NathanLe Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 I'm going to need a new laptop for PA school next year. I prefer Mac, but has anyone been told they need a PC at their program? I just don't want to buy a new Mac and then end up needing a PC because a certain software doesn't run on Macs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicinePower Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 Macs run Windows and all PC programs. You can use Parallels or Boot Camp to accomplish this. Even if you get a Mac and it turns out your school only supports Windows computers you won't be left behind.http://www.parallels.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHU-CH Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Call the techie guys at you school or check the website. While they will not likely recommend a brand, they will probably have some recommended parameters for operating systems, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NathanLe Posted December 23, 2013 Author Share Posted December 23, 2013 Thanks for the input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakingpatience Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I used a parallel operating system on my mac maybe 5 years back to operate windows for my math class. It was definitely a hassle, if I'd needed it for a majority of my work I'd probably consider getting a PC. Of course, maybe they have come out with better systems to run windows OS on the mac now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicinePower Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I used a parallel operating system on my mac maybe 5 years back to operate windows for my math class. It was definitely a hassle, if I'd needed it for a majority of my work I'd probably consider getting a PC. Of course, maybe they have come out with better systems to run windows OS on the mac now Parallels lets you simultaneously run Mac OS X and Windows OS on your Mac. It's pretty sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted December 23, 2013 Administrator Share Posted December 23, 2013 Mac, all the way. Our class was split 50/50, and the PCs (which were all pretty new) had far more problems, even than the older mac laptops. Still writing on the same Mac Book Pro 3.5 years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S Brake Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I've been thinking about a Microsoft surface for PA school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted December 23, 2013 Administrator Share Posted December 23, 2013 I've been thinking about a Microsoft surface for PA school. Why? Why choose an untested technology with no track record, from a company with a long history of all their good ideas coming from copying others? It's like using a brand-new drug: Why? Unless you have a really good answer, you owe it to your patients to stick with things that have a good track record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S Brake Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I realize that Microsoft isn't as hip, but their products are heavily used by governments and educators worldwide. I wouldn't consider their product untested. They've had more experience with the software side of things than anyone else in the business. As far as the hardware itself being their first real foray into the manufacturing side of things, third parties have been successfully pairing their hardware with Microsoft software for decades, hardware is the easy part to get right. The surface has been in use for over a year with consumers, much longer internally I'm sure, and they haven't blown up yet. I'm sure there are better options in laptop form but that's not what I'm after, as far as tablets go the surface is the best one I've come across for my needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I don't know anything about the surface so I can't say it's a good or bad way to go, but you should contact your school's IT department and your program to make sure it will be acceptable to use. You don't want to spend all that money only to find out there are compatibility issues with the school's testing software, intranet, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taotaox1 Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Get whatever you want unless you school has specific instructions. You can run windows on macs. If you can use word and look stuff up on the internet you are good to go. In all honesty spending more than 700$ is silly for ANYTHING pa school requires. Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted December 25, 2013 Administrator Share Posted December 25, 2013 I'm sorry, S. Brake, if I seem to be contradicting you, but I have used DOS since 2.0 and Microsoft Windows since 1.0. Your summary of Microsoft's credentials and track record is, to put it charitably, excessively optimistic and untainted by reality. I have also used MacOS since version 5, Linux since Slackware was cool, more versions of Unix than I can accurately count, and a handful of operating systems that I doubt anyone else reading this thread has heard of; you see, my pre-PA career was IT support, and I have done it for 25 years, not really stopping when I was in PA school, and being hired in my first PA job with the understanding, now realized, that I was to become their EPIC guru. Microsoft is much different now than they were in the 1990's, but Microsoft, Apple, and Google are all very large corporations with very little interest in the end user. Specifically in the tablet space, Apple clearly has the top-of-the-line product, and Android/Google has the price/performance product, so I'm struggling to see where Microsoft Surface even fits in. I'd be interested in hearing what your special requirements are that make the Surface a compelling option vs. Android. It's easy to come up with a use case ("Must have a USB port") that makes an iPad a bad choice, but I'm really interested in hearing why Surface would beat an Android tablet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S Brake Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Having used iPads before, they've always felt like big iPhones to me. Not necessarily a bad thing considering that I'm on my third iPhone going back to the introduction of the 3G, but it's not what I want in a tablet that can legitimately replace a laptop. I also think that iPads are overpriced for what they do. I have never been a fan of android products and have admittedly not spent much time with their tablets, but they don't interest me at all. The surface is the only tablet I've used that can feasibly replace a laptop without feeling like I'm being limited to just what apps are available. It's priced right and and it has a good mix of traditional laptop functionality and tablet usability. I'm not a power user by any means so I don't need to spend a huge amount for something that would just be overkill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator True Anomaly Posted December 25, 2013 Moderator Share Posted December 25, 2013 I vote Mac. Worked well for me during school, and as was pointed out before you can partition the hard drive for a Windows component if you truly truly need to have a Windows-based system in some way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjm7 Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Either product is fine when in good condition. In my experience, Macs stay in that state significantly longer than their Microsoft counterparts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SO4683 Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Seems like many of the responses are more about the Mac vs PC debate and less about the OP's question. SHU-CH has the best answer so far, so I will second it. Ask the IT guys. Where I attend, I'm guessing they would say you need to show up with a PC, but most don't bother asking. I'm 4 months into the didactic year and our class is about 75% PC / 25 % Mac. The Mac folks are hating life. They have problems that seem to me to be on a daily basis. What the problems are I have no idea because I'm using a PC (3.5 year old Dell Studio 1747). I just notice that people get up in the middle of class with laptop in hand and come back 30 minutes to an hour later (missing lecture) complaining about their computer issues and they have Macs 100% of the time. We are a distance learning school and are technology heavy. We use our laptops for everything. The worst problem I saw was a fellow student 1 hour into a pathophysiology exam lose everything and had to start the exam over from scratch. Ask the IT guys and forget the Mac vs PC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z PA-C Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Agree with the above. I had a program say that they recommend PCs but will allow students to use Macs with the caveat that they offer no tech support to students who use Macs and cannot guarantee that everything will be compatible. I'll admit though that I know nothing about partitions and whatnot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted December 28, 2013 Administrator Share Posted December 28, 2013 Ask the IT guys and forget the Mac vs PC. While this initially looks like good advice, it really is not. The IT guys don't have a clue what medicine is like, nor how your program actually runs. They often set policy based on making life easy for themselves, not for students, and their advice is often tainted by personal prejudices. Ask a recent program graduate--they will know what really works and what does not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 While this initially looks like good advice, it really is not. The IT guys don't have a clue what medicine is like, nor how your program actually runs. They often set policy based on making life easy for themselves, not for students, and their advice is often tainted by personal prejudices. Ask a recent program graduate--they will know what really works and what does not. They don't need to know what medicine is like or how the program runs - only what hardware/software is reliable and compatible with the things required to take tests and access the necessary info. I've also noticed in my program that probably 90% of the people that have issues with intranet connections and testing software have macs. That doesn't mean they're bad...just that they aren't as compatible or the user doesn't have the knowledge to make it so. This is school-specific of course. I think talking to the IT folks, program faculty, or current students as you suggest is a reasonable way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
design Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 I use the microsoft surface for PA school and it is THE best!! iPads do not compare, because all of our lecturers give out PowerPoints and that is what the surface is meant for (unlike the iPad). Also the surface allows u to take off the keyboard and it becomes a tablet. I love this feature for studying on the train/bus. The student sitting next to me saw how awesome the surface worked for pa school and bought one also. *Just ask your program if you can use the surface as it can NOT download most programs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaheen100 Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Huh get a mac but get it with microsoft word instead of pages.....macs are reliable i got one and it never gets viruses or frezzes or anything of that nature...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 It is only people with windows in my class who had problems with their computers at the worst possible moments. Windows is fun for some things, but I wouldn't risk it for school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AREID Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Get the MAC! I was told I MUST get a PC and that tech support wouldn't help if something happened. Half of our class got macs and did just fine with the software as you can still run all PC software. I bought the PC, and regret it lol. Now it's time to go out and buy a Mac. Get the Mac! Lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 As long as it can run PowerPoint you should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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