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Hey,
soooo

Bigscreen monster laptop vs. netbook for new computer vs. other big ticket item

Is there a serious advantage for a larger screen size while taking notes in class? Keep in mind that I could just bring in my older computer for exams.

Background:
-I am a small female with 0 upper body strength
-I intend to leave my heavy textbooks locked at school and keep a strict school/home separation policy (so it will make a difference on the amount I'm carrying)
-I already own a 13-inch computer (the grandparents are gifting me a new computer for graduation)

catwomangirl wrote:Hey, oooo

Bigscreen monster laptop vs. netbook for new computer

Is there a serious advantage for a larger screen size while taking notes in class? Keep in mind that I could just bring in my older computer for exams.

Background:
-I am a small female with 0 upper body strength
-I intend to leave my heavy textbooks locked at school and keep a strict school/home separation policy (so it will make a difference on the amount I'm carrying)
-I already own a 13-inch computer (the grandparents are gifting me a new computer for graduation)

What's wrong with the 13" laptop you have? To me, 13 or 14 inch laptops are about the perfect size for school. I certainly wouldn't want to lug something heavier.

albanach wrote:

catwomangirl wrote:Hey, oooo

Bigscreen monster laptop vs. netbook for new computer

Is there a serious advantage for a larger screen size while taking notes in class? Keep in mind that I could just bring in my older computer for exams.

Background:
-I am a small female with 0 upper body strength
-I intend to leave my heavy textbooks locked at school and keep a strict school/home separation policy (so it will make a difference on the amount I'm carrying)
-I already own a 13-inch computer (the grandparents are gifting me a new computer for graduation)

What's wrong with the 13" laptop you have? To me, 13 or 14 inch laptops are about the perfect size for school. I certainly wouldn't want to lug something heavier.

Since the grandparents offered, it seemed like a good idea....so you think instead I should get a desktop for working at home? Or is there something else that would be a better idea to ask of my grandparents? (They want to get a big ticket item...it seems tuition is out of the question).

Go for the monster laptop. When you are able to comfortably fit a WestLaw window on one half of your screen and a word-processing document on the other, you will thank me. I don't think 13 is big enough for this, you need like 15 1/2

Cupidity wrote:Go for the monster laptop. When you are able to comfortably fit a WestLaw window on one half of your screen and a word-processing document on the other, you will thank me. I don't think 13 is big enough for this, you need like 15 1/2

Thanks for the response!

So I have a stupid 0L question: Will I primarily be using Westlaw when I'm doing assignments? Will I ever be using it in class?

I've never felt constrained by using Alt Tab. Besides, at least at UVA, Westlaw does free printing. I prefer to have cases printed so I can annotate them.

You can always get a decent sized monitor for using at home with your laptop, but then you're trying to keep school at school so that might not work in your case.

I still prefer the smaller laptop. It's lighter and leaves room for books in my rucksack.

catwomangirl wrote:

Cupidity wrote:Go for the monster laptop. When you are able to comfortably fit a WestLaw window on one half of your screen and a word-processing document on the other, you will thank me. I don't think 13 is big enough for this, you need like 15 1/2

Thanks for the response!

So I have a stupid 0L question: Will I primarily be using Westlaw when I'm doing assignments? Will I ever be using it in class?

You'll probably never use it in class, with the exception of days when you haven't read for ConLaw. But I think you really should have a computer larger than 13 inches for doing your legal writing assignments, and then actual legal work during the summer or a clinic the following year, and it sounds like that means a large laptop unless you want to buy two computers or do all your work on the library computers. Most law schools have large wide desks where you have 3-4 feet of space to yourself, so it isn't like in undergrad where a large laptop is an uncomfortable liability and you have to balance it on some little foldout desk.

Cupidity wrote:

catwomangirl wrote:

Cupidity wrote:Go for the monster laptop. When you are able to comfortably fit a WestLaw window on one half of your screen and a word-processing document on the other, you will thank me. I don't think 13 is big enough for this, you need like 15 1/2

Thanks for the response!

So I have a stupid 0L question: Will I primarily be using Westlaw when I'm doing assignments? Will I ever be using it in class?

You'll probably never use it in class, with the exception of days when you haven't read for ConLaw. But I think you really should have a computer larger than 13 inches for doing your legal writing assignments, and then actual legal work during the summer or a clinic the following year, and it sounds like that means a large laptop unless you want to buy two computers or do all your work on the library computers. Most law schools have large wide desks where you have 3-4 feet of space to yourself, so it isn't like in undergrad where a large laptop is an uncomfortable liability and you have to balance it on some little foldout desk.

Should I take it that for actual legal-work/clinics I need to be able to bring the big laptop on-site?

catwomangirl wrote:
Should I take it that for actual legal-work/clinics I need to be able to bring the big laptop on-site?

I need mine for work this summer, and would also expect to use it for clinics next year.

Two things about a big laptop:

1. It's not just screen size, resolution matters too. Even if you have a 15" screen it's not going to be that useful if your resolution is 1366x768. It's also important to note that getting a higher resolution is one of the biggest ways you can increase the cost of a laptop.

2. I don't find split-screening that useful for legal writing. I mean it's nice, but I could live without it. What I do find it great for is exams. I don't know about other schools but we can have digital copies of our outlines open so it's nice to be able to have it side-by-side with the exam on my screen.

A netbook is too small to do anything but email and web surf, and they're also unreliable pieces of shit, built cheap with crappy components. The odds that it dies in the middle of a final are too good for me to risk.

I'm getting a 15" (actually probably 15.6") for school. This will be a step down from the 17-inchers I've had at home for the last 8 years or so, and it's as small as I'm willing to go.

The 15.6" I'm looking at can drive 2 external monitors, so at home it's like having a desktop. And it only weighs 5 1/2 pounds.

I don't care how weak you are, you should be able to carry 5 pounds.

rinkrat19 wrote:A netbook is too small to do anything but email and web surf, and they're also unreliable pieces of shit, built cheap with crappy components. The odds that it dies in the middle of a final are too good for me to risk.

I'm getting a 15" (actually probably 15.6") for school. This will be a step down from the 17-inchers I've had at home for the last 8 years or so, and it's as small as I'm willing to go.

The 15.6" I'm looking at can drive 2 external monitors, so at home it's like having a desktop. And it only weighs 5 1/2 pounds.

I don't care how weak you are, you should be able to carry 5 pounds.

Ability and wanting to are two different things.

catwomangirl wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:A netbook is too small to do anything but email and web surf, and they're also unreliable pieces of shit, built cheap with crappy components. The odds that it dies in the middle of a final are too good for me to risk.

I'm getting a 15" (actually probably 15.6") for school. This will be a step down from the 17-inchers I've had at home for the last 8 years or so, and it's as small as I'm willing to go.

The 15.6" I'm looking at can drive 2 external monitors, so at home it's like having a desktop. And it only weighs 5 1/2 pounds.

I don't care how weak you are, you should be able to carry 5 pounds.

Ability and wanting to are two different things.

Unless you have some sort of legitimate medical issue (I dunno, a disorder that causes an underdeveloped skeletal system or something), you need to be able to lift five pounds to survive in this world. I have a VERY hard time believing that any healthy person couldn't carry a 5-pound laptop. I've owned laptops that weigh more than TEN pounds. My first, back in the late 90s, was a beast at 14 pounds.

There are also Ultrabooks, which are (more or less) full-featured laptops built extremely light. They're also very expensive, but they're quality products, so they won't crap out like a netbook is likely to.

rinkrat19 wrote:Unless you have some sort of legitimate medical issue (I dunno, a disorder that causes an underdeveloped skeletal system or something), you need to be able to lift five pounds to survive in this world. I have a VERY hard time believing that any healthy person couldn't carry a 5-pound laptop. I've owned laptops that weigh more than TEN pounds. My first, back in the late 90s, was a beast at 14 pounds.

There are also Ultrabooks, which are (more or less) full-featured laptops built extremely light. They're also very expensive, but they're quality products, so they won't crap out like a netbook is likely to.

Did you read the comment above? There's a difference between being able to and wanting to.

I prefer to schedule exercise, rather than being forced into a workout at 8.28 because class starts in two minutes and I was late leaving home.

Your comment about being able to lift 5lbs is irrelevant for the vast majority of law students who'll be carrying many times that each day thanks to casebooks. Why make the load even heavier?

albanach wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:Unless you have some sort of legitimate medical issue (I dunno, a disorder that causes an underdeveloped skeletal system or something), you need to be able to lift five pounds to survive in this world. I have a VERY hard time believing that any healthy person couldn't carry a 5-pound laptop. I've owned laptops that weigh more than TEN pounds. My first, back in the late 90s, was a beast at 14 pounds.

There are also Ultrabooks, which are (more or less) full-featured laptops built extremely light. They're also very expensive, but they're quality products, so they won't crap out like a netbook is likely to.

Did you read the comment above? There's a difference between being able to and wanting to.

I prefer to schedule exercise, rather than being forced into a workout at 8.28 because class starts in two minutes and I was late leaving home.

Your comment about being able to lift 5lbs is irrelevant for the vast majority of law students who'll be carrying many times that each day thanks to casebooks. Why make the load even heavier?

I interpreted it as "I would like to be able to carry 5 lbs but I can't."

In any case, OP has already stated she won't be carrying her casebooks.

rinkrat19 wrote:

catwomangirl wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:A netbook is too small to do anything but email and web surf, and they're also unreliable pieces of shit, built cheap with crappy components. The odds that it dies in the middle of a final are too good for me to risk.

I'm getting a 15" (actually probably 15.6") for school. This will be a step down from the 17-inchers I've had at home for the last 8 years or so, and it's as small as I'm willing to go.

The 15.6" I'm looking at can drive 2 external monitors, so at home it's like having a desktop. And it only weighs 5 1/2 pounds.

I don't care how weak you are, you should be able to carry 5 pounds.

Ability and wanting to are two different things.

Unless you have some sort of legitimate medical issue (I dunno, a disorder that causes an underdeveloped skeletal system or something), you need to be able to lift five pounds to survive in this world. I have a VERY hard time believing that any healthy person couldn't carry a 5-pound laptop. I've owned laptops that weigh more than TEN pounds. My first, back in the late 90s, was a beast at 14 pounds.

There are also Ultrabooks, which are (more or less) full-featured laptops built extremely light. They're also very expensive, but they're quality products, so they won't crap out like a netbook is likely to.

Ultrabook sounds interesting.

I can lift a 180 lb person (1.5x my bodyweight)
I just find walking miles with extra weight doesn't feel good. I just don't like it.

When you lift this 180 lb person, what method do you use? Fireman's carry?

i would go for an expensive macbook air clone like: http://zenbook.asus.com/

you are going to want as light as possible, but keeping good performance (so no netbooks).

if you want extra space for writing assignments, buy/bring an additional computer monitor and plug it in to your laptop at home. not needed for class and you will be lugging casebooks etc. around on top of your laptop.

catwomangirl wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:

catwomangirl wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:A netbook is too small to do anything but email and web surf, and they're also unreliable pieces of shit, built cheap with crappy components. The odds that it dies in the middle of a final are too good for me to risk.

I'm getting a 15" (actually probably 15.6") for school. This will be a step down from the 17-inchers I've had at home for the last 8 years or so, and it's as small as I'm willing to go.

The 15.6" I'm looking at can drive 2 external monitors, so at home it's like having a desktop. And it only weighs 5 1/2 pounds.

I don't care how weak you are, you should be able to carry 5 pounds.

Ability and wanting to are two different things.

Unless you have some sort of legitimate medical issue (I dunno, a disorder that causes an underdeveloped skeletal system or something), you need to be able to lift five pounds to survive in this world. I have a VERY hard time believing that any healthy person couldn't carry a 5-pound laptop. I've owned laptops that weigh more than TEN pounds. My first, back in the late 90s, was a beast at 14 pounds.

There are also Ultrabooks, which are (more or less) full-featured laptops built extremely light. They're also very expensive, but they're quality products, so they won't crap out like a netbook is likely to.

Ultrabook sounds interesting.

I can lift a 180 lb person (1.5x my bodyweight)
I just find walking miles with extra weight doesn't feel good. I just don't like it.

Get a good backpack. If a pack fits properly and is designed well, you literally won't even feel five pounds.

laxbrah420 wrote:When you lift this 180 lb person, what method do you use? Fireman's carry?

haha not strong enough for that. My boyfriend bet I couldn't pick him up, so I did the hug-and-stand method.

Ahh classic
Anyways, 13" is too small.

rinkrat19 wrote:
In any case, OP has already stated she won't be carrying her casebooks.

She said she won't be carrying them to school. I often don't carry mine to school either. I still spend a good part of the day lugging them around with me, especially when I have back to back classes on opposite sides of the school.

albanach wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:
In any case, OP has already stated she won't be carrying her casebooks.

She said she won't be carrying them to school. I often don't carry mine to school either. I still spend a good part of the day lugging them around with me, especially when I have back to back classes on opposite sides of the school.

I had no idea that law school was such strenuous physical torture. Carrying books?? My god, that's one step away from working in a rock quarry!

rinkrat19 wrote:

albanach wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:
In any case, OP has already stated she won't be carrying her casebooks.

She said she won't be carrying them to school. I often don't carry mine to school either. I still spend a good part of the day lugging them around with me, especially when I have back to back classes on opposite sides of the school.

I had no idea that law school was such strenuous physical torture. Carrying books?? My god, that's one step away from working in a rock quarry!

rinkrat be trollin'

rinkrat19 wrote:

albanach wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:
In any case, OP has already stated she won't be carrying her casebooks.

She said she won't be carrying them to school. I often don't carry mine to school either. I still spend a good part of the day lugging them around with me, especially when I have back to back classes on opposite sides of the school.

I had no idea that law school was such strenuous physical torture. Carrying books?? My god, that's one step away from working in a rock quarry!

http://www.yourtango.com/201187037/coll ... -textbooks