Technology Question about Smartphone

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C Chance

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Never owned one as med student, and could use some advice as to which would be one to buy that is good BUT hopefully on the cheaper side. Thanks so much!

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Never owned one as med student, and could use some advice as to which would be one to buy that is good BUT hopefully on the cheaper side. Thanks so much!

The problem with smartphone cost isn't the phone itself but the service plans. Both ATT and Verizon's plans are essentially the same cost. I think Sprint is basically the same (assuming they still exist). T-Mobile is cheaper, but worse service/coverage than the above.

Phone-wise, stick with the iPhone or an Android phone. A Blackberry is probably OK but they're pretty much old tech and it's not really clear how much updating of the OS they'll be doing in the near future.

I happen to love my Moto Droid but probably would have been happy with an iPhone too (but not the ATT service).
 
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The problem with smartphone cost isn't the phone itself but the service plans. Both ATT and Verizon's plans are essentially the same cost. I think Sprint is basically the same (assuming they still exist). T-Mobile is cheaper, but worse service/coverage than the above.

Phone-wise, stick with the iPhone or an Android phone. A Blackberry is probably OK but they're pretty much old tech and it's not really clear how much updating of the OS they'll be doing in the near future.

I happen to love my Moto Droid but probably would have been happy with an iPhone too (but not the ATT service).

How about an Ipad? Is it practical to use during residency? If you can connect the hopital network with Ipad, do you still need a service plan?
 
How about an Ipad? Is it practical to use during residency? If you can connect the hopital network with Ipad, do you still need a service plan?

I can't imagine that it's all that practical. Would you carry it around all day? (Does it fit in a white coat pocket?) And it doesn't have a phone, so that's another thing you'd have to carry around too.
 
The problem with smartphone cost isn't the phone itself but the service plans. Both ATT and Verizon's plans are essentially the same cost. I think Sprint is basically the same (assuming they still exist). T-Mobile is cheaper, but worse service/coverage than the above.

Phone-wise, stick with the iPhone or an Android phone. A Blackberry is probably OK but they're pretty much old tech and it's not really clear how much updating of the OS they'll be doing in the near future.

I happen to love my Moto Droid but probably would have been happy with an iPhone too (but not the ATT service).

Thanks for the reply, another question would be what are the essential apps to have on my phone? If it helps, I'm going into IM.
 
... A Blackberry is probably OK but they're pretty much old tech and it's not really clear how much updating of the OS they'll be doing in the near future...


Really? why Obama still uses it?

Should I ditch my Blackberry and get an android instead?
 
Bear with me, as I am a technology *****. More info on my situation: already use AT&T service, so I guess I would go with iphone if all that matters cost wise is the service contract - I read I would have to pay additional ~$30/month for internet service. The question I have is what apps are essential for IM residency and where do I get them?, how much do they cost? Thanks for your help, believe me, I appreciate it.
 
Epocrates Essentials is nice. Many schools give it away for free. It's mainly the only one I use though I do have ECG Guide (cheap), medscape (free), AHRQ ePSS for guidelines and screening (free). I also have ICD9 for coding and Eponyms.
 
Bear with me, as I am a technology *****. ...

C Chance, me too. :laugh::laugh:

May I add another question: if your program provides a free handheld, will they pay for the internet service too?
 
Never owned one as med student, and could use some advice as to which would be one to buy that is good BUT hopefully on the cheaper side. Thanks so much!

Check out the Palm Pre. Very attractive pricing from most carriers (except AT&T...I think they're trying to keep Palm from poaching too much of their iPhone business). Decent medical app support. Very nice phone and OS. Mobile Hotspot and support for PalmOS apps via Classic sealed the deal for me.
 
The problem with smartphone cost isn't the phone itself but the service plans. Both ATT and Verizon's plans are essentially the same cost. I think Sprint is basically the same (assuming they still exist). T-Mobile is cheaper, but worse service/coverage than the above.

Absolutely true - the cost of the device is inconsequential compared to the cost of the phone. However, Sprint is substantially less expensive than AT&T and Verizon, and depending on your coverage map you may get better service than AT&T in many areas (with free roaming onto Verizon) and will almost definitely have better service than T-Mobile. With no discounts, I think it is ~$90/month for the least expensive Voice/Data/Texting plan from Verizon or AT&T, while a comparable plan from Sprint is ~$70, which would save you almost $500 over a 2-year contract. However, I would check with your hospital system to see what carriers if any you can get a discount with, since it is still possible to get a better deal from a different carrier. The major downside of Sprint is that they have a poor selection of phones compared to the other carriers. But if cost is your major concern, you could save a decent amount of money and they do have the Palm Pre mentioned by Blue Dog above and a decent Blackberry selection. Unfortunately, iPhones and Droids are not options.
 
So I went looking and the best apps to have appear to be

1. free version of Epocrates
2. Medscape
3. LabTests.
4. diagnosaurus

Any other suggestions. I plan on keeping my Pocket Medicine rather than spending another $40 for a yearly subscription as an app.
 
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