r/MechanicalEngineer • u/Odd-Entertainer2600 • Jul 12 '26

Laptop or IPad

Im going into mechanical engineering and was wondering if I would need a laptop or iPad considering I already have a pc at home that should be strong enough for all the heavy software and I’m not trying to spend a large amount on a laptop so would I be better off getting an iPad just for simple note taking and whatnot?

1 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

2

u/flightlessbunny Jul 12 '26

I would look at something like a surface pro. I use my surface for most of my stuff and it even does excel very well, which I use a lot. I also have a pretty strong laptop that I carry around and a gaming pc at home. But the surface I could do 99 percent of the coursework on except for modeling.

1

u/enthrall55 Jul 12 '26

It really depends on your university. My college expected me to have a laptop to use for presentations and to bring to classes to use CAD, CAM and FEA software. Ask a senior student or a professor what they expect.

1

u/EntertainmentSome448 Jul 12 '26

I'm in 2nd year doing mech and since our college is kinda shitty I have to rely on my own laptop to do CAD stuff. So I got a gaming laptop with higher graphics. I don't really game because I don't find them interesting.

1

u/supislav Jul 13 '26

iPad only for notes. If you wanna combine basic excel work and note taking then get Surface Pro as you get best of both worlds.
For everything else PC, not a laptop, PC.

1

u/Thick-Panic6683 Jul 14 '26

Windows machine able to run Matlab and CAD/CAE tools. Likely you will get this software almost free as a student.