Technology Tablet PCs

[Nietzsche]

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Just curious, anyone have one of these? If so, what do you think about them? Helpful or no?

I've been tempted into getting a laptop (I've been a pen+paper type of guy but wanted to try something new)(also, would allow me to upload my textbooks via CD instead of carrying them and hurting my back =( ).

Do you suggest getting a Tablet type of laptop from your experiences? Or do you think a normal laptop like an Apple Laptop is better? ( I was interested in the laptop PC because it makes working w/ numbers [Calculus] a lot cleaner, a lot less paper required).

Suggestions/experiences welcomed. Thanks.

 

[Arpan5145]

PC's >>> Macs

lol let the war begin

 

[copperfrog09]

PC's >>> Macs

lol let the war begin

I think this war has reached the point that it's not even a weak battle anymore. If you have any care for your sanity, just buy a macbook.

 

[Krang]

Personally, I am planning on getting a tablet. One of the physicians whom I shadowed used a tablet PC, and it seemed UBER helpful.

Obviously, you would be using a tablet much differently as a med student than as a doc. I would consider the format of any notes that your school will provide. If they only provide paper packets, as some of the schools I have interviewed at do, a tablet might not be that useful. If they provide pdf, ppt, or doc files, then a tablet would be golden.

A lot depends on the type of tablet you get though--specifically how fast the digitizer works for taking notes with a pen. I hear that fujitsu and lenovo have some of the better tablets overall. A slower machine with a crappy digitizer/touch screen interface kind of defeats the point of a tablet imho.

But I want one (and I am talking about a convertable tablet notebook here) just because it can be used as a regular notebook, might be useful for notes during class, and will help me get used to using one in case I decide to use one in private practive 10 years down the road.

 

[DrJD]

Personally, I am planning on getting a tablet. One of the physicians whom I shadowed used a tablet PC, and it seemed UBER helpful.

Obviously, you would be using a tablet much differently as a med student than as a doc. I would consider the format of any notes that your school will provide. If they only provide paper packets, as some of the schools I have interviewed at do, a tablet might not be that useful. If they provide pdf, ppt, or doc files, then a tablet would be golden.

A lot depends on the type of tablet you get though--specifically how fast the digitizer works for taking notes with a pen. I hear that fujitsu and lenovo have some of the better tablets overall. A slower machine with a crappy digitizer/touch screen interface kind of defeats the point of a tablet imho.

But I want one (and I am talking about a convertable tablet notebook here) just because it can be used as a regular notebook, might be useful for notes during class, and will help me get used to using one in case I decide to use one in private practive 10 years down the road.

I think that with the speed information is given to you in medical school it is best to just use a macbook/pc and take notes by typing. The figures that you would draw with the tablet will be in your notes/books anyway. Trust me you won't be able to keep up the way you want trying to write on a tablet PC.

 

[SN2ed]

From what I've heard, a tablet laptop can be very helpful for medical school. It allows you to write normally and also mark up powerpoint slides if they're provided. Additionally, a tablet laptop, as opposed to a regular one, is much better for making diagrams. It is practically impossible to quickly draw an image using a regular laptop.

However, there are some drawbacks to buying a tablet. The first one is that they are not very powerful. They'll be fine for basic tasks, but if you use more intensive programs or want to play some games on it, you're out of luck. Another negative is the screen size. In order to keep a tablet small and portable, they usually come with ~12" screens. Such a small screen can be a problem if you're used to bigger screens. Lastly, taking a laptop with you makes it a prime target for theft. You'll have to keep a close eye on it.

 

[SDN2013]

get a Fujitsu T5010

 

[kac714]

get a macbook.

 

[hermit]

get a Fujitsu T5010

For $2000? Right.

Buy a $500 laptop and, if you MUST write on your screen, a $100 Bamboo tablet.

 

[WinterLights]

From what I've heard, a tablet laptop can be very helpful for medical school. It allows you to write normally and also mark up powerpoint slides if they're provided. Additionally, a tablet laptop, as opposed to a regular one, is much better for making diagrams. It is practically impossible to quickly draw an image using a regular laptop.

However, there are some drawbacks to buying a tablet. The first one is that they are not very powerful. They'll be fine for basic tasks, but if you use more intensive programs or want to play some games on it, you're out of luck. Another negative is the screen size. In order to keep a tablet small and portable, they usually come with ~12" screens. Such a small screen can be a problem if you're used to bigger screens. Lastly, taking a laptop with you makes it a prime target for theft. You'll have to keep a close eye on it.

I have a Gateway C-143XL and yes I can play games and other stuff on it just like I can with a regular laptop.

 

[SDN2013]

For $2000? Right.

Buy a $500 laptop and, if you MUST write on your screen, a $100 Bamboo tablet.

More like $1300, much better option than a Macbook.

A tablet that's not on the screen is much harder to use, and inconvient/heavy to carry around both.

Although, now that I think of it, it might improve dexterity for pre-surgical practice purposes. Hmmmm

 

[acetyllater]

or want to play some games on it, you're out of luck.

Should be the last of your concern when you are in medical school. Haha.

 

[Nietzsche]

I was worried about 'theft as well. I would not use it in class really, I would use it to take notes in the library [would be nice to draw shapes for Orgo. Chem as well]. Only my Genetics class is based on Powerpoint, my other classes are just pure bookwork.

Also, another question, why are Macbooks famous? Why do so many people use them over let's say....a Dell or another brand? Any special quirks? Or does it just look cool? (I have noticed that they are more expensive as well, other laptops with similar specs go for a lot less). Thanks.

 

[DrJD]

I was worried about 'theft as well. I would not use it in class really, I would use it to take notes in the library [would be nice to draw shapes for Orgo. Chem as well]. Only my Genetics class is based on Powerpoint, my other classes are just pure bookwork.

Also, another question, why are Macbooks famous? Why do so many people use them over let's say....a Dell or another brand? Any special quirks? Or does it just look cool? (I have noticed that they are more expensive as well, other laptops with similar specs go for a lot less). Thanks.

No viruses, more user friendly, better performance for the same stats, more reliable (unix based OS rather than DOS), etc. etc.

Plus they are just way cooler 🙂

 

[Nanon]

No viruses, more user friendly, better performance for the same stats, more reliable (unix based OS rather than DOS), etc. etc.

Plus they are just way cooler 🙂

Also, Dell's customer service is atrocious and the product quality is the suck.

I use a lenovo tablet pc at work when I'm collecting data in the ICU. I have an enormous Filemaker Pro database on it, and it works fine. Two things I like about it: 1) Easy interface and it does recognize my chicken scratch, whether I print or write in cursive. 2) No matter what way I hold it, the screen moves with me. Although, sometimes that can be a negative when I'm moving quickly. Things I don't like about it: 1) The screen is teeny, although I don't notice that as much when I'm using it as a tablet. But I would never want to use it as a word processor. 2) The battery - the most time I can get from it is 2 hours, but I don't have the biggest one. 3) It can be kind of a hassle to "wake it up" when I'm using it as a tablet. 4) It's f'ing expensive and I'm terrified of dropping it.

In my real life, I've switched to a Mac Book from a pc. My biggest complaints are that I don't have a backspace key, I haven't figured out the keyboard yet, and running Microsoft on a virtual box is kind of a drag. I bought a Mac specifically because their warrantee is user friendly and for the graphics capability.

S.

 

[STXGregor]

Also, another question, why are Macbooks famous? Why do so many people use them over let's say....a Dell or another brand? Any special quirks? Or does it just look cool? (I have noticed that they are more expensive as well, other laptops with similar specs go for a lot less). Thanks.

Other than playing Asteroids on my dad's Apple II when I was a kid (think it was the Apple II, don't remember for sure) I have been a pure PC user up until this year. The computer lab in one of our libraries replaced a room full of Dell desktops with Macbook Pro's. I was in there for a presentation, fiddling around rather than listening and instantly fell in love with this laptop.

I was also a strictly desktop user, and had never found a laptop that felt comfortable enough that I would want to use on a daily basis (every laptop keyboard I had ever used just would not work with my fingers). The Macbook Pro's (I specify Pro because the keyboard is different than the regular, and my fingers don't work too well on the regular Macbook's keyboard either). So I bought myself (early graduation present 🙂) a Macbook Pro and haven't looked back since. I just love that everything is streamlined through Apple so it works great. I love the design and ease of use.

I still have my Dell desktop for home use, but if I now had to go with one brand and one OS or the other, it would be Apple and Mac OS X.


Phew, after that whole aside, yeah, I'm a little bummed that I may have to shell out some cash for another laptop (Texas Tech has students take their exams on laptops, and their servers don't work on Mac's yet), or a tablet (I think I heard A&M makes you buy a tablet, among other schools), but oh well, no regrets about the purchase.

 

[hermit]

More like $1300, much better option than a Macbook.

A tablet that's not on the screen is much harder to use, and inconvient/heavy to carry around both.

Although, now that I think of it, it might improve dexterity for pre-surgical practice purposes. Hmmmm

You may want to hit the gym a little more often...the specs say it weighs 550 grams.

 

[copperfrog09]

Other than playing Asteroids on my dad's Apple II when I was a kid (think it was the Apple II, don't remember for sure) I have been a pure PC user up until this year. The computer lab in one of our libraries replaced a room full of Dell desktops with Macbook Pro's. I was in there for a presentation, fiddling around rather than listening and instantly fell in love with this laptop.

I was also a strictly desktop user, and had never found a laptop that felt comfortable enough that I would want to use on a daily basis (every laptop keyboard I had ever used just would not work with my fingers). The Macbook Pro's (I specify Pro because the keyboard is different than the regular, and my fingers don't work too well on the regular Macbook's keyboard either). So I bought myself (early graduation present 🙂) a Macbook Pro and haven't looked back since. I just love that everything is streamlined through Apple so it works great. I love the design and ease of use.

I still have my Dell desktop for home use, but if I now had to go with one brand and one OS or the other, it would be Apple and Mac OS X.


Phew, after that whole aside, yeah, I'm a little bummed that I may have to shell out some cash for another laptop (Texas Tech has students take their exams on laptops, and their servers don't work on Mac's yet), or a tablet (I think I heard A&M makes you buy a tablet, among other schools), but oh well, no regrets about the purchase.

I LOVE my MBP. It's nearly 3 years old, runs like the day I got it and it has taken every abuse known to man. The case is a little dented, but I've never had an issue with it. Only issue was a defective power cord and a worn-out battery (after 3 years) both of which the lovely Apple people replaced for free. Best computer. Best customer service. The end.

 

[HumidBeing]

We have a forum just for discussing technology. 🙂

Moving this thread to the Technology forum.

 

[SDN2013]

You may want to hit the gym a little more often...the specs say it weighs 550 grams.

I only have time to go 4 times a week, used to go 7 times a week in the summer though

 

[JeetKuneDo]

Personally, I am planning on getting a tablet. One of the physicians whom I shadowed used a tablet PC, and it seemed UBER helpful.

Obviously, you would be using a tablet much differently as a med student than as a doc. I would consider the format of any notes that your school will provide. If they only provide paper packets, as some of the schools I have interviewed at do, a tablet might not be that useful. If they provide pdf, ppt, or doc files, then a tablet would be golden.

A lot depends on the type of tablet you get though--specifically how fast the digitizer works for taking notes with a pen. I hear that fujitsu and lenovo have some of the better tablets overall. A slower machine with a crappy digitizer/touch screen interface kind of defeats the point of a tablet imho.

But I want one (and I am talking about a convertable tablet notebook here) just because it can be used as a regular notebook, might be useful for notes during class, and will help me get used to using one in case I decide to use one in private practive 10 years down the road.

I was just curious as to what specialty physician would most benefit from a tablet. I'm thinking primary care?

 

[wigglytooth]

I have an HP tx2500 series tablet and I love taking notes on it!
Most of our notes are powerpoints so I can circle stuff and write explanations on the side. The digitizer works fast and there is no lag on seeing my writing come up. Microsoft One Note is decent to help all of my notes organized, too. My classmates scramble to print slides while I gain a little more time.

Games like Star Craft and WoW also run great. The only thing is that it seems to run a little hot on high processor settings.

Overall a great buy (not to mention a great way to make your classmates jealous!)

 

[McSnappy]

Just curious, anyone have one of these? If so, what do you think about them? Helpful or no?

I've been tempted into getting a laptop (I've been a pen+paper type of guy but wanted to try something new)(also, would allow me to upload my textbooks via CD instead of carrying them and hurting my back =( ).

Do you suggest getting a Tablet type of laptop from your experiences? Or do you think a normal laptop like an Apple Laptop is better? ( I was interested in the laptop PC because it makes working w/ numbers [Calculus] a lot cleaner, a lot less paper required).

Suggestions/experiences welcomed. Thanks.

I'm a MS4 that has used the same Motion LE1600 for all 4 years (had a buddy that was a regional sales rep for them). Great service, full tablet with keyboard that will detach.

I used it exclusively for year 1 and 2 in class. We had all of our stuff on either ppt., word or pdf. that was sent to us through a clearinghouse (Angel/blackboard). We would go and download the lecture and off we go. At first I downloaded and put everything into OneNote and tried to keep it organized. It worked for being able to search for notes, cross reference stuff, insert pics from the web, link it to other lectures, all sorts of stuff can be done to really make your notes interactive. Then, after classes, I would go through the notes and stream line them, add my own notes, etc. It was great for getting the stuff down on the first pass. As I moved into second year, I found myself not worrying about all that extra stuff and focusing on what the lecturer had to say and only wrote on the powerpoint and made notes to the side or within the ppt. You can zoom in on it and therefore your writing will be nice and small if you need to write a lot or you can keep it regular size. Overall, I found the tablet to be indispensable and 50% or more in my class that had them wouldn't have done it any other way. The class behind me were required to get tablets.

However, as I got closer to exams, I would transfer my notes to real paper. Not all of it, just the nut I felt needed to be moved, what I didn't know, . There is something about when you really want the stuff to stick that I would scan through my notes on the computer and transfer the translation onto paper that I would trim and trim until it was 4 or 5 pages of my highest yield info for the exam.

Year 3 and 4, I didn't need a tablet and it was mostly used as a laptop. But, I still feel the 1st two years a tablet is the way to go.

 

[DrJosephKim]

I have used several different convertible Tablets. They're great since you get the best of both worlds.

 

[hb2998]

I'm in my 2nd year of medschool. Have been using Lenovo X60T since day 1. A few of my friends have Lenovo X61t, some with the HP models, some with the Gateway models.

Lenovo is the best
(in my opinion: [1] More paper feel when you write on the screen [2] 8.5/11 screen unlike the HP models that are more widescreen).

I was unfortunate and had a lot of trouble with Vista, a huge handicap during first year. Not fun when you get the blue screen in the middle of lecture. GET HIGH RESOLUTION! ... don't get one with 1028/768 or whatever it is. The higher the res, the bigger the screen, the better.

Sorry if I'm repeating something someone else read, I have a test tomorrow and didn't read what others wrote.

Get a TabletPC only if you are able to control your procrastination. Its very easy to shut down your computer put it in the closet and hit the paper notes, but hard to do that when your notes are on the computer.

If you get one, get a good one. Don't go cheap, and don't go easy on the ram. Its gotta be a beast (Lenovo X200t). You don't want trouble and headache. Read reviews carefully and overheating issues are important as tablets need better ventilation systems than regular laptops.

Don't use OneNote to organize class notes! Here is why: When you print powerpoint slides into OneNote the quality is crap, so you can't see real fine detail. Don't use Powerpoint itself.. why? Because sometimes its nice to see several slides on one page, so print the slides into PDF using CutePDF Writer (2/4 or 6 slides to a page depending on the material) and use PDF Annotator to comment. Figure out an organization/filing system for your files and stick to it. PDF annotator is very cheap for students and definately worth it. I would get it even if I didn't decide to use it for taking notes.

I got an iGo Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard cheap and works well to take notes.

Tablet PCs are great for Histo/Path/Anatomy, actually they're great all around. Nothing beats having Color Copies though, there are advantages to paper (Never crash, etc).

Get an External HDD, and backup nightly. I use SyncToy.

If you use a TabletPC you could use a software like RescueTime to figure out how much studying you've been doing, if you like hardcore stats like me.

There are advantages and disadvantages to TabletPC, but in the future I foresee that most medschools will switch to TabletPCs as the cost of printing is such a major concern.

I got nothing against macs (although I've said otherwise on this forum). I would be the first to buy a mac tablet if it were to ever come out. Windows 7 seems promising for Tablet features. Vista was a HUGE improvement in pen functionality over XP, although XP was so much more stable (thats another story.. not 100% microsoft's fault...)

Oh yeah, don't get a really heavy duty battery because usually you'll be near a plug anyway, and weight is probably more important than sheer battery life. Don't buy 2 batteries. All classrooms/coffee shops/etc have plugs. Save the weight always go for the smaller battery. [I made the mistake of getting two 9 cells batteries, what a waste of cash].

Check with your school to make sure that they do put all material online, if they don't its a pain to have to scan everything (and not worth it... you're trying to become more efficient not less).

Oh yeah, if you decide not to get a laptop, get a mac.. I would. I'm tired of PCs, although for a desktop, get a PC ... for games 🙂.

 

[ClockworkDoc]

Convertible laptops are a great investment if you school uses powerpoint lecture. I would be lost without mine (well not lost, but not as well organized).

-I never use OneNote, just file everything in separate folders. This works great.
-Vista is not as much of a problem as people say
-Handwriting recognition is a joke (95-99% accuracy doesnt cut it)
-Using powerpoint, I annotate directly on slides (great for all classes - not as fast as typing, but more efficient for studying)
-No need to print anything, as everything is in color and large.
-I back up everything from school on a DVD-RW (works pretty well so far)
-The Gateway C-140 series works well (large screen, powerful, a little heavy, now more expensive since they sell them 3rd party-Tigerdirect-~1300)

In summation, buy one, sit near a plug, and enjoy the leg up you'll have during lectures.

 

[Flushot]

Hand writing recognition could be due to the sensitivity of the screen. Just being Wacom enabled isn't enough these days.

I would dare say that if you're thinking about one, don't skimp on the screen or the brand. Lenovo and Fujitsu make very good tablets, but you get what you pay for. If you're working with a budget, get a budget laptop, not a tablet.

 

[Slevin]

Other than playing Asteroids on my dad's Apple II when I was a kid (think it was the Apple II, don't remember for sure) I have been a pure PC user up until this year. The computer lab in one of our libraries replaced a room full of Dell desktops with Macbook Pro's. I was in there for a presentation, fiddling around rather than listening and instantly fell in love with this laptop.

I was also a strictly desktop user, and had never found a laptop that felt comfortable enough that I would want to use on a daily basis (every laptop keyboard I had ever used just would not work with my fingers). The Macbook Pro's (I specify Pro because the keyboard is different than the regular, and my fingers don't work too well on the regular Macbook's keyboard either). So I bought myself (early graduation present 🙂) a Macbook Pro and haven't looked back since. I just love that everything is streamlined through Apple so it works great. I love the design and ease of use.

I still have my Dell desktop for home use, but if I now had to go with one brand and one OS or the other, it would be Apple and Mac OS X.


Phew, after that whole aside, yeah, I'm a little bummed that I may have to shell out some cash for another laptop (Texas Tech has students take their exams on laptops, and their servers don't work on Mac's yet), or a tablet (I think I heard A&M makes you buy a tablet, among other schools), but oh well, no regrets about the purchase.

WHy not just use either boot camp or VM ware fusion both of which allows you to run windows apps on your macbook no problem.

I have use Mac's for over 7 years now and I wouldn't want to go back to windows if they paid me to.

 

[Flushot]

There aren't any tablets for Mac yet so I think that's the problem. I've seen some mods but for the school, you'll probably have to go back to Windows if they want tablet. It's really not the end of the world.

 

[xanthomondo]

I use OneNote and think it's a great way to organize my notebook. Granted, I don't print from powerpoint, I print the Word files and pdf files into it and use that.

OneNote's advantage is that you can search for any word that you want in the notebook (say if you don't remember the lecture or course where they mentioned lactoferrin), you can search "lactoferrin" and it will not only search what was "printed" into OneNote, but also what you handwrite on the screen. (I also don't convert the text - I leave it as my own writing as it looks fine). It is surprisingly accurate in searching through your text as well.

 

[hb2998]

I use OneNote and think it's a great way to organize my notebook. Granted, I don't print from powerpoint, I print the Word files and pdf files into it and use that.

OneNote's advantage is that you can search for any word that you want in the notebook (say if you don't remember the lecture or course where they mentioned lactoferrin), you can search "lactoferrin" and it will not only search what was "printed" into OneNote, but also what you handwrite on the screen. (I also don't convert the text - I leave it as my own writing as it looks fine). It is surprisingly accurate in searching through your text as well.

I agree, but you are printing your notes into onenote at a lower resolution, so if you print a really complicated image with all these tiny text, you can't zoom into it, which becomes a huge problem. Thats why I advocate PDF Annotator. I've been using them for a few years now, never had an issue with them.

I save my lectures in a folder with:
MMDD - ###) TITLE OF THE LECTURE.PDF

Makes it real easy to look up lectures. OneNote is great for "flash cards." You could use the title as a "hint" and the body for the explanation. It makes it very easy to study drugs when you can just go to the tab with the drug name and get all you need to know about the drug.

 

[BlondeCookie]

I agree, but you are printing your notes into onenote at a lower resolution, so if you print a really complicated image with all these tiny text, you can't zoom into it, which becomes a huge problem. Thats why I advocate PDF Annotator. I've been using them for a few years now, never had an issue with them.

hb2998 or anyone else that knows,
I don't have a tablet PC, but I was specifically thinking of buying a tablet PC because I saw a OneNote demonstration and was really impressed with OneNote's searching and organizational features.

What about this technique? downloading the class Powerpoint slides, convert them into a PDF, and annotate them with PDF annotator...THEN, print your annotated PDF into OneNote for the great organization and searching features that OneNote has. Would the final resolution in OneNote be too bad using that method?
😕

PS- sorry to drag up last month's thread, but topics like this don't get discussed too often.

 

[hb2998]

What about this technique? downloading the class Powerpoint slides, convert them into a PDF, and annotate them with PDF annotator...THEN, print your annotated PDF into OneNote for the great organization and searching features that OneNote has. Would the final resolution in OneNote be too bad using that method?
😕

OneNote is awesome, but its resolutions problem can be an issue for a few classes (anatomy). Microsoft knows about the dots per inch (DPI) issue, but they prefer not to change it to limit the file size of each onenote notebook. As long as you use the "Send to OneNote Printer" Option (which is the only way to do it) the pictures will come out fuzzy if you were to zoom into them.

Annotating in PDF annotator then sending to OneNote is extra work, plus your writing may not be searchable or editable once sent to OneNote because it becomes part of the image. I really would advise against this.

If you really love OneNote, do this. Send your files to OneNote, then for the pictures you feel came out blurry, make the powerpoint slide large, snip (or copy and paste) the image and lay them on top of the version OneNote came up with. (Setup Windows+S option to start the snip feature by right clicking the onenote icon in the taskbar.)

Aside: I've found OneNote to be great for Drugs. You can make the title the name of the drug and write details about the drug in the page. When you look at that chapter you each tab has the name of a different drug, a great flash card type testing tool.

 

[BlondeCookie]

OneNote is awesome, but its resolutions problem can be an issue for a few classes (anatomy). Microsoft knows about the dots per inch (DPI) issue, but they prefer not to change it to limit the file size of each onenote notebook. As long as you use the "Send to OneNote Printer" Option (which is the only way to do it) the pictures will come out fuzzy if you were to zoom into them.

Annotating in PDF annotator then sending to OneNote is extra work, plus your writing may not be searchable or editable once sent to OneNote because it becomes part of the image. I really would advise against this.

If you really love OneNote, do this. Send your files to OneNote, then for the pictures you feel came out blurry, make the powerpoint slide large, snip (or copy and paste) the image and lay them on top of the version OneNote came up with. (Setup Windows+S option to start the snip feature by right clicking the onenote icon in the taskbar.)

Aside: I've found OneNote to be great for Drugs. You can make the title the name of the drug and write details about the drug in the page. When you look at that chapter you each tab has the name of a different drug, a great flash card type testing tool.

Thanks for the tips. I think I may still use OneNote, but try to get around the low image qualitity issue, by making the powerpoint slide really big before copy+pasting into OneNote, just like you described.

BTW, how do you convert a powerpoint to a PDF? I assume there are programs out there. I've heard of some program called ABBY. Is this any good? What do you use? And is it important to be able to convert from PDF back to Powerpoint?

 

[hb2998]

BTW, how do you convert a powerpoint to a PDF? I assume there are programs out there. I've heard of some program called ABBY. Is this any good? What do you use? And is it important to be able to convert from PDF back to Powerpoint?

I haven't used ABBY (because it costs money), but I have two options for you.

CutePDF writer !!!BEEN USING THIS FOR YEARS!!! 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍
It used to be the only one out there, but now there are several although this does the job real nice and is free. It sets up a "Printer" -- whatever you print to that printer will be saved as a PDF file. [Don't click "print to file"]

Office 2007 supports PDF creation using this add-on.
You could just do Save As --> PDF or XPS

I don't know how you could convert from a PDF back to a powerpoint. I don't think its important at all.

 

[BlondeCookie]

I haven't used ABBY (because it costs money), but I have two options for you.

CutePDF writer !!!BEEN USING THIS FOR YEARS!!! 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍
It used to be the only one out there, but now there are several although this does the job real nice and is free. It sets up a "Printer" -- whatever you print to that printer will be saved as a PDF file. [Don't click "print to file"]

Office 2007 supports PDF creation using this add-on.
You could just do Save As --> PDF or XPS

I don't know how you could convert from a PDF back to a powerpoint. I don't think its important at all.

HB. Thanks for the tip! I like free. So, is there any difference in PDF image quality between using the CutePDF writer and the PDF add-on utility for Office?

 

[hb2998]

HB. Thanks for the tip! I like free. So, is there any difference in PDF image quality between using the CutePDF writer and the PDF add-on utility for Office?

They're both pretty awesome quality, although I don't know exactly the actual DPI differences (Best guess: they're both 300), if there is any its unnoticeable to me. I would get at least CutePDF writer because the Office 2007 version won't allow you to do fancy things such as making pdf files with multiple slides per-page, etc. CutePDF writer is a must. You'll love it 🙂 👍.