Good Idea to Have Multiple Laptops for Law School? Forum

[rinkrat19]

I print out some things in PDF booklet format (my printer automatically prints 4 pages per sheet in such a way that I fold the stack over and staple it), but I try to avoid killing trees if I can. Plus you can't search a paper copy for text.

Every single lawyer's office I've been in has had two monitors, one oriented vertically. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

I don't like the asymmetry based on no rational reasoning. Is it just easier to read documents on a vertical screen? Maybe I should try it.

It's absolutely easier to read. An entire page of a doc or PDF fits on the screen at an easily readable size. It's magnificent.

[ph14]

I print out some things in PDF booklet format (my printer automatically prints 4 pages per sheet in such a way that I fold the stack over and staple it), but I try to avoid killing trees if I can. Plus you can't search a paper copy for text.

Every single lawyer's office I've been in has had two monitors, one oriented vertically. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

I don't like the asymmetry based on no rational reasoning. Is it just easier to read documents on a vertical screen? Maybe I should try it.

It's absolutely easier to read. An entire page of a doc or PDF fits on the screen at an easily readable size. It's magnificent.

I'll have to try it then.

[09042014]

I have dual 24 inch monitors both horizontal. Each screen can have two whole documents open. So I have four things open at once.

[patogordo]

I have dual 24 inch monitors both horizontal. Each screen can have two whole documents open. So I have four things open at once.

^ this is the only way to fly. the only advantage to vertical is that you can see more of a single document at once, which is admittedly useful because you'll often be editing the bottom portion of a document while referencing something at the top (e.g., writing argument while referring to facts). but you can just open the same doc in two windows and split screen it and do the same thing much more easily.

[kartelite]

Reminds me of the trading floor I was working on and we went from 3 monitors arranged horizontally to 4 bigger monitors arranged vertically. Everyone was super excited about the "new" monitors until we saw on the back that they were the ones being "retired" from our Singapore office.

[J-e-L-L-o]

I have a 23in monitor that swivels 90 degrees. Pretty awesome

http://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-VP2365W ... B002R0JJYO

I know its scifi, but still. Did you have multiple laptops in college? Just keep an external drive backed up with a clone. A 1TB drive is like 100 bucks or less now.

[eaternation]

I would highly recommend a second monitor. It's amazing when you are working on legal writing (having westlaw open on your tv/monitor ) or need to have multiple docs open for any other project.

I also have a second computer. Macbook pro for random browsing. A pc just for law school. There is no need for two though. I had the macbook pro from undergrad.

[Dafaq]

My Lenovo keyboard screwed up the other day so I took it to Best Buy thinking they would fix it (since I bought their worthless warranty). They just sent it off so I had to pick up a Toshiba they had on sale. So yeah, having a second computer ready to go, a good idea.

[redsox]

I've gone through pretty much the entire application process on my phone, without access to a computer. Maybe I'll just keep doing that in law school...

[09042014]

1) if you just want a computer with no distractions, just create another user account. It's effectively a new PC.

2) a nice monitor at home is great but what about working at school. The solution is to get a laptop with a 15.6 inch screen. You can place two full documents side by side on it. Ghetto dual screen.

[scifiguy]

I have two laptops, but it was kind of because I had to.

I am not sure what you mean by disadvantages. Like, what are you concerned about?

Hey. Forgot to answer this thread.

Oh...I meant like sometimes you might get some whacked out malware that can corrupt files, slow your computer, make it freeze...depending on the type of code. I've caught some really dumb malware before that totally ruined my laptops, so I figured maybe have a separate "for law school only" laptop where I don't surf the web or do anything EXCEPT save it for use on exam day (notwithstanding regularly scheduled updates).

Or is that too extreme?

I mean...I've actually had some malware before in the past that would freeze my computer and crash it. So, if that happened exam day it would suck.

[scifiguy]

I have a 23in monitor that swivels 90 degrees. Pretty awesome

http://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-VP2365W ... B002R0JJYO

I know its scifi, but still. Did you have multiple laptops in college? Just keep an external drive backed up with a clone. A 1TB drive is like 100 bucks or less now.

What's a clone? And would all this bee expensive? If so, I think a separate laptop might be better. You can get them cheap nowadays.

[03152016]

Yea, most of my classes don't allow laptops

How common is this? My handwriting is awful.

[sublime]

..

[J-e-L-L-o]

I have a 23in monitor that swivels 90 degrees. Pretty awesome

http://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-VP2365W ... B002R0JJYO

I know its scifi, but still. Did you have multiple laptops in college? Just keep an external drive backed up with a clone. A 1TB drive is like 100 bucks or less now.

What's a clone? And would all this bee expensive? If so, I think a separate laptop might be better. You can get them cheap nowadays.

Well if your hard drive crashes, you have to use your backup after reinstalling the OS. That can take up to an hour. Then you have to change all your settings that you like, then use a backup to get all your documents on your installation...takes hours.

A clone is an identical copy of your current system. If your hard drive crashes, you can use your "cloned" drive and still work on exactly the same system as you had before crash. All you have to do is use cloning software. Once the first clone gets backed up, then it just takes minutes to copy the changes since your last backup on the clone. And the clone is bootable so you can work off an external.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-clo ... ard-drive/

Usually its the hard drive that gets messed up on your laptop. Not the screen or keyboard. You can buy 1TB external drives now for 100 dollars. Instead of buying another laptop, just buy another drive and clone your hard drive for backup/emergencies.

[Florence Night]

It's definitely unnecessary to have two laptops.

[NYC-WVU]

I have dual 24 inch monitors both horizontal. Each screen can have two whole documents open. So I have four things open at once.

^ this is the only way to fly. the only advantage to vertical is that you can see more of a single document at once, which is admittedly useful because you'll often be editing the bottom portion of a document while referencing something at the top (e.g., writing argument while referring to facts). but you can just open the same doc in two windows and split screen it and do the same thing much more easily.

+1
Before Windows 7, I used two vertical monitors. Since Windows 7 my dual monitors are slightly bigger, and I use the windows key shortcuts to essentially have four active screen areas - typically arranged with: 1. Document I am writing. 2. Document I am responding to. 3. Document referenced by the document I'm responding to. 4. Email.

[jbagelboy]

2nd computer is clutch. Mine has died twice this year already, once during finals week. I seriously regret not bringing two.

[scifiguy]

2nd computer is clutch. Mine has died twice this year already, once during finals week. I seriously regret not bringing two.

Eeek, really? Sorry man! That sucks!!

I just know that malware is so rampant nowadays that probably lots of people have some on their computers without even knowing about it (even with anti-virus). I think I'll take your advice and my own as well.

After having a nasty worm totally destroy my last laptop, I am very much for having a "fresh" one for finals if I were to attend ls.

[First Offense]

I wish I had dual monitors. Would keep me from having to minimize Netflix constantly while outlining.

[helmsleyB]

Got a cheap (<$200) laptop on Ebay just before 1L. Same ubiquitous little HP model I used at my job before law school. I knew there would be cheap refurbished models available. I'd recommend doing something similar (though it'd also depend on the portability and utility of your current laptop).

I think the second laptop has been super helpful. Still running XP, but it's not like you need anything more than internet and word processing. The only pain is that exam software tends not to support the older OS that will likely come with a cheap rig, so I have to use my other lappy for exams.

Still, the second laptop reinforced a separation between work and leisure and helped keep me focused... for a while. Had the second laptop for a whole yr before putting any games on it, and by that time I was a 2L so I felt it was ok to play HoMM3 in class and never pay attention again.

[09042014]

Got a cheap (<$200) laptop on Ebay just before 1L. Same ubiquitous little HP model I used at my job before law school. I knew there would be cheap refurbished models available. I'd recommend doing something similar (though it'd also depend on the portability and utility of your current laptop).

I think the second laptop has been super helpful. Still running XP, but it's not like you need anything more than internet and word processing. The only pain is that exam software tends not to support the older OS that will likely come with a cheap rig, so I have to use my other lappy for exams.

Still, the second laptop reinforced a separation between work and leisure and helped keep me focused... for a while. Had the second laptop for a whole yr before putting any games on it, and by that time I was a 2L so I felt it was ok to play HoMM3 in class and never pay attention again.

Just create a work user account that doesn't have access to games and shit

[ManoftheHour]

2nd computer is clutch. Mine has died twice this year already, once during finals week. I seriously regret not bringing two.

Eeek, really? Sorry man! That sucks!!

I just know that malware is so rampant nowadays that probably lots of people have some on their computers without even knowing about it (even with anti-virus). I think I'll take your advice and my own as well.

After having a nasty worm totally destroy my last laptop, I am very much for having a "fresh" one for finals if I were to attend ls.

Malware? Just get a mac. Mine is 6 years old and it's never even crashed. I had to change out the battery once, but that's about it. Not saying there isn't malware for macs or they don't crash, it just seems like it happens a lot less often.

Jbagelboy's point is good regardless. I would probably get a second one for law school just in case. My roommate is in grad school and someone spilled coffee on her macbook and it fucked up. She was in the middle of finals and she had to go out and buy another one.

[scifiguy]

Anyone have problems with the "catastrophic" Heartbleed bug just announced?

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/heartbleed- ... 18588.html

On a scale of 1-10, security expert says Heartbleed is an 11, affecting EVERYTHING/EVERYONE on the web.

[haus]

Anyone have problems with the "catastrophic" Heartbleed bug just announced?

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/heartbleed- ... 18588.html

On a scale of 1-10, security expert says Heartbleed is an 11, affecting EVERYTHING/EVERYONE on the web.

Unless you know the specifics about a web site (what software they run and what their patch level is) you should assume that you secur communication with that site is simply not secure.

Hopefully major sites will patch soon, but getting honest/accurate/timely communications on this is likely going to be a challenge.