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Hi,
I researched the "best" notetaking devices. I use quotes to acknowledge that some people will always prefer pen and paper. That is fine. You can start a separate thread about the best spiral notebooks and ballpoint pens. This thread is for technology-loving nerds.
Prices are always changing and new devices come out all the time, so don't expect this to be up to date when you read it. Use this regularly-updated spreadsheet to find additional Windows tablets with active digitizers.
Before reading about specific options, think about what you want to do with your tablet. Do you:
Because there are a lot of tablets and hybrids on the market, I only wrote about devices meeting these criteria:
Surface Pro 3
This is a great tablet that is a pleasure to use. The aesthetics are very well done all around; it just feels better than cheaper tablets I've tried. The high-resolution, bright screen looks amazing. It's also powerful. It is possible to power a dual monitor setup with the SP3, if you pick the right monitor (see another post on the first page of this thread for more info). The i5 model with 8gb of RAM should handle anything a med student would reasonably want to do with a tablet. The base i3 is plenty if you don't plan to use external monitors with a lot of multitasking. The drawback is that it's way too expensive. I bought the SP3 and I still feel pricetag remorse. Also, it's a new device and there are some quirks, like F.lux causing freezes with the factory graphics driver.
Highlights
Choose if:
This is an incremental update to the Thinkpad Tablet 2. The CPU is lower powered than the Surface, but it should be more than sufficient for any med school related activity that doesn't involve external monitors. It has better battery life than the Surface tablets, it's lighter, and there is a model with integrated 4G for those who spend a lot of time away from wifi - something that's not available on the SP3. Unfortunately this tablet is pricey. This month you can get $150 off a Surface tablet from BestBuy, which stacks with their movers coupon. That puts the base model SP3 below the Thinkpad 10 in price.
Highlights
Choose if:
Avoid if:
Thinkpad 2 Tablet
This tablet from Lenovo has an older generation, low-power Atom CPU, but it will still get the job done. If you’re on a budget and don’t plan to use your tablet for games or other CPU-intensive tasks, strongly consider this tablet.
Highlights
Choose if:
Avoid if:
Sony VAIO Flip 14 (and other Sony hybrids)
These are not tablets; they're laptops with active digitizers. If you don't like tablets but want to use a stylus, these are worth a look. I wanted to evaluate these more holistically, but I couldn't find them in a store. They would probably be a fine choice for those that want a laptop with a stylus rather than a tablet. But at the price point, many are likely to prefer the SP3. Check the spreadsheet linked earlier in the post to make sure the model you're considering has an active digitizer.
Choose if:
Avoid if:
iPad Air
You already know what this is. In my opinion it’s more geared toward entertainment than productivity, but Apple’s device does carry some advantages over Windows tablets: It has a high-quality warranty and customer service, holds resale/trade in value well, has the highest overall build quality, and has access to iOS-only apps that may be useful to a med student.
Choose if:
Avoid if:
Cheap Android tablets:
If I were to generally become a fanboy of one platform over another, I’d be in Google’s camp. But I am hard pressed to find a compelling reason to choose an Android tablet over other platforms for medical school. Android tablets carry all of the disadvantages of iPads, plus some extras. Samsung produces some tablets that are specifically designed for notetaking and have active digitizers, but at their price point I couldn’t find any reason to choose them over a high quality Windows tablet. I think a cheap Android tablet could be useful to a student on a tight budget who can’t afford another touchscreen device - but if something else is available, skip this option. (That being said, I am still actively looking for a good notetaking setup on Android.)
Choose if:
Avoid if:
This is an Android tablet with an active digitizer and some proprietary notetaking software. I had low expectations for this device but actually found it to be quite good. The active digitizer is very smooth and the software seems to work well. Unfortunately the price is so high that you can get a great Windows tablet for the same amount or less. It's also not clear to me what compatibility issues would be encountered when using this for presentations or anything else that requires interactions with PC peripherals.
Additional Considerations
Windows 8 vs. iPad vs. Android
Advantages of Windows 8:
Advantages of iPad:
Advantages of Android:
Papers, Mendeley, etc.
There are apps for OSX and Windows that organize peer-reviewed material you've collected for easy searching, generating citations, and annotation. When I graduate med school and the training wheels come off, I want to have experience using these, and have a well-organized database of articles relevant to my residency This is pertinent to the topic at hand because one could run these apps on a Windows tablet, saving the effort of moving them later. There is the possibility of using an iOS or Android annotation app and then importing annotated PDFs into your research library app, but that's cumbersome.
Windows RT
Do not make the mistake of buying a Windows RT tablet. Don't even take one for free. These devices cannot run non-Metro Windows apps. Couple that with the fact that the Windows app store doesn't have a lot of apps, and probably half of what it does have are scams, and you've got a class of devices that can't die off fast enough. You've been warned.
The Verdict
I bought the Surface Pro 3. I wanted one single device that could do everything med school related, including handle two external displays. This is not a perfect device, and to be honest I think it's a poor value - but it met my needs the best. That said, there are a lot of other devices that are perfectly suitable for med students, and some will prefer other devices.
So there you have it. I left a lot of info out of this simple guide for the sake of brevity. I will not be researching different tablets for the time being, but will try to continue to answer questions about the SP3 and tablets in general. Good luck!
I researched the "best" notetaking devices. I use quotes to acknowledge that some people will always prefer pen and paper. That is fine. You can start a separate thread about the best spiral notebooks and ballpoint pens. This thread is for technology-loving nerds.
Prices are always changing and new devices come out all the time, so don't expect this to be up to date when you read it. Use this regularly-updated spreadsheet to find additional Windows tablets with active digitizers.
Before reading about specific options, think about what you want to do with your tablet. Do you:
- want your tablet to be the only computer you own?
- want to dock it with external monitors and a keyboard at home and avoid syncing hassles?
- want to use it for presentations and/or patient education?
- want to carry it around in your labcoat pocket in the wards?
- want to study and work on the go, without using your phone's 4G?
- already own a nice laptop?
- prefer to carry a both a laptop and tablet so as not to make any compromises?
- need to budget your resources carefully?
- take notes exclusively by hand and need a very precise stylus?
- take notes mostly by typing and need a great keyboard?
- need to budget your money so you can afford a good office chair, desk, travel, etc?
Because there are a lot of tablets and hybrids on the market, I only wrote about devices meeting these criteria:
- Must include a stylus for drawing diagrams and handwriting when convenient
- Notes must be fully searchable, including OCR
- Battery life should be as high as possible
- Device should be as light as possible
- Screen should be at least ~10 inches
Surface Pro 3
This is a great tablet that is a pleasure to use. The aesthetics are very well done all around; it just feels better than cheaper tablets I've tried. The high-resolution, bright screen looks amazing. It's also powerful. It is possible to power a dual monitor setup with the SP3, if you pick the right monitor (see another post on the first page of this thread for more info). The i5 model with 8gb of RAM should handle anything a med student would reasonably want to do with a tablet. The base i3 is plenty if you don't plan to use external monitors with a lot of multitasking. The drawback is that it's way too expensive. I bought the SP3 and I still feel pricetag remorse. Also, it's a new device and there are some quirks, like F.lux causing freezes with the factory graphics driver.
Highlights
- $800 and up + $130 for Type keyboard, 10% student discount
- This month you can get $150 off with an edu email address instead of the normal 10%, AND stack a 10%-off Best Buy mover's coupon
- 12-inch screen
- 1.7lb
- 7.5 hour battery life
Choose if:
- You want a bigger screen.
- You want a complete laptop replacement.
- You want to be able to position the screen at any angle.
- You tend to dislike tablet keyboards and want something that feels more natural.
- You don't ever want to carry a laptop.
- You want to power 1-2 external monitors with your tablet for studying.
- You want one of the i7 models that packs a lot more power than other tablets ($1,549)
- The extra size and weight bother you.
- You’re on a tight budget.
- You like to study in areas with no wifi and can't use your phone's 4G.
- You want to hold it in tablet mode and watch videos - it can run hot.
- There aren't a lot of power outlets around your school - battery life could be better.
- You want to use the built in camera for scanning in handouts or other things - it's fixed focus and terrible.
- I chose to put this back in the guide because the price is falling lately. I saw a factory refurb for under $300, and that would be an absolute steal. It is very similar to the SP3. In fact, some reports say the performance is slightly better. The main differences are the screen and therefore the keyboard are smaller, the device is thicker, and the keyboard is harder to use on the lap.
This is an incremental update to the Thinkpad Tablet 2. The CPU is lower powered than the Surface, but it should be more than sufficient for any med school related activity that doesn't involve external monitors. It has better battery life than the Surface tablets, it's lighter, and there is a model with integrated 4G for those who spend a lot of time away from wifi - something that's not available on the SP3. Unfortunately this tablet is pricey. This month you can get $150 off a Surface tablet from BestBuy, which stacks with their movers coupon. That puts the base model SP3 below the Thinkpad 10 in price.
Highlights
- $600 + $130 for keyboard
- 10.1-inch screen
- 1.3 lb
- Not officially released and hasn’t been thoroughly reviewed yet.
Choose if:
- You want a lightweight 10-inch Windows tablet that is more comfortable to hold tablet-style than a Surface
- You want a Windows tablet with 4G
Avoid if:
- You do a lot of CPU-hungry tasks, since the Atom is a low-power CPU.
- The fixed angle when docked to the keyboard bothers you.
- You want to use your tablet to power your external monitor(s) while you study.
- You're on a budget.
Thinkpad 2 Tablet
This tablet from Lenovo has an older generation, low-power Atom CPU, but it will still get the job done. If you’re on a budget and don’t plan to use your tablet for games or other CPU-intensive tasks, strongly consider this tablet.
Highlights
- $266 + $120 keyboard (you can probably find lower now)
- ~8-9 hour battery life
- Wacom active digitizer (good stylus)
- Older generation Atom CPU (a lot slower than current gen i5)
- 10.1 inch screen
- 1.3lb without keyboard
Choose if:
- You’re on a tight budget and want a Windows tablet
- You want good battery life in a light device.
Avoid if:
- You want to use your tablet just like a laptop with no slowdowns
Sony VAIO Flip 14 (and other Sony hybrids)
These are not tablets; they're laptops with active digitizers. If you don't like tablets but want to use a stylus, these are worth a look. I wanted to evaluate these more holistically, but I couldn't find them in a store. They would probably be a fine choice for those that want a laptop with a stylus rather than a tablet. But at the price point, many are likely to prefer the SP3. Check the spreadsheet linked earlier in the post to make sure the model you're considering has an active digitizer.
Choose if:
- You prefer laptops to tablets but want stylus functionality
- You plan to type on your lap frequently
- You want a big screen
- You have big hands or don’t like small keyboards
Avoid if:
- You want to hold your device in one hand while taking notes with a stylus
- Carrying a 4.2lb device would bother you
- You study in areas with no wifi and don't want to use your phone's 4g
iPad Air
You already know what this is. In my opinion it’s more geared toward entertainment than productivity, but Apple’s device does carry some advantages over Windows tablets: It has a high-quality warranty and customer service, holds resale/trade in value well, has the highest overall build quality, and has access to iOS-only apps that may be useful to a med student.
- $499 and up + $70-100 keyboard + variable cost of stylus
- 11+ hour battery life
- 9.7 inch screen
- 1lb without keyboard
- No active digitizer (imprecise stylus)
Choose if:
- You want the highest pixel density
- You want something very light and slim
- You want the best battery life
- You have a laptop and don’t mind carrying both devices sometimes
- You like to upgrade frequently
- Warranty quality/good tech support are important to you
- You want access to apps that are available on iOS but not Windows
- You prefer to have a separate laptop and tablet (and carry both).
Avoid if:
- You want to use OneNote (may become functional with future updates)
- You plan to use a stylus heavily
- You like multitasking
- You want to use Windows apps like Papers on your tablet
- You’re looking for a laptop replacement
- You want to avoid jailbreaking and associated headaches
Cheap Android tablets:
If I were to generally become a fanboy of one platform over another, I’d be in Google’s camp. But I am hard pressed to find a compelling reason to choose an Android tablet over other platforms for medical school. Android tablets carry all of the disadvantages of iPads, plus some extras. Samsung produces some tablets that are specifically designed for notetaking and have active digitizers, but at their price point I couldn’t find any reason to choose them over a high quality Windows tablet. I think a cheap Android tablet could be useful to a student on a tight budget who can’t afford another touchscreen device - but if something else is available, skip this option. (That being said, I am still actively looking for a good notetaking setup on Android.)
Choose if:
- You’re on a VERY tight budget
- You already have a laptop and don’t mind carrying both devices sometimes
- You tend to lose or break stuff and don’t want to worry about an expensive device
- You love Google Now and other Google services and want them tightly integrated into your tablet
Avoid if:
- You want excellent build quality
- You want to use OneNote
- You plan to use a stylus heavily
- You like multitasking
- A limited selection of apps compared to Windows and iOS bothers you
- You’re looking for a laptop replacement
This is an Android tablet with an active digitizer and some proprietary notetaking software. I had low expectations for this device but actually found it to be quite good. The active digitizer is very smooth and the software seems to work well. Unfortunately the price is so high that you can get a great Windows tablet for the same amount or less. It's also not clear to me what compatibility issues would be encountered when using this for presentations or anything else that requires interactions with PC peripherals.
Additional Considerations
Windows 8 vs. iPad vs. Android
Advantages of Windows 8:
- The main point tipping me toward Windows 8 is OneNote. In undergrad, I had a big heavy hybrid tablet that I used to insert PDFs and Powerpoints into OneNote and then annotate them. The best part was that I could search all of my notes and handouts as well as every paper I'd stored in OneNote at once. This guy has a video that shows how he does it in med school: http://www.dysgraphicmusings.com/2013/11/how-to-study-in-medical-school.html My research indicates that to get the same functionality out of an iPad, you'd have to use a separate program to annotate things and then send them to Evernote or OneNote. It's doable, but it's extra work.
- The active digitizers in the Windows tablets mentioned here are reported to be far superior to any stylus available for the iPad.
- Full Windows 8 tablets can run any Windows app and do everything a laptop with the same specs can do. That includes using research library software, running your school's proprietary exam software, etc.
Advantages of iPad:
- Better build quality (except maybe the Surface Pro 3)
- Better warranty
- Lighter
- Better battery life.
- They hold their resale/trade in value well.
- Much wider variety of accessories available.
- Some interesting medical apps that are not available for Windows.
- ALL iPad apps are touch interfaced, where many of the legacy Windows apps you'll use on a Windows tablet are not.
Advantages of Android:
- I want to like Android tablets. Due to its information-centered approach to technology, I generally like Google better than Apple and Microsoft. That said, I currently can't find any reasons to prefer an Android tablet for the purpose at hand. There are more touch-optimized apps than the Windows store - but not as many as iOS, and you lose access to traditional Windows apps. There are inexpensive Android tablets - but great deals can be found on Windows tablets also. Android tablets can get the job done - they're just not the best.
Papers, Mendeley, etc.
There are apps for OSX and Windows that organize peer-reviewed material you've collected for easy searching, generating citations, and annotation. When I graduate med school and the training wheels come off, I want to have experience using these, and have a well-organized database of articles relevant to my residency This is pertinent to the topic at hand because one could run these apps on a Windows tablet, saving the effort of moving them later. There is the possibility of using an iOS or Android annotation app and then importing annotated PDFs into your research library app, but that's cumbersome.
Windows RT
Do not make the mistake of buying a Windows RT tablet. Don't even take one for free. These devices cannot run non-Metro Windows apps. Couple that with the fact that the Windows app store doesn't have a lot of apps, and probably half of what it does have are scams, and you've got a class of devices that can't die off fast enough. You've been warned.
The Verdict
I bought the Surface Pro 3. I wanted one single device that could do everything med school related, including handle two external displays. This is not a perfect device, and to be honest I think it's a poor value - but it met my needs the best. That said, there are a lot of other devices that are perfectly suitable for med students, and some will prefer other devices.
So there you have it. I left a lot of info out of this simple guide for the sake of brevity. I will not be researching different tablets for the time being, but will try to continue to answer questions about the SP3 and tablets in general. Good luck!
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