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

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tortsandtiaras

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

Post by tortsandtiaras » Fri Jun 26, 2015 2:35 pm

KMart wrote:
Shelbinole wrote:Finally got my new gold MacBook yesterday! I love it so much, would def recommend.
Pro or Air?

Sorry if only one of them has the color options and I'm just dumb.
The color options are just for the "MacBook". Now there is the MacBook, MacBook pro, and MacBook Air...sorry if that's confusing.

I would NOT recommend the MacBook as the speed for it is actually atrocious. I recommend getting the pro!

NYYNYR

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

Post by NYYNYR » Tue Jun 30, 2015 11:42 am

I'm sorry if this has been asked. But what do the requirements mean? Does the school actively not let you use a laptop, that works perfectly (2012 11'' Macbook Air - "minimum" requirement is a 13") that doesn't meet the requirement?

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ChemEng1642

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

Post by ChemEng1642 » Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:04 am

NYYNYR wrote:I'm sorry if this has been asked. But what do the requirements mean? Does the school actively not let you use a laptop, that works perfectly (2012 11'' Macbook Air - "minimum" requirement is a 13") that doesn't meet the requirement?
I believe the requirements refer mainly to software/OS - for example, you're going to need the minimum requirements for a laptop that can run ExamSoft. The school will not do anything to "actively" enforce but I would imagine it would suck if you couldn't take the exams on your laptop :P. The minimum requirements are really more for your benefit than their's. They certainly don't care about screen size so don't worry about that!

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Shelbinole

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

Post by Shelbinole » Fri Jul 03, 2015 2:50 pm

tortsandtiaras wrote:
KMart wrote:
Shelbinole wrote:Finally got my new gold MacBook yesterday! I love it so much, would def recommend.
Pro or Air?

Sorry if only one of them has the color options and I'm just dumb.
The color options are just for the "MacBook". Now there is the MacBook, MacBook pro, and MacBook Air...sorry if that's confusing.

I would NOT recommend the MacBook as the speed for it is actually atrocious. I recommend getting the pro!
I've had absolutely no issues with the speed and I also own a MacBook Pro and can tell no difference so far

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tortsandtiaras

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

Post by tortsandtiaras » Mon Jul 06, 2015 8:55 am

Shelbinole wrote:
tortsandtiaras wrote:
KMart wrote:
Shelbinole wrote:Finally got my new gold MacBook yesterday! I love it so much, would def recommend.
Pro or Air?

Sorry if only one of them has the color options and I'm just dumb.
The color options are just for the "MacBook". Now there is the MacBook, MacBook pro, and MacBook Air...sorry if that's confusing.

I would NOT recommend the MacBook as the speed for it is actually atrocious. I recommend getting the pro!
I've had absolutely no issues with the speed and I also own a MacBook Pro and can tell no difference so far
The speed is a bit different:
MacBook pro w/ Retina - ◦2.7GHz or 2.9GHz dual‑core Intel Core i5 or 3.1GHz dual‑core Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz MacBook - ◦1.1GHz, 1.2GHz, or 1.3GHz dual‑core Intel Core M processor, Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz

But maybe it's only noticeable in gaming/watching movies...

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FloridaCoastalorbust

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

Post by FloridaCoastalorbust » Mon Jul 06, 2015 2:36 pm

FYI the 13' macbook air is going for around $815 right now at Best Buy and with a special coupon - find the deal at slickdeals. Damn cheap.

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KMart

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

Post by KMart » Mon Jul 06, 2015 3:54 pm

FloridaCoastalorbust wrote:FYI the 13' macbook air is going for around $815 right now at Best Buy and with a special coupon - find the deal at slickdeals. Damn cheap.
Link?

Indifference

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

Post by Indifference » Mon Jul 06, 2015 4:31 pm

KMart wrote:
FloridaCoastalorbust wrote:FYI the 13' macbook air is going for around $815 right now at Best Buy and with a special coupon - find the deal at slickdeals. Damn cheap.
Link?
http://slickdeals.net/f/7959981-apple-m ... est-buy-fs

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

Post by MoonSugar » Mon Jul 06, 2015 4:49 pm

Do any of you have any recommendations for a cheap ($200-$400) laptop or notebook around 11-13" that can be used for law school? I have a desktop PC at home that I sank my money into this year, so I am just looking for something small that will run examsoft and is decent enough to handle light browsing and microsoft office stuff. I won't be using it for netflix or gaming or anything like that (that's what my desktop is for), so really I just want something lightweight, simple, and cheap.

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

Post by FloridaCoastalorbust » Mon Jul 06, 2015 4:49 pm

Regarding RAM: 4gb or 8gb? My brief research tells me that all the gear heads swear by 8gb or more, but 4gb - at least for the shit we'll do in law school - is plenty. E.g., I work in journalism and have a million word docs open with spotify and web browers, and at the moment I'm only using 2.54gb. So I think 4gb is plenty - right??

ETA: The most gb-intensive program I'll run on my law-school laptop is netflix.

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tortsandtiaras

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

Post by tortsandtiaras » Mon Jul 06, 2015 5:02 pm

FloridaCoastalorbust wrote:Regarding RAM: 4gb or 8gb? My brief research tells me that all the gear heads swear by 8gb or more, but 4gb - at least for the shit we'll do in law school - is plenty. E.g., I work in journalism and have a million word docs open with spotify and web browers, and at the moment I'm only using 2.54gb. So I think 4gb is plenty - right??

ETA: The most gb-intensive program I'll run on my law-school laptop is netflix.
I went with the 4GB

haus

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

Post by haus » Mon Jul 06, 2015 5:07 pm

FloridaCoastalorbust wrote:Regarding RAM: 4gb or 8gb? My brief research tells me that all the gear heads swear by 8gb or more, but 4gb - at least for the shit we'll do in law school - is plenty. E.g., I work in journalism and have a million word docs open with spotify and web browers, and at the moment I'm only using 2.54gb. So I think 4gb is plenty - right??

ETA: The most gb-intensive program I'll run on my law-school laptop is netflix.
4gb is likely enough for most law school students performing typical law school student activities, especially if you are willing to adapt your behavior (or allow your computer to make changes to which programs are running on your behalf).

Although last year when I purchased my Air, I opted for the upgrade to 8 because I have a habit of keeping systems for a long time, and the historical trend is that OSs and Apps get greedier over time.

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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 07, 2015 9:03 am

Spectre x360 should get mentioned here too!

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

Post by GreenEggs » Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:05 am

haus wrote:
FloridaCoastalorbust wrote:Regarding RAM: 4gb or 8gb? My brief research tells me that all the gear heads swear by 8gb or more, but 4gb - at least for the shit we'll do in law school - is plenty. E.g., I work in journalism and have a million word docs open with spotify and web browers, and at the moment I'm only using 2.54gb. So I think 4gb is plenty - right??

ETA: The most gb-intensive program I'll run on my law-school laptop is netflix.
4gb is likely enough for most law school students performing typical law school student activities, especially if you are willing to adapt your behavior (or allow your computer to make changes to which programs are running on your behalf).

Although last year when I purchased my Air, I opted for the upgrade to 8 because I have a habit of keeping systems for a long time, and the historical trend is that OSs and Apps get greedier over time.
Yeah I prefer to buy for a 5-6 year horizon, and feel that getting 4 GB today will require a refresh in 3 years.
Last edited by GreenEggs on Fri Jan 26, 2018 10:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Indifference

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

Post by Indifference » Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:47 am

Flokkness wrote:Spectre x360 should get mentioned here too!
That's what I'm going for. Debating the i5 256 and the i7 512. Just depends how much I want to spend/borrow

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

Post by stoopkid13 » Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:02 pm

DCfilterDC wrote:
haus wrote:
FloridaCoastalorbust wrote:Regarding RAM: 4gb or 8gb? My brief research tells me that all the gear heads swear by 8gb or more, but 4gb - at least for the shit we'll do in law school - is plenty. E.g., I work in journalism and have a million word docs open with spotify and web browers, and at the moment I'm only using 2.54gb. So I think 4gb is plenty - right??

ETA: The most gb-intensive program I'll run on my law-school laptop is netflix.
4gb is likely enough for most law school students performing typical law school student activities, especially if you are willing to adapt your behavior (or allow your computer to make changes to which programs are running on your behalf).

Although last year when I purchased my Air, I opted for the upgrade to 8 because I have a habit of keeping systems for a long time, and the historical trend is that OSs and Apps get greedier over time.
Yeah I prefer to buy for a 5-6 year horizon, and feel that getting 4 GB today will require a refresh in 3 years.
I never really understood this mentality...You're basically paying extra for something you don't need when you know the price is going to be much less when you actually need it.

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

Post by blueberrycrumble » Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:17 pm

Indecisive... trying to decide between buying a 13" and 15" .

Using an old 13" MBA right now; but I'm not sure if the 15" is worth it. Thoughts?

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Shelbinole

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

Post by Shelbinole » Tue Jul 07, 2015 7:59 pm

tortsandtiaras wrote:
Shelbinole wrote:
tortsandtiaras wrote:
KMart wrote:
Shelbinole wrote:Finally got my new gold MacBook yesterday! I love it so much, would def recommend.
Pro or Air?

Sorry if only one of them has the color options and I'm just dumb.
The color options are just for the "MacBook". Now there is the MacBook, MacBook pro, and MacBook Air...sorry if that's confusing.

I would NOT recommend the MacBook as the speed for it is actually atrocious. I recommend getting the pro!
I've had absolutely no issues with the speed and I also own a MacBook Pro and can tell no difference so far
The speed is a bit different:
MacBook pro w/ Retina - ◦2.7GHz or 2.9GHz dual‑core Intel Core i5 or 3.1GHz dual‑core Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz MacBook - ◦1.1GHz, 1.2GHz, or 1.3GHz dual‑core Intel Core M processor, Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz

But maybe it's only noticeable in gaming/watching movies...
Yeah they told me at the store that the only time I would notice any difference would be when downloading a large file such as new software update or a movie or something and even then it's still not gonna be bad. Even with streaming TV shows and movies I've had no issues and I don't game ever so no problem there either.

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IsThisForReal

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

Post by IsThisForReal » Wed Jul 08, 2015 9:22 am

blueberrycrumble wrote:Indecisive... trying to decide between buying a 13" and 15" .

Using an old 13" MBA right now; but I'm not sure if the 15" is worth it. Thoughts?
I have a Surface, so I think I'm gonna go 15
Last edited by IsThisForReal on Sun Jan 28, 2018 11:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

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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 08, 2015 9:36 am

blueberrycrumble wrote:Indecisive... trying to decide between buying a 13" and 15" .

Using an old 13" MBA right now; but I'm not sure if the 15" is worth it. Thoughts?
Talking mbp? The 15 is almost certainly overkill. A sweet machine, nonetheless.

I'd go 13 and get a big monitor with the money you "save"

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

Post by nreese970 » Wed Jul 08, 2015 10:00 am

I have a MacBook Pro but only because I built a desktop PC a year or so back: top of the line (at the time) with three monitors. It's nice to have both OSs without having to dual boot, but if I only had a Mac I'd probably go insane. It's so dumbed down for basic users it's a pain in the ass to do anything. I bought the most RAM and highest capacity SSD I could find--so it runs great--but the OS makes me want to pick my brain out with chop sticks.

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

Post by altf4 » Wed Jul 08, 2015 10:31 am

nreese970 wrote:I have a MacBook Pro but only because I built a desktop PC a year or so back: top of the line (at the time) with three monitors. It's nice to have both OSs without having to dual boot, but if I only had a Mac I'd probably go insane. It's so dumbed down for basic users it's a pain in the ass to do anything. I bought the most RAM and highest capacity SSD I could find--so it runs great--but the OS makes me want to pick my brain out with chop sticks.
Ok see, I'm a lifelong PC user and I think they're fine machines. Ultrabooks load and run decently fast, and my 2013 14" ultrabook still boots up in 8 seconds flat and runs like the charm she was mint fresh out of the box.

Most people I know (especially in the US) seem to be huge apple fans and can't seem to stop raving about em. It's almost making me wonder if I should jump ship to see what everyone sees.

However, I have had several generations of ipods and ipads, and my family uses iphones, and I can't stand the dumb things with their various limitations. Very few people see eye-to-eye with me.

Which is why it's refreshing to see a comment like this. So I ask you: why should I NOT get a macbook (whatever)?

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IsThisForReal

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

Post by IsThisForReal » Wed Jul 08, 2015 10:32 am

I'm the same way. Definitely pro-PC.
Last edited by IsThisForReal on Sun Jan 28, 2018 11:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

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nreese970

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

Post by nreese970 » Wed Jul 08, 2015 11:08 am

yeah everyone in the US has the biggest hard on for Apple products--except for the vast majority of techies (video, photography, and music nerds notably love Apple though).

Downsides: OS is annoyingly basic, lots of small limitations, no gaming, severely expensive, and it only works with other apple products.

Upside: Easy to use, works with products only designed for apple, pretty reliable, fashionable, lots of shiny cases and accessories in any store.

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

Post by stoopkid13 » Thu Jul 09, 2015 9:29 am

nreese970 wrote:yeah everyone in the US has the biggest hard on for Apple products--except for the vast majority of techies (video, photography, and music nerds notably love Apple though).

Downsides: OS is annoyingly basic, lots of small limitations, no gaming, severely expensive, and it only works with other apple products.

Upside: Easy to use, works with products only designed for apple, pretty reliable, fashionable, lots of shiny cases and accessories in any store.
I keep hearing the whole "easy to use" thing, but it's not like Windows is that complicated (although one of the pros is that you can make Windows complicated if you want). I mean, in terms of your day to day use--browsing, word processing--I don't see a significant difference. Is Microsoft Word that much easier to use on a Mac than a PC? Or Chrome (or Safari I guess)? What is it that's easier? I suppose you have some applications, like iChat or iCal, which do seem pretty convenient. Also, I'm not a huge video person by any means, but I found Final Cut Pro X much more intuitive and easier to use than Sony Vegas Pro 12, which is the only PC video editing software I've used.

But I think "fashion" and branding are probably the biggest reasons Apple is so big--and really they've done a terrific job with branding. IMO it's the same reason people buy Beats headphones--you're paying an enormous premium for the brand. If someone built a Linux computer with the same exact interface and specs as an iMac, there's no way it would sell like an iMac.

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