Laptop for nursing school

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Hello All,

I was just accepted to a nursing program. I would like some advice on a good laptop for a decent price. I am going to be taking two online/hybrid classes.

I have mostly apple products, but the laptop prices are so steep! I would love to hear the opinions' of current nursing students.

Thanks for your help!

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You do not need to be a genius to figure out what laptop you need: any laptop that will allow you to study online, send emails and type up papers. Any laptop can do all that and you do not have to spend tons of money. You can easily buy a laptop for $400 or less that will do what you want.

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I would get one that has a cd/dvd player already in it. I would get a 17 inch also. Other than that, any laptop will work and allow you to look up stuff on the net, download your notes, do ms office,, etc. One thing you will want to buy extra is a voice recorder like the one sony makes. Maybe even get two is you are taking two classes, it just makes getting your notes arranged easier if you have one for each class. And get to class early to get a good seat up front. I like my acer but it is a 15 inch, it works ok, but would have got a 17 inch if i could do it again. I think having intergrated graphics works better than having a dedicated graphics card unless your a big gamer.

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A basic laptop should be good enough unless you'll be doing tons of video simulation assignments. I would get MS Office so you can turn in assignments without compatibility issues.

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A basic laptop should be good enough unless you'll be doing tons of video simulation assignments. I would get MS Office so you can turn in assignments without compatibility issues.

I've used inexpensive word processing programs or the now defunct (no longer provided or supported) MS Works program to save myself money. However, I've had compatibility problems often enough that I now just throw in the towel and get MS Office.

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Specializes in L&D, OBED, NICU, Lactation.
I would get one that has a cd/dvd player already in it. I would get a 17 inch also. Other than that, any laptop will work and allow you to look up stuff on the net, download your notes, do ms office,, etc. One thing you will want to buy extra is a voice recorder like the one sony makes. Maybe even get two is you are taking two classes, it just makes getting your notes arranged easier if you have one for each class. And get to class early to get a good seat up front. I like my acer but it is a 15 inch, it works ok, but would have got a 17 inch if i could do it again. I think having intergrated graphics works better than having a dedicated graphics card unless your a big gamer.

I wholeheartedly DISAGREE with your comments. Also $400 is going to buy you junk in the long run. There is a big jump in quality once you hit about $600.

15" is going to be recommended, in fact search for 15" ultrabook to find light ones in that size. You do not want to lug around a 17" laptop. In fact, if you are planning on taking it to class or anywhere, consider a 14". My wife has a VERY heavy brand new Alienware that doesn't leave the desk (15"), I have a VERY light MSI that I travel with constantly (also a 15"). If you are getting close to 6lbs in weight from the laptop, it's going to get heavy.

Recommendations:

CPU- Core i5

RAM - 8GB ABSOLUTE MINIMUM (16GB recommended)

Graphics - unless you are also doing photo/video editing or hardcore gaming, this doesn't matter

Storage - SSD (Solid state drive) preferred with minimum of 256GB storage. Hybrid setups also worthwhile...you might see 64GB+1TB or something like that listed.

CD drive - don't worry about it. You can save on weight if you don't get one. I haven't used one in two years, but I have a $20 external one if I need it.

Screen size: 15/15.6" or 14" if you are worried about weight.

Software: Windows 10, most schools will register their students with Microsoft and you can get the Pro or Education version for free. Students get discounts on MS Office (if the school doesn't just give it to you), Adobe products, etc. 4 years of Office 2016 Student should run you $79.99-$99.99.

Consider refurbished machines. Apple does sell refurbs and they offer a student discount, typically around $200 based on the model.

This isn't a terrible machine for $468: Amazon.com: DELL INSPIRON I3567-5664BLK-PUS 15.6″ TOUCH-SCREEN LAPTOP (INTEL CORE I5-72

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

My favorite laptops are ASUS brand. I used an ASUS Zenbook for school, and it was great.

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