Friday's Digest - The Newsletter for Doctors & Scientists

Friday's Digest #122

Which One is Best, an iPad or a Laptop?

Doctors and scientists often consider giving away their laptop for a tablet.

Can you trust it to become your daily driver?

December 27th, 2024

Friday's Digest - The Newsletter for Doctors & Scientists

For two decades, I've been developing tools that have improved my practice in medicine, dentistry, and scientific research.

Join me every Friday to discover a new tool you can integrate into your workflow as a doctor, a scientist, or both.

I believe in sharing knowledge, embracing automation, boosting productivity, and finding joy in the process.

Life Update
Tools and Tips

Life Update

I'm exhausted.

This week, we finally moved into our new place, but the days leading up to it were absolutely draining.

Between getting sick, lack of sleep, and an exceptionally long surgery (which only made the sleep deprivation worse), everything piled up.

You know how it is when you're sick but can't take time to recover? And then you just keep getting worse?

Well, I got REALLY sick.

So sick that I could barely walk.

There I was, packing boxes and gasping for breath like I'd just run a marathon, having to rest every few minutes.

That wasn't fun at all.

I miss being able to take a few days off work to recover. The last time I did that was probably back in school.

If you have a job where you can simply call in sick for a few days, consider yourself lucky.

Today, we will discuss a question I get asked frequently— if I could only have one device, which would I choose: a laptop or a tablet?

Number 122.

Let's dive in!

Tools and Tips

Portability

In the past, the difference between laptops and tablets was substantial.

Laptops were once thick and heavy and had mediocre battery life. You had to carry them in a bag along with a dedicated charger. Tablets, on the other hand, were thin, light, and had excellent battery life.

This has changed.

Nowadays, tablets and laptops are very similar in size and weight. Laptops (especially the Apple kind) have excellent battery life.

Yes, if you dive deep into the specifications, an average tablet will be slightly thinner and lighter, but the difference isn't substantial.

So, if you need to decide between a tablet and a laptop, the following considerations are far more important than portability.

🔵 Lectures

This is the most important factor for doctors, scientists, and students.

Let's start with giving lectures.

You'll use Microsoft PowerPoint, no matter how much you try to avoid it.

And you'll need to connect your device using an HDMI cable.

Microsoft PowerPoint is unreliable software, and if you run it from your tablet, there will be issues.

I've been there—so many times.

I will never trust a tablet to deliver an important lecture.

Now, let's discuss the HDMI cable. I prefer an HDMI port on my computer—not mini-HDMI, USB-C, or anything requiring a dongle. I want to stick the HDMI cable directly into my laptop .

However, some people don't mind carrying a USB-to-HDMI dongle with them. You'll decide what's best for you.

Now let's discuss attending lectures.

If you take notes using a keyboard, there's no significant difference between a tablet and a computer.

But if you want to experience writing with pen and paper, a tablet (specifically an iPad) is the best way to go. Apple Pencil lets you write on the screen, and the iPad's camera allows you to take pictures of slides and store them with your notes.

I prefer to type my notes during lectures, but this is a personal preference.

🔵 Apps

No matter how you look at it, tablets will never run all the apps like a regular computer.

Why?

Because these companies want to make more money.

If tablets and computers could run the same apps, there'd be no reason for you to buy both.

You'll need to list all the apps you use regularly and check if they run smoothly on a tablet, Microsoft apps don't run well on a tablet. Reference apps don't run well on a tablet. Imaging apps (DICOM, CT, 3D) don't run well on a tablet.

Microsoft apps don't run well on a tablet. Reference apps don't run well on a tablet. Imaging apps (DICOM, CT, 3D) don't run well on a tablet.

And sometimes, websites won't allow you to perform specific actions from a tablet. God knows why.

For all these reasons, a laptop will be better.

🔵 Price

People tend to think tablets are cheaper.

This may be true if you just consider the price of the tablet.

However, you'll want to protect your tablet with a case and a screen protector.

You'll want a keyboard and a pencil to write on the screen.

Otherwise, you won't enjoy the true benefits of a tablet.

If you add all these up, you'll end up with a tablet that costs more than a laptop.

Conclusion

I've been using a laptop for school since 2004, and an iPad since 2010.

Nowadays, the device I carry with me everywhere is my laptop. It's a MacBook M2 Pro with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

I also have an iPad Pro from 2020 (with a keyboard and a pencil) and an iPad Mini (Generation 6) which I use almost only for consumption—reading, studying, reviewing, and watching videos. I really like to walk around while reading and studying, so having an iPad makes these processes more productive.

That sums up my 14 years of using both devices simultaneously.

Enjoy!