What kind of computer is best for LS? Forum

[r6_philly]

You shouldn't make posts referencing both your extensive computer experience, and the "SSH" that your "Mac Book" will come with. The latter precludes the former.

I failed to see the humor, please enlighten me.

If putting "SSH" in quotation marks wasn't enough of a hint, then you might just be beyond the reach of any enlightenment I could offer.

SSH is something you do with a computer, not something you put in it.

SSH = Solid State Harddrive. Actually it is SSD I mistyped since I call it harddrive instead of drive.

It is an upgrade option for MBP 15 and 17 over the 7200rpm 500G HHD's. Please spec out a MBP in the Apple Store to see for yourself.

I know what "ssh" is. Remember linux is case sensitive? Type in "SSH" at command prompt and see what happens. (Hint, it has to be lower case to work)

[bk1]

The fact that you don't understand the reasons don't make them illegitimate. There are damn good reasons for the issues you reference. If you had complained about the app store approval process, or some of their more draconian tendencies we might have a discussion on our hands, but referencing flash and un-swappable batteries is "doing it wrong."

Exam software on a mac is no different than it is on a PC because... (drum roll), you run it in a Boot Camp windows installation, which essentially transforms your Mac into a stellar PC. I have a squeaky-clean Windows 7 install up and running on my second hard drive, ready and waiting for examsoft. And it's not like installing the software happens the morning of the exams. You'll have all the time in the world to get things in order (even if you're the type who has to outsource your tech support to the guys with beards in the basement).

You are right that there are decent PC options. Lenovos are decent (if you avoid their budget lines), and some of the Sonys are nice. I specced an Asus out for my brother because he couldn't sport a couple hundred more for a mac, and it was certainly a decent computer. If you aren't comfortable with the "strangeness" of a mac, or you can't/won't spend the cash for one, then I'm sure you can find a suitable option out of the above brands.

As for me? I've found macs to be superior for getting work done, and protecting that work. I used to be an overclocker/water-cooler/hacker/tweaker, but I've found that these days I just want shit to work. I prefer having a real command line, and appreciate the benefits afforded by a Unix-based OS that doesn't need to be hacked together like even the best Linux distros do. The fact that I can do all that with a lighter, thinner machine that's not made of plastic, and that doesn't look like the bastard offspring of the beige boxes of old and the ill-imagined aesthetics of "the future" is ultimately what made my decision for me.

Having swapped 3 iPod mini batteries, I never understood why they didn't just make it easily accessible. Why must I pry apart their device to do something that is usually standard? Anyways that is besides the point of this thread.

As for Boot Camp and exam software, I understand all of that. I was referencing the small small chance that something catastrophic happens during the test where people have said that a PC will get support for that event while a Mac user will be sol.

Aesthetically I can completely understand getting a Mac, I doubt anybody will argue this. Having used a desktop most of the time, I like being able to tweak though.

[Chupavida]

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[r6_philly]

You shouldn't make posts referencing both your extensive computer experience, and the "SSH" that your "Mac Book" will come with. The latter precludes the former.

I failed to see the humor, please enlighten me.

If putting "SSH" in quotation marks wasn't enough of a hint, then you might just be beyond the reach of any enlightenment I could offer.

SSH is something you do with a computer, not something you put in it.
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=SSH

--ImageRemoved--

[Chupavida]

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[r6_philly]

Sorry, acronyms are customarily capitalized when referenced. But good effort.

Also, what you seem to be talking about is SSD technology. For you to refer to SSD drives as "SSH" drives makes me wonder what cave YOU have been hiding in. You might consider skimming the relevant wikipedia articles to familiarize yourself with the terminology.

It's quite alright, wikipedia is not peer reviewed. Make fun of me on a bad acronym all you want, I concede that I made a mistake. (I edited above, I have been referring it to solid state harddrive - I use that term at work because I specifically mean harddrive over a drive like a external drive)

Unfortunately it doesn't really mean anything I said was false.

[Chupavida]

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[r6_philly]

Doesn't make me right, but ... Just so you know, where I got the mixed up acronym from at work.

http://tech.spotcoolstuff.com/seagate-m ... ssd-hybrid

The SSH stuck with me even though I remembered it wrong.

Should I resign from my job now? I am obviously not as geeky as you are... so I will return to my traditional role of writing software and leave the mac worship to you.

[Chupavida]

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[r6_philly]

Doesn't make me right, but ... Just so you know, where I got the mixed up acronym from at work.

http://tech.spotcoolstuff.com/seagate-m ... ssd-hybrid

Yeah, a hybrid that includes both technologies. Still, SSDs have been SSDs for a long-ass time. They have never been SSHes, or any iteration thereof. It's just not the mistake somebody even remotely familiar with the industry would make.

with what industry? I don't deal with hardware, I use it. My system admin works with hardware vendors and I write software. I sold hardware in the 90's...

Would you be happier if I admit that I work at McD's? I am sorry I happen to be well established and accomplished person in the "industry"...

[Chupavida]

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[r6_philly]

Thank you. I admitted I was off a letter, there is no need to attempt to reassign my profession.

[fosterp]

All this talk of reliability doesn't have much merit in terms of electronics. They have very few if any moving parts and if a component is defective the defect will become apparent very quickly. If it is not defective it will generally last a very long time (longer than most people make use of their computers). The only real thing you can talk about in terms of quality of parts is how much physical abuse the computer can take before things start breaking. So if your one to treat your laptop like an old textbook then yeah you might have problems with cheap parts, but if you treat it like a computer, it will usually last, no matter the make. That said, there are a few parts that DO move and do suffer from quality of workmanship issues after the warranty. That is, the hard drive, fans, keyboard, mouse.

The idea of computers being more vulnerable to software problems like spyware/viruses are wholly to blame on the user or software being used. It has nothing to do with the hardware, and generally you can use most any software with any hardware.

[Bosque]

Write in for a 17" MacBook Pro. Go big or go home.

[HazelEyes]

I LOVE my shiny blue, 64 bit, super-speedy, totally pimped out, industrial grade Dell. But is someone would have told me all the cool kids and 70% of my law school would have Macs, I would have gotten a Mac too.

Get a Mac, look like a cool kid, cause law school is just junior high with higher stakes.

Damn it.

[GettingReady2010]

Something fairly portable, nothing bigger than 15", imo. Something rugged. It gets trucked back and forth - you'll want it to be made out of as little cheap plastic as possible. (This is why I love the MBP unibody). Something decent - and by decent I don't mean brand name, necessarily. You want the components to be good ones. Especially shit like the hard drive and motherboard. Last thing you want is (a)data loss or (b)time without a computer. This, unfortunately, means spending more than $400 at best buy. Brands that are good include: Lenovo, Apple, Some higher end Dells, and last time I checked, some of the higher end HPs though I hear they are on the decline. Check customer ratings from Amazon on whichever you are looking at.

Also, I love my Apple but I can understand some that hate the idea of messing with Bootcamp for Exam software.

I heard that MBPs weren't really any more durable. In fact, I head that they are less able to absorb shock should you drop it. The person who said this, however, may have had no idea what they were talking about.

[dextermorgan]

Something fairly portable, nothing bigger than 15", imo. Something rugged. It gets trucked back and forth - you'll want it to be made out of as little cheap plastic as possible. (This is why I love the MBP unibody). Something decent - and by decent I don't mean brand name, necessarily. You want the components to be good ones. Especially shit like the hard drive and motherboard. Last thing you want is (a)data loss or (b)time without a computer. This, unfortunately, means spending more than $400 at best buy. Brands that are good include: Lenovo, Apple, Some higher end Dells, and last time I checked, some of the higher end HPs though I hear they are on the decline. Check customer ratings from Amazon on whichever you are looking at.

Also, I love my Apple but I can understand some that hate the idea of messing with Bootcamp for Exam software.

I heard that MBPs weren't really any more durable. In fact, I head that they are less able to absorb shock should you drop it. The person who said this, however, may have had no idea what they were talking about.

I have dropped my unibody several times. Only once did it dent, and it has returned to normal since.

[judgeholden]

Write in for a 17" MacBook Pro. Go big or go home.

6.6lbs.

Throw that in a bag with all the stupidly heavy law books and you'll be miserable.
I had a 15.4" that weighed about a pound and a half more than that and hated carrying it around. Hated it more than anything in the world. Most of my books were digital, and those that weren't stayed at home, yet I still hated it.

If your books aren't digital then you really don't need much screen real estate. Go small. Go 12.1-14". No reason to get more than those. If you really feel you'll need more space just buy a monitor to plug into back in your apartment. For back and forth with school, though, weight really matters more than anything else. A 3.6lbs 12.1 laptop is perfect for note taking in class.

[Bosque]

Write in for a 17" MacBook Pro. Go big or go home.

6.6lbs.

Throw that in a bag with all the stupidly heavy law books and you'll be miserable.
I had a 15.4" that weighed about a pound and a half more than that and hated carrying it around. Hated it more than anything in the world. Most of my books were digital, and those that weren't stayed at home, yet I still hated it.

If your books aren't digital then you really don't need much screen real estate. Go small. Go 12.1-14". No reason to get more than those. If you really feel you'll need more space just buy a monitor to plug into back in your apartment. For back and forth with school, though, weight really matters more than anything else. A 3.6lbs 12.1 laptop is perfect for note taking in class.

Meh. Maybe it is because I was used to carrying around a Dell which weighed almost twice as much before I got this computer, but I don't notice the weight. And it is worth it for the giant screen. When I write I always have 4 or 5 windows open. It is nice to be able to look at more than one at a time.

[judgeholden]

Write in for a 17" MacBook Pro. Go big or go home.

6.6lbs.

Throw that in a bag with all the stupidly heavy law books and you'll be miserable.
I had a 15.4" that weighed about a pound and a half more than that and hated carrying it around. Hated it more than anything in the world. Most of my books were digital, and those that weren't stayed at home, yet I still hated it.

If your books aren't digital then you really don't need much screen real estate. Go small. Go 12.1-14". No reason to get more than those. If you really feel you'll need more space just buy a monitor to plug into back in your apartment. For back and forth with school, though, weight really matters more than anything else. A 3.6lbs 12.1 laptop is perfect for note taking in class.

Meh. Maybe it is because I was used to carrying around a Dell which weighed almost twice as much before I got this computer, but I don't notice the weight. And it is worth it for the giant screen. When I write I always have 4 or 5 windows open. It is nice to be able to look at more than one at a time.

But how often do you do that on the go?


I have 2 24" LCDs at home. Will likely get a third at some point. I understand the value of massive desktop real estate.
But I also realize the value of extreme mobility. You buy a laptop to be mobile. You can spend less money and get a desktop to stay in one place. I've got the huge desktop for most of my work, a 14" laptop for when I need to be somewhere and be productive, and a netbook for when I need to be somewhere and simply need internet, email, Word and some light Excel (this is the one that travels with me most, the other laptop tends to literally be on my lap when I'm on the couch but only rarely leaves the house with me.)


Look, you paid $2300 for your MBP. That's $500 over the 15". $1100 over the 13"
The better solution for most people would be to get the 13" for half the price and use that on the go. It's perfect for internet and note taking, and it weighs nothing. Use that extra $1100 to buy a giant monitor and pocket the cash. Or buy a $700 desktop PC with two giant monitors and still pocket some cash.

Unless you're actually doing a major amount of work on the road a 17" laptop is an enormously heavy waste. Sure, some people actually do a lot of work on the go, but most buy an enormously heavy, enormously expensive laptop and end up using most of its power while sitting at a desk at home. It's so beyond counter-intuitive it makes my brain hurt.

[ashejane]

OP- You had mentioned a netbook. I love mine. I love, love, love, mine. Portability was one of my top concerns, so a netbook was the perfect choice for me. It's teensy and not the least bit powerful, but for me its main tasks are writing and researching, and for those it's more than sufficient. Be sure to try one out in store first, some people can't adapt to the small keyboard but I haven't had a problem. Mine fits in my purse, weighs next to nothing, and comes with me everywhere. Did I mention I love my netbook?

[Bosque]

Write in for a 17" MacBook Pro. Go big or go home.

6.6lbs.

Throw that in a bag with all the stupidly heavy law books and you'll be miserable.
I had a 15.4" that weighed about a pound and a half more than that and hated carrying it around. Hated it more than anything in the world. Most of my books were digital, and those that weren't stayed at home, yet I still hated it.

If your books aren't digital then you really don't need much screen real estate. Go small. Go 12.1-14". No reason to get more than those. If you really feel you'll need more space just buy a monitor to plug into back in your apartment. For back and forth with school, though, weight really matters more than anything else. A 3.6lbs 12.1 laptop is perfect for note taking in class.

Meh. Maybe it is because I was used to carrying around a Dell which weighed almost twice as much before I got this computer, but I don't notice the weight. And it is worth it for the giant screen. When I write I always have 4 or 5 windows open. It is nice to be able to look at more than one at a time.

But how often do you do that on the go?


I have 2 24" LCDs at home. Will likely get a third at some point. I understand the value of massive desktop real estate.
But I also realize the value of extreme mobility. You buy a laptop to be mobile. You can spend less money and get a desktop to stay in one place. I've got the huge desktop for most of my work, a 14" laptop for when I need to be somewhere and be productive, and a netbook for when I need to be somewhere and simply need internet, email, Word and some light Excel (this is the one that travels with me most, the other laptop tends to literally be on my lap when I'm on the couch but only rarely leaves the house with me.)


Look, you paid $2300 for your MBP. That's $500 over the 15". $1100 over the 13"
The better solution for most people would be to get the 13" for half the price and use that on the go. It's perfect for internet and note taking, and it weighs nothing. Use that extra $1100 to buy a giant monitor and pocket the cash. Or buy a $700 desktop PC with two giant monitors and still pocket some cash.

Unless you're actually doing a major amount of work on the road a 17" laptop is an enormously heavy waste. Sure, some people actually do a lot of work on the go, but most buy an enormously heavy, enormously expensive laptop and end up using most of its power while sitting at a desk at home. It's so beyond counter-intuitive it makes my brain hurt.

How often do you work at home?

I don't know about you, but I hardly ever do my law work at home. Most of the time, it is at the law library. Easier to focus there. And when I do work at home, I like to move around to different rooms of my house. The changes in scenery help me keep fresh. Since I do so much of my work in odd locations, it is invaluable to have a large monitor in mobile form.

Some people do all their work at their desk at home. Your advice works for them. However, for me it doesn't work.