Is a netbook good enough for law school? Forum

[LaProfe14]

I love my fairly new HP Mini netbook because it's only 8.9 inches and weighs nothing. I can carry it everywhere and not feel weighed down. I have a pocket-sized "passport" external hard drive where I save all my stuff and have nothing on this netbook. However, I'm not sure if it's a good computer for law school being so small, not having a disc drive and sometimes not being able to view large pop-ups online. I REALLY want a MacPro, but it'll be big expense for me at the moment bc I have alot of bills.

Should I just splurge on the Mac? or will I be fine with the netbook? I'll probably get the Mac for 2L or maybe somone will get me one for Xmas lol

[JamMasterJ]

no. My cousin got one of those HPs for a semester abroad and loved it. It should be sufficient for LS

[Sandro]

I have a netbook right now as my only computer, I cant imagine using it full time in law school. I am used to a 22 inch LCD screen + laptop screen + keyboard setup, I can't imagine trying to type papers / read lengthy documents online on such a small platform.

Thats just me though. I personally cant understand how people can get work done on a laptop sitting on their couch, I have to be at a desk to feel like I'm getting stuff done.

[glitter178]

no. My cousin got one of those HPs for a semester abroad and loved it. It should be sufficient for LS

oh man, i wouldn't use a netbook. my laptop died shortly after i graduated UG and since i didn't need a laptop at the time, i bought an HP netbook for the interim. it is so slow and the functionality is limited. on top of it, there's no disc drive which is a pain. i don't even use it to check the internet anymore.
i'm buying a macbook pro for school, personally.

[Hippononymous]

Lenovo X220

[Norwood]

I have a netbook right now as my only computer, I cant imagine using it full time in law school. I am used to a 22 inch LCD screen + laptop screen + keyboard setup, I can't imagine trying to type papers / read lengthy documents online on such a small platform.

Thats just me though. I personally cant understand how people can get work done on a laptop sitting on their couch, I have to be at a desk to feel like I'm getting stuff done.

Completely agree. There's no way I'd be able to do my outlining or legal research on a small netbook. I have a pretty decent sized screen right now and i still find it annoying to have to scroll and jump between multiple windows/documents. Now just imagine wanting two documents open side by side (ie. your outline and your class notes) on a small netbook screen...

[belligerentfuture]

I have a netbook right now as my only computer, I cant imagine using it full time in law school. I am used to a 22 inch LCD screen + laptop screen + keyboard setup, I can't imagine trying to type papers / read lengthy documents online on such a small platform.

Thats just me though. I personally cant understand how people can get work done on a laptop sitting on their couch, I have to be at a desk to feel like I'm getting stuff done.

Completely agree. There's no way I'd be able to do my outlining or legal research on a small netbook. I have a pretty decent sized screen right now and i still find it annoying to have to scroll and jump between multiple windows/documents. Now just imagine wanting two documents open side by side (ie. your outline and your class notes) on a small netbook screen...

I have a 13" macbookpro that I couldn't live without, but my best friend has an 11" EePc as her only computer, and she does fine. It works with exam software and has held up fine in the almost 2 years she's been using it full time. As for screen size to see enough windows, I actually find it still semi-annoying on a 13", so unless you want to haul around a massive 15-17", it might not make that much of a difference. But, I am currently typing on said overpriced 13 incher, so who knows

[howell]

At the very least, get an external screen and keyboard/mouse for home use. Next step would be a cheap home system in addition to the netbook. That's the route I took - a netbook that does everything I need while at school and a desktop with a decent monitor that does everything I need at home all for under $1000 (does not include printer). But if you're going to be living down at school and/or the library all day, you might want to consider a larger laptop/netbook. Even the 11/12" screens are a big improvement. Also, if you haven't, bump the memory to 2 GB in the netbook - it's needed, and that setup has never been slow for me with documents, web surfing, etc.

[dresq]

I have a $300 netbook I have used exclusively for the past two years in law school. It is just as fast as any other computer when it comes to ordinary web browsing and word processing, and it's super-portable and light. Not to mention the battery lasts forever. The small screen can get annoying sometimes, but on the whole I have no significant complaints.

[AlabamaIceman]

0L here, but I used a netbook/desktop at home setup for my first 3 years of undergrad, and I hated it for every minute that I was forced to use the netbook. Maybe it's because my hands are pretty big, but I couldn't stand the small screen and lethargic response time to boot.

I wouldn't go any smaller than a 13" notebook. I'm thrilled with my current computer BTW, but I have no insight into law school-specific software and databases.

**posting from a 2010 15" MacBook Pro**

[Renzo]

Technologically, it would be fine. But there is too much reading in law school for such a tiny screen. You'll go blind and get migraines.

[zonto]

Just be sure to leave an external monitor in your locker if you actually want to be productive while you study at school. Plan on increasing your monthly baby carrot budget too...