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The best laptops for nursing students
Are you looking for a laptop that’s both lightweight and heavy-duty?
One common struggle among students, especially those in the medical field, is finding a laptop that can keep up with their needs. After all, these students are bombarded with a heavy workload daily, requiring them to download hundreds of files and utilize numerous programs at once.
Of course, as we all know, not all laptops can handle that, and the last thing you want to do is to waste money on something that won’t last. So, to help you out, we have listed the top laptop models that can handle your workload. In fact, these laptops have been proven to be durable and efficient in more ways than one.
Moreover, each has its own key features that can significantly help your studies, which differ from one laptop to another. Therefore, you may need to know your own priorities when choosing a laptop.
For instance, do you prioritize a laptop with a long-lasting battery, or would you prefer something portable? Perhaps a laptop with a large memory is better for you than the presence of a touch-screen feature?
Regardless of what you need, you’ll surely find one on our list.
Best overall
Apple MacBook Air 2020 Laptop
Apple MacBook Air 2020 Laptop
Overall, this laptop is the best option for those looking for high-quality performance in all aspects – battery health, memory, portability, and more. In fact, this laptop is all you’ll ever need for your studies and even after.
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Sitting at the top of our list, we have the 2020 Apple MacBook Air. This laptop is as versatile as it can get, and it’s equipped with all the fantastic features you could imagine. Moreover, it’s considered Apple’s thinnest and lightest notebook, and it has a fanless design that allows it to preserve silence.
Furthermore, this laptop also uses the first-ever chip Apple created exclusively for Mac – the Apple M1 Chip. This is notable since this chip enables the CPU to enjoy speeds that are up to 3.5 times faster and the GPU up to 5 times.
Aside from that, its Neural Engine also allows this computer to run nine times faster in terms of machine learning. Furthermore, it’s also known for having an incredibly long battery life, lasting up to 18 hours.
One downside to this model is that some apps are still incompatible with the M1 chip since it’s still relatively new. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent laptop that offers all the features you need for studying and more.
Best for nurse practitioner students
Apple MacBook Pro 2020 Laptop
Apple MacBook Pro 2020 Laptop
Overall, we’d say that the 2020 Apple MacBook Pro is best for those looking for a laptop with extremely long battery health and speedy machine learning.
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Next, we have another one from Apple – the 2020 Apple MacBook Pro. This one is quite similar to the MacBook Air, although it’s considered thicker, measuring 13.3 inches thick. However, it’s equipped with an active cooling system to sustain its performance.
Aside from that, it also offers the longest battery life out of all MacBooks, capable of running up to 20 hours on a single charge. Its CPU can also perform up to 2.8 times faster than others, and its GPU tends to enjoy speeds that are five times faster than other models.
In addition, it’s also equipped with a more advanced Neural Engine that can run up to 11 times faster for machine learning. The MacBook Pro also ensures speed and fluidity with its 8GB unified memory and Superfast SSD storage.
As mentioned, the new Macbook Pro is thicker than the Air model, so it can be pretty bulky if you’re used to thinner models. Still, with its superb performance, this laptop can be the ideal choice for all your student needs.
Best affordable
Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
The Acer Aspire 5 Slim laptop is the ideal choice for those looking for a laptop that’s both affordable and powerful enough to handle all your computing needs. This is also fantastic for those who prefer portability, graphics, and convenience over memory and battery health.
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Now, for those on a tighter budget, the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop may be the best option for you. After all, this laptop is portable and houses the AMD Ryzen 3700U Mobile Processor, enabling it to perform even the most complex tasks efficiently.
Although it is not as slim as the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, it’s still an excellent option, with its 15.6-inch full-HD IPS screen. Moreover, with the Acer Aspire 5, you can enjoy up to 7.5 hours of battery life, as well as a 4GB memory size. Aside from that, its unique narrow-bezel design results in crisper graphics and images.
What’s even more notable about its screen is that it protects your eyes from strain with the Acer BlueLightShield. However, this model’s downside is that battery life isn’t as long as other laptops, so you’ll need to stay close to an outlet to ensure you don’t lose any work.
Still, with all these features at an affordable price, we would recommend this for nursing students on a tight budget.
Best touch screen
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Laptop
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Laptop
The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is the best choice for those who are always on the go and want a gadget with a touch screen to immerse themselves in their tasks fully. Not only is this convenient and versatile, but it’s also highly portable and responsive.
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If you’re looking for something that’s closer to a tablet, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 might be best for you. After all, this device is a hybrid of a tablet and a laptop, with the features of both gadgets in one.
So, you can quickly transform from a laptop to a studio to a standard tablet whenever you need to. It also has a responsive touch screen that can be beneficial for certain types of tasks, as it can help you fully immerse yourself.
Moreover, this laptop-tablet hybrid also has a 10th gen Intel core, and it’s thin and extremely lightweight, weighing only 1.7 pounds.
Aside from this, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 also has long battery health, running up to 10.5 hours on a single charge, and can be fully charged in less than 2 hours. So, with this, you can quickly bring your laptops anywhere and use them as needed.
Furthermore, it allows better connectivity with its USB-C and USB-A ports. However, one disadvantage to this model is that it has a relatively thicker bezel than most modern laptop-tablet hybrids, which can somewhat take away from the experience.
Still, if you’re looking for something that’s portable and has a touch screen, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 can be the ideal choice.
Best lightweight
Google Pixelbook Go Chromebook Laptop
Google Pixelbook Go Chromebook Laptop
If you’re someone who travels a lot, the Google Pixelbook Go is best for you. With this laptop, you can enjoy optimum portability and work on your tasks even when you’re not home.
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If you prefer traditional laptops more but want the convenience and lightweight portability of other gadgets, the Google Pixelbook Go is your best bet. After all, it takes the portability feature up a notch with its barely 2-pound weight and 13 millimeters thin design.
It also has an easy-to-grip structure that allows users to carry it easier without it slipping. Moreover, the Google Pixelbook Go can run even unplugged for up to 12 hours, a little longer than the Microsoft Surface Pro 7.
Plus, with only 20 minutes of charging time, you can already use it for up to 2 hours. However, one significant downside is that it doesn’t have the standard USB ports, so you can’t plug in other devices like external hard drives or flash drives.
Nevertheless, it is overall a quiet, compact, and powerful laptop that was explicitly designed for people on the go.
Best thin
Acer Swift 3 Laptop
Acer Swift 3 Laptop
Overall, if you’re looking for a laptop that won’t take up too much space, the Acer Swift 3 can be the ideal choice. Moreover, it offers a higher level of portability and security, particularly with its built-in fingerprint reader.
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Now, if you’re looking for something ultra-thin, you should consider buying the Acer Swift 3. After all, it’s only 0.63 inches thin, although it’s heavier than the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 and the Google Pixelbook at 2.6 pounds.
However, its battery life goes up to 11.5 hours and has a fingerprint reader, as well as a backlit keyboard. In this case, having a fingerprint reader is convenient since it allows users a quicker and more secure way of unlocking their laptops.
Of course, one of the best things about this laptop is the convenience of Alexa. With Alexa, you can complete more tasks and get updates easier by simply speaking to her.
However, a primary disadvantage to this laptop is that its screen isn’t as crisp as some of the other models on this list, so it may not be the best choice for tasks like video editing or graphics. Nonetheless, with its thin design, you don’t have to worry about it taking up space in your bag while you’re out.
Best for Windows user
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Laptop
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Laptop
Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad is best for nursing students who need ample storage and a laptop that can work on multiple tasks at once.
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If you’re a Windows user, you may want to consider the Lenovo IdeaPad 3. This is a 10th Gen Intel Core with an i5 1035G1 processor. Moreover, it also has a touch screen feature on its 15.6-inch screen for your convenience.
It also comes with the Intel Boost Technology that can provide you with extra battery life for longer-lasting performance and better energy efficiency.
Aside from this, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 also has a large memory capacity and storage with its 12GB memory and 256GB solid-state drive, making it excellent for storing files.
In addition, this laptop also allows for both wired and wireless connections so that you can enjoy continuous connectivity both at home and outside.
However, one downside is that the battery doesn’t last as long as the others, typically running up to only 1 hour on a single charge before needing to be plugged in. This is even with the Intel Boost Technology.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a Windows laptop that can accommodate all your needs, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 can be your best bet.
What to look for in a good laptop for nursing students
In general, you can effectively finish multiple tasks simultaneously with little to no interruptions and enjoy hassle-free study sessions, lectures, and presentations with any of these laptops.
But, as a nursing student, you need a reliable laptop that will not lag or crash on you when you need it the most. In this case, here are the top factors to consider when choosing a laptop that will help make your life as a nursing student more productive and convenient:
Size
Before anything else, you need to determine your priorities when it comes to size. As a nursing student, you would need one that is compact since you might have to bring it with you, especially when you are on hospital duty in your final school years.
Moreover, your laptop must consume a lot of space inside your bag. This is very important because nursing students need to bring with them plenty of books and equipment when going to class or training.
Battery life
Nursing students work long hours. Because of this, you will want to choose a laptop with long battery life. This way, you will spend less time charging, and you won’t need to stay close to an outlet. Overall, long battery life can be beneficial, especially for those who work outside their homes.
RAM
Multi-tasking a laptop is not really something that many nursing students will do. This is why it’s fine if you don’t go for laptops with high-powered RAM. It’s enough to opt for those that allow you to watch videos, type, read, and search the web without lags or random crashes.
Storage
In today’s era, where most files for nursing students are already digital, you will need ample storage to ensure you can accommodate a large volume of files without slowing down your computer. In this case, you’ll need to determine whether you need a hard disk or solid-state drive.
Screen quality
If you tend to do most of your tasks on your computer, the last thing you want to happen is to damage your eyes from a poor-quality screen. Therefore, you will want to consider the quality of your laptop’s screen when choosing what best suits your needs.
FAQ
Is an SSD laptop worth it?
In general, an SSD laptop is faster and easier compared to HDD laptops. It’s also thinner, lighter, and quieter than standard laptops.
What is RAM?
RAM is the laptop’s internal memory, and the more RAM you have, the more efficiently your laptop will run.
What processing power should I get?
Overall, an Intel Core i3 would do for everyday use, but you’ll need to choose one with an Intel Core i5 and above for more complex tasks.
Final verdict
Overall, you can quickly narrow down your choices by knowing what you prioritize most. So, before you go laptop shopping, you first need to identify the features you need in a laptop.
If you’re a nursing student, it would be best to prioritize storage, memory, and portability in this case. After all, these will enable you to complete multiple tasks at once, anytime, and anywhere you want.
With that said, by knowing what you want, you can also ensure that your money is spent wisely, and you can avoid overspending on features that won’t be of much use to you.
