Best Law School Laptop for the Money

[psychomohel]

(PS: Linux > all)

Yes. I will take all my law school notes using vi or maybe nano and recompile my kernel during lectures.

[burvowski]

That's a fair and accurate statement.

Either way, recompiling a kernal during lecture would probably teach you something more worthwhile than all the kids I see on facebook in lecture...

[GobiasIndustries]

No other 'brand-war' seems to engender this level of stupidity.

I KNOW.

I think the general sentiment is that you buy Macs for the software and PCs for the hardware (with some exceptions, obviously). So each side makes an argument that the other doesn't really care about (OSX is easier to use than Windows! My PC is faster than your Mac!), and everyone goes in circles.

I bought a Mac because I needed a new computer to replace my six-year-old PC; during the time I had it, I saw the merits of Mac over Windows (for me, personally) so it's my new main computer that I will also be using for school. I've been using Windows 7 via Bootcamp as well; it's also a solid OS. I won't mind taking exams on it or whatever else I have to do.*

I think it's simple: if cost is your driving factor above all else, get the cheapest/most reliable PC you can find, as LS is not going to require a ton of computing power. Someone who cares most about $$ will probably not be swayed by software arguments regarding OSX, so I don't know why people continue to make them.

*I have to wonder why the test software companies don't just write a Mac version, considering their prevalence in higher education.

[ArthurEdens]

Once again, not that I particularly enjoy this debate, you're missing the point. The hardware is irrelevant. It's the pros/cons of the design of Windows (7) and Mac (OSX). Hopefully you understand this time. Since the reading comp seems to be failing... ITT: Mac fanboys defend their OS against windows fanboys... with BOTH SIDES (for the most part) using faulty evidence.

Yes and no. A PC and a Mac may have the same hardware, but one will cost more than the other. Apple has a captive audience and jacks up the price. I am not a fanboy of either, but I think the cost issue is what drives a lot of people away from Macs, not necessarily the OS.

I'm going to make a gross generalization, but one that I have a lot of anecdotal evidence for: Macs are bought largely by those with fewer computer skills. They're the people who would never dream of building their own PC and have little understanding of the nuts and bolts behind computers. A subset of these people are posers who feel as though they must justify their overpriced machine by espousing its alleged superiority over PCs. It's this subset that give Mac users a bad name. They're emblematic of those smug PC vs. Mac commercials.

[psychomohel]

That's a fair and accurate statement.

Either way, recompiling a kernal during lecture would probably teach you something more worthwhile than all the kids I see on facebook in lecture...

Yeah, then I'll compile my vi under gentoo to be super optimized.

Seriously though, you should not buy a 'beefy' laptop. Just get something that will let you do the work you need and not be overly expensive because they will get dinged up. I take my Lenovo with me when I go to teach (at an inner city high school). That thing is a rock, it took quite a beating and I haven't had any issues with it in 3 years. My macbook (13" white one) had some cracks in the plastic after being taken care of much better than the Lenovo. I also found that my Lenovo battery stood up to abuse better.

Either way, I spent less that $1000 on each laptop specifically so that I wouldn't have to worry about damaging them. There are very few good reasons for a law student to spend a lot of money for a beefy laptop.

[camstant]

As far as the Lenovos, Edge or T-series? Edge is more affordable, but does it have similar quality to the others?

[HBK]

As far as the Lenovos, Edge or T-series? Edge is more affordable, but does it have similar quality to the others?

+1 Are Edges as durable?

[psychomohel]

As far as the Lenovos, Edge or T-series? Edge is more affordable, but does it have similar quality to the others?

Edges are good but I think the <14" ones don't have a DVD drive.

[camstant]

To answer my own question:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3638/leno ... thinkpad/1

Not a very favorable review as far as choosing the Edge over a T-series. I really like the keyboard of the Edge, but probably shouldn't make a decision on that, though...

EDIT: Note that is a relatively old review, the i3 14" ones are more compelling

[shepdawg]

The whole PC v. Mac thing boils down to money. The Mac haters are jealous that they can't afford a mac, and the PC haters are rich people. I have built my last 7 PC's out of the top of the line components, and I am a very tech-savvy guy, but if I had a rich daddy or a better paying job I would have had a Mac this whole time. I wish I could afford a new i5 macbook pro, but I can't, so I'm going to have to SETTLE for a PC. I am in a unique position in having realized that I am not rich and that the only reason for having a PC is to save money, so I won't be on threads crying that macs are worse just cause I cant afford one.

[burvowski]

The whole PC v. Mac thing boils down to money. The Mac haters are jealous that they can't afford a mac, and the PC haters are rich people. I have built my last 7 PC's out of the top of the line components, and I am a very tech-savvy guy, but if I had a rich daddy or a better paying job I would have had a Mac this whole time. I wish I could afford a new i5 macbook pro, but I can't, so I'm going to have to SETTLE for a PC. I am in a unique position in having realized that I am not rich and that the only reason for having a PC is to save money, so I won't be on threads crying that macs are worse just cause I cant afford one.

[Panther7]

To answer my own question:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3638/leno ... thinkpad/1

Not a very favorable review as far as choosing the Edge over a T-series. I really like the keyboard of the Edge, but probably shouldn't make a decision on that, though...

EDIT: Note that is a relatively old review, the i3 14" ones are more compelling

Edge is more "mainstream" while the T-series is an un-flashy workhorse type computer.

[beach_terror]

The whole PC v. Mac thing boils down to money. The Mac haters are jealous that they can't afford a mac, and the PC haters are rich people.

How can I put this simply... no that's not it, at all. That's a pretty dumb blanket statement, I'm surprised that was actually serious.

I'm a PC user. I can afford a Mac, but I don't want one. I don't hate Macs, I just don't like their ignorant users.

[burvowski]

The whole PC v. Mac thing boils down to money. The Mac haters are jealous that they can't afford a mac, and the PC haters are rich people.

How can I put this simply... no that's not it, at all. That's a pretty dumb blanket statement, I'm surprised that was actually serious.

I'm a PC user. I can afford a Mac, but I don't want one. I don't hate Macs, I just don't like their ignorant users.

Don't feed the troll

[beach_terror]

The whole PC v. Mac thing boils down to money. The Mac haters are jealous that they can't afford a mac, and the PC haters are rich people.

How can I put this simply... no that's not it, at all. That's a pretty dumb blanket statement, I'm surprised that was actually serious.

I'm a PC user. I can afford a Mac, but I don't want one. I don't hate Macs, I just don't like their ignorant users.

Don't feed the troll

I really hope you're right, and he's just trolling.

[kalvano]

This is going to seem like a terrible thing to say...

I'm not the most tech-savvy person, but I thought I knew a little here and there. I have never heard of Lenovo. Is this a good brand? Is it better than, say, HP or Dell for a comp? Why have I never heard of it?

They make business-oriented laptops. Not the prettiest things, but very well-built and very durable. Much superior to Dell, and definitely better than HP.

[kalvano]

There is a certain irony of having one of Apple's main selling point be that it can run Windows better than any PC.

FTFY.

This entire discussion is really silly. If you would like the PC discount then take advantage of it. PCs are worse machines, but they cost significantly less. We get it--you're an awesome responsible person because you didn't pay that much for your computer. Awesome. Who cares? Plenty of rational actors go out into the market and choose both ways. That indicates to me that both options have merits. Anyone who says differently, is a know-nothing. Buy whatever you like and don't throw sand at the other side. No other 'brand-war' seems to engender this level of stupidity. Not Coke v. Pepsi; not BMW v. Mercedes; nothing really accept maybe video game systems, which would suggest to me that the only people who have these stupid arguments are children. That is all.

You do know that Mac's and PC's use [strike]90%[/strike] [strike]95%[/strike] 99%the same major components, right? Intel processors, RAM, HDD, graphics card...just the same as a PC.

How can they be "worse machines"? Some manufacturers are better than others, but the basic equipment is the same. Different operating system, but same hardware. If you want, you can run Linux and be cool like a Mac, too.

Apple builds it's own Macs instead of licensing the name out like a PC, so their build quality is better because they control it in-house. Other than that, it's all about the user.

[zeth006]

Meh. Each to his own!


I'm using a Mac right now, but I got one mostly (and strangely enough) for the hardware aspects more so than the software.

Now most of you might ask "Why?" Simple. As I stated in another post, I just needed a good working machine for law school. Something that's light. Slim. Has a good touchpad and a screen that's not unbearably washed out. Battery life a plus so I can ditch the adapter at home and charge up once in a while. Among my top 5 notebooks, the Mac beat out all the others. It wasn't cheap, yeah. But in the end, when I factored in the presence of Apple stores nearby where I can obtain servicing easily, I knew I was getting what I paid for.


But at the end of the day, I'm a Windows user at heart. I love my customization. I love all this 3rd party support available for my Windows desktop replacement. Everyone knows how horrific Nvidia's support for GPU drivers can be. The beauty of having non-proprietary graphics drivers is you can actually expect to see improvement in graphics performance and stability issues get resolved over time. Good luck seeing similar things happen with the i5/i7-equipped Macbook Pros and good thing I don't need any graphics processing power in my Mac.

[zeth006]

There is a certain irony of having one of Apple's main selling point be that it can run Windows better than any PC.

FTFY.

This entire discussion is really silly. If you would like the PC discount then take advantage of it. PCs are worse machines, but they cost significantly less. We get it--you're an awesome responsible person because you didn't pay that much for your computer. Awesome. Who cares? Plenty of rational actors go out into the market and choose both ways. That indicates to me that both options have merits. Anyone who says differently, is a know-nothing. Buy whatever you like and don't throw sand at the other side. No other 'brand-war' seems to engender this level of stupidity. Not Coke v. Pepsi; not BMW v. Mercedes; nothing really accept maybe video game systems, which would suggest to me that the only people who have these stupid arguments are children. That is all.

You do know that Mac's and PC's use [strike]90%[/strike] [strike]95%[/strike] 99%the same major components, right? Intel processors, RAM, HDD, graphics card...just the same as a PC.

How can they be "worse machines"? Some manufacturers are better than others, but the basic equipment is the same. Different operating system, but same hardware. If you want, you can run Linux and be cool like a Mac, too.

Apple builds it's own Macs instead of licensing the name out like a PC, so their build quality is better because they control it in-house. Other than that, it's all about the user.

For the most part, you're right. Same parts, but just different ways of using them. It's just not easy to find an equivalent PC for $1,000 or below that fits all my requirements.

[zeth006]

Once again, not that I particularly enjoy this debate, you're missing the point. The hardware is irrelevant. It's the pros/cons of the design of Windows (7) and Mac (OSX). Hopefully you understand this time. Since the reading comp seems to be failing... ITT: Mac fanboys defend their OS against windows fanboys... with BOTH SIDES (for the most part) using faulty evidence.

Yes and no. A PC and a Mac may have the same hardware, but one will cost more than the other. Apple has a captive audience and jacks up the price. I am not a fanboy of either, but I think the cost issue is what drives a lot of people away from Macs, not necessarily the OS.

I'm going to make a gross generalization, but one that I have a lot of anecdotal evidence for: Macs are bought largely by those with fewer computer skills. They're the people who would never dream of building their own PC and have little understanding of the nuts and bolts behind computers. A subset of these people are posers who feel as though they must justify their overpriced machine by espousing its alleged superiority over PCs. It's this subset that give Mac users a bad name. They're emblematic of those smug PC vs. Mac commercials.

That's the problem. I've seen plenty of IT people who swing one way or the other. It's never only one way. It's like saying SUVs are only for males with inferiority complexes. But as we've seen from big car buying trends, that's not necessarily the case. A good chunk of middle-aged soccer moms snap them up like none other.


P.S. The only area where Macs seem to be "superior" is brand's customer service support. As long as you have Applecare, the people at the so-called "Genius" bar will cover hardware failures.

[burvowski]

AppleCare shipped my laptop to a repair center that happened to be in the middle of a hurricane at the time. Why they didn't ship it somewhere else is beyond me. My laptop ended up missing for almost 3 weeks.

[SAOJD10]

I mean if you look at it Mac beats PC in every category imanginable.........I mean tell me what Macs get viruses!

[Doritos]

I mean if you look at it Mac beats PC in every category imanginable.........I mean tell me what Macs get viruses!

There are more programs that will not run with Mac than will not run with PC. PC's are more upgradeable and less expensive. PC's also allow for more customization when it comes to putting together a machine (different components like RAM, motherboard, processor, cooling, etc.) I have read 0% of this thread so all of this may have been covered. Macs are cool and have great things going for them but I am a PC guy myself.

[kalvano]

I mean tell me what Macs get viruses!

That's not due to any superiority of the Mac OS over Windows. It's due to the fact that hackers just don't give a shit enough about the Mac to bother. It makes up such a small percentage of the overall computer users that making a virus for it is a waste of time.

[psychomohel]

I mean tell me what Macs get viruses!

That's not due to any superiority of the Mac OS over Windows. It's due to the fact that hackers just don't give a shit enough about the Mac to bother. It makes up such a small percentage of the overall computer users that making a virus for it is a waste of time.

Also, no hacker wants to program in Objective-C.