Tell me this is a bad idea (laptop-related)... Forum

[idfatq]

I will be a 1L this Fall. I will be using the computer to take notes, surf the web, watch the occasional dvd, and listen to music. I'm planning on buying one of the cheapest 13"~15" laptops on newegg or bestbuy, which seems to run 300~500 dollars. I am also planning on buying microsoft office + microsoft one note.

Am I missing something? Am I bound to have my laptop crash during exams? Is my 2.0GHz 2GB RAM PC going to fail miserably loading one note? Should I be buying something more expensive?

Please tell me if this is a bad idea...

(i know there's a search function, I've read the pages and pages of laptop threads and they all start going off on crazy tangents about unix-based servers and i5 processors and SSD drives etc. basically things that are irrelevant to me.)

[Fresh]

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/

[AntipodeanPhil]

A cheap new laptop will be fine, imho. 2 gb of ram is plenty for Word, et cetera.

Also, keep in mind that most of the manufacturers will do discounts for students - I got a good deal on an HP that way. Usually, all you need is a .edu email address. And schools often have licensing agreements allowing them to sell Microsoft Office to their students for much less than retail.

[homestyle28]

I will be a 1L this Fall. I will be using the computer to take notes, surf the web, watch the occasional dvd, and listen to music. I'm planning on buying one of the cheapest 13"~15" laptops on newegg or bestbuy, which seems to run 300~500 dollars. I am also planning on buying microsoft office + microsoft one note.

Am I missing something? Am I bound to have my laptop crash during exams? Is my 2.0GHz 2GB RAM PC going to fail miserably loading one note? Should I be buying something more expensive?

Please tell me if this is a bad idea...

(i know there's a search function, I've read the pages and pages of laptop threads and they all start going off on crazy tangents about unix-based servers and i5 processors and SSD drives etc. basically things that are irrelevant to me.)

It's probably worth $50 to go on crucial.com and bump to 4gb ram, but otherwise you'll be fine.

[idfatq]

Thanks for the replies. Any other programs I should make sure I have other than Office and One Note?

[glitched]

Thanks for the replies. Any other programs I should make sure I have other than Office and One Note?

starcraft 2

[03121202698008]

Make sure the keyboard is absolutely comfortable to type on.

[bk1]

A $500 laptop from a reliable manufacturer (e.g. ASUS, Lenovo Thinkpad series, etc) will be more than fine.

[idfatq]

Thanks. Basically I was going to put down the big money and get the macbook pro until I learned that it's gonna get a HUGE upgrade in fall 2012. So now I'm just looking for something that'll work for my 1L year, while spending as little money as possible. Lenovo or ASUS's cheapest model it is.... (with a comfortable keyboard and at least 13" of screen). Any other advice/

[bp shinners]

A quick bit of advice based on several anecdotes from law school:

If the final is open book, print out all of your notes. The one time you don't do this, your laptop will crash during your final, causing you to both lack your outline AND the ability to type your final. At least with a print copy, you've got something to fall back on.

[gothamm]

Thanks. Basically I was going to put down the big money and get the macbook pro until I learned that it's gonna get a HUGE upgrade in fall 2012. So now I'm just looking for something that'll work for my 1L year, while spending as little money as possible. Lenovo or ASUS's cheapest model it is.... (with a comfortable keyboard and at least 13" of screen). Any other advice/

where did you learn this? are you friends with steve jobs?

[09042014]

LOL at discussing laptop upgrades over a year in advance. Computer tech is constantly upgrading.

For a law student a 400 dollar laptop is functionally equivalent to a mac book.

[idfatq]

Thanks. Basically I was going to put down the big money and get the macbook pro until I learned that it's gonna get a HUGE upgrade in fall 2012. So now I'm just looking for something that'll work for my 1L year, while spending as little money as possible. Lenovo or ASUS's cheapest model it is.... (with a comfortable keyboard and at least 13" of screen). Any other advice/

where did you learn this? are you friends with steve jobs?

no, i just have internet access. http://www.macrumors.com/2011/04/25/nex ... se-design/

LOL at discussing laptop upgrades over a year in advance. Computer tech is constantly upgrading.

For a law student a 400 dollar laptop is functionally equivalent to a mac book.

true, but i meant an actual design overhaul like the switch to the unibody a couple years ago. that's worth waiting a year for i think. anyway its good to know the 400 dollar ASUS or Lenovo won't disadvantage me at all 1L year. thanks for the advice errrbody

[glitched]

unless you already have a working laptop that will for whatever reason last only one more year, it is not worth waiting...


To OP: my laptop from 4 years ago still runs onenote without a problem.

[gothamm]

you said fall 2012 which threw me off. The redesigned ones should be out early 2012 at the latest.

[tehrocstar]

Yeah that's fine, I used a netbook all senior year to take notes in MS OneNote and it held up fine, actually seen a bump in GPA from efficient note taking.

[maxm2764]

no, i just have internet access. http://www.macrumors.com/2011/04/25/nex ... ase-design.

lol. Because rumor sites are always TCR.