Okay, I'm in, now I need a computer Forum

[CMDantes]

Hey all,

Subject pretty much says it all. I've started stressing 1l and want to get my law school laptop pretty soon, install onenote on it, and start familiarizing myself with the computer/software.

Objectives:
Must be a PC
I want something somewhat cheap. (1,000 US or below)
I want it to be lightweight but durable enough for day-to-day use. My old UG laptop is a clunker (pretty old) and I'm looking for something more sleek looking.
I don't want to do anything graphically intensive or anything. Just needs the ability to multitask fairly well (word documents, onenote, web browser up at the same time)

Any suggestions? Know of any nice deals? I'm planning on making this purchase sometime in February.

[ballpop]

Look at the new AMD Fusion/Zacate laptops...400-500 dollars and very powerful

[bhan87]

Unless you want to play games I would recommend a netbook for portability. You do NOT want to be carrying around a 17" monster if your main purpose is only for school related work. ASUS's EEE series is generally very affordable and reliable.

[cinephile]

I bought the ASUS K501 earlier this year and I'm really happy with the decision. It has a 17" screen, looks sleek and modern, and was a great price at only $500. If you do get this laptop, I'd recommend getting a mouse as well since its trackpad can be a little weird at times.

[joeshmo39]

I like Asus a lot, but based on what I've seen so far, most people opt for 14 inches. I have an Asus UL-80 that I like a lot. It's light, great battery (like 8 hours) and is fast enough for me. It has a pretty cut down C2D processor, but it has a mode that overclocks the CPU and activates a discrete graphics chip for more power. It's fast enough to play most modern games, you can find videos on youtube to get an idea of the settings if you are into that. I will say we've reached the point no matter how cheap a laptop is it's fine for law school use, so pick based on aesthetic or brand loyalty or what not. I think the most important feature though is build quality and hence would avoid Compaq and HP.

[ItsMyTimeBoston]

Hey all,

Subject pretty much says it all. I've started stressing 1l and want to get my law school laptop pretty soon, install onenote on it, and start familiarizing myself with the computer/software.

Objectives:
Must be a PC
I want something somewhat cheap. (1,000 US or below)
I want it to be lightweight but durable enough for day-to-day use. My old UG laptop is a clunker (pretty old) and I'm looking for something more sleek looking.
I don't want to do anything graphically intensive or anything. Just needs the ability to multitask fairly well (word documents, onenote, web browser up at the same time)

Any suggestions? Know of any nice deals? I'm planning on making this purchase sometime in February.

Contact the law school to see if they offer any deals through the university's Technology/Computer Services department.

[kalvano]

Asus UL-80. It's about $700 at Best Buy, and you can usually get deals on it.

Or a Lenovo, they have a student store with good deals.

[artichoke]

Why a PC? Macs work so much better...

[LurkerNoMore]

Unless you want to play games I would recommend a netbook for portability. You do NOT want to be carrying around a 17" monster if your main purpose is only for school related work. ASUS's EEE series is generally very affordable and reliable.

Not a netbook if this is your main/only computer.

You will probably want a full size keyboard and at least a 13 inch screen so that you can have two documents open side-by-side.

[ItsMyTimeBoston]

Make sure you buy a computer that's definitely going to last you all three years. You don't want computer troubles in the middle of exam week. I would try to buy the best Levono Thinkpad you can afford--it's really the proven portable business quality computer + they provide terrific service if your computer breaks down.

[ahduth]

Why a PC? Macs work so much better...

He said less than a thousand dollars.

[ItsMyTimeBoston]

Why a PC? Macs work so much better...

He said less than a thousand dollars.

My school sells Macbooks for less than $1,000. I don't believe you can run OneNote with them--that's the downside for me. Plus, once you get to a firm, I highly doubt you will be using a Mac and it might be wise to keep up with even minute changes in PC machines.

[bk1]

Why a PC? Macs work so much better...

Do we really need to derail a thread with stupid shit?

[rinkrat19]

Definitely check with your school's bookstore or IT department to see if they have deals. Also, most if not all of the manufacturers offer an academic discount of ~7-10% right on their websites.

Personally, I'm leaning toward a 15.6", Sony or HP. 14" would be ok, but any smaller than that and you're looking at compact keyboard. You'll be typing thousands of words in a few intensive hours on exams (not to mention taking notes in class)--think about whether you want to do that on a mini keyboard.

[CMDantes]

Thanks for the responses so far, keep them coming!

This isn't my main computer. My main computer is a beastly gaming rig with an i7 950, 6 gigs of ram, and a gtx 480. I got this around October last year.

So is a netbook really the best choice? I was thinking a smaller laptop would be better, like 15' screen, for visibility/comfort in typing/long-term viability. I want it to last me all three years of law school and beyond.

EDIT: My insistence on not getting a mac stems from the fact that mac people seem to believe its some weird cultural thing to be part of the mac consumer club. The little stickers on their car and such, drives me insane. Also, they're pretty overpriced for what you get.

[09042014]

Wait til next July to buy.

[rinkrat19]

Go to a store and try out the keyboards. Some people will be fine with a netbook. I personally would not be.

[bk1]

Thanks for the responses so far, keep them coming!

This isn't my main computer. My main computer is a beastly gaming rig with an i7 950, 6 gigs of ram, and a gtx 480. I got this around October last year.

So is a netbook really the best choice? I was thinking a smaller laptop would be better, like 15' screen, for visibility/comfort in typing/long-term viability. I want it to last me all three years of law school and beyond.

Unless you are deadset on being really cheap, I wouldn't get a netbook. They are slightly less reliable than a regular laptop and the cut in size just doesn't seem worth it when you're typing a long exam. I also dislike not having an optical drive built in.

While most people recommend a 14" or so, not too big not too small, I am in love with having a 15.6" 1920x1200 resolution screen. Being able to have two word documents up or a word document and a web page up side by side is phenomenal.

I think anything 14-15ish is fine. I'd go with Asus, Lenovo Thinkpad, possibly Sony.

[bk1]

Wait til next July to buy.

This as well.

[09042014]

One thing I wish I had, was on site warranty. My shitty ACER has an LCD problem, but it's still 100% useful for class. However, I can't send it in without a replacement for class and work.

[bk1]

One thing I wish I had, was on site warranty.

I had 4 years of Dell's on site gold support. That shit was really cheap when I bought it (2006) and has been well worth it. Dell has jacked up the price so its not cost effective like it once was, but damn the convenience is amazing.

[kalvano]

Why a PC? Macs work so much better...

Don't start with that bullshit. They don't at all, and OP specifically asked for a PC.

[kalvano]

Personally, I'm leaning toward a 15.6", Sony or HP. 14" would be ok, but any smaller than that and you're looking at compact keyboard. You'll be typing thousands of words in a few intensive hours on exams (not to mention taking notes in class)--think about whether you want to do that on a mini keyboard.

Sony and HP are overpriced garbage, and 14" computers have full size keyboards, just not number pads.

[canuck]

Why a PC? Macs work so much better...

Don't start with that bullshit. They don't at all, and OP specifically asked for a PC.

It is a valid point. Macs simply work better than PCs and there is a premium charged for it (no, the extra cost is not for aesthetics).

[09042014]

Why a PC? Macs work so much better...

Don't start with that bullshit. They don't at all, and OP specifically asked for a PC.

It is a valid point. Macs simply work better than PCs and there is a premium charged for it (no, the extra cost is not for aesthetics).

No they don't work better. They are designed to be slightly simpler but the average law student is more than tech savvy enough to run a windows PC.

Also there are some huge downsides. OneNote doesn't run on Mac. That's 90% of what a law student uses their computer for law school on.