erikpaul
04-16-2009, 10:41 PM
ATSU and Tablets--Match Made in Heaven
People always ask, “why should I get a tablet, if I have done so well with paper notes”? This is a very simple question to answer, but not so simple to understand (until you actually have a tablet).
1. The school provides a pdf handout at the beginning of every class. These notes are available online (as well as the powerpoint presentation in most circumstances). Because of these electronic versions, you will be able to write right on top of the notes while your classmates run through scores of highlighters a year.
2. You will have all of your notes with you at all times (as opposed to clearing out your notebooks after each exam)
3. You will be able to sync a lecture recording with your notes, so, if you can’t remember why you wrote a note down, you can just listen to what the professor said that cued you to write it down.
4. You will be able to search your notes with Windows Desktop Search...this is a lifesaver on open book quizzes.
5. You will be able to share your notes with other students so easily. This is good, because they will generally share with you as well, which will make your life easier.
ATSU has specific resources setup that allow all of these features to be in place. If you know how to use a Microsoft Office, you will LOVE this!
General Tablet Info
*****DON’T BUY A 64 BIT WINDOWS VISTA TABLET! THE SEND TO ONENOTE DRIVER WILL NOT WORK WITH IT!******
There is no doubt about it that you will be wasting your money if you don’t buy a tablet PC. Many students have purchased a laptop in anticipation for school, only to realize that they wanted a tablet after the fact.
There are so many wonderful features that a tablet offers...for the extra $100-200 it is just worth it. You will be glad you did. Plus, there are about 60 students on campus that are “paperless” (tablet users), so you will have ample resources for support. Another wonderful thing is that ITS is 100% behind the tablet movement and have gone to great lengths to make it work for us.
I use my tablet for 100% of my notes. This is the first time in my life that I can say a computer has actually made me VERY productive. You don’t know what a difference it makes until you try it. Everything is searchable and organized and flagged, plus, all of my notes are at my fingertips. Another AWESOME feature is that my audio recording is synced with my notes–so, if I don’t remember why I wrote something, I can hear the professor talking! It is truly amazing. Cross referencing my notes is BY FAR the most important feature. I did it so much with my handwritten notes, and it took so much time. Here, it is click and click–done.
When you get to school, wait for the dust to settle and see how many of your fellow students are using a non-tablet laptop after 3 weeks of school vs. the tablet users. Very few use their laptops that aren’t tablet users–however, all tablet users are glued to them.
About the specs of a tablet–get a large monitor–you are going to want a big screen to take notes on. If I could get a 17 inch tablet, I would. Next, is hard drive space–all of your notes are going to be on the tablet-my notes are about 10 MB each, sometimes 15 if there are lots of pics. The audio recording is about 5 MB. Plan on 300 of these a quarter for 8 quarters. That will give you a feel for how much HDD space you need.
Nobody uses optical drives in laptops–get an external one if you can and ditch the internal (if you have the money).
1-2GB of RAM will suffice.
Who cares about extra battery life–you are going to be at a desk all day with a power cord at your side.
Biometrics are important for HIPPA regulations–not important for studying. Waste of money.
Hard Disk Space Needed
If you audio record, you should take about 1-2 GB of notes for every quarter of medical school. With 8 quarters, that is a rough estimate of what is absolutely mandatory (around 20 is reasonable). Windows will steal about 20 GB of space over a matter of months (with log files, temps, etc...) So, Get at least a 40 GB.
Most portable computers come with a 5400 RPM hard disk. Most desktops are 7200 RPM. The faster the disk spins, the faster your computer can write information to it, which means better performance when doing “performance hungry” activities. Notetaking is just one of those activities, since it is actually a “picture editing” program (your notes are really just pictures). For this reason, it would be nice to have a 7200 RPM disk, if you had the money. However, most portable computers are 5400.
The question has arisen...”what if I could get a 60 GB 7200 or a 120 5400”. I would get the 7200, because of the increased performance (your computer will run MUCH faster). This will be aided by having a min. of 2 GB or RAM (especially if you use Vista). If you choose this route, then, it would be wise to have a small external hard drive to carry with you. A common model is the Western Digital drive. It is the size of a wallet, and is 100GB and costs about $100. Students carry their external with them in their bag, just because it is so small.
Screen Protection
PDAs, in the past, have needed screen protectors. Tablet PCs, on the other hand, use tempered glass for the screen. So, no screen protection is needed, outside of the “don’t drop me” or “no hitting, please”. You will find that your screen will get dirty very easily, since your hand will be resting on the screen always–this is circumvented by having a clothe nearby to wipe the screen with...that usually works great.
In short, no screen protection is needed.
Tablet Security
Carrying Case
Get a backpack! Too many people have used “laptop carrying cases” that have one “shoulder strap”, only to have the strap break, causing the bag to plunge to the floor. In 2007, two screens were broken and one battery was broken by KCOM students because of these “shoulder bags”. Get a backpack!
Theft
This last year people were on their guard so much more than normal, since one of our very own had his tablet stolen from the commons. He left the computer on a table and went to the rec room to play pool. Upon returning, it was gone. Since then, most of us never leave the tablet out of our site (which isn’t a problem, since we are always studying anyway). An OK option is a computer lock. I know of one student that locks his tablet to the classroom desk.
Warranty
One of the most important purchases you can get with your tablet is an extended warranty (2-3 years). You WILL use it, since things go wrong with computers, especially with the amount of use we give these tablets. You don’t need accidental damage, if you are cautious with your computer. Some gateway users have on-site repair, and that has been a lifesaver in some instances (the computer doesn’t have to be sent to gateway for repairs).
The tablet users group is currently attempting to have ITS purchase a tablet that can be checked out in the instance that your computer needs to be sent in for repairs. As it stands now, most people that need to send the computer in just wait until the last final is over, and then ship it during break. Hopefully having a tablet that you can check out from ITS will eliminate this, coupled with shared notebooks.
What Models of Tablets
DON’T BUY A 64 BIT WINDOWS VISTA TABLET! THE SEND TO ONENOTE DRIVER WILL NOT WORK WITH IT!
This is a common question that tablet users get often. Here is a list of tablets that have “proven” successful with KCOM students. YMMV.
1. Lenovo X60–expensive, but, you get what you pay for
2. Motion Computing–the “premier” tablet. If I had the cash, I would have bought the 12” slate. Sweet Machine
3. Fujitsu– Great machines for decent prices. Most durable and high quality build. Many unique features such a bi-directional swivel and the most surdy hinge available (weak hinges= floppy screen when the table is nudged a bit)
4. Toshiba–These are also great tablets for the price.
5. HP is another good one.
I would consider buying a gateway at this point, if it were this model, or future models that have the WACOM pen.
*****Active vs. Passive Digitizer*****
When you read the specs on your tablet, it should say “WACOM enabled” or something like that. Avoid “finepoint” as well as “passive digitizer”. You want a WACOM enabled “active digitizer”. The passive digitizer means that you can use your finger to select things (similar to a PDA). The active digitizer means that ONLY the pen will be able to move the mouse. This is CRITICAL, since you will rest your hand on your screen as you take notes (just like paper, remember...that is the biggest “tablet newbie” mistake, not using the pen as if it were just that, a pen, instead of a pointing device).
Use Dr. Google if you are confused...
People always ask, “why should I get a tablet, if I have done so well with paper notes”? This is a very simple question to answer, but not so simple to understand (until you actually have a tablet).
1. The school provides a pdf handout at the beginning of every class. These notes are available online (as well as the powerpoint presentation in most circumstances). Because of these electronic versions, you will be able to write right on top of the notes while your classmates run through scores of highlighters a year.
2. You will have all of your notes with you at all times (as opposed to clearing out your notebooks after each exam)
3. You will be able to sync a lecture recording with your notes, so, if you can’t remember why you wrote a note down, you can just listen to what the professor said that cued you to write it down.
4. You will be able to search your notes with Windows Desktop Search...this is a lifesaver on open book quizzes.
5. You will be able to share your notes with other students so easily. This is good, because they will generally share with you as well, which will make your life easier.
ATSU has specific resources setup that allow all of these features to be in place. If you know how to use a Microsoft Office, you will LOVE this!
General Tablet Info
*****DON’T BUY A 64 BIT WINDOWS VISTA TABLET! THE SEND TO ONENOTE DRIVER WILL NOT WORK WITH IT!******
There is no doubt about it that you will be wasting your money if you don’t buy a tablet PC. Many students have purchased a laptop in anticipation for school, only to realize that they wanted a tablet after the fact.
There are so many wonderful features that a tablet offers...for the extra $100-200 it is just worth it. You will be glad you did. Plus, there are about 60 students on campus that are “paperless” (tablet users), so you will have ample resources for support. Another wonderful thing is that ITS is 100% behind the tablet movement and have gone to great lengths to make it work for us.
I use my tablet for 100% of my notes. This is the first time in my life that I can say a computer has actually made me VERY productive. You don’t know what a difference it makes until you try it. Everything is searchable and organized and flagged, plus, all of my notes are at my fingertips. Another AWESOME feature is that my audio recording is synced with my notes–so, if I don’t remember why I wrote something, I can hear the professor talking! It is truly amazing. Cross referencing my notes is BY FAR the most important feature. I did it so much with my handwritten notes, and it took so much time. Here, it is click and click–done.
When you get to school, wait for the dust to settle and see how many of your fellow students are using a non-tablet laptop after 3 weeks of school vs. the tablet users. Very few use their laptops that aren’t tablet users–however, all tablet users are glued to them.
About the specs of a tablet–get a large monitor–you are going to want a big screen to take notes on. If I could get a 17 inch tablet, I would. Next, is hard drive space–all of your notes are going to be on the tablet-my notes are about 10 MB each, sometimes 15 if there are lots of pics. The audio recording is about 5 MB. Plan on 300 of these a quarter for 8 quarters. That will give you a feel for how much HDD space you need.
Nobody uses optical drives in laptops–get an external one if you can and ditch the internal (if you have the money).
1-2GB of RAM will suffice.
Who cares about extra battery life–you are going to be at a desk all day with a power cord at your side.
Biometrics are important for HIPPA regulations–not important for studying. Waste of money.
Hard Disk Space Needed
If you audio record, you should take about 1-2 GB of notes for every quarter of medical school. With 8 quarters, that is a rough estimate of what is absolutely mandatory (around 20 is reasonable). Windows will steal about 20 GB of space over a matter of months (with log files, temps, etc...) So, Get at least a 40 GB.
Most portable computers come with a 5400 RPM hard disk. Most desktops are 7200 RPM. The faster the disk spins, the faster your computer can write information to it, which means better performance when doing “performance hungry” activities. Notetaking is just one of those activities, since it is actually a “picture editing” program (your notes are really just pictures). For this reason, it would be nice to have a 7200 RPM disk, if you had the money. However, most portable computers are 5400.
The question has arisen...”what if I could get a 60 GB 7200 or a 120 5400”. I would get the 7200, because of the increased performance (your computer will run MUCH faster). This will be aided by having a min. of 2 GB or RAM (especially if you use Vista). If you choose this route, then, it would be wise to have a small external hard drive to carry with you. A common model is the Western Digital drive. It is the size of a wallet, and is 100GB and costs about $100. Students carry their external with them in their bag, just because it is so small.
Screen Protection
PDAs, in the past, have needed screen protectors. Tablet PCs, on the other hand, use tempered glass for the screen. So, no screen protection is needed, outside of the “don’t drop me” or “no hitting, please”. You will find that your screen will get dirty very easily, since your hand will be resting on the screen always–this is circumvented by having a clothe nearby to wipe the screen with...that usually works great.
In short, no screen protection is needed.
Tablet Security
Carrying Case
Get a backpack! Too many people have used “laptop carrying cases” that have one “shoulder strap”, only to have the strap break, causing the bag to plunge to the floor. In 2007, two screens were broken and one battery was broken by KCOM students because of these “shoulder bags”. Get a backpack!
Theft
This last year people were on their guard so much more than normal, since one of our very own had his tablet stolen from the commons. He left the computer on a table and went to the rec room to play pool. Upon returning, it was gone. Since then, most of us never leave the tablet out of our site (which isn’t a problem, since we are always studying anyway). An OK option is a computer lock. I know of one student that locks his tablet to the classroom desk.
Warranty
One of the most important purchases you can get with your tablet is an extended warranty (2-3 years). You WILL use it, since things go wrong with computers, especially with the amount of use we give these tablets. You don’t need accidental damage, if you are cautious with your computer. Some gateway users have on-site repair, and that has been a lifesaver in some instances (the computer doesn’t have to be sent to gateway for repairs).
The tablet users group is currently attempting to have ITS purchase a tablet that can be checked out in the instance that your computer needs to be sent in for repairs. As it stands now, most people that need to send the computer in just wait until the last final is over, and then ship it during break. Hopefully having a tablet that you can check out from ITS will eliminate this, coupled with shared notebooks.
What Models of Tablets
DON’T BUY A 64 BIT WINDOWS VISTA TABLET! THE SEND TO ONENOTE DRIVER WILL NOT WORK WITH IT!
This is a common question that tablet users get often. Here is a list of tablets that have “proven” successful with KCOM students. YMMV.
1. Lenovo X60–expensive, but, you get what you pay for
2. Motion Computing–the “premier” tablet. If I had the cash, I would have bought the 12” slate. Sweet Machine
3. Fujitsu– Great machines for decent prices. Most durable and high quality build. Many unique features such a bi-directional swivel and the most surdy hinge available (weak hinges= floppy screen when the table is nudged a bit)
4. Toshiba–These are also great tablets for the price.
5. HP is another good one.
I would consider buying a gateway at this point, if it were this model, or future models that have the WACOM pen.
*****Active vs. Passive Digitizer*****
When you read the specs on your tablet, it should say “WACOM enabled” or something like that. Avoid “finepoint” as well as “passive digitizer”. You want a WACOM enabled “active digitizer”. The passive digitizer means that you can use your finger to select things (similar to a PDA). The active digitizer means that ONLY the pen will be able to move the mouse. This is CRITICAL, since you will rest your hand on your screen as you take notes (just like paper, remember...that is the biggest “tablet newbie” mistake, not using the pen as if it were just that, a pen, instead of a pointing device).
Use Dr. Google if you are confused...