Computers for Law School 2011 Forum

[Dany]

What about using the Apple wireless keyboard to take notes on the iPad 2 and bringing a larger laptop only for exams?

Why would you do this? That just seems like a hassle.

[bobbypin]

What about using the Apple wireless keyboard to take notes on the iPad 2 and bringing a larger laptop only for exams?

Why would you do this? That just seems like a hassle.

Because I already own an iPad and a 17in laptop. The laptop is pretty heavy and I share it with my husband.

Otherwise, I was thinking about buying a 13" MBP. Waiting until the next version comes out.

[ResolutePear]

What about using the Apple wireless keyboard to take notes on the iPad 2 and bringing a larger laptop only for exams?

Why would you do this? That just seems like a hassle.

Because I already own an iPad and a 17in laptop. The laptop is pretty heavy and I share it with my husband.

Otherwise, I was thinking about buying a 13" MBP. Waiting until the next version comes out.

I 'lol' whenever people throw the weight claim. You're carrying 80 lbs, an extra 1 pound is not going to break you.

If there isn't a need for two laptops, perhaps buying a desktop would be a better investment.

[ResolutePear]

For those looking to get into the whole SSD thing..

Crucial M4's are very reliable as far as SSD's go. I found that people are getting 128GB SSD's for ~120 bucks from Staples.

http://slickdeals.net/f/4252228-Crucial ... AAAFO0DiRA

That's some info on it.

Otherwise, I also highly recommend Intel SSD's, though they're a bit expensive and only slightly better than M4's.. and Samsung also makes pretty reliable SSD's as well.

[zeth006]

What about using the Apple wireless keyboard to take notes on the iPad 2 and bringing a larger laptop only for exams?

Why would you do this? That just seems like a hassle.

Because I already own an iPad and a 17in laptop. The laptop is pretty heavy and I share it with my husband.

Otherwise, I was thinking about buying a 13" MBP. Waiting until the next version comes out.

I 'lol' whenever people throw the weight claim. You're carrying 80 lbs, an extra 1 pound is not going to break you.

If there isn't a need for two laptops, perhaps buying a desktop would be a better investment.

Dude, be nice. My 15" Dell Vostro from a few years back was a giant brick compared to the thin n' light Envy 14 I have now. There must've at least been a 3-4lb difference. A MBP would be much more portable than the 17"er. Plus most people aren't carrying 80lbs, more like 20?

[bobbypin]

What about using the Apple wireless keyboard to take notes on the iPad 2 and bringing a larger laptop only for exams?

Why would you do this? That just seems like a hassle.

Because I already own an iPad and a 17in laptop. The laptop is pretty heavy and I share it with my husband.

Otherwise, I was thinking about buying a 13" MBP. Waiting until the next version comes out.

I 'lol' whenever people throw the weight claim. You're carrying 80 lbs, an extra 1 pound is not going to break you.

If there isn't a need for two laptops, perhaps buying a desktop would be a better investment.

It's not *just* that its heavy, I share it with my husband AND I already own an iPad2. If I don't have to buy anything at all, that is better. I don't need a desktop, I already have one of those as well. Plus, it would be really difficult to carry that to class.

[kalvano]

Just hire a hobbit to follow you around with a quill and scroll at the ready.

[zonto]

I've said this before, but it needs reiteration: I absolutely love the 15.6" 16x9 RGB+LED screen on my Dell XPS L502x. The 1080p resolution took a while to adjust to, but with the true widescreen aspect ratio it has been insanely helpful to have two Word documents snapped and be able to make good use of them for memo writing. Two instances of OneNote running and snapped make outlining a breeze as well.

When I'm done for the day, Netflix and the like look amazing too.

This is basically the machine I got last year before I started (link for specs). I ended up getting 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive instead of what is listed there, and my final cost with shipping was $926.

[Dany]

Yeah, I have a 13" and I really wish it was 15"+. I think the slightly heavier laptop and higher price are justified by the insane usefulness of a bigger screen for the stuff you do in law school.

[zeth006]

I've said this before, but it needs reiteration: I absolutely love the 15.6" 16x9 RGB+LED screen on my Dell XPS L502x. The 1080p resolution took a while to adjust to, but with the true widescreen aspect ratio it has been insanely helpful to have two Word documents snapped and be able to make good use of them for memo writing. Two instances of OneNote running and snapped make outlining a breeze as well.

When I'm done for the day, Netflix and the like look amazing too.

This is basically the machine I got last year before I started (link for specs). I ended up getting 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive instead of what is listed there, and my final cost with shipping was $926.

Yeah, I could really use a few more pixels and a larger screen. 1600x900 resolution on 14.5" screen is better than 1366x768 on a 13", but come finals time, there's something to be said for not needing to constantly flip between docs.

[zozin]

Anybody know off hand of any 15" laptop w/ a 1080p IPS display with a matte finish? I've been using a 1080p monitor for the past few years, and 1366*768 resolution is too damn low.

[laxbrah420]

yea the dell precision m4600 has that option

[zeth006]

Anybody know off hand of any 15" laptop w/ a 1080p IPS display with a matte finish? I've been using a 1080p monitor for the past few years, and 1366*768 resolution is too damn low.

Make an account on notebookreview forums and ask there.

[Oklahoma2014]

Here is another good deal from Best Buy. The price is good today online only.

$329 with free shipping.


Asus 15.6" Laptop with Intel® Core™ i3 Processor, 4GB Memory and 320GB Hard Drive
Store your music, videos, photos and files on the spacious 320GB hard drive. Watch your movies and other visuals come to life on the 15.6" high-definition widescreen display. Read more.
Online only. Limited quantities. No rainchecks.
Offer valid only on Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

[thegrayman]

can someone more tech savvy than I help me out with an issue:

my computer is a Lenovo T420. My typically arrangement is I set it to sleep when I close the lid, and I pretty much never shut it down because I have so much open all the time. Recently it has been having unexpected shutdowns when I close the lid, and when I start it back up it says it had a bluescreen. The only thing I have changed was that I recently installed ad-adware antivirus on it, that is the only new program, and it seems to have started doing this right around that time. Thoughts? Should I uninstall the anti-virus?

[laxbrah420]

id restore it as far as possible first

[Villanova3]

I just bought a Toshiba Portege for exams. This thing is amazing.

http://us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/portege/Z830


Sexiest thing ever.

[albanach]

What about using the Apple wireless keyboard to take notes on the iPad 2 and bringing a larger laptop only for exams?

Why would you do this? That just seems like a hassle.

We have a couple of folk at UVA who use an iPad. You'd be fine with that as long as you have a couple of keybaord batteries in your bag. I've used that setup a bit myself.

It can actually have an advantage, in that you tend to be less distracted by the other apps running. No gchat popups etc. I found in classes where I used my iPad I was more focused on note taking.

You will, of course, need a 'proper' computer for exam time. Your 17" monster will be perfect then.

[ResolutePear]

What about using the Apple wireless keyboard to take notes on the iPad 2 and bringing a larger laptop only for exams?

Why would you do this? That just seems like a hassle.

We have a couple of folk at UVA who use an iPad. You'd be fine with that as long as you have a couple of keybaord batteries in your bag. I've used that setup a bit myself.

It can actually have an advantage, in that you tend to be less distracted by the other apps running. No gchat popups etc. I found in classes where I used my iPad I was more focused on note taking.

You will, of course, need a 'proper' computer for exam time. Your 17" monster will be perfect then.

The iPad has a notification system.

Why not paper/pen notes? I'm as computer savvy as the next guy, but I don't see why there's a strong NEED for banging on your keyboard for longer than you have to. Especially when they're mushy keyboards. That last part is just me being anal about the whole thing, though.

[albanach]

The iPad has a notification system.

Why not paper/pen notes? I'm as computer savvy as the next guy, but I don't see why there's a strong NEED for banging on your keyboard for longer than you have to. Especially when they're mushy keyboards. That last part is just me being anal about the whole thing, though.

Notifications can be turned off and it's more hassle to switch app. You can't pretend to be doing both at the same time. Personally at least, I found it less distracting than when I used my laptop.

The apple bluetooth keyboard is as good as any on their laptops. Plenty of folk seem to do just fine with it. I prefer the thinkpad's more traditional keyboard, but the Apple one is certainly Good Enough.

I was going to point out that pen and paper work just fine too. The only time I think that's a problem is if you have a prof who likes to give you a concise summary of rules from the last class and expects you to get it all down at >60wpm. Handwriting at that speed can be a challenge.

[beachbum]

Ugh. It is difficult to put into words how much I regret buying a Lenovo. Will not be making the same mistake twice, though.

[LockBox]

Ugh. It is difficult to put into words how much I regret buying a Lenovo. Will not be making the same mistake twice, though.

Can you elaborate? I just bought a U400 and wanted to see if going Lenovo was a mistake...

[gdane]

A good old pen and notebook is all you need. You'll learn better because you wont be mindlessly typing away and youll be less distracted by not browsing the internet.

People say that a computer is necessary because its quicker to take down notes, but I've learned that you dont need to take down a professor's words verbatim during every class. So, taking speedy notes isnt too important.

I use an HP Mini 210. Its been great to me.

[ResolutePear]

A good old pen and notebook is all you need. You'll learn better because you wont be mindlessly typing away and youll be less distracted by not browsing the internet.

People say that a computer is necessary because its quicker to take down notes, but I've learned that you dont need to take down a professor's words verbatim during every class. So, taking speedy notes isnt too important.

I use an HP Mini 210. Its been great to me.

If you legitimately just need something to type notes and nothing else, and want no other distractions, buy a very old laptop. Specs don't matter.

Load Debian or Slackware on it. No desktop. Just command-line.

Use vim. Save files to a folder, or use this guide and save it to your dropbox from command-line:
http://www.dropboxwiki.com/Using_Dropbox_CLI

You'll be slow at first on vim, but not having to use your mouse for anything in the environment allows for greater speed once you learn all the key commands.

[beachbum]

Ugh. It is difficult to put into words how much I regret buying a Lenovo. Will not be making the same mistake twice, though.

Can you elaborate? I just bought a U400 and wanted to see if going Lenovo was a mistake...

Well, the problems started with the solid state drive that failed after a little less than a year. (I'm told I shouldn't blame Lenovo for this, but it was still pretty frustrating). I called Lenovo for a replacement, and I was promptly sent a standard hard drive. I was also sent the wrong version of Windows as a replacement (32-bit, as opposed to the 64-bit I had originally purchased).

I had immediate need of a laptop, so I was forced to install the hard drive and Windows. Now my computer is noticeably slower, and I guess the extra money I had originally paid to upgrade to a solid state drive and to a better version of Windows was for nothing?

Now Lenovo is threatening to charge me for the defective drive if I don't return it. Of course, they didn't send any return packaging or labels, so I had to spend the time and money to purchase shipping from USPS.

And that's about where I am today: with a slower computer and with a lot of wasted money. Beyond the headaches with the hard drive and with customer service, though, the computer itself just doesn't seem that great. I mean, it's not bad, but I don't see the justification for its price relative to other computers. Lenovo likes to trumpet its superior build quality and superior customer service, but I've found both of these things to be sorely lacking.

FWIW, I have a T410. Maybe other models are different. But I'm not gonna risk another Lenovo purchase in the future.