The Ideal Law School Laptop Forum

[stavand]

New Macbook

[FL135]

Can you get the lenovo T400 with the 64 bit operating system. I was customizing one and it won't let me upgrade to 4GB without the 64 sp1.

If this is a dumb question or there is a really simple answer please don't make fun of me. I am not very good with computers.

[sammyjoey]

Just putting this out there...

I was all gung-ho about the T400 until I was on a plane the other day and asked the woman next to me if I could hold hers. The damn thing is heavy! It had one of the big batteries on it though, but that would be what I'd get if I got it. I was just generally surprised by how large it was - I was definitely expecting something smaller.

I would definitely check out the laptop you intend to buy in a store first before you set out some cash for it. Seeing and holding the T400 was enough to give me second thoughts.

For the record, the woman used it for business and said she really liked it.

That's what she said

[thesealocust]

Edit: n/m

[bonesinger]

its 3GB max for 32 bit windows, 64 bit and up you should have no issues with 4GB+ ram.

don't bother upgrading to 4+ if they charge you, but do get if its free (even if u have 32bit OS)

[Buckeye]

I'm going to ask again. Is Vista Home Premium necessary, or will Vista Home Basic do the trick? I've seen the charts, but I don't know if the extra stuff is worth paying another 50 bucks for...

I'll answer again as well. I recommend Vista Home Premium at the minimum. Basic is so stripped down it doesn't even included the "Aero" visual effects. If you don't mind your computer looking like it's from the 90s, then get Home Basic. True, it's not a necessity, but if you're buying a new computer you might as well have some cool visuals to go with it.

This is probably the correct response.

At the same time though, this is why I prefer Linux. Instead of paying extra for visual effects, why not get the whole OS for free, with even more customizable visual effects?

I did actually dual-boot Ubuntu on my T400 for about a week. I liked it... reminded me of Mac OS X a bit (the good things about it). I ended up taking it off though because I don't NEED it for anything, and I use Windows for everything (good or bad, whatever). The less stuff to distract me during law school, the better (and I actually like MS Office, and greatly prefer it to OpenOffice).

That is fair. I have found that Ubuntu can be even more user friendly, not to mention useful, than XP, but I can also attest to the number of hours one can spend tweaking it and making it just right. Luckily for me I am not heading to law school too soon (applying next cycle), so I don't have to worry about the distractions quite as much. Though I guess I ought to be studying for the LSAT or something...

[jake768]

for all you T400 fans who got your laptop just for law school... any reason why you didnt save a few hundred dollars and get an R series?

just curious what specifically you liked about the T series. thanks

[bigben]

When I called Lenovo, I asked the customer service rep I was talking to about her battery life. She was also running a T400, but with the 7200 HD. The rest of the specs were the same as mentioned above though. She told me that she has a 6 cell battery and is getting roughly 2 hours per charge from it. IMO, that sucks. Granted, the 9 cell should close to double that, but it still ends up nowhere near the amount of time advertised. I intend to go with the 9 cell with the specs I mentioned above and just spring for a second 6 cell battery. Hopefully, by undervolting and adjusting the screen brightness I can get plenty of time to last me the full day on campus without plugging in.

That lady doesn't know what she's talking about...maybe she is gaming on 100% brightness or something. Here's a review

I don't think I have ever used the word "insane" to describe battery life before and there is no doubt that the 14" T400 falls into that category. To get 10 hours of battery life from a notebook this size, most people think you would need a huge battery attached to the bottom of the case, another battery taking the place of the optical drive, and a big battery sticking out the back. With the T400 you can reach 9 hours and 41 minutes with the wireless enabled, screen backlight at 60%, and the laptop in integrated graphics mode using only the 84Wh 9-cell battery.

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4569

And Another:

In our tests with the wireless active, the system in balanced mode, and screen brightness set to 67% the T400 with the 6-cell battery managed to stay on for 5 hours and 58 minutes. With the 9-cell battery option this notebook should have no problem staying on for 9 hours, or 10+ hours with some tweaking.

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.a ... nkpad+t400

[djshack]

for all you T400 fans who got your laptop just for law school... any reason why you didnt save a few hundred dollars and get an R series?

just curious what specifically you liked about the T series. thanks

The R series isn't bad, it's just bigger, heavier, and bulkier (and cheaper). It was essentially the low-end ThinkPad line until the SL series came out.

[misteranthro]

When I called Lenovo, I asked the customer service rep I was talking to about her battery life. She was also running a T400, but with the 7200 HD. The rest of the specs were the same as mentioned above though. She told me that she has a 6 cell battery and is getting roughly 2 hours per charge from it. IMO, that sucks. Granted, the 9 cell should close to double that, but it still ends up nowhere near the amount of time advertised. I intend to go with the 9 cell with the specs I mentioned above and just spring for a second 6 cell battery. Hopefully, by undervolting and adjusting the screen brightness I can get plenty of time to last me the full day on campus without plugging in.

That lady doesn't know what she's talking about...maybe she is gaming on 100% brightness or something. Here's a review

I don't think I have ever used the word "insane" to describe battery life before and there is no doubt that the 14" T400 falls into that category. To get 10 hours of battery life from a notebook this size, most people think you would need a huge battery attached to the bottom of the case, another battery taking the place of the optical drive, and a big battery sticking out the back. With the T400 you can reach 9 hours and 41 minutes with the wireless enabled, screen backlight at 60%, and the laptop in integrated graphics mode using only the 84Wh 9-cell battery.

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4569

And Another:

In our tests with the wireless active, the system in balanced mode, and screen brightness set to 67% the T400 with the 6-cell battery managed to stay on for 5 hours and 58 minutes. With the 9-cell battery option this notebook should have no problem staying on for 9 hours, or 10+ hours with some tweaking.

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.a ... nkpad+t400

Thanks for the response and links. I have read a number of reviews (CNET, PCWorld, NotebookReview), and most seem in concurrence with the above-posted. The main reason I asked my initial question is because of the comments from the Lenovo rep and my general presuppostion that IRL things don't always match up to the reviews. I was hoping that people who actually have a T400 and have been using it for some time would give their feedback on battery life. If any of you are out there, I am about 90% sold on the idea of a T400 and would love it if you could share your experiences! Thanks.

[angiej]

I have a general question about laptops:

I find myself often throwing my books and laptop in my car when I leave for work in the morning because I go from work to school nearly every day. Will this hurt my laptop or the battery? (Ie. cold weather or hot weather?)

Edit: Its currently 70 deg outside, and I parked under a shade tree and have my windows cracked . . . . should I run out and get it?

[enygma]

I have a general question about laptops:

I find myself often throwing my books and laptop in my car when I leave for work in the morning because I go from work to school nearly every day. Will this hurt my laptop or the battery? (Ie. cold weather or hot weather?)

Edit: Its currently 70 deg outside, and I parked under a shade tree and have my windows cracked . . . . should I run out and get it?

i wouldn't worry about it till it gets over 100 inside the car. even then i wouldn't worry about it.

[bigben]

Thanks for the response and links. I have read a number of reviews (CNET, PCWorld, NotebookReview), and most seem in concurrence with the above-posted. The main reason I asked my initial question is because of the comments from the Lenovo rep and my general presuppostion that IRL things don't always match up to the reviews. I was hoping that people who actually have a T400 and have been using it for some time would give their feedback on battery life. If any of you are out there, I am about 90% sold on the idea of a T400 and would love it if you could share your experiences! Thanks.

No problem. I am speaking from experience, but I gave the links in case you wanted another source. I mentioned earlier in the thread that I can get over 10 hrs of battery life on 40% brightness with the LED screen and 9-cell battery browsing the internet and taking notes.

[Skadden Stairs]

Does anyone have experience with toughbooks (T8/W8)?

[angiej]

I have a general question about laptops:

I find myself often throwing my books and laptop in my car when I leave for work in the morning because I go from work to school nearly every day. Will this hurt my laptop or the battery? (Ie. cold weather or hot weather?)

Edit: Its currently 70 deg outside, and I parked under a shade tree and have my windows cracked . . . . should I run out and get it?

i wouldn't worry about it till it gets over 100 inside the car. even then i wouldn't worry about it.

Oh good, thank you!

[misteranthro]

Thanks for the response and links. I have read a number of reviews (CNET, PCWorld, NotebookReview), and most seem in concurrence with the above-posted. The main reason I asked my initial question is because of the comments from the Lenovo rep and my general presuppostion that IRL things don't always match up to the reviews. I was hoping that people who actually have a T400 and have been using it for some time would give their feedback on battery life. If any of you are out there, I am about 90% sold on the idea of a T400 and would love it if you could share your experiences! Thanks.

No problem. I am speaking from experience, but I gave the links in case you wanted another source. I mentioned earlier in the thread that I can get over 10 hrs of battery life on 40% brightness with the LED screen and 9-cell battery browsing the internet and taking notes.

Sorry BigBen, I didn't see that part. I expect to use closer to a 60% brightness, but I would be stoked if that gave me 8 hours. I will probably pick up an extra 4 cell battery for extra long days, but it looks like the T400 is the best all-around package. What processor are you running? I am thinking of the T9500, since it is 25W instead of the 35W standard T9400. I can't bring myself to spring for the 2.8GHz. Too much money.

[sentinal5656]

What is everyone going to go with? I heard Dell and HP use cheap parts and eventaully have breakdowns and meltdowns.

I think MACs are good but they are prolly not for me.

What do you guys think about Lenovo?

[Cantiljp]

FYI: MicroCenter is running a deal that ends May 31st. 13'' 2GB macbook for $850 (after $150 mail-in rebate). The rebate form and information is on microcenter's website. It's a pretty nice deal and it's about as cheap as you'll see a macbook.

[sentinal5656]

i feel liek macbooks are overpriced tho. dont you think?

i am a really basic user. i watch DVD and flash player on the laptop, do some chatting, emailing, and word processing.

i dont think ill need a macbook for that, wont u agree?

[sentinal5656]

will there be problems with the blue book in law school with a mac?

[misteranthro]

will there be problems with the blue book in law school with a mac?

There aren't really any problems outside of the extra cost of the machine and the cost of a copy of Windows. You can partition the drive so that part of it is dedicated to Leopard and another part to Windows using the BootCamp utility.

The real issue is whether or not it makes sense to spend the money on a Mac when 90% of your law school time will be spent in PC applications. Also, the Windows partition will essentially be a PC and vulnerable to the same BS that other PCs have to deal with.

[sentinal5656]

will there be problems with the blue book in law school with a mac?

There aren't really any problems outside of the extra cost of the machine and the cost of a copy of Windows. You can partition the drive so that part of it is dedicated to Leopard and another part to Windows using the BootCamp utility.

The real issue is whether or not it makes sense to spend the money on a Mac when 90% of your law school time will be spent in PC applications. Also, the Windows partition will essentially be a PC and vulnerable to the same BS that other PCs have to deal with.

why cant i just use leopard. what windowns apps will i need to run?

[AbsolutLax]

I read somewhere recently (I think Maclawstudents.com or something- which by the way is very helpful if you own one) that mac users hover at around 30% of the total law school population. That percentage is increasing every year, but clearly PCs are still the computers of choice for the majority. However, I think the organizational tools of a Mac are unrivaled. Programs like Omnioutliner and Omnigraffle can't be beat currently IMO. I can't wait to get my new Macbook in t-minus 10 days.

[misteranthro]

will there be problems with the blue book in law school with a mac?

There aren't really any problems outside of the extra cost of the machine and the cost of a copy of Windows. You can partition the drive so that part of it is dedicated to Leopard and another part to Windows using the BootCamp utility.

The real issue is whether or not it makes sense to spend the money on a Mac when 90% of your law school time will be spent in PC applications. Also, the Windows partition will essentially be a PC and vulnerable to the same BS that other PCs have to deal with.

why cant i just use leopard. what windowns apps will i need to run?

You'll have to check with your school. I know that UCLA's Exam software doesn't work for Leopard. Contact the IT department of your school, and they can tell you more information.

[AbsolutLax]

Most schools will give you a lap top to use for exam day if you 1) have a mac, and 2) the software doesn't work on the mac. I have heard exam software is starting to be more mac friendly though.