Laptop Question from a 0L Forum

[ResolutePear]

Going with Mac partly because of the relatively low malware risk for the OS, partly because a relative's Powerbook is still going after 7 years of heavy use.

I can deal with malware and hardware problems just fine, but I think during LS I'd rather worry about something other than whether I can get a backup/reformat/reinstall done in time for class. Or about the time wasted just getting to the point where I decide a reformat is necessary. That crap takes an unbelievable amount of time.

Obviously, if you only need something to take notes on and aren't going to screw around, just get a netbook and try Ubuntu.

Also, I don't know about today's Celerons, but the ones they put in laptops a few years ago had zero power conservation features. I had a Toshiba with a Celeron; battery life was horrendous. Needed to plug in after 90 minutes when it was brand new. Not so much of a problem if you can assuredly sit near a plug, but the courses I was taking, this was not easy to accomplish.

Nah, that's all pretty much fixed.

I still say that OSX is one of the least secure systems with a market penetration over 1%.

[beach_terror]

[homestyle28]

Thinkpad +1. personally I'm going with the 12" x series, upgraded to a solid state drive. You don't need 500gb storage on a laptop, it shouldn't be your media machine anyway. Solid State = better battery life, faster boot/shut down faster application launch.

[2011Law]

I'm planning on getting a netbook no bigger than 10" and a really good carrying case for it.

[rinkrat19]

I'm planning on getting a netbook no bigger than 10" and a really good carrying case for it.

Make sure you can type on a mini keyboard.
I wouldn't go smaller than a 14".

[homestyle28]

I'm planning on getting a netbook no bigger than 10" and a really good carrying case for it.

Make sure you can type on a mini keyboard.
I wouldn't go smaller than a 14".

IMO the 10' netbook keyboard gets a bad rap, but it IS worth spending some time with one in person (they're at most major retailer these days) to get a sense if you'll really be happy typing an exam on it...or just get a USB keyboard/mouse for that.

[AreJay711]

I'm planning on getting a netbook no bigger than 10" and a really good carrying case for it.

Make sure you can type on a mini keyboard.
I wouldn't go smaller than a 14".

IMO the 10' netbook keyboard gets a bad rap, but it IS worth spending some time with one in person (they're at most major retailer these days) to get a sense if you'll really be happy typing an exam on it...or just get a USB keyboard/mouse for that.

I think external keyboards are always easier to type on.

[sophia.olive]

I'll be entering 1L in August of next year. Although I don't plan to buy a laptop until a week before I begin class, I'm currently browsing the market to get an idea for what's out there. Battery life is one of my concerns. Should it be? I expect that more people bring laptops to law school classes than UG. Do law schools design classrooms for this? Are there generally more outlets where one can plug-in his/her laptop? I ask because it will determine whether or not I go for a high-powered CPU. I know I'd be using this thing mostly for word processing, but I SIMPLY CAN'T STAND A SLOW CPU. I want four freaking cores.

I realize most of you have only attended one school can can't speak for law schools in general.

retake

[kalvano]

Going with Mac partly because of the relatively low malware risk for the OS, partly because a relative's Powerbook is still going after 7 years of heavy use.

I can deal with malware and hardware problems just fine, but I think during LS I'd rather worry about something other than whether I can get a backup/reformat/reinstall done in time for class. Or about the time wasted just getting to the point where I decide a reformat is necessary. That crap takes an unbelievable amount of time.

Obviously, if you only need something to take notes on and aren't going to screw around, just get a netbook and try Ubuntu.

Also, I don't know about today's Celerons, but the ones they put in laptops a few years ago had zero power conservation features. I had a Toshiba with a Celeron; battery life was horrendous. Needed to plug in after 90 minutes when it was brand new. Not so much of a problem if you can assuredly sit near a plug, but the courses I was taking, this was not easy to accomplish.

Stop surfing fetish porn website.

Good grief, what is with all the people who bitch about malware on PC's? Do you not take even the most rudimentary precaution? Download a couple f free programs and you should be fine. It's not that hard.

[kalvano]

I'm planning on getting a netbook no bigger than 10" and a really good carrying case for it.

I really tried to use one of those, and couldn't type worth a damn on it. You'll be typing the equivalent of short novels for exams, so that's a very important feature.

[joebloe]

[...]I still say that OSX is one of the least secure systems with a market penetration over 1%.

The fun thing is that the low market penetration actually enhances security to a degree. While it won't stop a targeted attack on you personally, because most viruses and malware are designed with the purpose of as broad a coverage as possible, it is a waste of their time to design a program to target Macs.

Stop surfing fetish porn website.

Good grief, what is with all the people who bitch about malware on PC's? Do you not take even the most rudimentary precaution? Download a couple f free programs and you should be fine. It's not that hard.

Yes it is that hard, and it's that sort of advice that the current producers of some of the worst malware rely upon. Uninformed people go and download the first program they come across, which just so happens to be a fake program containing a rootkit that disables your virus scanner and automatically closes any popular antimalware programs.

[kalvano]

Yes it is that hard, and it's that sort of advice that the current producers of some of the worst malware rely upon. Uninformed people go and download the first program they come across, which just so happens to be a fake program containing a rootkit that disables your virus scanner and automatically closes any popular antimalware programs.

No, it's not that hard, and if they do that, people are stupid.

The first three Google results for "free antivirus" are AVG, Avast, and Avira. Any one of those three is great and will protect the average user far more than they need. You have to either be monumentally stupid or willfully go out of your way to have major malware issues.

[beach_terror]

1. buy thumbdrive
2. put malwarebytes on thumbdrive
3. if you get shit, boot to safe mode
4. run malwarebytes
5. save 400$ because you have a brain and didn't need a mac
6. profit

[3|ink]

Isn't windows defender free? I've been using that for years and have never had a problem.

[kalvano]

Isn't windows defender free? I've been using that for years and have never had a problem.

Yes. It's very good, but I don't like it because it sends info to Microsoft and you can't turn it off.

[3|ink]

Isn't windows defender free? I've been using that for years and have never had a problem.

Yes. It's very good, but I don't like it because it sends info to Microsoft and you can't turn it off.

Damn. I guess windows knows that I like boobs. Bill Gates will have me under his thumb forever.

But seriously, it's a price I don't mind paying. I can understand why other people wouldn't like it.

[ach24]

.

[kalvano]

Isn't windows defender free? I've been using that for years and have never had a problem.

Yes. It's very good, but I don't like it because it sends info to Microsoft and you can't turn it off.

Damn. I guess windows knows that I like boobs. Bill Gates will have me under his thumb forever.

But seriously, it's a price I don't mind paying. I can understand why other people wouldn't like it.

It sends personal information to Microsoft. There are plenty of free programs that work as well or better without sending personal information.

The fact that you can't even opt out of it is ridiculous.

[ResolutePear]

[...]I still say that OSX is one of the least secure systems with a market penetration over 1%.

The fun thing is that the low market penetration actually enhances security to a degree. While it won't stop a targeted attack on you personally, because most viruses and malware are designed with the purpose of as broad a coverage as possible, it is a waste of their time to design a program to target Macs.

This the exact mentality I find in Mac users and I find it to be scary... and stupid, to say the lesser of things.

Saying that low market penetration enhances security is like saying you're putting 3,000USD in a paper bag and leaving it on the street. Nobody would think of anything other than rusty used needles being in there, and hence - a paper bag is as good as a safe.

OSX is a BSD system, but without "luxuries" like ipchains which formal BSD users not only have, but know how to use.. or at least have the capacity to learn it.

Hell! There are only.. what, 3-5 standard ways to gain full access to a mac you have physical access to? Or hell, there are always shell scripts you can easily make to exploit people over a connection for the same effect. OSX and security should never be spoken in the same breath - unless you really know how to work a Unix system, in which case you'd probably prefer another flavor on *NIX.

[joebloe]

[...]I still say that OSX is one of the least secure systems with a market penetration over 1%.

The fun thing is that the low market penetration actually enhances security to a degree. While it won't stop a targeted attack on you personally, because most viruses and malware are designed with the purpose of as broad a coverage as possible, it is a waste of their time to design a program to target Macs.

This the exact mentality I find in Mac users and I find it to be scary... and stupid, to say the lesser of things.

Saying that low market penetration enhances security is like saying you're putting 3,000USD in a paper bag and leaving it on the street. Nobody would think of anything other than rusty used needles being in there, and hence - a paper bag is as good as a safe.

OSX is a BSD system, but without "luxuries" like ipchains which formal BSD users not only have, but know how to use.. or at least have the capacity to learn it.

Hell! There are only.. what, 3-5 standard ways to gain full access to a mac you have physical access to? Or hell, there are always shell scripts you can easily make to exploit people over a connection for the same effect. OSX and security should never be spoken in the same breath - unless you really know how to work a Unix system, in which case you'd probably prefer another flavor on *NIX.

Equating Windows to a safe is scary. And I never said the low market penetration caused absolute, or even strong, security. Certainly not in the narrow terms you describe it--namely, protection from direct, planned hack attempts.

I'm about as worried about someone directly attempting to hack my computer as I am about being in a plane crash. It's a remote possibility that becomes substantially increased if you're a high-profile target. And I don't think Windows is substantially better in that department either.

I would tend to agree that security can be better with various flavors of UNIX and Linux, but only in the hands of someone who knows it, can maintain it, and has time to research all these things. As a 1L, I would much rather be learning the law than trying to figure out why my newly updated kernel won't boot.

[roranoa]

Samsung.

Cheap and practical. I think.

[dextermorgan]

Samsung.

Cheap and practical. I think.

Not this.

[Plan2008]

If your paying 45k/yr to go to law school, don't skimp on the equipment. That's like a pro soccer player buying their cleats at walmart.

If your a Mac lover, get a cheap macpro and an ipad to go with. The ipad will come in handy for reading text books, etc. since you can use kindle and pdf readers that will save you from hauling books everywhere and allow you to cram in trains, planes, and automobiles. It will also serve as a backup system if your laptop crashes. Oh, and it has a battery life of about 10+ hours.

Get an external drive as well for about 60 bucks and constantly back your shit up. I also like the smart pens with voice recorder. That's just me.

I run a 14" dell that I got at Costco for $400 bucks. It is a duo core, runs fast, decent graphics, and comes with 2 year warranty. I have an ipad which is way more useful than I every imagined ( and which would have made a macpro nice). I have a western digital backup. Total system: $1150. If I'd have went for a cheap macpro I'd be at about $1700.

Oh, and if you want to play games, join the army.

[dextermorgan]

If your paying 45k/yr to go to law school, don't skimp on the equipment. That's like a pro soccer player buying their cleats at walmart.

If your a Mac lover, get a cheap macpro and an ipad to go with. The ipad will come in handy for reading text books, etc. since you can use kindle and pdf readers that will save you from hauling books everywhere and allow you to cram in trains, planes, and automobiles. It will also serve as a backup system if your laptop crashes. Oh, and it has a battery life of about 10+ hours.

Get an external drive as well for about 60 bucks and constantly back your shit up. I also like the smart pens with voice recorder. That's just me.

I run a 14" dell that I got at Costco for $400 bucks. It is a duo core, runs fast, decent graphics, and comes with 2 year warranty. I have an ipad which is way more useful than I every imagined ( and which would have made a macpro nice). I have a western digital backup. Total system: $1150. If I'd have went for a cheap macpro I'd be at about $1700.

Oh, and if you want to play games, join the army.

Casebooks and the like can be read on an iPad?

[kalvano]

If your paying 45k/yr to go to law school, don't skimp on the equipment. That's like a pro soccer player buying their cleats at walmart.

If your a Mac lover, get a cheap macpro and an ipad to go with. The ipad will come in handy for reading text books, etc. since you can use kindle and pdf readers that will save you from hauling books everywhere and allow you to cram in trains, planes, and automobiles. It will also serve as a backup system if your laptop crashes. Oh, and it has a battery life of about 10+ hours.

Get an external drive as well for about 60 bucks and constantly back your shit up. I also like the smart pens with voice recorder. That's just me.

I run a 14" dell that I got at Costco for $400 bucks. It is a duo core, runs fast, decent graphics, and comes with 2 year warranty. I have an ipad which is way more useful than I every imagined ( and which would have made a macpro nice). I have a western digital backup. Total system: $1150. If I'd have went for a cheap macpro I'd be at about $1700.

Oh, and if you want to play games, join the army.

Casebooks and the like can be read on an iPad?

Not as far as I've seen.

Dell sucks, and there is no need for a back-up HDD. Just use Dropbox.