Do you think MacBook 11inch would be good for Nursing School? Or is it too small?

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Jul 20, 2014

Personally, I think that someone should choose 11 inch or 13 inch or whatever screen size they want in either PC or Macintosh based on entirely on personal preference. In May 2011 my wife purchased a 15.6 inch Toshiba Satellite laptop computer for me to use at school. I am using that very same laptop now to type this, using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Yes, this computer is a little old, a little slow, and perhaps a little heavy compared to newer offerings. It's still running fine, I enjoy it a lot, and I did not find the size of the computer to be all that big of a problem when I was going through school. Some of my classmates used Apple products and they enjoyed them immensely. A couple of them used the 11 inch MacBooks, I think one used a 13 inch MacBook, and a couple used iPads with a keyboard extension and they all did just fine. There were 3 or 4 of us that used laptop PCs and we did not have issues either. While the majority of our lectures were less than 4 hours, if they lasted longer than that, everything except the iPads would need to be on a charger. I think this is because most of our lectures were fairly media intensive. None of us were bothered at all my other people typing on their keyboards because most of the keyboards were fairly quiet.

Yes, there is some research out there that shows that hand written notes does enhance long-term memory. However, all the classes that I have taken, only one professor has absolutely required that will notes be hand written. This wasn't much of a problem for me or anyone else. My "office" computer at home does have a significant advantage in that it's graphics card is MUCH better than the one my laptop has and is upgradable. That being said, my laptop is actually a bit better of a computer than my office machine is in most ways except gaming due to the graphics card.

Why did I include all this info? Simply because while this computer is NOT the best on the market (those run into the thousands of dollars) and was but $450 or so, it's served me well and I don't feel like I truly got an inferior product. It met my needs and does just fine. Should I go back onto the market for a new computer, I'll again assess my needs and desires, weigh that against my available funds and determine what computer meets that requirements. I'm certainly considering an iPad though... but not as a laptop replacement.

Choose the best computer device you need for the budget you have. Play with them in person for a while just to be sure that you like the platform/form factor. My only other advice would simply be to make sure that certain components are user upgradeable, such as a new battery or RAM. Also take into account the programs you'll be required to use throughout the program. Some programs may require a certain platform.

NRRN,IWP · Oct 10, 2014

Hello! I just want to give the update since the semester already started! I am very comfortable with my MacBook Air 11 inch yes the screen is small but I got use to it. It is very convenient because of the light weight easy to carry. I also downloaded the microsoft word for my assignments!! Overall I am very comfortable with its size! Thank you all for your advice! ?