Mac Pro or Mac Air for law school? Reading on comp? Forum

[1e4]

How much reading in law school is done on the computer? If it's a fair amount i'm going to get the Pro for the retina display. If not the 3 extra hrs of battery life on the Air might just be better.

[ilikebaseball]

I don't really think it matters. People tend to like both. My pro has done me just fine and I've had it 4 years now. I never really worry about the battery life because if I have any doubt on whether the battery isn't gonna last I just take my charger with me because every place I go has an outlet if need be.

[Mal Reynolds]

It doesn't matter.

[1e4]

Is there anything done in law school that would make having a monitor useful? Thinking about bringing mine, just curious how much actual work is done on the comp.

[Mal Reynolds]

Is there anything done in law school that would make having a monitor useful? Thinking about bringing mine, just curious how much actual work is done on the comp.

Have you been to college? It's like college. Law school doesn't require Nasa Launch Control.

[wingding]

Here's what I use:

[Crowing]

How much reading in law school is done on the computer? If it's a fair amount i'm going to get the Pro for the retina display. If not the 3 extra hrs of battery life on the Air might just be better.

At my school most reading is in books. Some is on the computer, but some people like to print all that out. I don't print anything and just read off my MBA.

[uncreative]

Is it useful to get the larger screen 15" instead of the 13"? Thinking there may be times it would be useful to be able to put two windows side by side...but otherwise happy to save the money and not carry around a large machine.

[Ti Malice]

The new Pro is not that heavy/bulky. I like a bigger screen, and the Retina display is amazing. My eyes feel much less fatigued after long periods of staring at the screen.

[uncreative]

The new Pro is not that heavy/bulky. I like a bigger screen, and the Retina display is amazing. My eyes feel much less fatigued after long periods of staring at the screen.

Is the screen big enough to stack two windows next to each other comfortably? I have the 13" MBA which is too small and the 24" iMac which is going to be hard to get used to not having anymore.

[Crowing]

Is it useful to get the larger screen 15" instead of the 13"? Thinking there may be times it would be useful to be able to put two windows side by side...but otherwise happy to save the money and not carry around a large machine.

I have a 13" screen and always have two windows side by side. Unless you are like farsighted it shouldn't be an issue.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

I have an Air. I don't think you need anything more than this, but I'm sure pro is better in some ways and retina display etc.

[blueapple]

I use an 11" Macbook Air and also have a monitor on my desk. Having the extra screen is really useful when researching and writing because my laptop screen is so small, but I've never wished I bought a larger laptop instead. Having something lightweight is clutch if you're carrying it back and forth to school every day, etc.

[IgosduIkana]

I have a 13" Air and I used it all through college. Worked fine, still kicking, just as fast as the day I bought it. I have recently bought an extra monitor for school though. And an iPad for PDF reading on the go, just in case.

[KD35]

The reason I like the pro more than the air is just because of the ability to look at more than one word document/webpage at a time without straining my eyes. But you will read on the computer a lot, even if it is just getting your notes organized and outlines worked on as you go throughout the semester.

[NorCalLaw]

$500 PC is the correct choice if you're taking loans.

[sundance95]

$500 PC is the correct choice if you're taking loans.

I was a PC guy forever but if your looking for something that's somewhat light with an SSD (which you should since an SSD will last much much longer than a spinning disk HD) then PCs really aren't any cheaper b/c PC OEMs are basically shoving touchscreens down consumers' throats and you have to pay for that shit. I just bought a comp and the Air ended up being the best value, which really surprised me.

TCR if you are really going low budget is Chromebook + use Office 365, and supplement w/computer lab at school for hardcore productivity (i.e. journal work and shit). I did that my 2L and 3L and it was fine.

[09042014]

$500 PC is the correct choice if you're taking loans.

I was a PC guy forever but if your looking for something that's somewhat light with an SSD (which you should since an SSD will last much much longer than a spinning disk HD) then PCs really aren't any cheaper b/c PC OEMs are basically shoving touchscreens down consumers' throats and you have to pay for that shit. I just bought a comp and the Air ended up being the best value, which really surprised me.

TCR if you are really going low budget is Chromebook + use Office 365, and supplement w/computer lab at school for hardcore productivity (i.e. journal work and shit). I did that my 2L and 3L and it was fine.

Touchscreens are cheap now. But you are totally correct that PC competitors to macbook air really just about as expensive.

MBP is a huge rip off though.

[NorCalLaw]

$500 PC is the correct choice if you're taking loans.

I was a PC guy forever but if your looking for something that's somewhat light with an SSD (which you should since an SSD will last much much longer than a spinning disk HD) then PCs really aren't any cheaper b/c PC OEMs are basically shoving touchscreens down consumers' throats and you have to pay for that shit. I just bought a comp and the Air ended up being the best value, which really surprised me.

TCR if you are really going low budget is Chromebook + use Office 365, and supplement w/computer lab at school for hardcore productivity (i.e. journal work and shit). I did that my 2L and 3L and it was fine.

Are you browsing at a big box retailer or something? There are plenty of laptops online for ~$500 or less, which is essentially half to 2/3 of what you'd pay for the Air. SSD is absolutely not necessary but certainly available for a few bucks more. The extra pound or two of weight never bothered me.

If Air is best value you either got a great deal, didn't look enough, or have a very different idea of value.

[mt2165]

$500 PC is the correct choice if you're taking loans.

I was a PC guy forever but if your looking for something that's somewhat light with an SSD (which you should since an SSD will last much much longer than a spinning disk HD) then PCs really aren't any cheaper b/c PC OEMs are basically shoving touchscreens down consumers' throats and you have to pay for that shit. I just bought a comp and the Air ended up being the best value, which really surprised me.

TCR if you are really going low budget is Chromebook + use Office 365, and supplement w/computer lab at school for hardcore productivity (i.e. journal work and shit). I did that my 2L and 3L and it was fine.

Question: I was thinking of doing that, but I'm assuming your school doesn't require any specific test taking software? And you can get lower end PC ultrabooks with hybrid hard drives and worse battery life or without the super slim design for 500-700. Also you can get the acer s7 for under 1000 which to me is a better PC equivalent to the MacBook Air (full hd and hd+ Screens and way cooler design and slightly better performance and touchscreen)

[sundance95]

Yeah uva didn't use exam soft, that's actually why I had to buy the Air (for the bar).

I wanted the SSD for durability, not weight or battery life. And there just aren't significantly better prices on ssd ultra books, especially factoring in the education discount, which is like$50 plus a$100 Apple store credit.

[mt2165]

Yeah uva didn't use exam soft, that's actually why I had to buy the Air (for the bar).

I wanted the SSD for durability, not weight or battery life. And there just aren't significantly better prices on ssd ultra books, especially factoring in the education discount, which is like$50 plus a$100 Apple store credit.

Right, yeah I'd do that if it wasn't for the pesky software. And yeah I suppose you're right, I've seen them for as low as 650, but i guess that's not a great deal since they're not usually as solid as the air. It's just I don't get why they don't improve the resolution and add a touchscreen then it'd be absolutely amazing.

[NorCalLaw]

If you're concerned about hard drives, it's quite easy to upgrade to an SSD in most laptops these days.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electroni ... 92116011_2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820721107

I hadn't factored in the discount, though $50 doesn't sound like a game-changer, and I have no use for store credit. I'm still certain PCs offer better value, but it's going to come down to personal preference in the end.

For reference, I recently had to replace my PC laptop's keyboard because I broke a key while cleaning it. It cost me $15 and the replacement process took about 15 minutes at home. Macbooks are generally more expensive and difficult to repair.

I'll stop now before I start sounding like a zealot.

[09042014]

FYI

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/1378625/

13inch air for 750

[randomstudent]

How much reading in law school is done on the computer? If it's a fair amount i'm going to get the Pro for the retina display. If not the 3 extra hrs of battery life on the Air might just be better.

Most people I know do most of their reading in a book and then research, outline, take notes, and write on a computer.