The Ideal Law School Laptop Forum

[blbs]

Quick question, if you stick with a mac, how much does a copy of windows cost to run for test time? (legally running it)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6832116511
$90. You don't need to buy a retail version. An OEM (original equipment manufacturer) copy is just fine. Its totally legit but designed to be sold included with a machine so it foregoes all the retail packaging. That is the only difference. The operating system is the same.

--LinkRemoved--

Also, and they don't like to advertise this, but if you buy a new Mac at the Apple Store and provide them with a SEALED copy of Windows they will do the entire boot camp setup and get the entire thing working. Turn around time should be no more than a couple of days. I'm not sure if this applies to all stores though or just the larger ones with on site technicians. If you don't already own a Mac, and especially if this will be your first Mac, it is well worth it. Boot camp is a bit of a pain to do the initial setup. Once done, however its great. Other options like Parallels and Fusion will not suffice for the schools that I've been accepted to but you should check your individual schools requirements.

[ddp]

If you get a Mac that has Office Pro with Virtual PC on it can you use Onenote?

[tempurabanana]

Thinkpad T400 with 9 cell li-on battery, MacBook 13 inch, or a netbook? Which would be the most practical? I'm drawn to just getting the 9 cell battery even though it will pack on a few extra ounces because HELLOOOO 10 hour battery life!

I've got a five year old 12" G4 Powerbook at home that is only now beginning to putz out on me, but for $150 I can get a new battery and some more RAM and bring the old girl back to life. I really love Apple computers for their longevity, but I've been leaning more and more towards the T400 or a Netbook just to make life easier with the exam software since I don't really want to buy a copy of Windows. Also, if I want to take notes using OSX but I have to take the exam using Windows, I;m going to need to buy two copies of Office, aren't I (Mac, Windows)? I'm trying to minimize headaches here.

Also, in terms of computability with exam software/general hassle - XP, Vista, or 7?

[sheltron5000]

Everyone buying a windows PC: please wait until either MS releases windows 7, or until you absolutely need to order your computer. I tried the beta on my netbook last week and it was amazing. SOOO much faster than vista, with less system annoyances, just a MUCH better operating system.

It's possible MS will offer discounted upgrades to people who buy a pc with vista inside a certain time period.

[djshack]

Thinkpad T400 with 9 cell li-on battery, MacBook 13 inch, or a netbook? Which would be the most practical? I'm drawn to just getting the 9 cell battery even though it will pack on a few extra ounces because HELLOOOO 10 hour battery life!

I've got a five year old 12" G4 Powerbook at home that is only now beginning to putz out on me, but for $150 I can get a new battery and some more RAM and bring the old girl back to life. I really love Apple computers for their longevity, but I've been leaning more and more towards the T400 or a Netbook just to make life easier with the exam software since I don't really want to buy a copy of Windows. Also, if I want to take notes using OSX but I have to take the exam using Windows, I;m going to need to buy two copies of Office, aren't I (Mac, Windows)? I'm trying to minimize headaches here.

Also, in terms of computability with exam software/general hassle - XP, Vista, or 7?

I'd recommend the T400, but maybe with a 6-cell battery for weight (still gets 4-5 hours battery life supposedly). I love Macs, but you can get a T400 better equipped for less money (look for a sale). Also, you won't find a tougher-built laptop, aside from those Panasonic ones. MacBooks are fairly well-built, but simply not very rugged (the plastic cracks, the aluminum bends/dents). The T400 also has an amazing keyboard, which is important with the typing you'll be doing. I could never get used to the flat MacBook keys.

Also, if you get a Mac, you'll still need to buy a copy of Windows. And finally, Windows 7 is pretty awesome, even in beta stage. True, it's not OS X, but it's definitely much improved over XP and Vista.

[IceAero]

I have now:

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np5797-cus ... -2540.html (older version though)

Going to get:

13'' to 15'' to take Everywhere

oh and

http://www.booqbags.com

they rock

[sheltron5000]

I have now:

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np5797-cus ... -2540.html (older version though)

Going to get:

13'' to 15'' to take Everywhere

oh and

http://www.booqbags.com

they rock

That saeger is intense, and for the price... How much does yours weigh?

[tempurabanana]

I'd recommend the T400, but maybe with a 6-cell battery for weight (still gets 4-5 hours battery life supposedly). I love Macs, but you can get a T400 better equipped for less money (look for a sale). Also, you won't find a tougher-built laptop, aside from those Panasonic ones. MacBooks are fairly well-built, but simply not very rugged (the plastic cracks, the aluminum bends/dents). The T400 also has an amazing keyboard, which is important with the typing you'll be doing. I could never get used to the flat MacBook keys.

Also, if you get a Mac, you'll still need to buy a copy of Windows. And finally, Windows 7 is pretty awesome, even in beta stage. True, it's not OS X, but it's definitely much improved over XP and Vista.

Good to know. I keep leaning back to the T400, just because it looks so damn practical. And at $900 on the low end, $1300 fully loaded, it's hard to justify buying another Mac (AND a copy of Windows). My poor Powerbook suffered a lot of dents from just being carried around for a year, so I'm definitely looking for something a little bit more rugged. Oh, if only I had the $$$ to blow on a Solid State drive.

Do you think we'll get 7 before the school year begins? I heard rumors about a May 5 release, but I doubt it's a full release.

And of course all this talk about practical and rugged machines has now got me trying to figure out the best sort of bag...hmm.

[djshack]

I'd recommend the T400, but maybe with a 6-cell battery for weight (still gets 4-5 hours battery life supposedly). I love Macs, but you can get a T400 better equipped for less money (look for a sale). Also, you won't find a tougher-built laptop, aside from those Panasonic ones. MacBooks are fairly well-built, but simply not very rugged (the plastic cracks, the aluminum bends/dents). The T400 also has an amazing keyboard, which is important with the typing you'll be doing. I could never get used to the flat MacBook keys.

Also, if you get a Mac, you'll still need to buy a copy of Windows. And finally, Windows 7 is pretty awesome, even in beta stage. True, it's not OS X, but it's definitely much improved over XP and Vista.

Good to know. I keep leaning back to the T400, just because it looks so damn practical. And at $900 on the low end, $1300 fully loaded, it's hard to justify buying another Mac (AND a copy of Windows). My poor Powerbook suffered a lot of dents from just being carried around for a year, so I'm definitely looking for something a little bit more rugged. Oh, if only I had the $$$ to blow on a Solid State drive.

Do you think we'll get 7 before the school year begins? I heard rumors about a May 5 release, but I doubt it's a full release.

And of course all this talk about practical and rugged machines has now got me trying to figure out the best sort of bag...hmm.

No, Windows 7 Release Candidate will be made available in May. It's essentially another beta, but it will run until August 2010 or so. Given the current beta, I think it'll be stable enough to run as your primary OS until the final version is for sale.

And yeah, Macs are not rugged. I've had two plastic ones (white iBook, white MacBook), and both have case cracking issues. Also, even the new aluminum ones are known to be "flexible" (scary) and get horribly dented. Just not worth the price for something I need to rely on for three years.

Edit: I think the final Win 7 is supposed to be available at the end of 2009 or early 2010.

[IceAero]

I have now:

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np5797-cus ... -2540.html (older version though)

Going to get:

13'' to 15'' to take Everywhere

oh and

http://www.booqbags.com

they rock

That saeger is intense, and for the price... How much does yours weigh?

They get a bit pricey, depends on the the CPU.

They make pretty much the best laptops ever though =) [AND you can open it up without voiding the warranty ♥]

Mine is around 8.5lbs and I take it everywhere. Battery doesn't last two hours though and 130W power bricks (almost literally brick-sized) are cumbersome, which why I need something smaller/lighter to take everywhere next year.

[ndmertens]

MacBook Pro 17"...8 hour battery life, cost...$2,600 after educational discount...makes sense thou since I might be paying 40k+ per year....

[djshack]

MacBook Pro 17"...8 hour battery life, cost...$2,600 after educational discount...makes sense thou since I might be paying 40k+ per year....

Makes sense to pay MORE for a laptop because you're paying A LOT for school? That's some interesting logic. So much for keeping the debt low.

[azlawlady]

MacBook Pro 17"...8 hour battery life, cost...$2,600 after educational discount...makes sense thou since I might be paying 40k+ per year....

Actually, that doesn't make too much sense (at least to me), but to each his/her own....

[djshack]

MacBook Pro 17"...8 hour battery life, cost...$2,600 after educational discount...makes sense thou since I might be paying 40k+ per year....

Actually, that doesn't make too much sense (at least to me), but to each his/her own....

And 17" is a lot to carry and fit on classroom desks.

Edit: Please don't quote me on that out of context.

[azlawlady]

MacBook Pro 17"...8 hour battery life, cost...$2,600 after educational discount...makes sense thou since I might be paying 40k+ per year....

Actually, that doesn't make too much sense (at least to me), but to each his/her own....

And 17" is a lot to carry and fit on classroom desks.

Edit: Please don't quote me on that out of context.

Beyond the size issue, I would be terrified to walk around all day with something that cost me almost $3k!!

[superflush]

well since i'm finally getting some responses on this thread, figured i'd bump my earlier post..does anyone want to fill me in on these netbooks? or tablets? i've seen people in analyst/sharholder meetings with slate tablets? anyone have experience with these?

The thing with netbooks is that they are made to be REALLY cheap and light, mine was $250 and weighs 2.25lbs. The main problem is how they make them so light and cheap. They use very lowpowered components, so any kind of video is tough, and they can usually only handle games that are at least five years old. Also, they don't have CD/DVD drives, the screens are small, and the keyboards can be cramped (though that is changing). If you have big fingers and/or poor vision it's probably not a great choice.

You can buy extra/larger batteries, as well as external disk drives/keyboards. But they are definitely not intended to be your only computer. I really like mine because it is SOOO light, and, unlike full laptops of similar weight/portability, netbooks are CHEAP. if it breaks, or someone dumps coffee on it, you just buy a new one for a couple hundred bucks. Nothing to cry about (if I had a macbook Air, I would seriously freak out about that stuff).

I plan to use my netbook in class, and buy a desktop to use at home for writing and watching videos.

If you are thinking about it you might look at the Dell Minis which come in 9", 10", and 12" sizes. I got mine (a dell mini 9) and really like it. I had a black macbook but I always hated carrying it around, at 5lbs it was just too heavy and too expensive.

Hope that helps everyone!

+1. They are a complement to your main computer usually. A lot of them use SSD which makes them more portable but have less storage. And they are usually running either Linux or Windows XP. Some have really small keyboards, but others are almost as big as regular keyboards.

[superflush]

another question for the more technologically sound than myself....

like i said above, i bought a very cheap computer....battery life is not great...probably about an hour and a half or so? can i just buy a new battery with better battery life? how much would something like this run me?

Go on the website of the computer, and find the model and see what the price is. Then, if you want go on eBay, but only buy OEM unless you're okay with it exploding.

[djshack]

another question for the more technologically sound than myself....

like i said above, i bought a very cheap computer....battery life is not great...probably about an hour and a half or so? can i just buy a new battery with better battery life? how much would something like this run me?

Go on the website of the computer, and find the model and see what the price is. Then, if you want go on eBay, but only buy OEM unless you're okay with it exploding.

And hope the OEM isn't made by LG (exploding batteries on Apple laptops and LG phones, all made by LG).

[Masternater9]

I'm thinking I will pick up the Lenovo X200 ultraportable. With a nine cell battery it only weighs 3.5 lbs. Plus it has a full size keyboard. Should be pretty sweet.

[azlawlady]

Anybody have any experiences with Dell Certified Refurbished computers?

[blbs]

If you get a Mac that has Office Pro with Virtual PC on it can you use Onenote?

Yes. Virtual PC is for old, non-intel machines. But using Parallels, Fusion, or Boot Camp will let you run Onenote.

Also, if I want to take notes using OSX but I have to take the exam using Windows, I;m going to need to buy two copies of Office, aren't I (Mac, Windows)?

I don't know if you need Office to take the exams. My understanding is that it is through proprietary software that locks you out, hence the reason you need to boot into Windows.
Also check out Open Office, both on the Mac and PC sides. It's free and works pretty well. http://www.openoffice.org/

[superflush]

I don't know if you need Office to take the exams. My understanding is that it is through proprietary software that locks you out, hence the reason you need to boot into Windows.

My understanding as well.

[superflush]

Also, if I want to take notes using OSX but I have to take the exam using Windows, I;m going to need to buy two copies of Office, aren't I (Mac, Windows)? I'm trying to minimize headaches here.

Not necessarily, you could always buy 0 copies of office. Or perhaps you already have one. Or just decide which OS who want to do notes and papers in, and have 1 office (ie. just on OS X)

[22204]

Any thoughts on the Acer Aspire One Notebooks?

[superflush]

Also, if I want to take notes using OSX but I have to take the exam using Windows, I;m going to need to buy two copies of Office, aren't I (Mac, Windows)? I'm trying to minimize headaches here.

Not necessarily, you could always buy 0 copies of office. Or perhaps you already have one. Or just decide which OS who want to do notes and papers in, and have 1 office (ie. just on OS X)

Also, be aware that you can snag Office 2007 for Windows for $60 from Microsoft with a student discount. I did this in late 07: http://www.microsoft.com/student/discou ... fault.aspx