UVA Class of 2012 Forum

[crazyinalabama]

I haven't keeping up with thread enough in the past week, but is the consensus that most people are going with the laptop bundle? I just bought a new mac for $1250 and i already had a copy of microsoft office so it didnt seem like the extra 600 bucks was worth it for the free loaners...

I'm still sticking with my pc and getting a netbook. Although I've moved from an HP to a Samsung. We'll have to see if this decision changes or I'll suddenly go for an impulse buy...

i'm definitely considering the netbook option. laptops are heavy.

I have a netbook right now (an Acer AspireOne). They're pretty nice (light), but I ended up getting a low-mid range Toshiba since my netbook runs on Linux (and it doesn't really have the power to run Vista or XP), and I foresee possible problems with that. Pay attention to the battery life; upgrades to the battery can get cost up to 1/2 much as the original netbook.

My SO has the same Acer AspireOne w/Linux. I would suggest going to best buy or somewhere and practice typing on it before you buy one. The keyboard is 75% smaller (I think...that's my est.) and, while I am a very fast typer usually, I am constantly slowed down from all the mistakes I make. I wouldn't be able to stand taking exams/class notes on it.

[napolnic]

My SO has the same Acer AspireOne w/Linux. I would suggest going to best buy or somewhere and practice typing on it before you buy one. The keyboard is 75% smaller (I think...that's my est.) and, while I am a very fast typer usually, I am constantly slowed down from all the mistakes I make. I wouldn't be able to stand taking exams/class notes on it.

Keyboard is one of the main reasons I'm considering the Samsung and was considering the HP. The Samsung claims a full keyboard and the HP was at something like 92%. My mom has a dell mini 9 and I can't stand the keyboard. It doesn't even have a dedicated function button row.

[YCrevolution]

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[napolnic]

My SO has the same Acer AspireOne w/Linux. I would suggest going to best buy or somewhere and practice typing on it before you buy one. The keyboard is 75% smaller (I think...that's my est.) and, while I am a very fast typer usually, I am constantly slowed down from all the mistakes I make. I wouldn't be able to stand taking exams/class notes on it.

I think the official number might be 80%, but either way, it's a good deal smaller.

The way I got used to it was using it as my primary computer for a few days. My hands from thumb to pinky is 9.5" (when stretched, I don't know how big my hands are relative to the general population), but once you get the knack of it, it's not too bad.

<-- that might be a little extreme for my reaction, but damn! that is quite a... fingerspan? I would consider my hands a fair mark above average and I can barely hit 9".

[limegreen]

Before the days of "netbooks" I had a very small probably 10" Dell. I absolutely loved that computer. It was so tiny and lightweight. But, alas, it was a PC and of course got infected with a million viruses and had to be reformatted and fixed and the battery gave out and the speakers broke, etc. etc.... so now I have a Mac.

If Apple made a netbook I would totally get it for notes, I like having a small computer. I'll stick with the 13" MB for now, though I'm debating getting a new one.

[philosophy]

I'll stick with the 13" MB for now, though I'm debating getting a new one.

get one! i had the white MB and switched this past winter. i'm very happy with my decision.

[limegreen]

I'll stick with the 13" MB for now, though I'm debating getting a new one.

get one! i had the white MB and switched this past winter. i'm very happy with my decision.

The only thing holding me back is that I have a lime green apple on my white macbook and I really like it. It took forever to do and it won't look as cool on the aluminum one. I am sure the newer computers are better as computers but aesthetically I love the white plastic!

[laurathenerd]

Did anyone here go to high school in Henrico County and have those free iBooks? I used to complain about all the problems that mine had (like the charger frayed and so my classmates tried to make it spark and catch textbooks on fire), but after having THREE different PCs during my undergrad I really want my old mac back. Unfortunately I've only had my current laptop for a year and a half, so I don't think I can justify buying a mac just yet...but it is so tempting. Maybe my laptop will get run over by a bus or something so I can buy a new one.

[philosophy]

The only thing holding me back is that I have a lime green apple on my white macbook and I really like it. It took forever to do and it won't look as cool on the aluminum one. I am sure the newer computers are better as computers but aesthetically I love the white plastic!

i like the white, but mine had gotten so dirty over the years. it was gross.

[limegreen]

The only thing holding me back is that I have a lime green apple on my white macbook and I really like it. It took forever to do and it won't look as cool on the aluminum one. I am sure the newer computers are better as computers but aesthetically I love the white plastic!

i like the white, but mine had gotten so dirty over the years. it was gross.

Good point. Mine's not really dirty, but the outside is pretty scratched and I've worn down parts of the hand rest area so it's sort of shiny.

[napolnic]

Did anyone here go to high school in Henrico County and have those free iBooks? I used to complain about all the problems that mine had (like the charger frayed and so my classmates tried to make it spark and catch textbooks on fire), but after having THREE different PCs during my undergrad I really want my old mac back. Unfortunately I've only had my current laptop for a year and a half, so I don't think I can justify buying a mac just yet...but it is so tempting. Maybe my laptop will get run over by a bus or something so I can buy a new one.

I actually drove up there to get one when they decided to sell a bunch of them only to find out that they had postponed the sale and that it was only open to Henrico county residents. And then I got in an accident on the way home. It was a great day...

[ndm2007]

Did anyone here go to high school in Henrico County and have those free iBooks? I used to complain about all the problems that mine had (like the charger frayed and so my classmates tried to make it spark and catch textbooks on fire), but after having THREE different PCs during my undergrad I really want my old mac back. Unfortunately I've only had my current laptop for a year and a half, so I don't think I can justify buying a mac just yet...but it is so tempting. Maybe my laptop will get run over by a bus or something so I can buy a new one.

I actually drove up there to get one when they decided to sell a bunch of them only to find out that they had postponed the sale and that it was only open to Henrico county residents. And then I got in an accident on the way home. It was a great day...

I live about 5 minutes away from where they ended up selling those ibooks (Richmond's Nascar track...yeah...) and when they had the sale it made national news because it ended up as a huge stampede/riot as people were grabbing for the computers...

[a.williams]

The only thing holding me back is that I have a lime green apple on my white macbook and I really like it. It took forever to do and it won't look as cool on the aluminum one. I am sure the newer computers are better as computers but aesthetically I love the white plastic!

i like the white, but mine had gotten so dirty over the years. it was gross.

Good point. Mine's not really dirty, but the outside is pretty scratched and I've worn down parts of the hand rest area so it's sort of shiny.

I'm still using a white iBook G4 and its working great. It's going to be a sad day when I trade it in.

[gladiator]

Only 36 hours left of 1L.

Despite all the frustration of classes, it's been a great year. You guys have a lot of fun to look forward to in the coming year. Make good use of it because it goes by quickly.

[laurathenerd]

Did anyone here go to high school in Henrico County and have those free iBooks? I used to complain about all the problems that mine had (like the charger frayed and so my classmates tried to make it spark and catch textbooks on fire), but after having THREE different PCs during my undergrad I really want my old mac back. Unfortunately I've only had my current laptop for a year and a half, so I don't think I can justify buying a mac just yet...but it is so tempting. Maybe my laptop will get run over by a bus or something so I can buy a new one.

I actually drove up there to get one when they decided to sell a bunch of them only to find out that they had postponed the sale and that it was only open to Henrico county residents. And then I got in an accident on the way home. It was a great day...

I live about 5 minutes away from where they ended up selling those ibooks (Richmond's Nascar track...yeah...) and when they had the sale it made national news because it ended up as a huge stampede/riot as people were grabbing for the computers...

When we graduated from high school we had the option to buy the laptop for $50. My parents said NO because they said it was a piece of junk. Little did they know it was a piece of junk worth beating someone with a chair for!

[Kohinoor]

Only 36 hours left of 1L.

Despite all the frustration of classes, it's been a great year. You guys have a lot of fun to look forward to in the coming year. Make good use of it because it goes by quickly.

I've heard very different stories about 1L.

[Cavalier]

Only 36 hours left of 1L.

Despite all the frustration of classes, it's been a great year. You guys have a lot of fun to look forward to in the coming year. Make good use of it because it goes by quickly.

I've heard very different stories about 1L.

Those stories are probably from people who go to schools that weren't founded by Thomas Jefferson.

[J-Rod]

Only 36 hours left of 1L.

Despite all the frustration of classes, it's been a great year. You guys have a lot of fun to look forward to in the coming year. Make good use of it because it goes by quickly.

I've heard very different stories about 1L.

Those stories are probably from people who go to schools that weren't founded by Thomas Jefferson.

Credited for correctness. I would be willing to guarantee that no other law school is more fun 1L year than UVA. It's a lot of work, but we take the whole work hard/play hard thing to heart here

[lalofall]

Hi, Looking for housing? I'm an entering 1L, need a female roommate for my 2br/2ba in Ivy Garden! I'm friendly, easy-going, quiet, 23, and non-smoking. PM me if you're interested!

[uvatwol]

I haven't keeping up with thread enough in the past week, but is the consensus that most people are going with the laptop bundle? I just bought a new mac for $1250 and i already had a copy of microsoft office so it didnt seem like the extra 600 bucks was worth it for the free loaners...

I'd say there's not a consensus. Some pro and some con arguments... what it boils down to is if you want or need a pile of warranty/service plan things the bundles might be a good deal, but otherwise if you're willing to rough it you can spend (much) less to get more on your own.

Also, the macbook is a better bundle than the dell.

Personally I'll be staying away from the law school bundles... If I get a new laptop fro LS, I'm looking at shelling out ~$750 for a Lenovo T400 instead. Or maybe a netbook, just for notes?

good to hear, i was really tempted to just get a netbook but my parents thought i deserved better, you know, getting into UVA and all...

Thought I'd weigh in on the bundle debate. My (bundle) laptop broke the night before a final. I took it in before my final and a had a new loaner with my hard drive inserted within about 3 minutes. It's certainly no big deal to go without for a day or three during the semester, but during finals it's a big deal for a couple of reasons:

first, don't underestimate the value of not having to worry about anything but finals during finals.
second, if a broken laptop means having to delay taking a final, you'll be putting yourself in a tough(er) position. sure, you CAN study for final 2 while awaiting a computer fix so you can take final 1, but in practice I don't think it's that easy. Most people here seem to think it's best to peak right before your final, and then forget about it. Cross-studying leaves you in the unenviable position of having to remember the structural minutia of two (or more) classes at once AND risking thinking too much about how one class applies to another during the exam--extraneous issues will pop up & it's a little harder to segregate courses without the clean break of a finished final.

I was looking to save money, too, and came close to buying a non-bundle. Glad I didn't. Your computer will get banged a round a little more than you might think (and I'm probably more careful with mine than 80% of ppl).

[ILikeIke]

My question about the whole bundle/non-bundle issue for current students: If I already have a back-up laptop, is there any reason why I couldn't use that for finals if my primary one breaks? My current laptop works fine still (although the fan's pretty much dead), but it is over 4 years old, so I was planning on keeping it in case of emergency but getting a new one for regular use. I wasn't planning on getting a bundle, since I can get so much more for less elsewhere, and I figured I had a back up plan should my new one fail on me.

[limegreen]

My question about the whole bundle/non-bundle issue for current students: If I already have a back-up laptop, is there any reason why I couldn't use that for finals if my primary one breaks? My current laptop works fine still (although the fan's pretty much dead), but it is over 4 years old, so I was planning on keeping it in case of emergency but getting a new one for regular use. I wasn't planning on getting a bundle, since I can get so much more for less elsewhere, and I figured I had a back up plan should my new one fail on me.

I'm wondering the same thing. My current MacBook is okay, and I may or may not get a new one. If I do, does it matter if I get the bundle? I plan on keeping everything backed up on an external hard drive AND a flash drive, so data transfer won't be an issue.

[uvatwol]

My question about the whole bundle/non-bundle issue for current students: If I already have a back-up laptop, is there any reason why I couldn't use that for finals if my primary one breaks? My current laptop works fine still (although the fan's pretty much dead), but it is over 4 years old, so I was planning on keeping it in case of emergency but getting a new one for regular use. I wasn't planning on getting a bundle, since I can get so much more for less elsewhere, and I figured I had a back up plan should my new one fail on me.

I'm wondering the same thing. My current MacBook is okay, and I may or may not get a new one. If I do, does it matter if I get the bundle? I plan on keeping everything backed up on an external hard drive AND a flash drive, so data transfer won't be an issue.

Yes, you can definitely use your own backup computer. I just didn't have one, so the bundle made more sense.

[RTF]

I tend to think I'm just going to go with the Macbook bundle. Peace of mind plus the fact that I don't know if I trust my computer to last another 3 years seems like this fits me better.

I was actually thinking about buying a nicer Macbook Pro, but without the support from UVa I think I'll just stick with the Macbook.


In other news, I let my job know I will be leaving June 12th. There is light at the end of the tunnel!


Actually two funny stories about how ridiculous attorneys can be.

1) An attorney calls me freaking out over where these documents are and why they weren't uploaded onto a computer database. Keeps telling me they have to be up there, how come they aren't!? Where are they? I go and look in her office and they are there on the floor. She never gave them to any of the paralegals when she first got them....

2) I stay late Friday preparing some documents to be sent out and the attorney lets me know multiple times that it is important we send this out ASAP. I prepare it send him the documents and he sends them out via email and says go home. Monday, I come in and look over these documents and notice that one seems to be too large to send via email and should bounce back, nevertheless, I didn't hear anything from the attorney. I mention this to the other paralegal on the case and she tells me... yeah we should probably make those things went out. We ask him if got any bouce backs from the emails he sent out saying "you know, the system administrator emails". He looks at us both and says .... "Oh that's what those were?"

Classic. Just don't be like that when you become attorneys.

[YCrevolution]

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