Purchasing a Mobile Device

Mobile Computing at the Medical School

This FAQ will assist you in choosing a computer to bring with you to Medical School. If you have further questions, contact the LRC Help Desk at 734-936-2239 or by e-mail at lrc_help@umich.edu. One of the LRC computer consultants will be available to assist you with your computing questions and concerns.

Contents:: Laptop requirement at the U-M Medical School; Computer Sale at the Computer Showcase; Financial Aid; PC or Mac?; Apple iPad?; What type/model of laptop should I get?; Hardware requirements and recommendations; What about software? Where can I get good deals?; Software requirements; What about my home Internet access?; What about printing?; Further questions?

Mobile computing requirement at the University of Michigan Medical School

You are required to have a mobile computing device (e.g., laptop, tablet, etc., but excluding smartphones) at the Medical School. Purchasing a device is a large expense, so we recommend that if you already have a fairly modern device (four years or less), bring it to campus and try it. You can purchase a new device later if you need to upgrade. You can evaluate the suitability of your computer in advance at the following website: Media Tests

The educational technology plan incorporates mobile devices to allow students to access learning programs and participate in the educational experience on and off campus. We feel that mobile devices and related technologies will continue to evolve, and increasingly have an impact on patient care and your future medical practice.

All laptops (new or old) should use antivirus software. Free antivirus software is available from the University. Scanning and antivirus support is always available at the Learning Resource Center (LRC) Help Desk at not cost. UM Anti-Virus Website

To learn more about the how the digital microscope will be used in your first year, please watch the videos that describe this technology on the Med Curriculum site.

			Using the Virtual Microscope at school 2:00 minutes

			Using laptops for Digital Microscopy 2:30 minutes

PC or Mac?

Some of the software used in Medical School only runs on a Windows-based computer (the Medical School and the University of Michigan Health System are predominantly Windows-based environments). However, students with Macs have not been significantly limited by these few programs. Additionally, Windows computers are available to medical students on a 24/7 basis in the Medical School computing labs.

If necessary, an Intel-based Macintosh can also run Windows through a variety of means (Parallels for Mac, VMware Fusion, and Boot Camp). Assistance with these configurations is available from the Learning Resource Center (LRC) Help Desk. It is advised that you try the Mac OS first, in the Medical School environment, before taking on the complexity and cost of also running Windows.

Netbooks are small Windows-based laptops. Some students use these as their “travel computer,” but have desktops or other full-sized laptops at home, or utilize the computer lab. These are good for portability, but have limits on screen size.

Apple iPad or Android tablet?

At this time, we are hesitant to recommend an Apple iPad or Android tablet as your only mobile computing device. There are still certain educational programs that will not operate optimally on the iPad at this time.

What should I get and where should I buy it?

There are many models and sellers of mobile computing devices. A name-brand laptop with a good warranty will run between $350-1500. Students often purchase Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo brand computers. That said, we do not recommend one brand or vendor over another. However, regardless of what and where you buy, we do recommend you purchase a warranty with full accidental coverage, when available.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available to students to help cover the cost of a new mobile computing device. The Medical School Financial Aid Office can approve an alternate loan application. However, you must request this alternate loan application. Upon approval, you can present a receipt of purchase from a store or have the computer purchase billed to your student account (from the U-M Computer Showcase - see below for more information about the Showcase).

The amount you owe, after financial aid has been applied, will appear on your Student Statement of Account in August or September.

For more information about your financial aid options, go to:

http://www.med.umich.edu/medschool/financialaid/

The University of Michigan Computer Showcase

The U-M Computer Showcase is a not-for-profit sales center that negotiates educational discounts on computers, supplies, and software. The Showcase offers several model choices and payment options (cash, credit, student account billing).

Student account billing cannot happen until after June 4, 2012, with a minimum purchase of $250. However, cash and credit purchases can be done at any time.

Prices are negotiated with each manufacturer and, when you consider the warranty, are very competitive. Mobile computing devices purchased at the Showcase are available for pickup only.

For more detail on products, sale dates, and restrictions, see: http://showcase.itcs.umich.edu/welcome

Hardware requirements and recommendations

The hardware requirements and recommendations listed below have been selected to ensure that your laptop will be able to use the software and other computing systems necessary for your curricular computing activities. Processor and operating system recommendations are specific to a PC; others apply equally to a Mac or PC.

Features	Recommended
Processor (computer speed)	Pentium 1.5 GHz or faster recommended
Memory (RAM)	2 Gigabyte or larger recommended
Screen Size	14" is recommended - it will provide a good balance between screen size and portability
Hard Drive (storage space)	80 Gigabytes or larger
Operating System (any version)	Windows 7 and Mac OSX
Wireless	802.11g/n aka: WiFi
Wired (Ethernet)	1000 built-in Ethernet adapter (should be a standard component)
Optical Drive (optional)	DVD Reader & CD Burner Combo drive, or DVD Burner
Removable Storage (not required, but strongly recommended)	• USB Key Drive (1GB or higher recommended) – will simplify document management and file sharing • External Hard Drive for making backups
Weight/Size	Because you will be transporting your laptop to and from school, a lighter and less bulky model would be preferable over a heavier and more bulky laptop
Warranty	3-4 years of coverage. Highly recommended to get Complete Care (accidental damage warranty), or equivalent
Headphones	Some of the software used for coursework requires headphones
Case	A laptop carrying case (i.e. saddlebag, backpack) to transport your laptop and accessories is recommended
Ethernet Cable (optional)	7 foot Cat 5e Ethernet cable

Software

Medical students use of a variety of software programs. Students get a discount on Microsoft Office and other software through the U-M Computer Showcase. Here is a list of commonly used software:

All computers

Microsoft Office – Office 2010 for Window and 2011 for Mac available from the Showcase for $47.17

Microsoft Window 7 – available from the Showcase for $20.00

Anti-Virus Protection at U-M – free
(http://www.safecomputing.umich.edu/antivirus/)

All laptops should use antivirus software – if you already have your own that works well, then you do not need to install these UM-provided versions.

What about my home Internet access?

High-speed Internet (aka: Broadband) access is recommended. Many students use the Internet to download and stream lecture videos. These files can be over 120MB for each hour recorded. Download speeds vary with Broadband service. Here is a quick table listing speeds and the estimated time to download an average 120MB lecture video.

Downloads Speeds	Approximate time to download a typical lecture file (~120MB). You may expect 3-4 lectures per day.	Comcast	AT&T U-Verse
3 Mbps	11 min	-	Pro
6 Mbps	5 min	-	Elite
10 - 12 Mbps	3 min	Performance*	Max
15- 18 Mbps	2 min	Blast Plus*	Max Pro
24 Mbps	1 min	-	Max Turbo
50 Mbps	30 sec	Extreme 50	-
105 Mbps	15 sec	Extreme 105	-

We feel that the 10-12 Mbps is sufficient for most Medical Students´ needs with regards to lecture videos. However, your needs may differ. You can always increase your bandwidth later if necessary.

* Note: PowerBoost provides bursts of download and upload speeds for the first 20 MB and 10 MB of a file, respectively. Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed (Comcast, 2012). After the PowerBoost, the speed is reduced to roughly half advertised speed, hence why we list Performance as 10 Mbps, not 20 Mbps (as on their website), and Blast Plus as 15 Mbps (not 30 Mpbs). The Extreme 50 and 105 services do not use PowerBoost .

Cable http://www.comcast.com
U-Verse http://www.att.com

What about printing?

You have 400 pages of free black and white printing per semester at Medical School and other campus computing labs. The cost of black and white printing at these labs is 6 cents per page once the 400-page limit is exceeded.

Printing from a Mobile Computing Device at Michigan: You can print from your mobile computing device to the Medical School printers (LRC and Furstenberg labs) as well as to many printers around UofM's campus by using mPrint. That said, at this time the mPrint provides printing results that may vary depending on the contents of your document.

Who can I contact for laptop support or further questions?

Contact the LRC Help Desk M-F, 8 am–5 pm at 734-936-2239 if you have questions. Or email us at lrc_help@umich.edu and one of the LRC staff will be available to assist you with your computing questions and concerns. We will help you with your personal computing needs as much as possible (free of charge). If we don’t know the answer, we will help you find someone who does!

Finally, during the first week of medical school, an orientation to the technology resources, policies, and support will be provided. Staff from the LRC Help Desk will also be available throughout the year to assist with your technology needs and questions.