Computer for Med School

[StarryNight]

Do you think you can decently handwrite notes with it?

 

I know that I can

 

I was able to take decent notes using an iPad and a capacitive touch pen in Notability. With OneNote, the paper-sized screen, and an active digitizer pen, I will be able to take amazing notes on the SP3.

 

I must add that I am typing this post using the onscreen keyboard, and it is very easy to use and has very good word prediction.

 

I will also add that using Steam in home streaming may result in less than stellar performance in your med school courses, but the games will run great on your SP3

[goodyearkl]

I know that I can

 

I was able to take decent notes using an iPad and a capacitive touch pen in Notability. With OneNote, the paper-sized screen, and an active digitizer pen, I will be able to take amazing notes on the SP3.

 

I must add that I am typing this post using the onscreen keyboard, and it is very easy to use and has very good word prediction.

 

I will also add that using Steam in home streaming may result in less than stellar performance in your med school courses, but the games will run great on your SP3

 

Great to hear! I could never take decent notes on the iPad because I always used to rest my hand on the screen while writing. Hahaha if you like Steam check out Moviebox for the iPad (it's a cydia app) that you can also install using the cloud: http://udidev.com/

 

You'll never use cable or Netflix again.

[rbt]

Which SP3 models did everyone spring for? i5 and 128GB?

[StarryNight]

Which SP3 models did everyone spring for? i5 and 128GB?

 

I'm running the i5 256 GB. 128 GB just doesn't cut it for me for a computer. I considered waiting for the i7, but I expect that the faster chip would throttle itself so much that there wouldn't be much of a performance difference (for either graphics or CPU) between the i7 and the i5 models. We'll have to wait for reviews to be sure, though.

 

I did read somewhere (I think on a post at /r/surface) that Microsoft is thinking of letting i5 early adopters pay the difference to upgrade... if I ever find out if that is official, I'll post here.

[goodyearkl]

Which SP3 models did everyone spring for? i5 and 128GB?

 

Yup I went with the 128GB because it isn't going to be used as my primary computer so I didn't need the space. I really just wanted it for class/note writing.

[Roquentin]

Got my SP3 today, will use for a week and get back to ya'll.

 

Edit I got the 128gb i5 model and got a super slim 1TB ext HD with it because I didn't think even 256 really does any justice to how many files I need to have around when I do need my files around.

[jmatt1122]

Well I bought a Surface Pro 3 (i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) today and I'm feeling pretty disappointed. The digitizer pen still blows any stylus I've tried with the iPad out of the water, but I can't find a sensible workflow to use on the Surface for notetaking/annotating PDFs.

 

I found an app that seems to be the best reviewed and most powerful (Drawboard PDF) but it keeps crashing on me, especially with large textbook PDFs. Onenote seemed like a good idea, but the only way I can figure out to get PDFs into it is to print from reader into OneNote which causes one page in OneNote per page of the PDF (which isn't so easy to work with/review later).

 

I've been using Macs for the past 8 years so maybe I'm just in need of some guidance. Anyone have a good workflow figured out for annotating PDFs (handwritten notes/highlighting) on a Surface? I thought the Surface would definitely work better than an iPad for this purpose, but I'm unable to find anything for it that compares to my GoodReader/Dropbox iPad setup (to which the shortcomings are the lack of digitizer pen and small-ish screen of the iPad for reading text).

 

Tips are appreciated.

[Sarvish]

Well I bought a Surface Pro 3 (i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) today and I'm feeling pretty disappointed. The digitizer pen still blows any stylus I've tried with the iPad out of the water, but I can't find a sensible workflow to use on the Surface for notetaking/annotating PDFs.

 

I found an app that seems to be the best reviewed and most powerful (Drawboard PDF) but it keeps crashing on me, especially with large textbook PDFs. Onenote seemed like a good idea, but the only way I can figure out to get PDFs into it is to print from reader into OneNote which causes one page in OneNote per page of the PDF (which isn't so easy to work with/review later).

 

I've been using Macs for the past 8 years so maybe I'm just in need of some guidance. Anyone have a good workflow figured out for annotating PDFs (handwritten notes/highlighting) on a Surface? I thought the Surface would definitely work better than an iPad for this purpose, but I'm unable to find anything for it that compares to my GoodReader/Dropbox iPad setup (to which the shortcomings are the lack of digitizer pen and small-ish screen of the iPad for reading text).

 

Tips are appreciated.

 

shows you quite a few things you can do with OneNote. I remember having the same 1 page issue with PDFs when I used to use OneNote and I think there was a fix for it, let me see if I can find it.

 

ETA: So I think once you're done writing on it, you can just save it as a pdf and it becomes a much easier format to just read. Or use Adobe Reader which is pretty good for just writing or if you need to make a small addition to a file when you export it from OneNote and don't want to import+export for one small change.

[goodyearkl]

In a bit of a hurry, but the fix is under advanced options from the file menu. You have to uncheck something. Will follow up with details soon.

[ArchEnemy]

Well I bought a Surface Pro 3 (i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) today and I'm feeling pretty disappointed. The digitizer pen still blows any stylus I've tried with the iPad out of the water, but I can't find a sensible workflow to use on the Surface for notetaking/annotating PDFs.

 

I found an app that seems to be the best reviewed and most powerful (Drawboard PDF) but it keeps crashing on me, especially with large textbook PDFs. Onenote seemed like a good idea, but the only way I can figure out to get PDFs into it is to print from reader into OneNote which causes one page in OneNote per page of the PDF (which isn't so easy to work with/review later).

 

I've been using Macs for the past 8 years so maybe I'm just in need of some guidance. Anyone have a good workflow figured out for annotating PDFs (handwritten notes/highlighting) on a Surface? I thought the Surface would definitely work better than an iPad for this purpose, but I'm unable to find anything for it that compares to my GoodReader/Dropbox iPad setup (to which the shortcomings are the lack of digitizer pen and small-ish screen of the iPad for reading text).

 

Tips are appreciated.

 

I do not really like the idea of having to import my PDFs into OneNote for annotation too.

 

Have you tried PDF Annotator, PDF XChange Viewer or Adobe Acrobat (not Adobe Reader)?

[goodyearkl]

Or just reinstall Drawboard. I love that app and it works best kind for me. I got my Surface Pro 3 last week. I didn't like it at first (I'm a mac person) but then I realized it was Windows I hated. The tablet itself is awesome once you set it up properly. OneNote takes a little bit of fooling around with, but once you work with it you'll learn to love it. To import the pdfs all on the one page go File_>Options-> untick the import on multiple pages

[Sarvish]

Or just reinstall Drawboard. I love that app and it works best kind for me. I got my Surface Pro 3 last week. I didn't like it at first (I'm a mac person) but then I realized it was Windows I hated. The tablet itself is awesome once you set it up properly. OneNote takes a little bit of fooling around with, but once you work with it you'll learn to love it. To import the pdfs all on the one page go File_>Options-> untick the import on multiple pages

 

What do you hate about Windows? I've used it my whole life and can't stand Macs or I likely would've gone for a MBP

[goodyearkl]

What do you hate about Windows? I've used it my whole life and can't stand Macs or I likely would've gone for a MBP

 

The ridiculousness that is 8.1 (drove me to buy a Macbook). There's nothing intuitive about it and it's a mess. Mac looks nicer, and it's intuitive. I do love my surface though.

[goodyearkl]

Well I bought a Surface Pro 3 (i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) today and I'm feeling pretty disappointed. The digitizer pen still blows any stylus I've tried with the iPad out of the water, but I can't find a sensible workflow to use on the Surface for notetaking/annotating PDFs.

 

I found an app that seems to be the best reviewed and most powerful (Drawboard PDF) but it keeps crashing on me, especially with large textbook PDFs. Onenote seemed like a good idea, but the only way I can figure out to get PDFs into it is to print from reader into OneNote which causes one page in OneNote per page of the PDF (which isn't so easy to work with/review later).

 

I've been using Macs for the past 8 years so maybe I'm just in need of some guidance. Anyone have a good workflow figured out for annotating PDFs (handwritten notes/highlighting) on a Surface? I thought the Surface would definitely work better than an iPad for this purpose, but I'm unable to find anything for it that compares to my GoodReader/Dropbox iPad setup (to which the shortcomings are the lack of digitizer pen and small-ish screen of the iPad for reading text).

 

Tips are appreciated.

 

This may also help:

[jmatt1122]

shows you quite a few things you can do with OneNote. I remember having the same 1 page issue with PDFs when I used to use OneNote and I think there was a fix for it, let me see if I can find it.

 

ETA: So I think once you're done writing on it, you can just save it as a pdf and it becomes a much easier format to just read. Or use Adobe Reader which is pretty good for just writing or if you need to make a small addition to a file when you export it from OneNote and don't want to import+export for one small change.

 

I do not really like the idea of having to import my PDFs into OneNote for annotation too.

 

Have you tried PDF Annotator, PDF XChange Viewer or Adobe Acrobat (not Adobe Reader)?

 

This may also help:

 

Thanks everyone for the tips! I figured out how to get OneNote to put everything on one page, but still find navigating through the document to be annoying. I prefer to have a slide/page full-screen and be able to navigate between them using a single button/swipe rather than having to deal with continuous scrolling (like you can do in drawboard/goodreader/any PDF application). Drawboard has stopped crashing so much and I really enjoy it. I wish it had a way to catalogue files within itself, though.

 

I'm still not completely won over by the Surface. At this point it's the price tag that's the issue for me. The Surface Pro 3 (w/ warranty, keyboard, Office) ran me about $1,400. For that price I could get two new iPads (w/ warranty, case, etc). I understand that the SP3 is a full computer and not a tablet, but I already have a powerful laptop that I don't plan on getting rid of so my SP3 would be primarily for notetaking. I think the only reason it's still in the running is the amazing digitizer pen and writing experience. I'm glad I still have 29 days to figure out whether I want to keep it or not.

[amichel]

Thanks everyone for the tips! I figured out how to get OneNote to put everything on one page, but still find navigating through the document to be annoying. I prefer to have a slide/page full-screen and be able to navigate between them using a single button/swipe rather than having to deal with continuous scrolling (like you can do in drawboard/goodreader/any PDF application). Drawboard has stopped crashing so much and I really enjoy it. I wish it had a way to catalogue files within itself, though.

 

I'm still not completely won over by the Surface. At this point it's the price tag that's the issue for me. The Surface Pro 3 (w/ warranty, keyboard, Office) ran me about $1,400. For that price I could get two new iPads (w/ warranty, case, etc). I understand that the SP3 is a full computer and not a tablet, but I already have a powerful laptop that I don't plan on getting rid of so my SP3 would be primarily for notetaking. I think the only reason it's still in the running is the amazing digitizer pen and writing experience. I'm glad I still have 29 days to figure out whether I want to keep it or not.

 

Have you taken notes on a iPad before? I find I can actually write quite quickly/neatly. Just takes a little adjusting. Obviously the digitizer would be better, but between the price and all the hassles people are describing, I'll stick with my iPad.

 

Maybe when I get home I'll post some of the Notes I've taken on my iPad, incase anyone is wondering.

[jmatt1122]

Have you taken notes on a iPad before? I find I can actually write quite quickly/neatly. Just takes a little adjusting. Obviously the digitizer would be better, but between the price and all the hassles people are describing, I'll stick with my iPad.

 

Maybe when I get home I'll post some of the Notes I've taken on my iPad, incase anyone is wondering.

 

Yeah, I've used my iPad for notes before. It's pretty good for making quick notes on lecture slides, but I couldn't imagine myself routinely writing out paragraphs on it. I'll probably be going with an iPad (I'll use my old 2nd gen until a new model is released in the fall), but I will long for the digitizer pen and ability to splitscreen multitask (easier facebook/**DELETED** during lectures, anyone?)

[amichel]

Yeah, I've used my iPad for notes before. It's pretty good for making quick notes on lecture slides, but I couldn't imagine myself routinely writing out paragraphs on it. I'll probably be going with an iPad (I'll use my old 2nd gen until a new model is released in the fall), but I will long for the digitizer pen and ability to splitscreen multitask (easier facebook/**DELETED** during lectures, anyone?)

 

Haha see that's why I like the lack of ability to split screen.

 

I've been able to do paragraph type notes, it is a little slower though.

 

I don't think we'll be writing a ton of paragraph type notes in med school though.

[Roquentin]

Hi all, as promised, this will be my review of the SP3 (typed on my SP3).

Products
I got the 128 GB, i5 version + with the Type Cover in black. I bought these directly off the microsoft store, which made me eligible for the student discount.

Cost
950+120+tax

What I was looking for
- Something that is light, I've been using one of those 10 pound asus laptops for far too long and it was too large and heavy. At dimensions: 292.1 x 201.4 x 9.1 mm • Weight: .80 kgs + 10 oz keyboard, this is one of the thinnest and lightest devices out there.
- I have never used a Mac before, I was reluctant to start now, and I just prefer windows devices for supporting a greater range of software I use
- I needed something fast to boot but not for heavy usage. I've always believed if you are a power user you may as well get a desktop separately.
- Inking, I know a lot of people believe inking technology isn't quite there yet, but since the Asus EP121 (which I am selling now btw) I have been a believer in stylus notes. I've been paperless for notes, especially rough work, for over 3 years now and there is a learning curve, but it definitely works for me and I intentionally paid the premium on it.
- A daily driver. Lets face it, this is a lot of money to be dropping on a tablet alone. Needed something that was DEFINITELY going to be a laptop, not maybe or probably. I want this to last me 4 years at least.

Overall Impression after a week or so
My TLDR here is, this device IS what microsoft's bottom line promise was, which is a laptop AND a tablet. I have mostly been using it as a laptop for now, but I've used it for note taking and inking, reading and editing some personal statements, and it is light enough to do that.

A smaller microsoft promise was that this is a heavy duty device, that it is not. Will explain why in cons.

Keyboard
I was a lot less comfortable with the keyboard before I bought this thing than I am now, but rest assured, this is no gaming keyboard. The trackpad is nice and functional, the keys are all intelligently chosen (such as function keys) and it's not bad overall for notetaking, but if you plan on busting out some heavy RPG gaming on this, you had best get a separate bluetooth keyboard.

The keyboard magnetic snap feature they were touting, is it useful? Yes it is. It's comfortable to use in the lap with that (and my lap isn't premium quality, I find a lot of laptops uncomfortable).

Still, this is not the best keyboard in the world, it's limited. There's no numpad, there's no prntscrn, and sometimes I do consider just getting a separate keyboard for home use.

On a related note, the trackpad is good, but I think trackpads can never really replace mice. Especially on this tablet, with it's tiny track pad, you will need an wireless mouse. I find myself naturally using the touch screen a lot for things I would use a mouse for, though, so it's less of an issue than you might think. Still, get a wireless mouse. Fortunately they are very cheap these days.


Windows 8.1
I was one of the most anti-Windows 8 people out there, and in a way I still am but now with a qualification, I still think it's an awful thing for desktop computers, but for touch screen and tablets it's actually pretty good. Microsofts strange logic in having its new features like screen splitting and new start menu begins to make sense after a while.
This being said, if you just can't help but hate windows 8 like I did, every important program (MS Office, OneNote) is available also in the desktop version and this device absolutely does justice to that experience too. All you need is to throw on Classic Shell (discussed in 'You will need' below). As I said before, I think it's really more of a laptop than a tablet.

Inking and OneNote
Probably the thing people are most concerned about and also most attracted to. OneNote is nothing new, but the inking really is the best you are likely to find on the market (excepting those 2 grand wacom tablets). It's smooth and easy, and the pen itself is a lot more intuitive and functional than it was last time. The inking lag that was present in older tablets is still there but barely noticeable now. To be fair though, this is an incremental improvement on technology rather than a leap. Works for me anyway.

Why 128GB i5, isn't that too little space
With Tax included, there is a nearly $300 price difference between the 128 gb and 256 gb versions. Should you pay an extra $300 for 128gb of embedded SSD memory *AND, edit: extra 4GB RAM (thanks shearkha)? Well maybe it makes sense for you. It didn't make sense for me.

Here is why and what I did instead: It cost me around 80$ to get a 1TB external hard drive that supported USB 3.0, which SP3 also supports. This is important because the file transfer delay is dramatically reduced, and you can pretty much stream an HD movie from your hard drive. For me, 1TB is more like space I can use, and the thing only weighs 150 grams. On top of that, I use Dropbox, Box (50gb of free cloud storage), to keep files I Might need. The device itself has around 80gb of free space in it, this space I am using more wisely only for software I need and notes. Rotating my files in some order of priority between these three sources is easy enough.

And I can't neglect to mention: OneDrive. This is actually only 10GB of space, but it's really well-integrated into windows 8.1, in that it's not taken out of your hard drive (if you don't make things available offline) but the files are still accessible with internet access. OneNote notes also sync simultaneously to all your devices (tested this with my Android phone and OneNote app).

My personal plan is to keep my lecture notes and other immediate use things on OneDrive, which I will also back up on my 1TB drive once in a while. For large lectures or music I'm not listening to, etc, I will use my 1TB drive exclusively. Dropbox/Box for things I might need on the fly, like resume, family photos, etc, but normally don't.

Finally, the device supports MicroSD cards, so you could also buy a few $80 64gb microsd cards for different things and use them as you need, I haven't found the need for this yet.

I know this all seems a bit complicated, but I had to save money and cut corners somewhere, and it's better to compromise the storage space than the processor. That's just my choice though.

 

Edit: schmitty informed me that MS Office 365 ($20/year for students) comes with 1TB OneDrive space, which quite frankly eliminated the need for most of the things described above and is way more space than I need. It's also really convenient because it lets you select what you want to keep on your computer and what's kept only online, and is very well integrated into this device!


Overall Cons
- Device has 1 USB port and a minidisplay port. This means you will need some adapters to get more out of it, but the hardware is capable at least.
- If you really, honestly tried W8 on a tablet and hated it still, this may not be for you. In the end you can't fully take W8 out of W8 even with classic shell. I am now comfortable with it, but it was one of my fears.
- Keyboard is only good for typing work and note-taking, not for heavy duty use or gaming. Will also need an optical mouse.
- Very little native storage. If you don't like cloud or ext HD's but need a tonne of space within the device, this isn't for you.
- If inking doesn't appeal to you, this isn't for you. The premium you pay for that feature is significant enough to make the cost of this price a serious con if you aren't going to use it. Same goes for touch screens in general.
- Device does get warm if you try to run a heavy game on it, normally the fan is inaudible but it will get loud and the device heats up, which I'm guessing reduces it's lifespan and performance over time.
- Feels very light and not exactly robust. I haven't the audacity to throw it on the ground andy samberg style to test this, I wouldn't recommend it.
- Windows lacks the smooth integration that I think Macs often have, so macbook air users might miss that. Not a trade off for me personally.

- Very high pixel density + small screen size = very small icons and text on screen, easily fixable though
- A lot of bloatware.

Overall Pros
- Damn good laptop, and damn good tablet too. I think it's the first device that honestly does both well.
- Inking and touchscreen are extremely responsive, the best in it's price class. Microsoft outdid themselves on the pricing here, and with the student discount you get an even better deal.
- Works well with Windows 8.1, you can tell microsoft wanted to move into tablets all along, it's why they killed a perfectly good windows 7 interface.
Still, Classic Shell will fix most of your complaints with that.
- Beautiful screen, high res, bright colors and good contrast, imo.
- Extremely thin and light, it feels literally like a notebook when you carry it around.
- It IS a Windows device. That's a pro for me.
- Supports MicroSD, so you can easily expand your memory if you drop $150 on a 128gb microSD card, or a few.
- I do recommend this to students. Especially: if you want to go paperless, quite frankly, there isn't a better option on the market right now. I've done my research before dropping a grand on this.

What you WILL need:
- A USB 3.0 external hard drive + using cloud services such as Dropbox, OneDrive, Box
- A USB multi-port, if you are the type who uses a lot of usb devices, which I am
- A wireless mouse. I'd recommend this to any laptop user but definitely SP3 users.
- Classic Shell, to get the old start menu back and make this load to desktop etc, easy to install
- An open mind. This device really is in it's own category as a laptop + tablet, you'll need to be open to the learning curve.

All of these should cost you no more than $100, and they are things you should have around anyway imo. You can tell, I do like this device and do recommend you buy it if your priorities and usage are like my own. I'm not for an /10 rating, I'll just say, do your own research, try it out at a store, it is a lot of money so maybe even hold off till a friend gets it and lets you use their's for a bit. On the whole, though, it's a good computer. I'll be keeping mine. Ask me more specific questions and I will try to answer.

[jmatt1122]

Hi all, as promised, this will be my review of the SP3 (typed on my SP3).

 

Good review! Yeah, if I needed a laptop I'd probably keep it, but for me it's just a very expensive tablet.

 

Just curious, do you plan on getting Windows Complete? For me, any portable is worth protecting with a warranty. Theirs is pretty good, too. They cover two instances of accidental damage with only a $50 deductible each time.

[rbt]

Re: heating, it's nearly impossible to damage a modern CPU with heat. They throttle themselves back long before they approach heat damage. This is one downside to the SP3 as it will throttle itself sooner in a game (and will therefore have lower performance) than an SP2. Also, most devices will force themselves to power cycle before they reach critical temperatures.

 

Thanks for the great review, Raza. I'm looking forward to abandoning my MBA for something I can take notes on. Was thinking the same thing about the pricing, the i5 + 128 GB is the sweet spot.

[StarryNight]

I am going to have to agree with Raza for the majority of his points. Excellent mini-review!

 

I would like to suggest a non-free application that works great on the Surface Pro 3 for me: ExpanDrive. This program allows you to mount cloud storage as a network drive so that you can access cloud files as you need them without keeping them permanently on your disk. I am using it to have access to two DropBox accounts, a Box account, and a Google drive account. They offer a $10 discount for students (4EDUCATION coupon code), making the program $40. It is steep for students, but I found it worth the price as it gives me access to all of my cloud storage and doesn't require the files to be saved to the Surfaces small HD. http://www.expandrive.com/

[Roquentin]

I am going to have to agree with Raza for the majority of his points. Excellent mini-review!

 

I would like to suggest a non-free application that works great on the Surface Pro 3 for me: ExpanDrive. This program allows you to mount cloud storage as a network drive so that you can access cloud files as you need them without keeping them permanently on your disk. I am using it to have access to two DropBox accounts, a Box account, and a Google drive account. They offer a $10 discount for students (4EDUCATION coupon code), making the program $40. It is steep for students, but I found it worth the price as it gives me access to all of my cloud storage and doesn't require the files to be saved to the Surfaces small HD. http://www.expandrive.com/

 

Thanks, and also for the suggestion, that sounds extremely useful and I'll look into it. Time to milk cloud storage like crazy.

 

Re: heating, it's nearly impossible to damage a modern CPU with heat. They throttle themselves back long before they approach heat damage. This is one downside to the SP3 as it will throttle itself sooner in a game (and will therefore have lower performance) than an SP2. Also, most devices will force themselves to power cycle before they reach critical temperatures.

 

Thanks for the great review, Raza. I'm looking forward to abandoning my MBA for something I can take notes on. Was thinking the same thing about the pricing, the i5 + 128 GB is the sweet spot.

 

Thanks, and yeah you're probably right, I don't know much about heat management in the SP3, but it hasn't been an issue with normal usage anyway. I really debated hard between Macbook Air, which is compelling also for something of it's kind, but in the end the pen features had to be there for me.

[Sarvish]

Thanks for the great review Raza! The cons you mentioned definitely aren't deal-breakers for me although the mDP port is annoying. Was hoping to replace my current laptop which has started to fail part by part.

[shearkha]

Why 128GB i5, isn't that too little space

With Tax included, there is a nearly $300 price difference between the 128 gb and 256 gb versions. Should you pay an extra $300 for 128gb of embedded SSD memory? Well maybe it makes sense for you. It didn't make sense for me.

 

And 4GB extra RAM. The 256GB model has 8GB of RAM, whereas the 128GB one has 4GB of RAM.