Poll: Laptop or Netbook for 1L Forum

[AKAlicious]

Please take the poll!!!

[AKAlicious]

Just realized this might be the wrong forum, but if you're like me you need a break from the teeth-gnashing, hair-pulling tension of schools who have yet to make a decision on your apps!

[Luis Gomez]

I would love to buy a Netbook instead of a monstrous laptop, but I am afraid a slow processor might not cut it. I would hate to run into trouble during exams.

[g8t13]

ive been debating this too...i really want something light and portable but I dont want to compromise on normal laptop features like an optical drive...

[Luis Gomez]

ive been debating this too...i really want something light and portable but I dont want to compromise on normal laptop features like an optical drive...

Having an optical drive is definitely smart.

[tintin]

i will be getting a 13 inch macbook pro to replace my 1st gen macbook pro OR a macbook, if they come out with a new one that includes a firewire port...

[neimanmarxist]

i will be getting a 13 inch macbook pro to replace my 1st gen macbook pro OR a macbook, if they come out with a new one that includes a firewire port...

tintin do you know what the considerations of taking a mac to law school are? like, is it specific to the law school you choose or is it, as a general rule, an okay thing to do?

In response to the question I voted laptop because the netbooks I have had to deal with are a total nightmare. Glacial doesn't begin to describe them.

[EBGB]

As far as Windows netbooks go, I wouldn't do it. They can only run a couple of applications at a time, and they don't have enough space for the testing programs most schools use. As for whether or not to get a macbook, that's a question to pose to the school you choose to attend.

[Sias]

i will be getting a 13 inch macbook pro to replace my 1st gen macbook pro OR a macbook, if they come out with a new one that includes a firewire port...

tintin do you know what the considerations of taking a mac to law school are? like, is it specific to the law school you choose or is it, as a general rule, an okay thing to do?

In response to the question I voted laptop because the netbooks I have had to deal with are a total nightmare. Glacial doesn't begin to describe them.

It really depends on the law school. I know Seattle U is anti-mac and requires users to run windows programs off bootcamp. If that's the case mac just isn't worth it. Other schools don't seem to care (UNC only requires you use a certain program and they say it's compatible with both systems), so it totally depends.

[roguey]

I have been wondering the same thing. I have a huge 17" Dell Studio laptop that is more like a desktop. I'm not sure I want to lug it around all the time and risk it getting hurt. I'm thinking about getting a netbook for class and then just bringing this big lug for exams. Then again, Case Western doesn't require a laptop, and I learn best by writing stuff down by hand... I dunno. I'm lost already.

[Luis Gomez]

I also want something portable. maybe I will get a real lap top for school and a cheap net book for notes.

[GordonBombay]

The mac v PC thing seems to be school specific but most "go both ways" from what I've seen. Just ask your school once you know where you're going.

I think Im going to get the 13" macbook too. Seems safe, not too big, good power etc. Plus im replacing my 15" Powerbook (I got Steve Jobbed buying it right before the first dual cores came out) but I think Ill still use it as a desktop, so compatibility will be nice

[rockstar4488]

My baseless suggestion is that you get the smallest laptop you can find that has a keyboard that you are 100% comfortable on. I find some of the netbooks have keys that are too small/soft and I cant imagine doing substantial note taking on them.

[roguey]

My baseless suggestion is that you get the smallest laptop you can find that has a keyboard that you are 100% comfortable on. I find some of the netbooks have keys that are too small/soft and I cant imagine doing substantial note taking on them.

That is a very very good point...

[Pisto3]

Although they do have faults, netbooks are NOT underpowered. I have an Asus eee PC 900HA that I used for my last year of undergrad. I bumped up the ram from 1GB to 2GB and installed Windows 7 (optimized for Netbook) instead of the XP it came with. Mine has dual 80GB hard drives = 160GB. I can run Word, Excel, Outlook and Firefox at the same time with no lag. Although it sucks (both the game and the controls on a laptop), I could run World of Warcraft on it at minimum settings over their wireless card. It IS a complete pain in the ass to do any real work on this thing (tiny screen hurts eyes) and I only use it for note taking. I transfer everything over to my desktop at home for doing real work on a 22" monitor...

So, if you plan on only having one computer - make it a nice laptop, but recognize that working full time on any device that's made for portability has problems.

If you plan on more than one, go with a cheap netbook for class and a desktop with a nice big monitor (also makes it easier to put more than one doc on the screen at once).

EDIT: try the netbook you want first BEFORE you buy it. On the ones i tried, the keys have a nice bounceback (not soft), but the board itself is a bit smaller. It may be strange at first but you get used to it, trust me. Also if you have huge fingers (linebacker type), you might have problems typing on a netbook.

[DallasCowboy]

How much heavy reading will be be doing off a laptop screen? Alot? Or is most material printed?

[roguey]

Although they do have faults, netbooks are NOT underpowered. I have an Asus eee PC 900HA that I used for my last year of undergrad. I bumped up the ram from 1GB to 2GB and installed Windows 7 (optimized for Netbook) instead of the XP it came with. Mine has dual 80GB hard drives = 160GB. I can run Word, Excel, Outlook and Firefox at the same time with no lag. Although it sucks (both the game and the controls on a laptop), I could run World of Warcraft on it at minimum settings over their wireless card. It IS a complete pain in the ass to do any real work on this thing (tiny screen hurts eyes) and I only use it for note taking. I transfer everything over to my desktop at home for doing real work on a 22" monitor...

So, if you plan on only having one computer - make it a nice laptop, but recognize that working full time on any device that's made for portability has problems.

If you plan on more than one, go with a cheap netbook for class and a desktop with a nice big monitor (also makes it easier to put more than one doc on the screen at once).

EDIT: try the netbook you want first BEFORE you buy it. On the ones i tried, the keys have a nice bounceback (not soft), but the board itself is a bit smaller. It may be strange at first but you get used to it, trust me. Also if you have huge fingers (linebacker type), you might have problems typing on a netbook.

Good advice. I'm thinking I might just find a super cheap, old laptop on ebay for about the same price as a netbook. I know it is silly to have two laptops, but I'm really protective over this one as it is my "this better last me at least 5 years" laptop. I went all out on the upgrades and crap. We just bought my sister a refurb dell from Tiger Direct for about $350, and it does everything I'd need a laptop to do. I'm thinking that might be a better idea. The keys and screen would be a lot larger, and I wouldn't be as upset if it got banged up or broken as I would if this one did.

[SamSeaborn2016]

I'll be attending a law school that is super mac-friendly so I will probably just get a small Macbook to go along with the newish Mac I have at home. The new Macbook Pros look pretty cool but I don't think I will need that much oomph for my law school duties.

[presh]

.

[Pisto3]

I wouldn't trust the comps on Ebay without a STRONG warranty (1 year+)...you never know what other people have done to them/with them and unless you are comfortable wiping a Hard Drive and re-installing an OS or replacing internal laptop components. Just know that someone may have used it as a frisbee in the rain or made it from parts they found in a Chinese e-waste dump... I can say that I wouldn't go this route.