notebook vs. tablet

[jmo1012]

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Hey I'm currently deciding between keeping my laptop/netbook for school or if i should invest in a tablet (aka the kind with attached keyboard and swivel screen). I'm basically not sure if I will be able to manage note taking in ppts and onenote just via typing or if it's really useful to have the writing feature as well.

For those in school, what percentage of your classmates use a computer? And then notebook vs tablet #s?

Anyone have any really good pros or cons to a tablet? (besides cost haha)

I currently have a Lenovo T61 and an Asus 1015PE (which goes to class). I'm looking at Lenovo's X220 series of tablets unless someone really has strong feelings for another brand.

 

[BlacKAT33]

This is a long thread, and the link will start at page 1. But it has SO much info in it. I started the thread when i was a pre-vet looking for advice on what to buy, the thread ends during this year. In my class 3 SDNers ended up getting the Lenovo tablet so there is a lot of talk about that. Other people also wrote about the tablets/laptops they went with so many brands are discussed.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=705374&highlight=computer

I'd say 90% of our class uses a laptop during lecture. Probably only 5 of us have tablets. I loved my decision. For some people it is not worth it and I can understand how they would feel that way. I'm sure I could live without my tablet, but I love it too much lol

 

[KizmetRanch]

Auburn requires a tablet. Lenovo brand too, X220T, actually. Don't know if any other universities require it, but possibly something to think about.

 

[jmo1012]

Thanks BlackKAT33! Thats a better link that some of the others I'd found. I guess I'm really just looking to be talk into or out of getting a tablet haha. Unfortunately for me, I pretty much either have to buy one and hope its a good investment when school starts or wait until 1st semester ends if I want one-yay for going to another country...

 

[drforwhiskers]

I know Iowa State requires a tablet as well - the most recent version put out by Fujitsu.

 

[StartingoverVet]

I'd say 90% of our class uses a laptop during lecture. Probably only 5 of us have tablets. I loved my decision. For some people it is not worth it and I can understand how they would feel that way. I'm sure I could live without my tablet, but I love it too much lol

And of course I am one of those people who don't think it is worth it (I have one), but that is because I am a dinosaur I guess. It is a nice toy, but you can get a lot more power in a laptop for a lot less money, or just pay a lot less money! Mine mostly sits on my desk these days...

I've said it before, but it is really just a personal preference thing.

 

[RadRadTerp]

I really wanted a tablet, but having gone through a year of vet school I would prefer a 14 or 15 inch laptop with an HD display over a tablet for the mere reason that a bigger screen means you can put Word documents next to Powerpoint presentations next to Internet (gotta have some Facebook time) when you want to multitask. Of course, you can do that on a tablet's typical 11 or 12-inch screen, but if you have less-than-ideal eyesight then there might be more eyestrain over the course of a full day of lectures. I'm sure the 3 or 4 people in my class with tablets are doing fine, though, since they have probably adapted to it.

 

[LetItSnow]

Resurrecting to ask a question....

Current vet students, any comments on screen size? When you're sitting in a lecture hall for hours, does 14" cut it? Is 15" better, or do you find the added weight and bag volume not worth it? Right now I'm looking at a laptop I like but the screen is 14" and I'm hemming and hawing over whether that's sufficient.

Appreciate your help, upperclasskins.

 

[jmo1012]

and similarly, does anyone use a netbook for class?

LetItSnow, i don't know about for class, but i wouldnt give up my extra 1.5" of screen for anything. i have a 15.4" screen and just love being able to have windows open side by side for various things and still have them be big enough to be fully functional without extra work. thats one of the things that drives me nuts about my 10" netbook-the screen is too small! however, its perfect for what i use it for since i have a 2nd comp to make up for size. that being said, i hated lugging my thinkpad to class (so i rarely did) because it was super heavy. i wonder if the extra 1lb or so really matters though if you're only taking it to/from class every day rather than all over a campus for classes

 

[cowgirla]

Resurrecting to ask a question....

Current vet students, any comments on screen size? When you're sitting in a lecture hall for hours, does 14" cut it? Is 15" better, or do you find the added weight and bag volume not worth it? Right now I'm looking at a laptop I like but the screen is 14" and I'm hemming and hawing over whether that's sufficient.

Appreciate your help, upperclasskins.

Halfway through the year, I switched from a 16 inch laptop to a 12inch tablet. And I am sooo happy I did. Just comparing the screen sizes, while the 16 inch was nice especially for multitasking (I would have a PPT and my flashcard program side by side easily) it just was not worth lugging it around all day. It's heavy, the battery life sucks (12 cell battery lasts maybeeeee 3 hours when in class). The tablet is smaller, lighter, better battery life. The screen quality is a little less when movie watching, but no problems with regular being in class activities. Like someone said, it's harder to have facebook up next to everything else, but I do manage (or just have full screen facebook. Same end result. )
To answer your question, I think the 14 inch would be perfect. I dont think the extra inch for the 15 would make much of a difference for in class use, but will definitely save you the bag room and probably battery life.


And JMO-- I don't know about your school, but there are quite a few days a week where we change classrooms, have breaks in between, etc, which is why the smaller laptop is easier for me. If I'm only in a room for an hour, I don't bother fighting for an outlet and dont have to worry about battery. And it's easier on the back to lug it around the building. (Plus, I walk to and from school, so lighter is better!)

 

[RadRadTerp]

I'm hoping to find a 13 or 14 incher without an optical drive to cut down on weight next year. My current laptop is a year and a half old, but it was cheap and doesn't have a very good battery life. I like having my big screen and it's fairly thin & light, but better battery life and even more portable would be ideal since nothing I do at school requires the use of a CD-ROM or DVD.

 

[CurrySpice]

During undergrad I found that my best solution was a small tablet to carry around & take notes, then a huge desktop in my dorm. I used the school desktop in my dorm, but I will buy one when I'm in vet school. I can't carry heavy bags around with my shoulders (too many years of swimming butterfly), but I loved having the huge screen to write papers on.

On the OneNote thread a student was describing how she automatically transferred documents between the laptop & desktop. I didn't use that, but just stored files where they could be accessed from either computer.