Best Laptop/Tablet

Wiggly Litchi · Jul 13, 2018

Digital textbooks don't require much processing power to open.

You'll be fine with say a mid-range HP or something. Don't go breaking the bank on a $1000 laptop if you don't really *need* to.

As an aside, your school should let you know what their minimum requirements are. Some schools will ask that you get an Ipad (some won't), others will say you need a windows 10 laptop with x-amount of RAM etc.; usually the demands aren't that great, and it's something a mid-level (and cheaper!) laptop could handle with ease.

CharlieFoxtrot · Jul 13, 2018

I echo the above poster on the "Don't break the bank" comment.

I'm a big fan of Lenovos with solid state drives - I am horrible with my tech, and all of my Lenovos have managed to survive accidental falling, being lugged to class daily, and other horrors. They're solidly built, and you can usually get a good one (Idea Pad) for around 700. My current is a Lenovo Flex 5 that works beautifully for school, and has the processing power to run my graphics programs.

Lenovos are also one of the few computers I have no qualms about buying used. I had a used U-510 that I picked up in a pawn shop that was a year old when I got it and lasted another two years on top of that and still works well (even with a bashed to hell case). I also have a used Miix convertible tablet that I used for clinicals that performs like a champ. My kids (5 & 7) have older used Lenovo ThinkPads on which I've installed Linux for playing Minecraft and doing coding, and both units are surviving despite not being treated gingerly.

I can't say the same about my previous HP with an HDD that died mid-assignment from a hard drive failure, or the Asus that had a random battery failure.

I would suggest seeing what others are using, and taking a drive to a brick-and-mortar store to take some units for a test drive. Check out sale sites online, or manufacturer websites for deals since many of them offer student discounts.

And although it may look like I'm a shill for Lenovo, I'm just really impressed with the durability of their machines, especially when subjected to adverse conditions. Good luck in your hunt!

vanGoghplaces, BSN, RN · Jul 15, 2018

Microsoft Surface Pro has been the best for me. I transfer all the power points to onenote and take hand written notes on the screen using the surface pen. It's amazing! I even record the lecture and when I listen to it later I can click on any note and the lecture will play from the exact time I wrote the note. It's been the best investment I've made for school!

tmccstu2018 · Jul 16, 2018

All programs are different.. but there's a really good chance you're going to need a laptop/computer for a portion of work. With my program, I need it to do clinical paperwork with our specific layouts. I also have to use it with Lockdown Browser to take quizzes/tests.

Besides that though, I purchased an iPad Pro with the apple pencil before I started 7 months ago and it was the best purchase I ever made for school. It's elevated my note taking to another level. I am so organized and ALWAYS have all of my notes on me. I can even access them on my phone when I'm in a waiting room, etc. I have all of my ebooks on there as well and it's amazing because I can drag parts of my readings straight into the notes. I highly recommend!

TheDudeWithTheBigDog, ADN, RN · Jul 16, 2018

Look for any decent IOS or Windows based 2 in 1. Your school probably has some that you can buy with financial aide. While they're not going to be as good as a standard laptop in power and functionality, they are way more convenient when it comes to ebooks. The pen/stylus software on those OS's typically work great with office and acrobat (MS office is free with a .edu email address, and acrobat is ridiculously cheap for students). You can usually write on power point slides, write on your ebook (sync with a cloud server, typically included with your school email account, and it'll stay updated on everything), highlight in your ebook. One note replaces the need to ever buy a single notebook... Plus it's small and you can carry it around.

gere7404, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2018

Our classrooms have very little outlet space to plug computers in, so my biggest recommendation is something with good battery life. I'm especially fond of the Dell XPS series, I personally use an XPS15 which is light and small for a 15" laptop and gets a good 8+ hours on a full charge.