So you just got admitted to a nursing school and you’re wondering what would be the best laptop for nursing students to buy. The good news is that there are many laptop models out there that can work in the field of nursing. If you need help choosing the best among them, then you better read this article.
Most nursing schools these days actually require their students to have a laptop. But you cannot use just any laptop out there. It should be one that’s designed for your course and it must be compatible with the software and tools needed for your nursing studies.
This might seem like a complicated thing for you to decide, given the wide range of laptop brands and models in the market these days. But don’t worry because we’ve created this guide to help you choose the best laptop for nursing school.
When it comes to shopping for a computer device such as a laptop, you need to consider the specs of the device to ensure that it’s compatible with what you need for school.
Below are the minimum laptop requirements for nursing students.
CPU
Most of the nursing schools prefer that the computer processor is Intel Core i5, which is not really as costly as the Intel Core i7. Yet, Intel Core i5 is definitely much better and faster than the i3.
RAM
Nursing students are required to multitask. Thus, the top laptops for nursing students are those that are capable of handling the various tasks involved in your course. If possible, choose a laptop that has at least 6 GB of RAM, for a smoother and faster performance.
Most of the mid-range laptops come with 8 GB of RAM, which should be fine for nursing school. Avoid 4 GB of RAM and below since this might not be sufficient enough to handle the various applications required for your course.
Operating System
When it comes to the OS or Operating System, both Windows and Mac are great for nursing students. However, it is best to check the software requirements of some of the subjects or courses that your school offers. There might be some programs or software that require a specific operating system in order to work.
Deciding on the OS of your laptop may also be a personal choice. Both Mac and Windows OS are great, but each has its own pros and cons as well. MacBooks are usually more expensive than Windows laptops so if you don’t mind paying more, you might as well go with a MacBook. But some people are more comfortable using a Windows laptop so the choice will all be up to you.
Laptops vs. Tablets
Display
When it comes to the laptop display, two of the important factors to consider are resolution and size. Laptops naturally have much bigger displays than tablets. But when it comes to resolution, some tablets may offer higher pixel density compared to some laptop models. This means that the displayed image will appear much brighter when viewed on the tablet than on a laptop.
The quality of the display will mainly depend on the model and brand of the device. Usually, tablets with a 1080p display cost around $150 while a laptop with the same display could cost around $500.
When it comes to deciding on the display, it’s important to keep in mind that tablets tend to provide much better visuals in their lower price range compared to laptops. This could be due to the higher pixel density that we mentioned above.
Portability
Tablets are definitely more portable than a laptop computer. As a nursing student that needs to carry a lot of books and other stuff to school, this feature might be something that you’ll appreciate.
Tablets usually come in a size of 7-13 inches, although there are also larger models that are usually suitable for professional use. If you’re going for tablets, the 7 to 13-inch size should be ideal for students. They strike the balance between portability and functionality. As for the laptops, the screen is obviously wider, starting at 12 inches and can go as high as 21 inches.
When it comes to weight, tablets generally weigh less than laptops. Their usual weight is somewhere around 300 grams, which should be light enough to carry. Laptops, on the other hand, have an average weight of 2 kg, which is a bit heavier. There are some notebook computers that could weigh less than 1 kg and some of the heavy-duty laptops used for gaming weigh more than 4 kg.
Battery Life
Tablets, laptops, and other portable device require a good battery. This is why battery life is another important consideration when choosing the laptop or tablet to buy.
Generally, most tablets can endure 8-12 hours of continued use but laptop computers tend to require more battery. In fact, in most laptop models, the entire battery can be used up in only 2 to 6 hours of use, depending on the age of the battery and other factors.
Things to Look for When Shopping for the Best Laptop for Nursing Students
Size and Resolution
Depending on the level of portability that you want for your laptop, you can go for a large, medium, or small size laptop. But it is best to stick with the small or medium laptop or anywhere around 11 to 15 inches. This size should offer great versatility and portability and is often powerful enough to meet the requirements required for your course.
If possible, choose a laptop that has a full HD LED display. Remember that you’ll be studying and working for extended hours so you need to have a reliable laptop that can ensure you’ll enjoy the great display without straining your eyes.
Furthermore, if you want to invest in a high-end laptop model, you should choose one with a great screen that has a resolution of 4K. In this case, it’s best to opt for the IPS OLED display.
Performance
Although nursing students don’t really require a very powerful laptop device unlike IT students, they still need to have a reliable laptop. The graphics card may not be that important for nursing students, but the processor, RAM, and storage are all important factors when it comes to choosing the right laptop for nursing students.
Furthermore, the best laptops for college nursing students have good processing power and are capable of handling the multiple tasks that the students are required to handle when taking up the course.
If you can find a laptop device that can offer all the things mentioned above, not to mention having excellent connectivity, then go for it. In this day and age of modern technology, looking for a laptop that can meet all the performance requirements above shouldn’t be that hard.
Touchpad
While most students rely on an external mouse for convenience and ease of use, the touchpad of your laptop computer is still an important consideration. Of course, you definitely don’t want to spend your money on a model that has an unreliable touchpad. The touchpad should be highly responsive and smooth enough to use in various situations.
In certain cases, you may need to ensure that the touchpad of your laptop is capable of recognizing more than one touch at a time. Having a touchpad that is comfortable for you to navigate is very important, allowing you to study and do your homework with ease.
Connectivity
Most of your time in the nursing school will probably be spent working and studying in the library. In this case, you need to have a laptop full of ports for better connectivity.
Your professor might also require you to connect to your laptop during class discussions. During lab activities, you might need to connect it to a scanner, printer, projector etc. In this case, choose a laptop that’s capable of this. Ideally, good laptops for nursing students are those that have a few USB ports, card reader, HDMI, and perhaps, an Ethernet port.
Storage
You can expect to save plenty of documents and files in your laptop so you need to make sure that the storage can accommodate all this. Remember that your laptop’s hard drive could fill up very quickly and it can be a hassle to keep on deleting important docs and files to make space for new ones.
Therefore, it’s important to invest in a laptop that has plenty of storage space. It’s recommended to choose a device with at least 256 GB of storage space. A fast HDD is great, but it could cost a lot of money. If you aren’t on a limited budget, go for the SSD version.
SSD still offers the same amount of storage but it’s way more efficient in terms of speed and performance. Also, if you plan on using your laptop for watching movies and playing games after school, then you definitely need to have more storage space.
Best Laptop for Nursing Students
Now that you have an idea about the minimum laptop requirements for nursing students, it’s time to check out our list of the best laptops for nursing students.
1 – ASUS C302CA-DHM4 Chromebook
First on the list is this 2-in-1 laptop from Asus that can be rotated 360-degrees. Featuring an aluminum body that’s similar to MacBook Air, this laptop is very portable to carry around. It’s only 0.6 inches thick and weighs only 2.6 lbs. Thus, you can conveniently carry this device with you in school.
This laptop features an Intel Core M3-6Y30 processor and has 4 GB of RAM. Such combination results in a flawless performance, perfect for everyday use even when multitasking. You’ll also find the battery life of this laptop to be pretty amazing.
In fact, it could work up to 9 hours straight in only one charge. The screen size of this laptop is 12.5 inches with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. Thus, it’s definitely a good laptop for nursing school since it can display videos and images in bright and crisp colors.
The backlit keyboard of the Asus Chromebook offers a great typing experience, which means you can work on your homework with ease. As for the trackpad, it is button-less and measures 4.1 x 2.3-inches. It’s also capable of accurately capturing inputs.
Pros:
Excellent tablet mode
Features gorgeous and vivid screen display
Tactile keyboard
2 – Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM 15.6-Inch FHD Notebook
The Acer Aspire E15 Notebook is the best nursing student laptop with a stylish and sturdy design. Featuring a 7th Generation Intel i3 processor and 1TB SSD and 4GB of RAM, this notebook is truly very powerful and can handle the demands of your nursing life.
The display screen of this Acer Aspire laptop is 15.6 inches and is of an excellent quality. It’s got a full HD widescreen backlit display with 1920×1080 pixel resolution. The color blast technology of Acer is incorporated in the screen of this device, producing bright, crisp, and vivid images.
The overall quality of the screen display is at par with some of its fiercest competitors. Furthermore, the keyboard is of good quality, allowing you to enjoy fast typing speed and comes with a dedicated numeric keypad.
This laptop features Acer’s TrueHarmony speaker, which has a paper cone design and produces loud and clear sound. In addition, this laptop’s webcam is HD and ensures audible and clear web chats. As for the battery life, it’s pretty amazing since it can last for up to 10 hours on a single charge!
Above all, the Acer Aspire E15 Notebook keeps its heat under control. Given the very affordable price, this laptop from Acer is definitely worth checking out!
Pros:
Excellent battery life
Great performance
Plenty of ports
Very affordable price
The Microsoft Surface Pro definitely deserves to be in this list of the best laptops for nursing students due to its excellent performance. It has a solid body made of magnesium that rotates backward and includes a stylus, which is comfortable enough to use on the screen. Compared to the other laptops in the same category, this model is much smaller in size, which makes it very portable.
The Surface Pro has a kickstand for when you want to use it in laptop mode. It features 8GB of RAM, 256 GB hard disk, and a 7th Gen Intel Core i5 Processor. As for the display, it features a resolution of 2736×1824 pixels and 12.3-inch screen size.
Offering a colorful, vivid, and bright display, the Surface Pro is definitely the best nursing student laptop that can handle the rigorous demands of the nursing life. This laptop comes with dual speakers that produce excellent quality sound with good bass.
Although this device gets a bit hot after heavy usage, the temperature will not really go extremely high, unlike with the other laptop devices. The webcam of this laptop is of good quality and is capable of accurately capturing good images. Its integrated Intel HD graphics card enhances the overall quality of the display.
As for the battery life, this laptop can be used continuously for 6 hours in one charge, which might be on the lower side compared to some other laptops for nursing students.
The XPS 13 9370 from Dell is another great laptop device that nursing students will surely love. You can choose from white or gold color, which looks very classy and elegant. Featuring Intel Quad-Core i5 1.60 GHz processor, 128 GB SSD, and 8 GB RAM, the performance of this laptop is truly impeccable.
As for the display screen, this laptop features a 13.3-inch screen with an InfinityEdge display. The screen comes with a full high-definition display that has a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels.
Furthermore, it enjoys a touch screen feature that makes using the laptop more convenient for when you need to review your upcoming exams. The laptop keyboard in XPS offers great typing experience.
The battery of this laptop has an above average lifespan, which runs up to ten hours straight in only one charge. Thus, this is definitely a highly recommended laptop for nursing students who need to study and do research while on the go.
Pros:
Above average battery life
Excellent design
Great performance
Runs cool
Vibrant screen display
Cons:
Doesn’t have USB Type-A Ports
The webcam needs improvement
The ZenBook Ultra Slim laptop from Asus is definitely one of the best laptops for nursing students to buy. It’s portable enough to carry in school and durable enough to withstand the rigorous demands of the nursing life.
Above all, it’s very durable and guaranteed to last for a very long time. Even if you’re already done with nursing school, you might still be able to use this laptop.
Weighing 2.8 pounds and having a thickness of 0.6 inches, this laptop is very easy to carry around. As for the specs, it has Intel Core i5 processor and 8 GB of RAM. The combination of these specs makes this laptop one of the most powerful laptops for nursing students.
As for the keyboard, it has excellent quality and allows you to type at a fast speed. The touchpad has a size of 4.1 x 2.9-inches, which makes navigating the device even easier. Furthermore, its speakers offer high-quality sound and the battery life is decent enough to last for several hours.
Pros:
Decent battery life
Excellent design
Solid performance
Do you really need a laptop for nursing? This is a question that you probably have in mind. If you want to be able to study well and get easy access to resources that you need for your studies, then you definitely should get yourself a laptop.
Also, you can expect to be bombarded with lots of homework when taking up nursing so you need to have a laptop that can help you accomplish all of them in the shortest time possible.
Will 256 GB of Storage be Enough?
The 256 GB storage should be enough for most nursing students, whether that’s HDD or SSD. If you plan on using your laptop for entertainment purposes and other outside school activities where you need to save movies and videos, then you may want to consider much higher storage.
Is a Touchscreen Necessary for Nursing Students?
A touchscreen is a feature that’s mostly available in the modern laptop models but they usually cost more. This is a great feature that makes using your laptop even more convenient and efficient. So if you don’t mind paying more, then definitely go for touchscreen.
6 – Apple MacBook Air 13
If you’re a fan of Apple computers, then the Apple MacBook Air 13 is highly recommended for you. You’ll love the stylish and elegant look of this laptop, which features the signature aluminum exterior with the Apple logo right in the middle.
As for the specs, this device has a 5th Gen Intel Core i5 processor and an Intel HD Graphics 6000. Furthermore, it has 8GB of RAM, which is powerful enough to deliver an excellent and smooth working experience. As for the storage, this MacBook has 128 GB of SSD, which is 17 times faster than the 5400-RPM drive.
Running on a Mac OS X operating system, this laptop from Apple enjoys 12 hours of battery life so even if you need to stay in school whole day long, you can definitely use this laptop without any interruption.
Furthermore, the 13-inch LED-backlit display features a resolution of 1440×900 so you can view images clearly. What’s really great about this MacBook is that it’s only 0.68 inches thick and has a weight of 2.96 pounds so you can conveniently carry it with you wherever you go.
Pros:
Features attractive Retina display
Great value for a MacBook
Small and light design
7 – ASUS VivoBook Thin and Lightweight FHD WideView Laptop
If you’re looking for a good laptop for nursing school that is lightweight and thin enough to put in your backpack, along with your books, the Vivo Book F510UA from Asus might be a great laptop to check out. Featuring a Star Grey metal finished chassis that offers a premium look and feel, this laptop is truly perfect for college nursing students.
The Vivo Book F510UA features a 15.6-inch high-definition screen display that’s incorporated with the Wide View technology. It offers great visual images in various angles, which means you’ll be able to study with ease. One of the highlights of this laptop is the Ultra-Narrow Bezel that offers 80 percent screen to body ratio.
When it comes to the specs, this model is definitely competitive. It sports the latest Intel Core i5-8250U processor along with 8GB of RAM. Given its specs, this laptop can definitely handle the multitasking needed to complete your nursing course.
As for the graphics, this device is equipped with the UHD Graphics 620, which should be perfect for casual gaming. So if you need a laptop that you can use both for school and entertainment, this would be it!
In addition, the Vivo Book F510UA also comes with a fingerprint sensor that allows you to log in and start working with only a tap of your finger. There’s no longer a need to key-in your password every time you need to work, which definitely saves you a lot of time.
Pros:
Affordable
Attractive color options
Excellent and sleek design
Good performance
Runs cool
8 – Dell Inspiron 15 5000 Full HD Touchscreen Laptop PC
Another great laptop from Dell that deserves to be in this list of the best laptops for nursing students is the Inspiron 15 5000. Given the affordable price range, this laptop is ideal for college students who have a very limited budget for their laptop. Yet, despite the affordable price, this laptop delivers excellent performance.
The Dell Inspiron 15 5000 has a display screen of 15.6 inches full HD and an LED backlit that allows you to view the text and images even with limited lighting. This laptop is touch-enabled, which is much more convenient to use when reviewing for your exam.
Powered by the latest 8th Generation Intel Quad Core i5-8250U processor and coming with a turbo boost technology of up to 3.4GHz, this laptop can certainly handle the demands that come with the nursing life.
As for the storage, this laptop is backed by a whopping 1TB of HDD, which is more than enough to accommodate all your files and documents. As for the battery, this laptop can last up to 5 hours straight with only a single charge.
To enjoy an excellent multimedia viewing experience, this laptop is integrated with the MaxxAudio Pro that delivers exceptionally clear audio quality. As for connectivity, this laptop is equipped with all the necessary slots and ports.
Pros:
Comfortable and soft-touch deck
Excellent battery life
Offers an ample amount of storage
Strong performance
Cons:
Bland and low-resolution display
Keyboard has a shallow design
The LG Gram Thin and Light laptop is considered the best laptop for nursing school due to its astonishing 13.3-inch display screen that offers full high definition image quality that makes studying for an exam very easy.
This device is equipped with an Intel i5 processor and 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, which explains its excellent performance. Another great quality of this ultra-thin laptop is its weight. It’s extremely light, which makes carrying this device to school a breeze!
The battery life of this LG laptop is also excellent as it’s capable of working up to 22 hours straight on a full charge! So even if you can’t charge it for the whole day, you still can continue using this laptop for your school work.
Pros:
Very lightweight and extremely portable
Speedy processing
Excellent battery life
Finally, another laptop that deserves to be on this list is the 2018 Lenovo Business Laptop. Sure, it’s designed for business professionals, but it can definitely work well for nursing students as well! Featuring a sleek chassis with a special protective finish, this laptop can certainly withstand the rigorous wear and tear.
Furthermore, the added rubber at the bottom cover enhances the device’s life and ventilation. As for the specifications, this laptop device will not disappoint. It’s powered by the 8th Gen Intel Quad Core i5-8250U processor and has 12 GB of RAM.
The storage is backed by a 1TB HDD drive that should be more than enough to store all your important documents and files. This laptop is pre-loaded with the Windows 10 OS and is integrated with Intel HD Graphics 620 that should work well for casual gaming.
The Lenovo laptop features a 15.6-inch touchscreen display and 1366×768 pixels of high-definition resolution. Plus, it comes complete with all the slots and ports needed to connect this laptop to other third-party devices.
Pros:
Excellent keyboard
Lightweight
Long lasting battery life
Super-vibrant HDR display
A new laptop should always be viewed as an investment, and with that in mind, you’ll do what is required to keep it secure and running smoothly. Depending on which of the recommended laptop for nursing students is purchased, the cleaning steps might be slightly different. When in doubt, defer to what is recommended in the owner’s manual.
For those looking for how to maintain a laptop performance, follow the below tips:
A – It is highly recommended you get a durable laptop case. Get a backpack with cushion materials to help with accidental drops.
B – It is a known fact that water and other fluids can cause permanent damage to any laptop computer, therefore it would behoove you to keep any type of drink and food away from the vicinity of your computer. Yes, you might consider yourself careful, but all it takes is one accidental slip to render your laptop unusable.
C – Keep your laptop away from extreme temperature. Inside the car is not the ideal storage space for any type of digital equipment, including a laptop PC
D – Kids and pets have certain things in common, both can cause significant damage to a laptop if left within reach. Simply admonishing your kid not to touch your laptop will not be sufficient, just keep it out of reach.
E – It is not ideal to leave any laptop on 24/7. Once or twice a week, turn the computer machine off when not in use. Another good step is to turn it off when not in use. Turning off the laptop once in a while will fix any sluggishness that might develop.
F – Laptop keyboard and screen are common areas where dust can accumulate. Get a cheap laptop screen cleaning kit to keep it looking like new. A good kit will also include a soft cloth for cleaning the keyboard. Please, turn the laptop completely off before commencing any cleaning activity.
In this list of the best laptops for nursing students, it is the ASUS C302CA-DHM4 Chromebook that truly stands out, which is why it is the one that we would strongly recommend.
It has a stylish body and is portable enough to carry around at school. Weighing only 2.6 pounds and only 0.6 inches thick, you definitely will not have a hard time bringing this device with you wherever you go.
As for the specs, it has an Intel Core M3-6Y30 processor and 4 GB of RAM, which means that this device certainly performs well and can make studying easier. We certainly believe that this is the laptop that every nursing student needs.
What do you get from three nerds (Joe, Ray, and Paul) that decide to create a functioning tech gadget review site? The first is data-driven arguments lasting way into the night. You can read more…
What do you get from three nerds (Joe, Ray, and Paul) that decide to create a functioning tech gadget review site? The first is data-driven arguments lasting way into the night. You can read more...
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