Expectations for Physical Therapy Students Regarding Mobile Computing & Software
The USD Physical Therapy Program strongly recommends the use of a laptop or tablet PC during the course of
the program. Physical Therapy students are highly encouraged to have portable computing technology, either a
laptop or tablet PC computer for use during classroom and laboratory instruction. Your laptop/tablet PC will be
used for more than just note taking in class; it will become a critical part of your educational experiences. Your
computer will be used for exams, individual and group research projects, and data collection and manipulation.
Your computer will become an essential part of your educational experience at the School of Health Sciences.
The University has negotiated pricing with Fujitsu, Apple, and HP. Although it is not required, students are
strongly encouraged to purchase one of the computers below. The USD website at
http://www.usd.edu/technology/student-computer-support-options.cfm details the support levels that USD can
provide for student laptops. It is recommended that students purchase their laptop from one of the 3 websites
listed under “ultimate support.” These computers are business‐grade computers designed to last through your
education at USD and have been carefully selected based on quality, value, and durability. If you choose to
purchase one of the computers recommended, be sure to do so through the website, using the link above. In all
cases the purchase of extended warranties and accidental damage coverage is recommended.
You will be using your system extensively for class work and will likely be transporting it regularly to class. For
the USD Windows-based systems (HP, Fujitsu), the service warranty is quite extensive in coverage and includes
coverage for accidents. The service warranty will allow the ITS service technicians at USD to provide routine
warranty repairs using Fujitsu or HP provided repair parts provided to USD. Repairs should be relatively fast for
these systems. For the USD recommended Apple MacBook system, the service warranty (AppleCare) is for threeyears and does not include accidental damage protection. While the University can provide some technical
support of MacBooks, this is very limited and subject to Apple’s process and procedures. Repairs of MacBooks
may be notably slower than repairs for Window-based systems.
Windows Users
On the website, you will note there are several options, including notebook computers and tablet computers.
The tablet PC is a more expensive option but provides touchscreen function (using a stylus or one or more
fingers). Students that use the tablet touchscreen report that they like the quick response time of the screen and
the ease of annotating class notes and documents. However, there is a learning curve to the use of the
touchscreen that some find frustrating.
Macintosh Users
For Macintosh users, the PT Program recommends the 13-inch MacBook Pro with AppleCare. The system is
powerful, light and has been very dependable
Software
A computer does not work without software and USD provides student discounts on software used during your
educational experience. Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat Reader will be the
primary software packages used. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free. Microsoft Office 365 is also free as long as you
are a student here. Information about getting Microsoft Office for free can be found at
http://www.usd.edu/technology under Software Discounts.
If you have any questions about this or other aspects of technology, please feel free to contact Lana Svien
([email protected]), or Lance Peterson ([email protected]) or Levi Reuss ([email protected]), ITS
Support
Updated April 2015