saying they're infallible (I said clearly I hate Apple with a passion earlier 😛), but there have been some steps they've taken that had some good foresight is all. In general, I think they are a trash company.
 
Mad Jack said:
A laptop that makes me use adapters for all my crap, including headphones, is a shot I'm willing to miss seeing Apple try to make.
Click to expand...

Yea too many adapters. I have bluetooth headphones though so no worries on that. I have had apple do over a grand worth of repairs on my computer so atleast i got my monies worth 😉
 
Camaxtli said:
Yea too many adapters. I have bluetooth headphones though so no worries on that. I have had apple do over a grand worth of repairs on my computer so atleast i got my monies worth 😉
Click to expand...
I've got flash drives, external drives, gaming mice, surround-sound gaming headsets, numerous gadgets, etc that won't work with the new Mac without an adapter. It's a pain in the ass for a real techie to switch every piece of technology they own over to a new port.
 
Mad Jack said:
I've got flash drives, external drives, gaming mice, surround-sound gaming headsets, numerous gadgets, etc that won't work with the new Mac without an adapter. It's a pain in the ass for a real techie to switch every piece of technology they own over to a new port.
Click to expand...

Im not a real "techie" i only use the usb port to hook up my iphone and thats it. All my gaming is on consoles. Im sad they got rid of magsafe. Otherwise with Bluetooth headphones im good. I understand how that would be annoying with you. Im more annoyed the iphone 7 doesnt have the headphone jax for aux port in car. Didnt get the 7 when otherwise i would have.

Eventually though if you really preferred apple all of this will resolve once you got all new gear. Kind of sucks but im not a big fan of PC. So will stick with mac. Dont plan on a new comp for a while my 6 year old mac i got for college runs great!
 
Camaxtli said:
Im not a real "techie" i only use the usb port to hook up my iphone and thats it. All my gaming is on consoles. Im sad they got rid of magsafe. Otherwise with Bluetooth headphones im good. I understand how that would be annoying with you. Im more annoyed the iphone 7 doesnt have the headphone jax for aux port in car. Didnt get the 7 when otherwise i would have.

Eventually though if you really preferred apple all of this will resolve once you got all new gear. Kind of sucks but im not a big fan of PC. So will stick with mac. Dont plan on a new comp for a while my 6 year old mac i got for college runs great!
Click to expand...
I use a million different devices because there's a lot I want to do that Apple can't give me optimally. I'm a man with needs damn it.
 
Mad Jack said:
I use a million different devices because there's a lot I want to do that Apple can't give me optimally. I'm a man with needs damn it.
Click to expand...

Definitely dont sound like an apple user. I think they cater their products for the mainstream who want a refined and simple user experience. I wont fault anyone for getting whatever product that works better for them!
 
Camaxtli said:
Definitely dont sound like an apple user. I think they cater their products for the mainstream who want a refined and simple user experience. I wont fault anyone for getting whatever product that works better for them!
Click to expand...
You mean plebs? Yeah, Apple does cater to plebs. They're the perfect tool of mediocrity.
 
Apple vs. PC aside... you might need an actual laptop for exams. Some schools have you take all exams on a laptop; at mine it's only for shelf exams, but tablets aren't sufficient.

For whatever it's worth I love my MacBook Air. Doesn't take up that much more space than the iPad Pro, really.
 
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