Electronics in Nursing School

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What does everyone use for school? iPad, tablets, or laptops? I'm really confused on what to get. I want an iPad but at the same time I need a laptop. I want to get some advice or ideas about what everyone's using in school even pre-nursing. What would be best?

I'm leaning towards the laptop but which one?

I have both a laptop and an iPad. I use my iPad during lecture because then I can view and edit PowerPoint lectures in the Notability app which also allows for recording right in the document. I also have the Pages app so that if I'm on campus and only have my iPad I can begin a document in the Pages app and then e-mail the document to my laptop to be viewed and edited in Microsoft Word. I also have various apps on my iPad (which are also useful on my iPhone) such as NCLEX reviews, Nursing Central, Micromedex, etc. I find that the possibilities are endless for me.[/quote']what are the apps you have! I have an iPhone until I can get my iPad
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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

I'm really happy with my MacBook Pro. I'm able to do everything I need to on it. I can also open the PowerPoints my instructors use during lecture and put my notes right into those. I can also type faster than I write, so it's much more efficient to take my notes this way. Most of my class has moved to taking notes on laptops. It's also nice when we're talking about something to be able to look it up if needed. I like having my notes, papers, online texts (ATI), etc all in one easy, portable place. I spend a lot of time studying and reading at Starbucks, so I LOOOOOOOOVE my laptop for that.

I also have my ATI books downloaded onto iBooks on my iPhone, so I'm able to utilize that as needed if I'm out somewhere and find I have some time to read a bit but I can't feasibly use my laptop (or it's not with me).

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I forgot what company has it but there is a tablet os something like it that you can use as a tablet and then convert it into a laptop with a removable key pad and things google it. I think it is with windows and of course will have Microsoft office on it.

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Specializes in home health.

I am so glad you asked this question- Ive been wondering the same thing- whether there would be any technology that may help out. I personally dont know what I would do without my lap top but thats for at home- I wouldnt take it anywhere- would want something more smaller and convenient to be able to pull out and use it needed or allowed. Ipad sounds interesting

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I am so glad you asked this question- Ive been wondering the same thing- whether there would be any technology that may help out. I personally dont know what I would do without my lap top but thats for at home- I wouldnt take it anywhere- would want something more smaller and convenient to be able to pull out and use it needed or allowed. Ipad sounds interesting
i researched the windows tablets and the chrome books! They seem interesting as well! I'm still confused thoe because I like iPads ! So I don't know lol
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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day:

This coming Spring semester (starts January 13 at our college), I'll be trying to use an iPad Air with a stylus (right now, I'm using the amPen hybrid stylus) to take notes in class using an app named, GoodNotes (I also use GoodNotes to annotate PDF documents). I have an inexpensive ($16) Bluetooth keyboard that I'll be taking along for the times where I have a few hours between classes so I could have a keyboard when necessary. Right now I've 50% of the books for the semester as eBooks, so I'm hoping that less weight to carry around campus will also be nice.

Thank you.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

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Specializes in ICU.

My son got an asus laptop computer for Christmas. It comes with microsoft office and has windows 8. It has a detachable keyboard to it is either a tablet or laptop. Since I have been using Apple for the past year I am not too impressed with it. I really like the Apple operating system better. Plus, I always have to download and install Firefox because I absolutely hate Internet Explorer. To me, IE is cumbersome and clunky.

I get what you are saying about an ipad that it is a computer but it doesn't work as well as a desktop or laptop for doing the nitty, gritty work that needs to be done for some classes. I just got a new desktop a couple of months ago because my old one crashed. I got the hp envy and I really like it. I also do embroidery and my sewing machine hooks up to my desktop so I need one for that also. I know that's a little off topic but there are just some things an ipad can't do. But I do lilke my ipad for all of the reasons I stated above.

I know there are note taking apps and stuff like that and some people are really good at that stuff. I have found that most of my professors do outlines for the notes on each chapter so I just need to write down what I need in class. Trying to type on my ipad and trying to keep up on lecture would be counterproductive for me. But everyone is different, so what works for me may not work for someone else.

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My son got an asus laptop computer for Christmas. It comes with microsoft office and has windows 8. It has a detachable keyboard to it is either a tablet or laptop. Since I have been using Apple for the past year I am not too impressed with it. I really like the Apple operating system better. Plus I always have to download and install Firefox because I absolutely hate Internet Explorer. To me, IE is cumbersome and clunky. I get what you are saying about an ipad that it is a computer but it doesn't work as well as a desktop or laptop for doing the nitty, gritty work that needs to be done for some classes. I just got a new desktop a couple of months ago because my old one crashed. I got the hp envy and I really like it. I also do embroidery and my sewing machine hooks up to my desktop so I need one for that also. I know that's a little off topic but there are just some things an ipad can't do. But I do lilke my ipad for all of the reasons I stated above. I know there are note taking apps and stuff like that and some people are really good at that stuff. I have found that most of my professors do outlines for the notes on each chapter so I just need to write down what I need in class. Trying to type on my ipad and trying to keep up on lecture would be counterproductive for me. But everyone is different, so what works for me may not work for someone else.[/quote']i was just looking online at the Asus and that may be better for me thank you
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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day:

"I get what you are saying about an ipad that it is a computer but it doesn't work as well as a desktop or laptop for doing the nitty, gritty work that needs to be done for some classes."

So far it is working for the nitty, gritty stuff for me and others. I guess it depends on how you use it, trying different apps to find out which works best for what situation, etc. I've found that GoodNotes is great for taking hand written notes as well as annotating documents, and Notability works wonders when used to type up (with a portable keyboard) reading notes. Both apps can edit the PDF files created interchangeably. Pages, Numbers, and Keynotes open up Microsoft documents; and documents can be downloaded into Microsoft Office. FlashCards+ allows me to study better using cards I created using quizlet. The list goes on for both creative (producing work) as well as consumption (i.e. iTunes University). For flash-based sites (our A&P book has a student companion site), I use the Puffin web browser which makes the site appear as it would in Internet Explorer, FireFox, or Chrome.

An iPad is a tablet device (as is Microsoft Surface), and you can add a portable keyboard for those that don't want to use their fingers or a stylus to turn the iPad into a touch-screen laptop.

My background is in information technology (IT) with 3 decades of experience mainly using Microsoft Windows to interface with Unix-based servers (doing the actual work in Unix). The iPad Air my wife and I purchased is our first Apple product in decades (I did, for a short period, own one of the first Macintosh computers - the kind that didn't come with a hard drive; yes, that should date me though before it, the TRS-80 with a tape recorder for long term storage). While the multi-tasking features are limited on an iPad, I've yet to find a computer-based task the iPad cannot do. Add in the portability, long battery life of this portable, high power computer (it is a computer) and one got a nice mixture of tools. BTW, while I know it lacks a USB port, I've had fellow classmates email me document(s), and then I have them just the same. Or if it is me at college, then upload the document(s) to DropBox or Google Drive and I'm set as all of the apps I've been using to date interface with both for point and click ease.

Thank you.

P.S. I'm not trying to sell the iPad in as much as take away the myth the iPad is not a computer or that somehow it is less than a computer. Just like Microsoft Surface may not be for everyone, the same goes for the iPad or any other type of computer.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Psych.

This is a VERY good question. I start school on the 16th, and because this is my 1st semester I don't want to by anything I don't need. I do think it would be helpful to be able to pull up the powerpoints and edit them during class, but I'm not sure if all my professor will use powerpoint, so I'll wait until 2nd semester. Plus I'm broke from buying all those books! Please keep adding input people, I need all the help I can get! Thanks!!!

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Specializes in home health.

I have never heard of an asus, but it looks neat :) And i too, prefer firefox over inter explorer haha

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Specializes in CVICU.

I use a laptop at home to write my papers and do PowerPoints. I use my iPhone during class to record lectures. That's it.

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