So I'll be starting an accelerated nursing program and thinking about purchasing a laptop. I've narrowed it down to either a Dell XPS 13 laptop with i5 5200U, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 1080p matte screen (non-touch), 15 hours battery life which retails for $899 on the Microsoft Store, or the new Microsoft Surface 3 tablet with a stylus and keyboard which would come up to around the same price. I've always been more of a traditional laptop person, but would the tablet with the stylus provide a significant benefit in nursing school? I suppose it would be convenient to draw diagrams and annotate with a stylus, but it would come at a cost to word processing.
Hi everyone! Just wanted you to keep in mind that the cost of your laptop can be included in "education expenses" for tax purposes...especially if purchase of a laptop is a recommendation from the school. Heck, I even deducted the cost of a fancy printer when I was in grad school & didn't have any issues with an IRS audit.
I have a Surface Pro - and love it. I recommend the 'clicky' keyboard rather than the flat one. It is much easier to use. I also have a some laptops - and much prefer the touch screen variety, particularly the ones that have a fold-back keyboard so that they can be used as a tablet when needed. The MAIN considerations? How big/heavy is it? Can I tuck it into a large purse or bookbag? How easy is it to type on to take notes?.... I can't deal with the teensy keyboards. For writing those long papers, you can easily add a bluetooth (larger) keyboard & external monitor to your laptop for very few bucks.
Best of luck on your educational pathway --- see you on the other side!
HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD
9,051 Posts
Hi everyone! Just wanted you to keep in mind that the cost of your laptop can be included in "education expenses" for tax purposes...especially if purchase of a laptop is a recommendation from the school. Heck, I even deducted the cost of a fancy printer when I was in grad school & didn't have any issues with an IRS audit.
I have a Surface Pro - and love it. I recommend the 'clicky' keyboard rather than the flat one. It is much easier to use. I also have a some laptops - and much prefer the touch screen variety, particularly the ones that have a fold-back keyboard so that they can be used as a tablet when needed. The MAIN considerations? How big/heavy is it? Can I tuck it into a large purse or bookbag? How easy is it to type on to take notes?.... I can't deal with the teensy keyboards. For writing those long papers, you can easily add a bluetooth (larger) keyboard & external monitor to your laptop for very few bucks.
Best of luck on your educational pathway --- see you on the other side!