I realize this may be more of an opinion than anything, but I'm still having a hard time choosing a device for school. I have a nice desktop PC and historically had an Android, but recently got an iPhone. I actually love the iPhone and I’m considering investing in the apple ecosystem I guess. So, now I’m considering an iPad + MacBook vs a Surface Book. I’d love to hear about why you love/hate your device and how it’s made your med school experience more/less convenient! Especially in any context that might be relatively unique to a med student.
MD & DO Thoughts on Microsoft Surface Book vs iPad (+macbook) for school
- Thread starter mtrotchie
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For aggressively ignoring lecturers during mandatory wellness lectures, either would get the job done.
If you wanna be a cool kid and clack-clack-clack away at your uber expensive MacBook, be my guest. All the people at my school that matched at their #1 used PCs though. Choice is yours, mtrotchie.
Edit: Obviously kidding, except for the ignoring lecturers part
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I have the Macbook/iPad/iPhone combo and I've loved it so far. I'm pretty below average when it comes to being tech savvy but the apple ecosystem to me has been fairly user-friendly and easy to integrate with one another. If you're someone who can use the same device for 5+ years I'd say it's worth the investment.
I have a desktop PC for watching lectures, etc at home. I used a surface pro (2017) for the first two years while I watched/went to lectures. The actual form factor and overall design is essentially perfect in my opinion, and annotating notes on OneNote was so helpful for my classes. Rewriting notes alone (when done right) even without anki or other resources helped me do well above average some blocks. Usually fast, good touchpad, 10+hr battery life. The only complaint I had is it tends to be a bit laggy/glitchy, which is likely better on the new models, but Windows laptops have their limitations in terms of fluidity of OS.
I'm also getting an iPhone and might get a macbook as my next laptop. You probably would feel like you're missing out on not being able to iMessage, etc from your Surface. An iPad for notes and a macbook air or something would give the best of both worlds, but is kinda expensive. If you're worried about cost at all, think about if you really need the laptop if you already have a desktop. But writing out notes is so nice if you're considering it.
I'm also getting an iPhone and might get a macbook as my next laptop. You probably would feel like you're missing out on not being able to iMessage, etc from your Surface. An iPad for notes and a macbook air or something would give the best of both worlds, but is kinda expensive. If you're worried about cost at all, think about if you really need the laptop if you already have a desktop. But writing out notes is so nice if you're considering it.
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I have a SP2017 that I used in undergrad, but my school requires choosing between 3 dell laptops, a MS surface book, and a macbook. Also, I've noticed that exact same thing you describe, can be a bit laggy/glitchy occasionally. Sometimes I have to restart my surface to get the wifi working, which is very annoying. Can't help but wonder if the surface book has similar issues. Another reason I'm considering macbook + ipad is that it might be nice to have the 2 screens sometimes along with a dedicated tablet/ipad rather than 2in1. I also feel like air drop would be super useful. Geez I feel like I'm answering my own question lol
This is good to know, thank you! Any idea about new ipad air? I don't want to shell out for the pro, but as of now I'd pay the extra for face ID and larger screen.
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Everything is just rumor until confirmed, however the new iPad air, if being released, will be announced at the same time with the MacBook pro 14 so keep an eye out for it
. Everything should be announced by early June. If you are going to use the Ipad for taking note, the Ipad pro 12.9 takes the cake.Historically I have handwritten notes on OneNote with a Samsung Galaxy tablet and then later on a Surface Pro with surface pen. I did like it, but my med school requires a dedicated laptop and the surface pro doesn't cut it (must be surface book or surface laptop), and they want it to be less than 1 year old (it's not). My only gripe was it could be a bit laggy and occasionally I'd have to restart the device to get the wifi working, otherwise it was a great. I think being a 2in1 made it a bit less snappier than a dedicated laptop and dedicated tablet would've been.
What program do you use for note taking with your macbook?
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Current MS3. I used a Surface Book (vs. Surface Pro vs. other 2-in-1s) since the start of med school and recently switched to the XPS 13 (not 2-in-1; 2019) after some persistent hardware problems with my Surface Book (1st gen). Looking back, while I think it was nice to have the detachable screen, I don't think I used it more than a couple times and mostly for pre-clinical. The best tech I ever used was an iPad mini with bluetooth keyboard. It was small enough to fit in my white coat on rounds so when the students inevitably lost their computers to residents, I could still follow-up in my patients chart for new labs/imaging from that morning while on rounds, for example.
For notetaking, I preferred using pen and paper and never took typed or stylus notes on my Surface Book. If you are dead set on handwritten notes on a tablet, I would recommend a solid 2-in-1 like XPS 13, HP Spectre x360, or Lenovo Yoga C930 plus iPad Mini with bluetooth keyboard. If I had to pick one now, I would go with the XPS 13 2-in-1 (2020). It's currently 1399 (10th gen i5/8GB/256GB SSD) on Dell or 1599 (i7/16GB/256GB SSD) for the upgraded version.
For notetaking, I preferred using pen and paper and never took typed or stylus notes on my Surface Book. If you are dead set on handwritten notes on a tablet, I would recommend a solid 2-in-1 like XPS 13, HP Spectre x360, or Lenovo Yoga C930 plus iPad Mini with bluetooth keyboard. If I had to pick one now, I would go with the XPS 13 2-in-1 (2020). It's currently 1399 (10th gen i5/8GB/256GB SSD) on Dell or 1599 (i7/16GB/256GB SSD) for the upgraded version.
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Microsoft Onenote is amazing:
I like Macbook Pro + iPad Pro but know that this is an expensive combination and you could basically get the same functions out of a single Surface Book. But if you like the Apple systems and their durability, then you should look into it. Obviously OneNote works on any laptop but the one great thing about iPad has been Notability. Excellent app for taking notes and annotating documents.
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Yea, I second @thatdude! . For pre-clinical, I used a MacBook Air and then our school “gave” (used our tuition money) us an iPad, but I hardly used the iPad. A lot of my classmates didn’t use the iPad either. It’s great if you’re really into writing with the pen on Notability or another program like that, but otherwise it’s easier to do pretty much anything else on the computer.
If you think you wanna jump to Apple, I’d recommend just getting the base MacBook Pro (wait for the new one to come out, it should have a bunch of improvements this upcoming iteration), that should serve you very well for 6+ years if you take care of it. Or you could spring for the new MacBook Air ($899 with edu discount), but the base processor in that leaves something to be desired for the price point and the webcam still looks like ****.
At the end of the day, you just need something to watch videos on from home and something that can run Anki, so no need to buy multiple expensive devices. Save your money for good food and drinks, you’ll need them. Good luck!
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3rd option might be to pick the cheapest option they have (probably the dell?) and use it for test taking purposes and whatever device you want alternatively. That's what I did since I didn't want to use my school issued mackbook pro.
Unfortunately the XPS is not of the allowed Dell models for the school software. Macbook, Surface laptop/book, or Dell Latitude 5400/5500/7400
Thankfully I'm in a decent spot financially and not super worried about the extra $2k it might cost. Number one factor is functionality, convenience, etc, and I'm willing to pay for it. One thing I worry about with macbook + ipad is the onenote and notability thing. I've heard OneNote isn't great on the ipad and I'd rather stick with that singular platform.
Yeah the thing is (at least in undergrad) I found I wasn't even the type of person to really take notes in class. I usually did equally well or better just actively listening, and I never even reviewed my notes anyways lol. I'd just review professor ppts, which I'd occasionally annotate. I have a feeling anki and pathoma will be my primary study methods, not super sure if I'll end up even taking notes.
Still, I feel like I'd use both the iPad and Macbook for 2 screens, which is actually something I think I'd appreciate over a 2in1.
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I don't take notes either, except in my Anki cards. So no real use for iPad.
If you'd like two screens I'd recommend just using the iPad money to get a 27 inch monitor. This will majorly save your neck and back, and you'll have a lot more screen real estate. I never used a monitor until dedicated and then I realized what I'd been missing.
If you'd like two screens I'd recommend just using the iPad money to get a 27 inch monitor. This will majorly save your neck and back, and you'll have a lot more screen real estate. I never used a monitor until dedicated and then I realized what I'd been missing.
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I would go for the MB + iPad if you don't mind switching over to that ecosystem. Otherwise, getting only the Surface Book probably has the form factor that you're looking for.
I probably will go with macbook pro and ipad air. I feel like airdrop will come in handy and I might prefer the dedicated laptop/dedicated tablet. Granted I only have experience with MS Surface pro 2017 with the i5 and 8gb RAM variant, as great as the 2in1 was it sometimes felt like I was compromising on either end.
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Apple laptops are completely overpriced for the hardware that’s inside of them. You’ll never find a touch screen Apple laptop cause they don’t want to interfere with their ipad market. I have an iphone, apple watch, and airpods because they are simple and function nicely with each other. I can see the appeal of adding a mac book to the list. Save money - cheap laptop under 600USD and use ur desktop at home. I mean what demanding processes are you going to be running on your laptop? For gaming and anything else demanding I have a desktop as well.
I am aware, I used to be hardcore team android/apple. I have a gaming PC at home with dual monitors, however, I am not productive at home so I typically study elsewhere. I guess I just feel like the difference between $800 and $2500 in the grand scheme of my tuition loans are pretty negligible. I'm willing to pay the extra for whatever convenience and quality of life improvements it can provide.
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I guess it is harder to game on a mac. My family has been apple since before the ipod came out, so I have a lot of experience with Macs. Go get both then if you have no price ceiling.
For me I can imagine studying would consist of watching videos, pressing space bar on anki, and reading pdfs. I have a portable 13 inch lenovo thinkpad as my sidekick.
That's right, OneNote isn't optimized for iPad. If you don't use Notability, then I don't know if an iPad would be worth it. For entertainment purposes, yes. But I don't know any other great apps.
I would prefer OneNote, but be totally fine with Notability provided that it offered pretty much the same functionality. I mostly would want built in cloud sync, ability to import pdf/ppt onto a note page, and ability to still view/edit on a laptop/desktop.
I use Notability on the MacBook Air and iPad, it syncs across devices through iCloud. Also using the iPad as a second display with Sidecar is super helpful in general
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Notability was nice. Machine itself doesn’t matter as long as it’s reliable. I think notability is mac only though. I’m not an Apple fanboi but my Mac is almost 8 and still kicking.
I also have three iPhones, three iPads, and two macs between my wife and I.
ok maybe I am a fan boi, I also hand a hand build desktop though
I also have three iPhones, three iPads, and two macs between my wife and I.
ok maybe I am a fan boi, I also hand a hand build desktop though
