Computers for Law School 2011 Forum

[bk1]

Trust me, I share your skepticism on the retailers involved. But considering that I was already planning on buying one of the new Sony Vaio S Series, and Best Buy actually offers them at a lower price than Sony direct does, I guess it just depends on the respective prices/offers for whichever particular model you're interested in...

Oh I didn't mean to say that it was definitely a bad deal. I just meant that overall it probably was because HP/Dell are bleh and MS/BB tend not to have the best prices. If you found something you wanted and it is a better deal than others then it is definitely worth it.

[Sandro]

What does everyone think about the Toshiba Protege R835 p56x? Its gotten some pretty good reviews (editors choice etc)
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/toshiba ... 49812.html

I want to spend under 1k, PC only.

[TheFutureLawyer]

What does everyone think about the Toshiba Protege R835 p56x? Its gotten some pretty good reviews (editors choice etc)
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/toshiba ... 49812.html

I want to spend under 1k, PC only.

I was deciding between that computer and the ASUS I'm on right now ( http://www.amazon.com/UL30A-X5K-Light-1 ... 081&sr=8-1 ), but went with this one cause I got it for $525. Though I'm happy with what I got, if I could do it over again I probably would get the Protege with the free 360 and then just sold the 360.

[bk1]

What does everyone think about the Toshiba Protege R835 p56x? Its gotten some pretty good reviews (editors choice etc)
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/toshiba ... 49812.html

I want to spend under 1k, PC only.

Seems expensive. Could probably save 200 bucks by getting a comparably equipped 14" rather than a 13-13.3".

My 2 cents.

[TheFutureLawyer]

What does everyone think about the Toshiba Protege R835 p56x? Its gotten some pretty good reviews (editors choice etc)
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/toshiba ... 49812.html

I want to spend under 1k, PC only.

I was deciding between that computer and the ASUS I'm on right now ( http://www.amazon.com/UL30A-X5K-Light-1 ... 081&sr=8-1 ), but went with this one cause I got it for $525. Though I'm happy with what I got, if I could do it over again I probably would get the Protege with the free 360 and then just sold the 360.

Actually, reading the tip from the link you provided, I'd likely get the Protege with the i3 instead of the i5 for $140 less ( http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+P ... &cp=1&lp=1 ). And of course get the 360 and then sell that sucker. That's a damn good deal.

[Sandro]

holy crap, good looking out - my 360 has been broken for over 2 years and I had been meaning to get a new one before LS. I just might order that one today.

[NeighborGuy]

Tried looking around for any posts on this, but in vain. If I missed something, flame me at will, then hit me with a link.

I already have a new-ish laptop that works great and should get me through LS, but the thing is a hulking beast. I do not relish the thought of lugging this thing around everywhere, and of course I am worried about the damage that inevitably will result by exposing it to the world. So I am considering getting a netbook strictly for outside world purposes like class and exams and such. Might even spring for the SSD. Thoughts on this? Product suggestions?

[071816]

My new T420 is sweet

[WayBryson]

Tried looking around for any posts on this, but in vain. If I missed something, flame me at will, then hit me with a link.

I already have a new-ish laptop that works great and should get me through LS, but the thing is a hulking beast. I do not relish the thought of lugging this thing around everywhere, and of course I am worried about the damage that inevitably will result by exposing it to the world. So I am considering getting a netbook strictly for outside world purposes like class and exams and such. Might even spring for the SSD. Thoughts on this? Product suggestions?

Dell makes a cheap little laptop that is just a shade up from a netbook. Slightly bigger and heavier, but with a better processor, a bigger keboard, and an 11 inch screen. The battery life isn't great, but it isn't horrible either. I plan on using it for exactly that purpose and using a nice desktop with multiple monitors at home. I wouldn't go for the SSD. For the difference in price, you can just buy a little external harddrive to backup your work. If for some reason the HD on your laptop fails, you can replace it with a new one for a comparable price to the amount you would have spent upgrading to an SSD in the first place. And either way, you will want your work backed up.

[justhockey31]

What size external hard drive should I be looking for if I am only planning to put law school related material on there (notes, outlines, etc)?

[beach_terror]

What size external hard drive should I be looking for if I am only planning to put law school related material on there (notes, outlines, etc)?

A flash drive.

[071816]

What size external hard drive should I be looking for if I am only planning to put law school related material on there (notes, outlines, etc)?

Dropbox.com

You get 2gb free. That should be plenty and you can access from any computer with an internet connection.

[justhockey31]

I have a 4gb flash drive already which I used thru UG...I should edit that I'm thinking I may also want to put my music on the external hard drive as well as I have gone thru my itunes being deleted before

[oldhippie]

got my lenovo edge 420 and love it!!!

and i'm also wondering about backup....y'all seem to trust dropbox pretty well? i was thinking of using dropbox then having a thumb drive or something for even more backup.....

[Eugenie Danglars]

got my lenovo edge 420 and love it!!!

and i'm also wondering about backup....y'all seem to trust dropbox pretty well? i was thinking of using dropbox then having a thumb drive or something for even more backup.....

I use dropbox, and I've had no problems. If it's really important, I just email it to myself in addition.

[northwood]

got my lenovo edge 420 and love it!!!

and i'm also wondering about backup....y'all seem to trust dropbox pretty well? i was thinking of using dropbox then having a thumb drive or something for even more backup.....

im considering the leveno edge 420 as well- what made you decide to choose it over the other ones? Im just looking for a dependable laptop that i can use to store notes, outlines and take tests. I dont do much web browsing ( and have an older laptop that has all of my music on it- so ill continue to keep that stuff there), but my current laptop is not totally reliable- but i figure its good to have a backup just in case. Im sick of having to replace a laptop every 2 years or so hopefully the next one i get will last longer than ls.

[oldhippie]

northwood - i have pretty much the same requirements as you do...i decided ona lenovo based on suggestions in here and good reviews, i want something that isn't delicate and that will feel good keyboard-wise...i chose the edge 420 over the thinkpads because of price, i didn't need all the extra power of the thinkpad and i got what i think is a really good computer for $550, shipping and all. arrived within 2 weeks and seems great, i love the feel of the keyboard and it seems nice and sturdy but still very light and portable.

[beach_terror]

northwood - i have pretty much the same requirements as you do...i decided ona lenovo based on suggestions in here and good reviews, i want something that isn't delicate and that will feel good keyboard-wise...i chose the edge 420 over the thinkpads because of price, i didn't need all the extra power of the thinkpad and i got what i think is a really good computer for $550, shipping and all. arrived within 2 weeks and seems great, i love the feel of the keyboard and it seems nice and sturdy but still very light and portable.

The Edge is still a Thinkpad, it's just not a T series with all the bullet-stopping capability. I've had mine for a year, still love it (Edge 14).

[oldhippie]

northwood - i have pretty much the same requirements as you do...i decided ona lenovo based on suggestions in here and good reviews, i want something that isn't delicate and that will feel good keyboard-wise...i chose the edge 420 over the thinkpads because of price, i didn't need all the extra power of the thinkpad and i got what i think is a really good computer for $550, shipping and all. arrived within 2 weeks and seems great, i love the feel of the keyboard and it seems nice and sturdy but still very light and portable.

The Edge is still a Thinkpad, it's just not a T series with all the bullet-stopping capability. I've had mine for a year, still love it (Edge 14).

yep, you're right
you'd think i'd know that, what with the words "thinkpad" on the front and inside of the computer!!

[beach_terror]

northwood - i have pretty much the same requirements as you do...i decided ona lenovo based on suggestions in here and good reviews, i want something that isn't delicate and that will feel good keyboard-wise...i chose the edge 420 over the thinkpads because of price, i didn't need all the extra power of the thinkpad and i got what i think is a really good computer for $550, shipping and all. arrived within 2 weeks and seems great, i love the feel of the keyboard and it seems nice and sturdy but still very light and portable.

The Edge is still a Thinkpad, it's just not a T series with all the bullet-stopping capability. I've had mine for a year, still love it (Edge 14).

yep, you're right
you'd think i'd know that, what with the words "thinkpad" on the front and inside of the computer!!

Haha it happens to the best of us. People typically use "Thinkpad" to refer to the T series anyway because it was the OG model.

[jjlaw]

Hey all- I'm looking at a T420i with free upgrades to 500GB HD and 4GB RAM and upgrading to an i5 processor. With a 10% off coupon, the total comes out at $863.

Good deal? Or should I wait for the next big sale on July 4?

[trudat15]

Hey guys have a quick question regarding parallels that hopefully some of you know the answer to.

if i want to run parallels to use one note, do i have to separately buy:
parallels
windows 7
office (to get one note)

?

Seems like a lot to buy on top of an already more expensive machine

[trudat15]

Hey all- I'm looking at a T420i with free upgrades to 500GB HD and 4GB RAM and upgrading to an i5 processor. With a 10% off coupon, the total comes out at $863.

Good deal? Or should I wait for the next big sale on July 4?

go on the slickdeals forums and search lenovo - someone priced that same setup out to $645

[haus]

Hey guys have a quick question regarding parallels that hopefully some of you know the answer to.

if i want to run parallels to use one note, do i have to separately buy:
parallels
windows 7
office (to get one note)

?

Seems like a lot to buy on top of an already more expensive machine

Sure, if you feel the need to run OneNote, but there are several native options for Macs.

[ResolutePear]

Hey guys have a quick question regarding parallels that hopefully some of you know the answer to.

if i want to run parallels to use one note, do i have to separately buy:
parallels
windows 7
office (to get one note)

?

Seems like a lot to buy on top of an already more expensive machine

Sure, if you feel the need to run OneNote, but there are several native options for Macs.

Circus Ponies sucks. That's all I have to say.