New Computer for Vet School?

[WildZoo]

This thread has been super useful but I still have some questions.
- if you take your notes on a tablet, do you study from there too or do you print them off?
- if you study from a screen, do you make study guides/summaries by hand or only use the soft copy?
I'm trying to decide where to spend the money, on an awesome laptop/tablet so I can go paperless or on a mid-grade laptop and a good laser printer. Thanks!

Haven't started vet school yet but for undergrad I just studied the notes I had taken on the tablet. More portable than a bunch of printed paper. I also used Anki to make notecards (I got the app on my tablet) for memorization stuff, and then would again use my tablet or a dry erase board to draw concept maps or more process-type things. I pretty much went as paperless as possible.

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[orca2011]

This thread has been super useful but I still have some questions.
- if you take your notes on a tablet, do you study from there too or do you print them off?
- if you study from a screen, do you make study guides/summaries by hand or only use the soft copy?
I'm trying to decide where to spend the money, on an awesome laptop/tablet so I can go paperless or on a mid-grade laptop and a good laser printer. Thanks!

So I would take notes on my tablet, and then type up condensed study guides of the lectures. I print those out and highlight key points and then further condense them into handwritten study guides (1 page or less).

 

[Ashgirl]

This thread has been super useful but I still have some questions.
- if you take your notes on a tablet, do you study from there too or do you print them off?
- if you study from a screen, do you make study guides/summaries by hand or only use the soft copy?
I'm trying to decide where to spend the money, on an awesome laptop/tablet so I can go paperless or on a mid-grade laptop and a good laser printer. Thanks!

I think this is very person dependent, but personally, when I take notes on the tablet I either 1) type up a condensed study guide on word and/or 2) write out key concepts or pathways on a whiteboard or my tablet. This keeps me completely paperless, which is great because not only am I saving money, but everything I need is literally a click away.

If you are still a die hard pen and paper person though, you could always compromise and write primary notes on your tablet while getting a notebook to copy down your condensed notes as a study guide.

Though, I feel like it's kinda hard to say what will be best until you are actually there. My note taking has completely changed since I started vet school, and sometimes it even changes with each class, so it's definitely not a one-size-fits-all formula.

 

[yogapony]

I use my tablet to take handwritten notes on the powerpoints for each class, then type up study guides in word, usually on my laptop with my tablet sitting next to it. I don't print anything out, because that would turn into an overwhelming amount of paper really fast.

Keep in mind, too, that schools will often have printing services for free (ours does). So I don't even have a printer at home anymore.

 

[Njnealon]

This thread has been super useful but I still have some questions.
- if you take your notes on a tablet, do you study from there too or do you print them off?
- if you study from a screen, do you make study guides/summaries by hand or only use the soft copy?
I'm trying to decide where to spend the money, on an awesome laptop/tablet so I can go paperless or on a mid-grade laptop and a good laser printer. Thanks!

It really depends on the class, and I guess your learning style too. I take my notes on a tablet, and then copy what I want from the tablet and into a hard copy of notes. I use a tablet in class because it has a longer battery life than my laptop, and is easier to carry around. Also, I can record a lecture easily on it, if I know I want to go back and listen to it later. If I'm making a study guide, I usually type them up. However, some classes (like immunology) I drew out study guides by hand, because I made diagrams to understand the small processes in context of a bigger picture. My learning style, from what I'm aware of so far, is re-writing things and explaining them in my own words, so making study guides, and copying some notes off of a tablet helps. Just keep in mind, school gets busy, so re-listening/re-writing every lecture might not happen. So if you learn best without using a tablet, this could be something to consider!

 

[cbarne01]

Thanks everyone! I know its variable and that I'll probably change methods at least once, I'm trying to figure out where to spend my $$ best.

 

[KitCat]

In regards to the surface pro 3, would the i5 128 GB (4 GB RAM) or the i5 256 GB (8 GB RAM) be a better choice?

 

[Skimble]

In regards to the surface pro 3, would the i5 128 GB (4 GB RAM) or the i5 256 GB (8 GB RAM) be a better choice?

I asked a similar question a page back and got this response.

A 1 TB external hard drive is currently $55 on Amazon. And there's always Dropbox! 256 GB seems excessive to me on a laptop when third-party storage is so cheap these days...unless you plan on installing gluttonous software/virtual OS.

 

[1doggeek]

This thread has been super useful but I still have some questions.
- if you take your notes on a tablet, do you study from there too or do you print them off?
- if you study from a screen, do you make study guides/summaries by hand or only use the soft copy?
I'm trying to decide where to spend the money, on an awesome laptop/tablet so I can go paperless or on a mid-grade laptop and a good laser printer. Thanks!

I take notes on my Surface Pro 3, and study those notes right off the screen. If it's complicated material, I rewrite a color coded study guide by hand on graph paper and use that in addition to my notes on the screen.

 

[sorasea]

I asked a similar question a page back and got this response.

I am forced to admit I just caved this week and bought 256 gb. Some of my PC games are big fat space hogs...

 

[orca2011]

I asked a similar question a page back and got this response.

I would have gone with the 256 GB just for the larger amount of RAM, personally. I tend to have 20 million things open at any given moment.

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

Hey guys and gals,

I'm very much a pennabled tablet aficionado and know a little too much about all the different active pen technologies (Wacom, N-trig, Synaptics, etc, etc). It's sort of a obsession of mine, and over the past 2 years I've gone through many machines. I also develop for Android-x86 so all my devices dual-boot Windows and Android, because I see no point in buying multiple devices when you can have everything in one.

I believe the desktop OneNote application is by far the best for importing and annotating PPT/PDF for class notes. The Windows Metro app DrawboardPDF is the best for annotating and highlighting directly onto PDF documents.

It depends on your use case, but the one thing I hated about hybrids like the Surface line and others are the removable keyboards. They're never that good, and it's always another thing to carry around, remove, and put back on. And it's an additional cost.

As of now, my daily driver is the 1st Generation ThinkPad Yoga 12. It's running a Haswell (we're now on Broadwell with Intel chips) i5-4200U with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. For what it's worth, I don't even push this machine to its fullest capacity because when I'm at home I'm on my custom built desktop. But this machine will handle anything and everything you throw at it (I'm not a gamer, so keep that in mind). It's a little bigger than the SP3 and a bit heavier, but the keyboard is amazing (what ThinkPads are known for), and the screen swivels 360 degrees to fold into a somewhat thick tablet. There's a mechanism that raises the area around the keys as you fold the screen back, so when it's in tablet mode, the surface is flat and you're not pressing on the keys; pretty cool! It has a Wacom EMR (gold standard) digitizer for full pen input and a matte screen which gives a pen and paper like feel when writing (especially if you use the hard felt nibs on your pen) compared to slick plastic on glass feel of the Surface Pro lineup. The cooling is also better, my friends Surface Pro 3 use to ramp up the fan like a rocket ship in class and it was very noticeable.

This machine is the best of both worlds hybrid device at the moment. If Lenovo made one that's 10.8 or 11.6" it would be perfect. I bought mine from Blinq.com at this link (refurb with Lenovo warranty still remaining that you can extend) for $600 after first time customer coupon. The machine was basically brand new; awesome experience.

It really depends on what you need, if this is going to be your primary machine or a secondary device, and if you want true stylus input. I'm willing to help anyone who wants info with any and all tablet related questions.

My study tools in undergrad include OneNote and Quizlet. That may change WHEN, not if, I get into vet school (gotta keep telling myself I will get in ).

 

[Filly Bay]

This thread has been super useful but I still have some questions.
- if you take your notes on a tablet, do you study from there too or do you print them off?
- if you study from a screen, do you make study guides/summaries by hand or only use the soft copy?
I'm trying to decide where to spend the money, on an awesome laptop/tablet so I can go paperless or on a mid-grade laptop and a good laser printer. Thanks!

I switch between taking notes on my ipad and my macbook pro. I have notability on both so it syncs between those devices and my iphone - which is awesome.

I also flip flop with how I study. Usually if I am making a study guide on microsoft word I will use my macbook pro and look a my notes on my ipad or do a "split screen" and look at them on my computer. If I'm just reading my notes I will use my ipad. I usually upload my study guides to notability when I'm done so it syncs to my ipad and iphone.

If I'm out and about and have some free time or am waiting in a boring long line ect. I sometimes read notes on my iphone 6 plus. The screen size is definitely useful for this and I dont think I would do it if my phone was any smaller.

I don't print anything, but its really just a personal preference. We have an okay printer from Target that does the job when I really need it. If I really feel the need to highlight or get my eyes away from a screen I get out the written notes that Ohio State has us buy at the beginning of each semester.

If you think you'll be printing a lot, I would check out what your school offers as far a printing and if you're living in an apartment complex they might have printing available too! My undergrad gave us 600 pages of "free" (aka built into tuition) printing a semester and my apartment complex first year of vet school had unlimited free black and white printing in the leasing office's computer lab.

 

[thecatastrophist]

If anyone's like me and prefers a notebook PC over tablet, check out the deals you can get on Tigerdirect. I got a very nice professional quality computer (a Lenovo) that was refurbished and very affordable. At least according to the more tech-savy people I know, this is a great option for choosing computers that are like-new and cheaper, and the one I had hardware new enough that it should last me through my schooling and early into my career.

I'm a very good touch-typer, so I suspect that I'll be mostly taking notes and making study guides in a window next to the slides that i have open. I don't expect that I'll be printing much, but will probably be taking my printer with me when I move anyway. It'll be quite new for me to have a laptop though--I went through all off my schooling until now with a desktop only. We'll see how it goes.

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

If anyone's like me and prefers a notebook PC over tablet, check out the deals you can get on Tigerdirect. I got a very nice professional quality computer (a Lenovo) that was refurbished and very affordable. At least according to the more tech-savy people I know, this is a great option for choosing computers that are like-new and cheaper, and the one I had hardware new enough that it should last me through my schooling and early into my career.

Lenovo (I prefer the ThinkPad lines) are great machines. The computer I referenced above is exactly what you like (standard 12.5" portable ultrabook) but the screen folds all the way back and turns into a tablet. Think Surface Pro 3 with a much better keyboard, real lapability, and better pen input.

 

[Rycon]

Hey all. Just a quick question.

What's the benefit of having a tablet vs having a 2 in 1 laptop/tablet. You would use a tablet mainly for taking notes and perusing the web I assume, but if that's all you do I can't think of any reason that you'd need a full functioning laptop at all. I can't think of anything you'd need to do on a laptop that you couldn't do on an ordinary tablet (minus typing things up, but you could always just buy a keyboard for your tablet). Browsing around, it seems 2 in 1 computers are way more expensive than just a tablet alone, and it's seeming like nice 2 in 1 computers are way more expensive than a nice traditional laptop.

Thoughts?

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

Thoughts?

I don't know if you're in the Apple or Android camp in terms of your mobile operating system, but the first question you need to ask yourself is do you want to be constrained to only apps, or do you want the ability to use a full-fledged desktop operating system so you can utilize Microsoft Office and other x86/x64 applications. You can get by doing minor computing tasks on mobile, but it becomes a headache if you actually want to construct full office documents, edit spreadsheets, and multitask like a full computer allows you to do.

Secondly, do you want to take notes? If you want to write on your tablet with a pen, Apple is out of the question (in my opinion). Apple tablets only utilize capacitive touch screens. There are companies that make bluetooth styluses for the iPad, but it's hacky stylus implementation and the pens have weird plastic dicks on them so the pen can "communicate" with the touch screen. The palm rejection is software based as well, so again, I think it's hacky.

Tablets with both capacitive and ACTIVE digitizers provide true stylus input with pressure sensitivity and palm rejection. Stick with Wacom or N-trig devices, Synaptics (Dell utilizes them) are crap.

What you are paying for with the hybrid and 2-in-1 devices is better and more hardware. Depends on how much computing power you need, if you want a full computer OS, and what size device you are looking for. If you can narrow those choices down, I can offer suggestions.

 

[WildZoo]

and the pens have weird plastic dicks on them

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

Can't stand those plastic dicks; they ruin the writing experience. That's one of my better Freudian slips, hope nothing like that shows up on my VMCAS

 

[Gr8fu11]

In regards to the surface pro 3, would the i5 128 GB (4 GB RAM) or the i5 256 GB (8 GB RAM) be a better choice?

I got the 256 GB just for the 8 GB of RAM. My school recommended that we get 8GB of RAM. I spent many hours in the Microsoft store playing with it and asking questions about school and my SP3. I am very pleased with my purchase ALTHOUGH the battery is kinda crap. That is my only complaint thus far and I have had it for almost a month. If you get the SP3 definitely get a case that allows you to carry the charger with it. I got a sleeve from Amazon for $12.

 

[Gr8fu11]

I asked a similar question a page back and got this response.

Although it is true that you can buy external storage and that dropbox is free, an external hard drive will still need to be accessible wherever you go to access the files you store on it. Idk if you can remotely access files. Dropbox is also a great app but I find it best when you want to back things up and/or access them from other devices (your phone, another computer, etc.). In order to access what is on Dropbox you still have to download it to your computer: you cannot edit notes, powerpoints, take notes on PDF directly in Dropbox.

It seems cumbersome to save and delete EVERYTIME you modify a document to save space on your computer. Idk how things work in the various clouds that are available now...im fairly new to the this cloud business. You may be able to work directly in the cloud.

Also, if you do get the smaller GB, I doubt that you will run through all of that storage in the first 2 years but downloading 50-page PDFs for each class everyday and the PPTs and then making notes, and downloading class lecture podcasts and assignments...I feel that will start to take a toll on memory in later years.

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

Although it is true that you can buy external storage and that dropbox is free, an external hard drive will still need to be accessible wherever you go to access the files you store on it. Idk if you can remotely access files. Dropbox is also a great app but I find it best when you want to back things up and/or access them from other devices (your phone, another computer, etc.). In order to access what is on Dropbox you still have to download it to your computer: you cannot edit notes, powerpoints, take notes on PDF directly in Dropbox.

It seems cumbersome to save and delete EVERYTIME you modify a document to save space on your computer. Idk how things work in the various clouds that are available now...im fairly new to the this cloud business. You may be able to work directly in the cloud.

Also, if you do get the smaller GB, I doubt that you will run through all of that storage in the first 2 years but downloading 50-page PDFs for each class everyday and the PPTs and then making notes, and downloading class lecture podcasts and assignments...I feel that will start to take a toll on memory in later years.

I don't use Dropbox, but I believe they'll likely have a desktop application like Box.net and Google Drive. Once you install the desktop application, you can map the cloud storage as a network drive within Windows and you can have it show up right next to your C: drive and whatever other physical hard disks you have in your computer. It needs to sync first with the cloud (obviously), but after that you can open, modify, and re-save files just like you would with any local file on your PC.

 

[orca2011]

I don't use Dropbox, but I believe they'll likely have a desktop application like Box.net and Google Drive. Once you install the desktop application, you can map the cloud storage as a network drive within Windows and you can have it show up right next to your C: drive and whatever other physical hard disks you have in your computer. It needs to sync first with the cloud (obviously), but after that you can open, modify, and re-save files just like you would with any local file on your PC.

This is how it's worked with my Mac so far ( I used both Dropbox and Google Drive for different things). I tend to save PDFs/lecture notes in Dropbox and then my actual study guides in Google Drive. I highlight several PDFs in Dropbox and it saves automatically and the changes are there on my other devices.

 

[Rycon]

I don't know if you're in the Apple or Android camp in terms of your mobile operating system, but the first question you need to ask yourself is do you want to be constrained to only apps, or do you want the ability to use a full-fledged desktop operating system so you can utilize Microsoft Office and other x86/x64 applications. You can get by doing minor computing tasks on mobile, but it becomes a headache if you actually want to construct full office documents, edit spreadsheets, and multitask like a full computer allows you to do.

Secondly, do you want to take notes? If you want to write on your tablet with a pen, Apple is out of the question (in my opinion). Apple tablets only utilize capacitive touch screens. There are companies that make bluetooth styluses for the iPad, but it's hacky stylus implementation and the pens have weird plastic dicks on them so the pen can "communicate" with the touch screen. The palm rejection is software based as well, so again, I think it's hacky.

Tablets with both capacitive and ACTIVE digitizers provide true stylus input with pressure sensitivity and palm rejection. Stick with Wacom or N-trig devices, Synaptics (Dell utilizes them) are crap.

What you are paying for with the hybrid and 2-in-1 devices is better and more hardware. Depends on how much computing power you need, if you want a full computer OS, and what size device you are looking for. If you can narrow those choices down, I can offer suggestions.

I'm not really looking for computer suggestions just yet. I'll be in the market for a laptop within the next year, and it seems to me as long as I have a functioning laptop at the end of undergrad, getting a tablet for vet school for notes instead of a 2 in 1 should suffice. I'm still amazed at the price difference. The surface pro is more expensive than most of the laptops I've been looking at.

I think it's a testament to either my innocence or my purity of mind that I read that as disks instead of dicks, and had to do a double take when I read your comment.

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

I'm not really looking for computer suggestions just yet. I'll be in the market for a laptop within the next year, and it seems to me as long as I have a functioning laptop at the end of undergrad, getting a tablet for vet school for notes instead of a 2 in 1 should suffice. I'm still amazed at the price difference. The surface pro is more expensive than most of the laptops I've been looking at.

Yes, the Surface Pro 3 is way more expensive than a lot of laptops, especially if you're going for the i7/512GB/8GB RAM version. I'm all about buying electronics that fit a specific use-case, and even more about buying used 1-2 generation old machines. Refresh cycles are so incredibly fast (yearly or bi-yearly), that for the average consumer, they will see absolutely no difference in performance, but will see a big difference in money spent. For note taking and office tasks, Intel powered Atom tablets will do just as good as the i7's with maxed out RAM.

You can get a first generation Surface Pro for less than $300 bucks now with a type cover and everything. Great build quality, still a more than capable machine for even heavier computing tasks, and has a Wacom digitizer which is awesome for note taking. A bit heavier and not as good battery life as some of the newer stuff, but if it's your note taking machine for a few hours a day at school, it would work perfectly well. It's all about trade-offs.

 

[ifalloverstuff]

I just finished my first year and half-way through I bought a Surface Pro 3. I bought a new laptop before school started but ended up selling it. The surface saved me a lot of study time because hand-writing things in class helped me to solidify some info from lectures. That computer is without a doubt the best money I have ever spent.

 

[ifalloverstuff]

Yes, the Surface Pro 3 is way more expensive than a lot of laptops, especially if you're going for the i7/512GB/8GB RAM version. I'm all about buying electronics that fit a specific use-case, and even more about buying used 1-2 generation old machines. Refresh cycles are so incredibly fast (yearly or bi-yearly), that for the average consumer, they will see absolutely no difference in performance, but will see a big difference in money spent. For note taking and office tasks, Intel powered Atom tablets will do just as good as the i7's with maxed out RAM.

You can get a first generation Surface Pro for less than $300 bucks now with a type cover and everything. Great build quality, still a more than capable machine for even heavier computing tasks, and has a Wacom digitizer which is awesome for note taking. A bit heavier and not as good battery life as some of the newer stuff, but if it's your note taking machine for a few hours a day at school, it would work perfectly well. It's all about trade-offs.

True, but you really will want the pen and the digitized screen.

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

True, but you really will want the pen and the digitized screen.

Surface Pro 1 and 2 utilize Wacom which is an active digitizer technology. I prefer Wacom to N-trig (what's in the Surface 3/Surface Pro 3); it has a far greater range of pressure sentivity, doesn't need special little batteries to power the stylus, and has better accuracy and less latency when writing/drawing.

Microsoft purchased N-trig to obviously push its adoption in their Surface lineup, but I think it was a step down from the first and second generation Surface Pros in terms of performance.‎
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[Skimble]

Yesterday I received my new SP3 128gb i7. I didn't pay extra to have it come with Windows 10 installed, as it was easy to download it for free. I also got the type keyboard, which I like so far. I haven't played around with OneNote much, but the stylus does work nicely. I just need to figure out how to change font size and highlight things. I purchased an external hard drive too, so I can store photos and old assignments that I feel I should save, especially my masters research. I got it from Best Buy and I had a coupon for an additional $150 off for students. I'd be happy to share that info with anyone, but it's easy to sign up for Best Buy student discounts.

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

Yesterday I received my new SP3 128gb i7. I didn't pay extra to have it come with Windows 10 installed, as it was easy to download it for free. I also got the type keyboard, which I like so far. I haven't played around with OneNote much, but the stylus does work nicely. I just need to figure out how to change font size and highlight things. I purchased an external hard drive too, so I can store photos and old assignments that I feel I should save, especially my masters research. I got it from Best Buy and I had a coupon for an additional $150 off for students. I'd be happy to share that info with anyone, but it's easy to sign up for Best Buy student discounts.

Nice, enjoy the machine! I sold my ThinkPad Yoga to my buddy because it ended up being a little too big and heavy for me as a note-taking device. I ended up scoring a 3 month old Surface Pro 3 i3/64GB for $320. Microsoft hardware warranties transfer, so I have another 9 months of hardware protection and see no reason to really buy new with these machines.

Very impressed with the build quality and performance of the i3 chip on this. For normal day-to-day computing tasks, there is no discernible difference between the i3 and an i7. There is a huge difference in heat output and fan noise. I used my buddy's i7 SP3, and the fan would spin up a little too loud for my taste and would get pretty damn hot under load. In a classroom, I don't want to hear a fan.

If you read the reviews and benchmarks of the Surface Pro 3, the general consensus is because of the thin build, the i5/i7's end up throttling pretty fast under sustained load, and actually end up performing like the i3. So unless you really need the i5/i7 (if you're a student using a general purpose machine, I would say you don't), the i5/i7 will be overkill and you'll take a hit in heat, fan noise, and battery life.

I think the i3 Surface Pro 3 is the sweet spot for price/performance, if you can deal with 64GB storage. I can, because most of my work is saved to the cloud and my desktop at home has tons of space.

If anyone does want the Best Buy student coupons like Jilary pointed out, I get them emailed to me but never use them. I can send them over as well, but I don't think they apply to the i3.

 

[CombatVeteranVeterinarian]

I still have my MacBook Pro that I bought back in 2012. I love it. It's efficient, hardy, and very versatile.

I'll probably buy a new Mac when I head to veterinary school in the next couple of years.

 

[Ivelived]

Anybody know which schools require you to buy a specific type of computer exclusively from them? I know Auburn does and I think I remember seeing others when I was researching schools last summer.

 

[Gwenevre]

Anybody know which schools require you to buy a specific type of computer exclusively from them? I know Auburn does and I think I remember seeing others when I was researching schools last summer.

Last I heard, Purdue does as well. A Lenovo something-or-other. @Romoret would know more.

 

[Starry-chan]

Anybody know which schools require you to buy a specific type of computer exclusively from them? I know Auburn does and I think I remember seeing others when I was researching schools last summer.

Why do some schools want everybody to have the same computer?

 

[Gwenevre]

Why do some schools want everybody to have the same computer?

I think it's because with the school-mandated computers, everyone in the building is linked through the networks, Drop Box, all the necessary software is pre-loaded into the computers. Some classes and professors will have the lectures for the semesters pre-loaded and ready to download onto your device for classes. I haven't heard the exact reasoning from a school personally, but that's the impression I got from Purdue when I interviewed a while back and when I worked in the vet school library for three years.

 

[WildZoo]

I believe Iowa has a specific computer requirement as well

 

[Starry-chan]

I think it's because with the school-mandated computers, everyone in the building is linked through the networks, Drop Box, all the necessary software is pre-loaded into the computers. Some classes and professors will have the lectures for the semesters pre-loaded and ready to download onto your device for classes. I haven't heard the exact reasoning from a school personally, but that's the impression I got from Purdue when I interviewed a while back and when I worked in the vet school library for three years.

If that is indeed the reason, then it's a pretty good reason.

 

[Romoret]

Anybody know which schools require you to buy a specific type of computer exclusively from them? I know Auburn does and I think I remember seeing others when I was researching schools last summer.

Purdue currently has a computer program where we all purchase a Lenovo Yoga Labtop (always the latest model). It comes with a set of standard programs and software that you'll need for vet school. It's a rather new program so the students are providing feedback with the computers. That said, if there are enough concerns, there may be a change in the program (I haven't heard anything one way or another).

 

[Puffins]

Anybody checked out the sp4 yet? I love my sp3 and it's brand new so I won't be upgrading but I'm jealous of the bigger screen

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

Anybody checked out the sp4 yet? I love my sp3 and it's brand new so I won't be upgrading but I'm jealous of the bigger screen

It's a pretty incremental upgrade in my book. Screen size difference is really not that noticeable.

New type cover is way better though. Pick one up for your SP3 if you can.

 

[LyraGardenia]

Anybody know which schools require you to buy a specific type of computer exclusively from them? I know Auburn does and I think I remember seeing others when I was researching schools last summer.

Kansas State provides all students with a convertible tablet PC. Largely for the reasons Gwen mentioned, and the school provides tech support, and it makes it easier not having to deal with compatibility issues. It's included in student fees, and you get to keep it after you graduate. Their website says they issue the Fujitsu Lifebook T725, which is a brand I've never heard of, but I could have sworn they said it was a Toshiba something-or-other when I interviewed, so maybe that's changed.

 

[cass12]

Hi, I'm new here, but a long time lurker.

Does anyone have any experience with the surface book?

 

[rockatiel]

Hi, I'm new here, but a long time lurker.

Does anyone have any experience with the surface book?

The Microsoft surface? I liked mine!

 

[Devastating]

The Microsoft surface? I liked mine!

I think they mean the new Surface Book, which is pretty much a surface in convertible-laptop form! It looks pretty awesome but I have no experience with it.

I have a Surface 2 (non pro), which while being really limited compared to the Pro 1/pro 2 and newer models I still like for its own uses. I had made some detailed posts about it in some other thread, somewhere...

 

[cass12]

Yeah, that's the one. With the 10% student discount, it's only a $200 difference between the surface pro 4 model I want and the same surface book model, which I would pay for the longer battery life. My only concern is how buggy I've heard it can be, so I was wondering if anyone knew someone who had experience with it.

 

[alohacat319]

@wheelin2vetmed might be able to comment on it.

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

Yeah, that's the one. With the 10% student discount, it's only a $200 difference between the surface pro 4 model I want and the same surface book model, which I would pay for the longer battery life. My only concern is how buggy I've heard it can be, so I was wondering if anyone knew someone who had experience with it.

Keep in mind the SB is a first generation product. I did not end up buying one for a few reasons, but I played with them extensively and my buddy ended up returning 3 before he got one that was satisfactory. Some people have no issues though. Microsoft has ironed out many of the bugs, but display driver crashes, hinge, and sleep issues still exist.

The CPU, RAM, and pen digitizer options are exactly the same between the SP4 and SB. It will be overkill for anything you'll use in vet school.

If you get the SB, I'd suggest steering clear of the models with the iGPU in the keyboard base unless you really need it for graphic design or something that needs graphical power. It's not really a gaming GPU and some of the bugs stem from those models.

My main reason for not getting one is the crappy battery life of the tablet. You'll get 4 hours tops with the tablet detached, and you have to reattach it to the keyboard before it dies or you're SOL, and at that point you are stuck with whatever mode you connected the screen (bulky tablet or laptop mode). You can only detach the screen when the tablet is sufficiently charged. The keyboard does not recharge the tablet. At that point it's a 3.5lb tablet you're lugging around all day compared to the 1.7lb SP4.

The keyboard and trackpad are great on the SB though; best I've used on a Windows machine.

 

[Puffins]

Update for anyone still shopping for a new computer for vet school: I used a Surface Pro 3 and OneNote for my first year of vet school. It was perfect and I'd recommend it to anyone. Just make sure you're backing up your OneNote stuff to the cloud because it's notoriously finicky and you won't have time to lose all your notes/deal with that ****e.

Also, because this wasn't at all clear to me when I started using OneNote, there is a lame version that comes installed on your SP and it's just called OneNote. This version is not what you want to use for school. There is a desktop version that is called OneNote 2013/2016 and this version is much more functional.

Hope this info helps someone!

 

[WizardOfPaws]

Trying to decide on which new tablet and laptop to get before vet school starts.

For tablet options I'm stuck between a surface pro and an iPad Pro (w/ apple pen)

For laptops, the MacBook Air 13.3" and a 2017 model thinkpad

For high school and undergrad I used my MacBook (the original 2009 model) and my 2nd gen iPad (2011) but they're pretty outdated and lag too often. I've sent my mac in to have apple reboot it before and it worked extremely well after that but I think it's on its last leg now and it wouldn't be worth another $300 for a temporary fix.

The only reason I'm thinking of sticking with apple products is the battery life (I could stay in the library for 8-12 hours during finals and not need to charge either device) and sync capabilities, but if there are comparable products for slightly cheaper that would be great.



My iPad mainly used for handwriting notes on power points and recording lectures with the notability and adonit jot stylus. It worked amazingly. I've heard really great things about the surface pros plus they come with a stylus and keyboard.

My computer is mostly for leisure use, summarizing textbooks, and perfecting notes. I'm sure any computer would do just fine but I do worry about viruses. I've never had to use virus protection with my mac and I've heard horror stories! The thinkpads seem to be highly recommended for students somewhat cheaper.

 

[dvmhopeful2018]

Trying to decide on which new tablet and laptop to get before vet school starts.

For tablet options I'm stuck between a surface pro and an iPad Pro (w/ apple pen)

For laptops, the MacBook Air 13.3" and a 2017 model thinkpad

For high school and undergrad I used my MacBook (the original 2009 model) and my 2nd gen iPad (2011) but they're pretty outdated and lag too often. I've sent my mac in to have apple reboot it before and it worked extremely well after that but I think it's on its last leg now and it wouldn't be worth another $300 for a temporary fix.

The only reason I'm thinking of sticking with apple products is the battery life (I could stay in the library for 8-12 hours during finals and not need to charge either device) and sync capabilities, but if there are comparable products for slightly cheaper that would be great.



My iPad mainly used for handwriting notes on power points and recording lectures with the notability and adonit jot stylus. It worked amazingly. I've heard really great things about the surface pros plus they come with a stylus and keyboard.

My computer is mostly for leisure use, summarizing textbooks, and perfecting notes. I'm sure any computer would do just fine but I do worry about viruses. I've never had to use virus protection with my mac and I've heard horror stories! The thinkpads seem to be highly recommended for students somewhat cheaper.

I really love my SP3. It's got great battery life and it's a fully functional laptop, unlike the iPad Pro (and I'm an apple geek, have a mini iPad, iPhone, and MacBook Pro from undergrad). IMO, if you're willing to spend the money on the iPad Pro, just buy a surface pro for the same price and have the desktop OS available. Some of the secure testing programs won't work/be supported on iPad-I know examsoft does, but some schools may not utilize that feature (my school is requiring laptops for exams next year-no iPads allowed).