What type of laptop are you going to use for law school? Forum

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What laptop will you use for 1L?

MacBook Air
127
31%
MacBook Pro
179
44%
Lenovo Yoga
19
5%
Lenovo Flex
8
2%
Dell XPS
28
7%
Asus Zenbook
13
3%
Toshiba Chromebook
8
2%
Surface Pro
21
5%
Samsung ATIV
2
0%
 
Total votes: 405

Indifference

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Indifference » Tue Jul 21, 2015 1:44 pm

tortsandtiaras wrote:How does one get OneNote?
It's part of Office 365, but you can also get a version for free. The free version lacks some of the features of the paid version, but generally should work well.
Read more about it here.
Or just download it, from here.

cyrilfiggis

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by cyrilfiggis » Tue Jul 21, 2015 1:45 pm

Only used Word 1L, never touched OneNote. What am I missing out on?

Indifference

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Indifference » Tue Jul 21, 2015 2:06 pm

cyrilfiggis wrote:Only used Word 1L, never touched OneNote. What am I missing out on?
Word is great for writing out papers, exams, letters, whatever. And it is functional for note-taking too.
But OneNote is made for note-taking. It's general functions work much better for the task, as does its layout (it is pretty much an endless digital notebook), free flowing nature, and the ability to drop in audio and video recordings wherever you would like.

ETA: no images available, but reading through this thread should give you an idea of some of the powerful tools OneNote can provide:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6#p3366692

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dasani13

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by dasani13 » Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:59 pm

mujiali wrote:
cyrilfiggis wrote:Only used Word 1L, never touched OneNote. What am I missing out on?
Word is great for writing out papers, exams, letters, whatever. And it is functional for note-taking too.
But OneNote is made for note-taking. It's general functions work much better for the task, as does its layout (it is pretty much an endless digital notebook), free flowing nature, and the ability to drop in audio and video recordings wherever you would like.

ETA: no images available, but reading through this thread should give you an idea of some of the powerful tools OneNote can provide:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6#p3366692
When creating a new Notebook, what do I put for the "Where" tab? It doesn't let me create one without selecting something but there's nothing to select.

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Flokkness

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Flokkness » Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:56 pm

mujiali wrote: Went with the i7 512, and surprised myself by getting it at Best Buy, which had the best deal. Got a student discount of 150 off, and 12 month financing which will allow me to wait on paying till I can get a supplemental loan from HLS for the laptop :) Also if anyone else goes for this, hold off on getting a warranty! HP sent me a message a day after I bought it with a discount code. Got 140 off a 3 year warranty (+accidental damage coverage), and it ended up being cheaper than Best Buy, Square Trade, or the Microsoft Store.

I would have waited to buy it till August/September, but my old laptop up and finally died last week, so I figured why not.

The Spectre itself is amazing. I find myself loving the touch features and using it for things I never thought I would. Not the novelty crap you do once, but little day to day useful things that are just easier when you can touch/flip the screen. Also the keyboard is magnificent for an ultrabook. Take everything I say with a grain of salt though, cause I just replaced a Macbook Pro mid-2009, so this is my first foray into good battery life and SSDs.

Plus it plays Civ V, so I'm happy.
I snagged the same model (the QHD) and am enjoying it so far. Side by side with the XPS, feels like the Spectre has the better keyboard. If it didn't have such superb palm rejection that trackpad (ginormous) would be a dealbreaker though. As is it, still getting used to the click zones (I understand they are adjustable). It's been sorta kinda useful in tablet mode - wish HP had designed a sleeve for that because I hate grabbing keys on the back when holding it, maybe there's an aftermarket sleeve that'll work tho. Works great with Dell Active Stylus...so far so good.

I think I'm gonna keep it over the XPS. The XPS webcam (will use a lot for g/f Skype) is necessarily weirdly placed and nobody wants to see your nose hairs. Being able to use tablet mode (and not having the $$$ for a SPro3 plus laptop) is ultimately just too damned handy.

So probably keeping the Spectre. It's a slick little machine, just feels better than the XPS and tablet mode is reeeeallly handy when you need it. Just going to snag a monitor for workstation purposes and will be all set. Good look Mujiali.

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Indifference

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Indifference » Tue Jul 28, 2015 3:40 pm

Flokkness wrote: I snagged the same model (the QHD) and am enjoying it so far. Side by side with the XPS, feels like the Spectre has the better keyboard. If it didn't have such superb palm rejection that trackpad (ginormous) would be a dealbreaker though. As is it, still getting used to the click zones (I understand they are adjustable). It's been sorta kinda useful in tablet mode - wish HP had designed a sleeve for that because I hate grabbing keys on the back when holding it, maybe there's an aftermarket sleeve that'll work tho. Works great with Dell Active Stylus...so far so good.

I think I'm gonna keep it over the XPS. The XPS webcam (will use a lot for g/f Skype) is necessarily weirdly placed and nobody wants to see your nose hairs. Being able to use tablet mode (and not having the $$$ for a SPro3 plus laptop) is ultimately just too damned handy.

So probably keeping the Spectre. It's a slick little machine, just feels better than the XPS and tablet mode is reeeeallly handy when you need it. Just going to snag a monitor for workstation purposes and will be all set. Good look Mujiali.

Glad you like it! Still in love with mine, and while it's supposedly heavy vs the competition, I can't get over how freaking light the thing is.

Best of luck to you too!

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Clemenceau

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Clemenceau » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:11 am

Got an email from my school's IT yesterday requesting for us not to buy/upgrade to windows 10 yet because they don't know if exam software will be supported yet. Same story with osx 10.11 (el capitan) when it becomes available.

Juuust when I was ready to make the mac -> pc transition. Foiled

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by FloridaCoastalorbust » Wed Jul 29, 2015 10:01 am

Clemenceau wrote:Got an email from my school's IT yesterday requesting for us not to buy/upgrade to windows 10 yet because they don't know if exam software will be supported yet. Same story with osx 10.11 (el capitan) when it becomes available.

Juuust when I was ready to make the mac -> pc transition. Foiled
Shit I just downloaded Windows 10 this morning, didn't think about exam software compatibility - are you going to NU? I forget.

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Clemenceau

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Clemenceau » Wed Jul 29, 2015 10:05 am

FloridaCoastalorbust wrote:
Clemenceau wrote:Got an email from my school's IT yesterday requesting for us not to buy/upgrade to windows 10 yet because they don't know if exam software will be supported yet. Same story with osx 10.11 (el capitan) when it becomes available.

Juuust when I was ready to make the mac -> pc transition. Foiled
Shit I just downloaded Windows 10 this morning, didn't think about exam software compatibility - are you going to NU? I forget.
Penn.

I think it was probably just a precautionary email. I'd be surprised if they didn't get the exm software working with win10 by december.

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Indifference

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Indifference » Wed Jul 29, 2015 10:16 am

One can only hope, but as of right now examsoft says the software is not compatible. Gonna hold off on my upgrade, I think.

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by FloridaCoastalorbust » Wed Jul 29, 2015 11:14 am

Just spoke with Examsoft:

"There are currently no timetables that have been announced for Windows 10 support. Please keep posted with your school administration as they will be the ones to announce when we are able to support Windows 10 for your institution."

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Indifference » Wed Jul 29, 2015 11:18 am

FloridaCoastalorbust wrote:Just spoke with Examsoft:

"There are currently no timetables that have been announced for Windows 10 support. Please keep posted with your school administration as they will be the ones to announce when we are able to support Windows 10 for your institution."
I would pretty much guarantee it is compatible come exam season. There will simply be too many 1Ls who buy laptops after today, and whose laptops come with W10 preinstalled. It would just be too much of a shitshow not to have it compatible by exam time.

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terrier27

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by terrier27 » Wed Jul 29, 2015 5:34 pm

Best buy currently has $100 off on macs and another $100 off with student discount if anyone was waiting for a sale on macs. Got the 13" MacBook Air for $800, which is way way more reasonable than what I paid for my undergrad MacBook Pro

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Clemenceau

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Clemenceau » Wed Jul 29, 2015 5:44 pm

terrier27 wrote:Best buy currently has $100 off on macs and another $100 off with student discount if anyone was waiting for a sale on macs. Got the 13" MacBook Air for $800, which is way way more reasonable than what I paid for my undergrad MacBook Pro
Also, if you're really scrappy, you can get a movers coupon from the post office. For a while they had best buy 10% off one item coupons. Not sure that's still a thing though. Google for more details.

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Indifference » Wed Jul 29, 2015 6:02 pm

Clemenceau wrote:
terrier27 wrote:Best buy currently has $100 off on macs and another $100 off with student discount if anyone was waiting for a sale on macs. Got the 13" MacBook Air for $800, which is way way more reasonable than what I paid for my undergrad MacBook Pro
Also, if you're really scrappy, you can get a movers coupon from the post office. For a while they had best buy 10% off one item coupons. Not sure that's still a thing though. Google for more details.
Easier way to do this is put in a moving request online, get the mover's coupons, and then cancel the request. Costs all of 1-2 dollars.
Also, the student discount is better than the mover's discount on most laptops, and you can't stack.

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by terrier27 » Wed Jul 29, 2015 6:33 pm

mujiali wrote:
Clemenceau wrote:
terrier27 wrote:Best buy currently has $100 off on macs and another $100 off with student discount if anyone was waiting for a sale on macs. Got the 13" MacBook Air for $800, which is way way more reasonable than what I paid for my undergrad MacBook Pro
Also, if you're really scrappy, you can get a movers coupon from the post office. For a while they had best buy 10% off one item coupons. Not sure that's still a thing though. Google for more details.
Easier way to do this is put in a moving request online, get the mover's coupons, and then cancel the request. Costs all of 1-2 dollars.
Also, the student discount is better than the mover's discount on most laptops, and you can't stack.
We actually tried the movers coupon today. It's now $5 off of $50 so not that worth it anymore

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Indifference » Wed Jul 29, 2015 8:43 pm

Mine was 10 percent, while the student discount was 150 off.

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Law1491 » Mon Aug 03, 2015 8:53 am

I am looking to buy a new PC laptop. As one of the requirements from my law school, it has to have a TPM chip. How important is it to have it. I called the Computer Center, and they could not answer this question and said that they would call me back.

What are you people doing, those of you who have PC laptops? Do they have TPM chips?

Thank you a lot.

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Poldy

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Poldy » Mon Aug 03, 2015 1:09 pm

I'm buying a MacBook Pro today and need a quick bit of advice. Do I need Microsoft Office for law school? It has always been necessary for me before because of how much I used Excel/VBA but I doubt that will be necessary any longer. Will iWork be sufficient?

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dwil770

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by dwil770 » Mon Aug 03, 2015 1:23 pm

RancidSumo wrote:I'm buying a MacBook Pro today and need a quick bit of advice. Do I need Microsoft Office for law school? It has always been necessary for me before because of how much I used Excel/VBA but I doubt that will be necessary any longer. Will iWork be sufficient?
You can probably get it for free

https://products.office.com/en-us/stude ... -education

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by stoopkid13 » Mon Aug 03, 2015 2:55 pm

Law1491 wrote:I am looking to buy a new PC laptop. As one of the requirements from my law school, it has to have a TPM chip. How important is it to have it. I called the Computer Center, and they could not answer this question and said that they would call me back.

What are you people doing, those of you who have PC laptops? Do they have TPM chips?

Thank you a lot.
It's important in the sense that a TPM chip is an important part of your computer's security protections with regards to hardware tampering and other stuff. It's unimportant in the sense that literally every Windows computer has a TPM chip (as well as Macbooks and Chromebooks).

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Poldy » Mon Aug 03, 2015 4:51 pm

dwil770 wrote:
RancidSumo wrote:I'm buying a MacBook Pro today and need a quick bit of advice. Do I need Microsoft Office for law school? It has always been necessary for me before because of how much I used Excel/VBA but I doubt that will be necessary any longer. Will iWork be sufficient?
You can probably get it for free

https://products.office.com/en-us/stude ... -education
Thanks. I don't have a school email yet but we'll see if it works when I get one.

Went ahead and ordered a 13" RMBP. Hopefully not upgrading to the 2.9 processor doesn't turn out to be a mistake. Also, Yosemite works with all the exam software, right? I think my school uses Exam4. They don't list anything after Mountain Lion on the school's website but the software company says it supports Yosemite.

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by haus » Tue Aug 04, 2015 1:02 am

RancidSumo wrote:
dwil770 wrote:
RancidSumo wrote:I'm buying a MacBook Pro today and need a quick bit of advice. Do I need Microsoft Office for law school? It has always been necessary for me before because of how much I used Excel/VBA but I doubt that will be necessary any longer. Will iWork be sufficient?
You can probably get it for free

https://products.office.com/en-us/stude ... -education
Thanks. I don't have a school email yet but we'll see if it works when I get one.

Went ahead and ordered a 13" RMBP. Hopefully not upgrading to the 2.9 processor doesn't turn out to be a mistake. Also, Yosemite works with all the exam software, right? I think my school uses Exam4. They don't list anything after Mountain Lion on the school's website but the software company says it supports Yosemite.
The base processor in your laptop is still much faster than the 1.6 in my Air, and I have not had any issues for school related work regarding CPU speed, nor do I suspect to.

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by Poldy » Thu Aug 06, 2015 12:47 am

It showed up today and I'm very happy with the first impression. 13" is the perfect size. Much better than my old 15" PC. I have no idea what these "thunderbolt" ports are for but other than that its great.

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Re: What type of laptop are you going to use for law school?

Post by terrier27 » Thu Aug 06, 2015 3:16 am

RancidSumo wrote:It showed up today and I'm very happy with the first impression. 13" is the perfect size. Much better than my old 15" PC. I have no idea what these "thunderbolt" ports are for but other than that its great.
I think you can hook HDMI stuff into the thunderbolt ports

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