Laptop or Tablet???

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · May 20, 2013

Recently my laptop has been acting up and after 3 wiped viruses and 6 years of being in the family I think it's time to get dumped. I can't decide between getting a laptop or a tablet. I know that the nursing school I hope to get excepted into requires a computer but doesn't a tablet do the same things as a computer? Plus I still have a year of pre reqs. On the other hand I've never used a tablet and am so used to laptops. My family is a bit behind on technology. What do y'all think would be more beneficial?

I have used a laptop for the past 2 years. A former classmate of mine, who discovered nursing was not for him, used a notebook computers that could convert into a tablet. It seemed to work out well for him. A couple of my current classmates use a notebook now and because they are used to it, they are able to use it fairly efficiently and effectively for class. Generally speaking I am a touch typer, and I can type a lot faster than I can write and generally speaking that means I prefer a traditional keyboard. Also my laptop computers fairly powerful for the amount of money I spent on it, so it runs dictation software relatively easily and I am actually using that software now to compose this reply to you. That is because I can speak a lot faster than I can type…

I haven't looked at the current batch of tablet computers so I do not know how powerful they are or how well they will run a lot of the current apps and dictation software that exist. I suppose that when it comes time for me to replace my computer, I will probably acquire a laptop again that has a touchscreen as well because sometimes it's just easier to reach out and touch something on the screen.

Probably the most important thing of all those choices is using a device that can connect to a service like dropbox or Google Drive or something to that effect because I have found that on multiple occasions, it's a lot easier for me to access my care plans that are stored on that service so that I can modify them anywhere I happen to be. Also because I store all of that stuff online, it makes it a lot easier for me to reference previous care plans so that I can perhaps adapt one of those to a current situation and really cut down my prep time.

In the end, it's all really and truly up to you!