The Ideal Law School Laptop

[lucydog]

ok so i tried to read through most of this thread but it gets pretty technical.

i just bought the standard 13" macbook pro. with just the 160gb hard drive, 2gb memory and 2.26ghz processor. i don't do any gaming (and can't imagine i will do very much over the next three years). i have some video (off my iphone or flip mino stuff), some pictures and some music (i haven't and won't ever download my cd collection!). i can't imagine blowing through the hard drive (i should be able to save 20,000+ pictures - right?) but i assume i can always buy an external.

is this ok or do i need to return and upgrade???? i am freaking out a little with all this upgrading stuff you guys are talking about.

please help and thanks!

Your specs will be more than fine for anything law school can throw at it.

[littleboyblue]

ok so i tried to read through most of this thread but it gets pretty technical.

i just bought the standard 13" macbook pro. with just the 160gb hard drive, 2gb memory and 2.26ghz processor. i don't do any gaming (and can't imagine i will do very much over the next three years). i have some video (off my iphone or flip mino stuff), some pictures and some music (i haven't and won't ever download my cd collection!). i can't imagine blowing through the hard drive (i should be able to save 20,000+ pictures - right?) but i assume i can always buy an external.

is this ok or do i need to return and upgrade???? i am freaking out a little with all this upgrading stuff you guys are talking about.

please help and thanks!

Your specs will be more than fine for anything law school can throw at it.

thanks. so what's all this talk about upgrading? is 4mb just necessary for gaming?

[crazy_zoologist]

thanks. so what's all this talk about upgrading? is 4mb just necessary for gaming?

Your setup is more than sufficient for law school. As long as you can do basic text processing (Word, OpenOffice, whatever) you will be fine. Exam4, the exam-taking program utilized by most schools, is extremely light-weight and shouldn't cause any memory strain.

4GB is necessary ONLY for things like gaming or 3D graphics rendering.

[356a]

ok so i tried to read through most of this thread but it gets pretty technical.

i just bought the standard 13" macbook pro. with just the 160gb hard drive, 2gb memory and 2.26ghz processor. i don't do any gaming (and can't imagine i will do very much over the next three years). i have some video (off my iphone or flip mino stuff), some pictures and some music (i haven't and won't ever download my cd collection!). i can't imagine blowing through the hard drive (i should be able to save 20,000+ pictures - right?) but i assume i can always buy an external.

is this ok or do i need to return and upgrade???? i am freaking out a little with all this upgrading stuff you guys are talking about.

please help and thanks!

NO, plenty of power. People run more memory when they do very intensive video editing stuff professionally or running big programs under multiple os's.

No worries.


Your specs will be more than fine for anything law school can throw at it.

thanks. so what's all this talk about upgrading? is 4mb just necessary for gaming?

[Who32]

I'm sure this has been posted somewhere in the 50 pages of this thread....

I'm considering a mac, and am concerned I will have trouble adjusting from my PC. I keep hearing, "you'll have to run boot camp", or some other programs just to make it compatible with exam taking software and bla bla bla. Yada yada yada, I am sick of PC's, but is switching to a mac right before law school a mistake

[Other25BeforeYou]

I'm sure this has been posted somewhere in the 50 pages of this thread....

I'm considering a mac, and am concerned I will have trouble adjusting from my PC. I keep hearing, "you'll have to run boot camp", or some other programs just to make it compatible with exam taking software and bla bla bla. Yada yada yada, I am sick of PC's, but is switching to a mac right before law school a mistake

Switching to mac is pretty much the easiest thing ever (or was in my experience).

I think I'm getting a netbook for law school and keeping my old macbook for pleasure, but I wish I wouldn't feel wasteful buying the 13 inch macbook pro, because I just prefer Macs so so so so much.

[hoffb86]

I'm sure this has been posted somewhere in the 50 pages of this thread....

I'm considering a mac, and am concerned I will have trouble adjusting from my PC. I keep hearing, "you'll have to run boot camp", or some other programs just to make it compatible with exam taking software and bla bla bla. Yada yada yada, I am sick of PC's, but is switching to a mac right before law school a mistake

I made the switch, I am happy so far! I plan on adding a note-taking software to it, and my exam software is mac compatible so that wont be a problem for me.... if I decide/find out I need windows for some reason, i will get XP from my school for pretty cheap....

[enygma]

I'm sure this has been posted somewhere in the 50 pages of this thread....

I'm considering a mac, and am concerned I will have trouble adjusting from my PC. I keep hearing, "you'll have to run boot camp", or some other programs just to make it compatible with exam taking software and bla bla bla. Yada yada yada, I am sick of PC's, but is switching to a mac right before law school a mistake

i made the switch. it's super easy, don't sweat it. don't look back!

[e_ticket]

Just a couple questions :

I am considering both a regular MacBook and a Lenovo T400.

For MacUsers: what is everyone's experience with Microsoft Office for the Mac? I have heard poor reviews, and I dont think I could survive without functioning Word haha

For Windows users: I am not very knowledgable about RAM. I am considering either 3 gb or 4 gb, and I am wondering whether the free upgrade to Windows 7 should have an impact on my decision. Will Windows 7 make more RAM a good idea?

Thanks for the insight!

[vexion]

For Windows users: I am not very knowledgable about RAM. I am considering either 3 gb or 4 gb, and I am wondering whether the free upgrade to Windows 7 should have an impact on my decision. Will Windows 7 make more RAM a good idea?

Since 64-bit Vista, Windows has easily addressed up to, like, 16GB of RAM. But as they say, unused RAM is worthless RAM. Basically, unless you're running a lot of memory-intensive stuff (certain genres of high-end games, or some serious database management, or Fold@Home or something) then you'll see no advantage from more than 3GB of RAM. All your current processes address the maximum amount of RAM that they need for whatever they're doing, and chances are in law school you're just not going to need some massive amount.

[1000bmr]

For Windows users: I am not very knowledgable about RAM. I am considering either 3 gb or 4 gb, and I am wondering whether the free upgrade to Windows 7 should have an impact on my decision. Will Windows 7 make more RAM a good idea?

Since 64-bit Vista, Windows has easily addressed up to, like, 16GB of RAM. But as they say, unused RAM is worthless RAM. Basically, unless you're running a lot of memory-intensive stuff (certain genres of high-end games, or some serious database management, or Fold@Home or something) then you'll see no advantage from more than 3GB of RAM. All your current processes address the maximum amount of RAM that they need for whatever they're doing, and chances are in law school you're just not going to need some massive amount.

2gb is fine for heavy, but you need at least 4gb to play scout.

[sheltron5000]

To run vista you need at least 2GB, but 3 is better. Windows 7 is MUCH lighter, and 2 should be plenty. Personally, I prefer overkill in the RAM department, so I'd go with as close to 4 as your OS can address. (another reason mac os is superior?)

[lucydog]

After an exhaustive search I pretty much decided to put my money down on the Lenovo X200, but the only thing that is holding me back is the 12.1 screen size. Do you think that this screen size is too small? Note that the X200 has a 1280x800 resolution instead of the typical 1280x720, so perhaps that will help a little. I have never owned a laptop before so I am not really sure what a 12.1 inch screen would feel like.

[Goal]

To run vista you need at least 2GB, but 3 is better. Windows 7 is MUCH lighter, and 2 should be plenty. Personally, I prefer overkill in the RAM department, so I'd go with as close to 4 as your OS can address. (another reason mac os is superior?)

I don't understand why that makes Leopard superior.

[Goal]

After an exhaustive search I pretty much decided to put my money down on the Lenovo X200, but the only thing that is holding me back is the 12.1 screen size. Do you think that this screen size is too small? Note that the X200 has a 1280x800 resolution instead of the typical 1280x720, so perhaps that will help a little. I have never owned a laptop before so I am not really sure what a 12.1 inch screen would feel like.

The X200 would be approximately the size of a piece of paper so it's very compact. Although, are you aware that the X200 series do not have the touchpad?

[Other25BeforeYou]

Hey, I had a question that I was hoping someone here who knows something about computers could answer.

The base model of the 13" macbook pro comes with 2 GB RAM. Is there any reason for me to upgrade to 4GB for $90 if most of what I do is just browsing the internet, watching movies, taking notes and writing papers? I will do some music recording stuff on occasion, but not a lot of heavy stuff.

Secondly, is there any reason I would need a hard drive with more than the 160 GB the base model comes with? I don't store a lot of stuff and have an external hard drive I keep any large videos on.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

[enygma]

Hey, I had a question that I was hoping someone here who knows something about computers could answer.

The base model of the 13" macbook pro comes with 2 GB RAM. Is there any reason for me to upgrade to 4GB for $90 if most of what I do is just browsing the internet, watching movies, taking notes and writing papers? I will do some music recording stuff on occasion, but not a lot of heavy stuff.

Secondly, is there any reason I would need a hard drive with more than the 160 GB the base model comes with? I don't store a lot of stuff and have an external hard drive I keep any large videos on.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

the base model should probably be fine. you can always upgrade your ram later if you decide you need it. same with the hard drive.

[Other25BeforeYou]

Hey, I had a question that I was hoping someone here who knows something about computers could answer.

The base model of the 13" macbook pro comes with 2 GB RAM. Is there any reason for me to upgrade to 4GB for $90 if most of what I do is just browsing the internet, watching movies, taking notes and writing papers? I will do some music recording stuff on occasion, but not a lot of heavy stuff.

Secondly, is there any reason I would need a hard drive with more than the 160 GB the base model comes with? I don't store a lot of stuff and have an external hard drive I keep any large videos on.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

the base model should probably be fine. you can always upgrade your ram later if you decide you need it. same with the hard drive.

Thanks! I think I'll just go with the base model, then.

[aspasia]

After an exhaustive search I pretty much decided to put my money down on the Lenovo X200, but the only thing that is holding me back is the 12.1 screen size. Do you think that this screen size is too small? Note that the X200 has a 1280x800 resolution instead of the typical 1280x720, so perhaps that will help a little. I have never owned a laptop before so I am not really sure what a 12.1 inch screen would feel like.

Just got one with a 12.1-in screen (HP Pavilion dv2- great deal, btw), and for me at least it's just the right size. The screen doesn't feel nearly as small as I expected, and the computer's compact size is unmatchable for a full laptop. I don't know about the Lenovo one (mine has a regular touchpad and comes with an external cd/dvd included in the price) but I'd recommend the size, at least.

[lucydog]

After an exhaustive search I pretty much decided to put my money down on the Lenovo X200, but the only thing that is holding me back is the 12.1 screen size. Do you think that this screen size is too small? Note that the X200 has a 1280x800 resolution instead of the typical 1280x720, so perhaps that will help a little. I have never owned a laptop before so I am not really sure what a 12.1 inch screen would feel like.

Just got one with a 12.1-in screen (HP Pavilion dv2- great deal, btw), and for me at least it's just the right size. The screen doesn't feel nearly as small as I expected, and the computer's compact size is unmatchable for a full laptop. I don't know about the Lenovo one (mine has a regular touchpad and comes with an external cd/dvd included in the price) but I'd recommend the size, at least.

Thanks, I will have to look into the HP dv2 as well. I want to try and stay around the 12-13 inch range. I have a nice desktop at home so for me mobility is more important than graphics/gaming performance.

[misteranthro]

Well, Dell has once again chosen to delay my order. That makes a total of 26 days of delays (and counting). I have now decided to say screw it and cancel with these slobs. I just got off the phone with Apple, and in 5 days I will have a shiny 17" Macbook Pro in my hands. I wonder if I can use it as a tent to live under since the damned thing nearly bankrupted me. Anyone ever tried?

[1000bmr]

Well, Dell has once again chosen to delay my order. That makes a total of 26 days of delays (and counting). I have now decided to say screw it and cancel with these slobs. I just got off the phone with Apple, and in 5 days I will have a shiny 17" Macbook Pro in my hands. I wonder if I can use it as a tent to live under since the damned thing nearly bankrupted me. Anyone ever tried?

for the same price of a 17" macbook pro i could buy a top of the line lenovo t500 and also build a desktop. say, quad core i7 920 nehalem, 12gb ram, nvidia gtx, maybe a 5ms 23" samsung lcd. call me a troll, but this is why i don't like macs.

[misteranthro]

Well, Dell has once again chosen to delay my order. That makes a total of 26 days of delays (and counting). I have now decided to say screw it and cancel with these slobs. I just got off the phone with Apple, and in 5 days I will have a shiny 17" Macbook Pro in my hands. I wonder if I can use it as a tent to live under since the damned thing nearly bankrupted me. Anyone ever tried?

for the same price of a 17" macbook pro i could buy a top of the line lenovo t500 and also build a desktop. say, quad core i7 920 nehalem, 12gb ram, nvidia gtx, maybe a 5ms 23" samsung lcd. call me a troll, but this is why i don't like macs.

Yeah. I know what you mean and don't take it as trolling. I went with an Apple Certified Refurbished 17" from the Education Store. It is the early 2009 2.66GHz/4GB Ram/320G HD version. It has the same battery as the new ones too. After taxes it was $2165 with 1 year standard warranty. One good thing is it still qualifies for the 3 year AppleCare plan, which I can add on anytime within the first year for $239. No PC refurbs offer that kind of peace of mind. I didn't add it yet, but plan to once I get paid again. FTR my cancelled system was the Dell Studio XPS 16 with ATI 4670. It cost me about the same, but that included 3 Year AccidentCare too.

[BigAristotle]

So I've been delaying buying a laptop, for no real reason except to be 100% sure on what I was getting. Lenovo's Contractor prices just went from a 20% discount to 15%, which has raised my overall price from ~650 to 770 or so on the T/R400.

I've been weighing getting a Lenovo Thinkpad vs. Asus K40, specifically:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834220541

Anyone have any opinions, thoughts, comments?

[coolkatz321]

So I've been delaying buying a laptop, for no real reason except to be 100% sure on what I was getting. Lenovo's Contractor prices just went from a 20% discount to 15%, which has raised my overall price from ~650 to 770 or so on the T/R400.

I've been weighing getting a Lenovo Thinkpad vs. Asus K40, specifically:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834220541

Anyone have any opinions, thoughts, comments?

The price will go down again by next week...it fluctuates daily, so just keep checking!