Buying a Notebook Computer for Law School? The Q and A thread

[OingoBoingo]

Thanks -

oh and what's that airport extreme card all about? Does the MacBook Pro not come with a wireless g/n/card installed?

Is this something I'll need?

Okay, the breakdown -

$2047.00
MacBook Pro, 15-inch, 2.16GHz
Part Number: Z0DP
Backlit Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
SuperDrive 6x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
MacBook Pro 15-inch Glossy Widescreen Display
160GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Accessory Kit
2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB


vs.

MacBook Pro, 15-inch, 2.33GHz - $2389.00
Part Number: Z0DQ
Backlit Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
Accessory Kit
2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
MacBook Pro 15-inch Glossy Widescreen Display
160GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
SuperDrive 6x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

Is it worth it?

I think it's worth the extra $300 or so.  Also, you'll need an airport card to use wireless Interent.  I don't know if the MacBook Pros come with them by default.

Not worth it. Go with the 2.16 - you won't miss the difference in speed. I have the exact machine you've priced out and am greatly satisfied (I did however go for the matte rather than glossy screen - personal preference). The absolute must for any computer right now is 2 gbs of ram (which you've accounted for).

Oingo

[parischic]

All right, I'm about to pull the trigger on a MacBook Pro 15" and I need some advice.

2.33 GHZ processor vs. 2.13 GHZ processor - worth the extra $$? Or is it not a big difference?

I checked with my law school, and examsoft is avail. for Mac.

I do have a couple of kooky Mac vs. Windows questions, though -

Will a pdf file work on a Mac?
Will a jpg file work w/ Mac?

Anything else I'm missing?

In my opinion It's not worth the difference for the 2.33 processor.  I love my macbook pro!  Get the warranty (you have up to a year to buy this after you purchase your laptop from Apple).  Do those prices include your 10% student discount?

PDF work on Mac, they open with the Preview program.  Also, a nice feature of macs is that when you save a file, you can also convert it to pdf.  JPG files work on iPhoto, or you can open them with Preview.  If you're a serious photographer check out Aperture!!

[OingoBoingo]

To anyone buying a macbook pro, I'd hold off as long as possible.  Rumors are that an update is just around the corner...

True, but the new platform, Santa Rosa, has not (at least on the PC side) realized any gains which are making any sort of meaningful performance related difference(s). It wouldn't stop me from pulling the trigger.

Oingo

[Rockie]

I actually read (well skimmed) through this whole thread. I'm using a Gateway 450 that I bought in early 2003 (although I've had to send it back to have the motherboard replaced twice) so based on that history and the warranty being expired, it seems a good idea to get a new one that's covered for law school. I plan to still use the gateway as a functional desktop in my room though and will want a much lighter weight and a much longer battery size to take to and from class and use for notes, and class related work.
The comments on the the tablets, especially the thinkpad, has gotten me interested in its added durability and functionality, although I'll have to do more research.

The thing is, I can get a Compaq at a 15% discount, but the few comments I've seen in this thread have been negative. Any more details on this?

[.zone.]

The thing is, I can get a Compaq at a 15% discount, but the few comments I've seen in this thread have been negative. Any more details on this?

I have a Compaq, and it really wasn't so bad.  The first year, I had 0 problems.  It caught on fire after I had it for a year and a half, but it was repaired and returned to me quickly.  It always had a low battery life, but I got a battery replacement after about two years, and it has always outperformed its advertised battery life...with the new and old battery.  Now, around the 3 year mark, the hard drive failed unexpectedly...this repair has been a little more annoying (was shipped back to me "repaired" but still broken, so it's still awaiting a second repair).  All in all, though, my Compaq was a pretty solid machine.  It's pretty fast and gave me few problems considering how long I had it and how frequently I used it.  The Compaq customer service was absolutely horrid, but if you have an extended warranty, you can just go through them.  I'm not going for a Compaq this time around, because I think there are lighter laptops around, but I would choose Compaq again over every brand except Apple, Sony, and Lenovo.

[stjobs]

All right, I'm about to pull the trigger on a MacBook Pro 15" and I need some advice.

Ignore those who said not to wait. Unless you absolutely must have the laptop now - unlikely, as school won't start for several months and you're posting here anyway - you should hold off. The Santa Rosa update (perhaps with LED display...) is coming in late June; my bet would be for a WWDC announcement.

[OingoBoingo]

All right, I'm about to pull the trigger on a MacBook Pro 15" and I need some advice.

Ignore those who said not to wait. Unless you absolutely must have the laptop now - unlikely, as school won't start for several months and you're posting here anyway - you should hold off. The Santa Rosa update (perhaps with LED display...) is coming in late June; my bet would be for a WWDC announcement.

IMHO the LED display is the only thing worth the wait. Santa Rosa is overrated. I do agree however that waiting doesn't hurt as Apple rarely, if ever lately, changes their prices.

Oingo

[parischic]

Another thing to think of in deciding When to buy, usually in August (at least for the past 3 years) Apple has run a rebate deal for students purchasing new computers.  If you purchase during August thru mid-sept you get a free ipod nano (a few years ago it was the mini, now its the nano).  If you already have one, these make great holiday gifts!

[Special Agent Dana Scully]

So no opinions on Toshiba laptops?

[pipster215]

I have a Toshiba now and it's been great. It's almost 4 years old so it's showing its age now and I'll be getting a new one this summer, but it still basically works fine. I basically went to Best Buy and got the cheapest computer I could find, so I don't know about the higher-end Toshibas. At this point, the battery is totally dead, but I think that's standard. The screen hinge is also really loose now.

I have had some problems with the fan assembly - it broke after about 9 months and they replaced it for me. I think that's a common problem with the model I have, don't know about other models.

If I was going to get another PC, I wouldn't be opposed to getting a Toshiba. All things considered, I think it's held up pretty well, and it was cheap.