minimal specs
is the speed of the processor and limitations on hard drive space so different from the macbook pro that it's not worth it?
I really like it, and I'm willing to spend a little extra money on it, but I don't want to find that it's significantly worse than my old macbook pro.

True, but I hope the flight's not long. Actually moving things at high RPMs takes surprising amounts of energy. If you used Handbrake to turn those DVDs into files ahead of time, you'd greatly increase battery life.

Not really. The flash memory is blazingly fast. For harddrive oriented tasks, it actually beats the equivalent 13" macbook pro. If you're doing a lot of processor intense tasks, you're using it wrong.

Which still requires an optical drive. My laptop can power through about 3-3.5 hours of video (6 if I bring an external battery). I'm too lazy to bother burning them in (plus this is only important a few times a year) and only have a 2 disc Netflix subscription anyways.

I'll admit to that.
So basically the macbook air would be a great computer for law school if it's not too expensive and if I don't have an attachment to DVDs?

None of the Macbook lines are cost effective options for law school. However, if you don't mind paying the extra money for OS X and the other aesthetics/bells and whistles then go ahead and buy one.

+1

I see what you're saying. However, I think I'd enjoy the touchscreen for everything but word processing. If I absolutely must, and there was some easy/cheap method of having an Apple based word processing (since I assume I will need to buy iWorks to get Pages to work?), I could use it as long as I can keep my formatting when transferring to a PC/Word. Is there a OneNote equivalent on a Mac?

On another note: need to have a printer at home or just rock the lab?

Um application suites don't exist for iOS. Pages is $9.99. There are other word processing apps I'm sure, but that's the best for formatting and the like. On the Mac Proper there are a few OneNoteish apps... but that's a different story. On iOS there are several decent apps for note taking and organization. Evernote(free) is pretty popular as is Penultimate(1.99) for handwriting (with a stylus of course). Right now I'm playing around with Muji Notebook(3.99) which allows handwriting, drawing and typing wherever you want.

[quote="geoduckn]
Um application suites don't exist for iOS. Pages is $9.99. There are other word processing apps I'm sure, but that's the best for formatting and the like. On the Mac Proper there are a few OneNoteish apps... but that's a different story. On iOS there are several decent apps for note taking and organization. Evernote(free) is pretty popular as is Penultimate(1.99) for handwriting (with a stylus of course). Right now I'm playing around with Muji Notebook(3.99) which allows handwriting, drawing and typing wherever you want.[/quote]

Hmm, thanks for the info. I have an evernote account since they were passing out free tshirts on my campus, but never used it. I may have to consider them now.

I disagree, respectfully. MBP / iMacs/ and the overpriced behemoth Mac Pros yes. MacBook Air = a pretty darn good value for the size, battery, and SSD.

The MBA is an amazingly fast machine, plus by the time we enter law school the new i5s will be in the Mac Book Airs, bringing the processor on par with MBP. (I'm talking Sandy Bridge Intel chipsets too. Let's just hope they put an NVidia GPU in that, doubtful).

Anyways anyone who says you don't need much for law school and then says the MBA isn't powerful enough = wrong. Unless your gaming or ripping things on Handbrake / CS5 you wont notice a difference between the Mac Book Air processor (Core 2 Duo) and the MBP (Sandy Bridge i5/7) or even your run of the mill Dell. Where the speed really comes in handy is that SSD. Not to mention the killer battery life. That's the only reason I wan't an Air for law school. It's thin and I won't have to carry a charger with me for the entire day.

The real battle becomes do you get a Mac or PC desktop (for those who need that processor power)

(Edit to ward of flames or to make sure I don't appear to be a fanboi) Yes you can get a comparably speced Dell or HP for less, that is ALWAYS the case. But for a very little bit less you won't get Apple Care or a computer that is as thin. Thin = win.

Unsuccessful!

At least now I really don't look like a fanboi in comparison. Now I bathe in his failure.

Hah, I rocked the lab all through college and part of high school. Kind of a pain in the ass. Any thoughts on this? I don't think I've owned my own printer since 2004.

Those that turn away from him have already failed, my child.

Its rumored that the macbook air will come out sometime this summer with a sandybridge processor. If so, that should greatly improve the preformance/tech specs of the beast. If it does, im pulling the trigger. Nothing better than an ultra portable laptop with strong battery life and all the power of a standard notebook.

You can get a comparably powered laptop that is still slim (though not as slim as the MBA) for half the price of the MBA. 1-2 pounds, a couple fractions of an inch in width, and a SSD (or heck even an i3 or i5 over a Core 2 Duo) are not worth spending over $1000 ($1300 if you don't want to be stuck with the 11") when you can spend $500-600 on a good quality Wintel.

Is the MBA a good value? Sure if you value shaving off as much weight/size as possible there is nothing else better than an MBA. But those differences (3 pounds versus 4.5 pounds, 3/4" versus 1" width, etc) don't really matter to students when they are so minimal and they are already carrying around other crap like books whose weight just dwarfs the weight of a laptop.

As someone who did both in undergrad I definitely prefer having my own printer at home. My reason being that if I needed to print at school I would have to make sure to leave early enough to get there before class and print. Because this was opposite of what I normally did (which was get to class right when it started) it was a pain to allot myself the extra time, especially if it was an early morning class.

I'd guess you don't need a printer in law school, but I personally prefer having one (though it is definitely legitimate to avoid buying one and use the school printers if you want to cut down on costs).

i'd get it

Yea may his light shine ever bright. I disagree not with thine path for in it I too walk. Verily it is by example and reason with which I attempt to spread His iWork. The followers of the false Steve, Steve of Ballmer, have proven hostile and unyielding to all else. For he who forsakes the Good Mac for mere Frames Per Second shall receive his punishment in the great Pit of Pestulence.

If you buy any Mac, you get a free printer ($100 dollar mail-in rebate).

Just sayin'.

Haha. And if you wait till this summer you might get a free ipod touch as well.

So 13" macbook pro for 1199 - 100 (student discount) = 1099 + free printer + free ipod touch.

Not a bad deal.

These sorts of deals exist for many Wintels as well... Shocker, I know.

Lol they still use the term Wintel? Does that make Apple systems Mactels?