Is there a law for laptops in School?

Dean Sigis

Im in highschool and i want to use my laptop more frequently, yehknow to get the feeling of college. Some of my teachers restrict the use of laptops/electronics in classroom. Is there a law/guideline that encourages the use of technology in the classroom that overrules their decision?

Answer
Nope.

Even when you get to college and beyond, it is still left to the professors' discretion as to whether or not they allow laptop use in their classroom. (I'm in law school, and I have classes where we are not permitted to use our computers...)

I am surrounded by laptop note takers in practically every class. Trust me, I almost wish computers were not permitted. When you have a class full of computers, it gets really noisy and distracting and you inevitably have the students who give in to the temptation to use them for purposes other than note taking during class... (There is nothing more obnoxious than having a slacker in front of you who is on Facebook or playing Solitaire while you are trying to pay attention to the professor...)

Don't worry, taking notes on a computer is pretty much a no-brainer; switching the way you take notes will be the least of your concerns when making the transition to college...

Enjoy!

do not know what laptop to get?

liljoe

i am entering law school and i dont know if i need any special kind of laptop for that

Answer
Contact your school. Nearly all colleges and universities have recommended specifications to guide incoming students who want to purchase computers. Many schools have purchasing programs with special pricing for students.

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What is a good medium priced laptop for a student entering law school.?

best laptop for law school student image

summerbean

my daughter is entering Law School. She doesn't have a whole lot of money to spend,probably between 600-799. She will want to be able to do multi-tasking and will need a wireless one. Is there anything wrong with a refurbished one? I tend to shy away from this type of thing myself. I have looked online at Dell, Sony, and Gateway. Sony seems to be out of her price range, and the others in her range are usually celeron. If anyone knows of something, please let me know. Thank you.

Answer
Many people spend far more than they need to for a laptops. A college student or in this case a law student only needs to type on the keyboard, retrieve e-mail and do online research. As you pointed out a wifi card is a must and can be added to an older laptop for $30. Rather than spending $600 plus there is no reason why she could not spend $300 to $400. Type "used laptops" or "refurbished laptop" into google and check out the first 2-3 companies that come up.

Why should I choose a mac over my current Lenovo ThinkPad?

Cheyenne

I have a Lenovo T61 ThinkPad, and I'm about to start law school in the fall. I have been told that Macs are much more stable, which is what I'm looking for. Why should I choose a mac over my current computer and what features of a Mac make it so?

Answer
There is no right answer to this question. The answer really is "what is right for me?" Since you're going to be a law student, it might not be all that clear.

Windows systems:
-Most widely used, so you're almost guaranteed to find the applications you need. For example, if your courses require you to use any custom software, it's most likely only written for Windows machines.
-Ease of use: you already know how to use it, so there is no learning curve
-Viruses and other malware: almost all malware is designed for Windows systems. Some malware masquerades as anti-virus software, making it difficult to distiguish between the two if you are a new user. Solution: spend $60 on a well-known anti-virus product like Kapersky, Symantec, or ESET.
-Moderately reliable and moderate speed: Windows systems are more likely to crash than Mac systems; windows takes more resources (RAM) to run and is slower.
-Super-user factor: Windows has many options and ways to customize it. Users can change almost anything they want about the system.
-Price: can be half the price for a system with similar hardware to a Mac.

Macintosh OS X systems:
-Reliability and speed: Mac OS usually requires a restart whenever there is an update, as opposed to the daily restart typically required for Windows. Mac OS programs run faster and freeze & crash less often.
-Limited compatibility: Mac OS features many of the same applications as are offered on Windows, but often look and print differently. This may be an issue if you need to write and submit documents electronically if they have tables and graphics.
-User experience: Mac OS is designed for user simplicity. It is easy to use. It is also very difficult to change some settings. For example, changing the theme involves using the command line to type commands. The system is designed to not overwhelm the user with options.
-Price: can be twice as expensive as a comparable Windows PC with similar hardware. BUT you will get far better performance with the hardware in a stock Macbook than with a stock Lenovo at half the price of a Macbook.
-"Just works" factor: it really does "just work." You can take it out of the box, fill in your information, and it will start working and get you on the internet. No need to go through wizard after wizard to install or use something. You will, however, have to learn a new system. You already know how to use Windows.
-Security: Mac OS is designed to protect the user from malware. Programs that make changes to the system require you to authenticate them first. It is what Windows UAC should be. Not much malware is written for Mac OS.

Bottom Line:
You mentioned stability in your question; Mac OS is more stable than Windows. But if your courses require you to use custom software, you may be out of luck if it isn't written for Mac OS.

To keep using your Thinkpad is free; to buy a Mac is $1100-1800 (after tax). To learn how to use Mac OS might take a few hours that you might not want to spend. Your Thinkpad can run faster if you upgrade the RAM.

Basically, unless your Thinkpad is crashing and causing you to lose work, I would recommend you keep it. If you have a thousand bucks burning a hole in your pocket, and want to have a laptop with a glowing apple sign on it, then buy a Mac. I love my Mac, but I bought it only because I was replacing a four-year-old laptop that was crashing all the time.

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What is a good medium priced laptop for a student entering law school.?

best laptop for law school student image

summerbean

my daughter is entering Law School. She doesn't have a whole lot of money to spend,probably between 600-799. She will want to be able to do multi-tasking and will need a wireless one. Is there anything wrong with a refurbished one? I tend to shy away from this type of thing myself. I have looked online at Dell, Sony, and Gateway. Sony seems to be out of her price range, and the others in her range are usually celeron. If anyone knows of something, please let me know. Thank you.

Answer
Many people spend far more than they need to for a laptops. A college student or in this case a law student only needs to type on the keyboard, retrieve e-mail and do online research. As you pointed out a wifi card is a must and can be added to an older laptop for $30. Rather than spending $600 plus there is no reason why she could not spend $300 to $400. Type "used laptops" or "refurbished laptop" into google and check out the first 2-3 companies that come up.

Why should I choose a mac over my current Lenovo ThinkPad?

Cheyenne

I have a Lenovo T61 ThinkPad, and I'm about to start law school in the fall. I have been told that Macs are much more stable, which is what I'm looking for. Why should I choose a mac over my current computer and what features of a Mac make it so?

Answer
There is no right answer to this question. The answer really is "what is right for me?" Since you're going to be a law student, it might not be all that clear.

Windows systems:
-Most widely used, so you're almost guaranteed to find the applications you need. For example, if your courses require you to use any custom software, it's most likely only written for Windows machines.
-Ease of use: you already know how to use it, so there is no learning curve
-Viruses and other malware: almost all malware is designed for Windows systems. Some malware masquerades as anti-virus software, making it difficult to distiguish between the two if you are a new user. Solution: spend $60 on a well-known anti-virus product like Kapersky, Symantec, or ESET.
-Moderately reliable and moderate speed: Windows systems are more likely to crash than Mac systems; windows takes more resources (RAM) to run and is slower.
-Super-user factor: Windows has many options and ways to customize it. Users can change almost anything they want about the system.
-Price: can be half the price for a system with similar hardware to a Mac.

Macintosh OS X systems:
-Reliability and speed: Mac OS usually requires a restart whenever there is an update, as opposed to the daily restart typically required for Windows. Mac OS programs run faster and freeze & crash less often.
-Limited compatibility: Mac OS features many of the same applications as are offered on Windows, but often look and print differently. This may be an issue if you need to write and submit documents electronically if they have tables and graphics.
-User experience: Mac OS is designed for user simplicity. It is easy to use. It is also very difficult to change some settings. For example, changing the theme involves using the command line to type commands. The system is designed to not overwhelm the user with options.
-Price: can be twice as expensive as a comparable Windows PC with similar hardware. BUT you will get far better performance with the hardware in a stock Macbook than with a stock Lenovo at half the price of a Macbook.
-"Just works" factor: it really does "just work." You can take it out of the box, fill in your information, and it will start working and get you on the internet. No need to go through wizard after wizard to install or use something. You will, however, have to learn a new system. You already know how to use Windows.
-Security: Mac OS is designed to protect the user from malware. Programs that make changes to the system require you to authenticate them first. It is what Windows UAC should be. Not much malware is written for Mac OS.

Bottom Line:
You mentioned stability in your question; Mac OS is more stable than Windows. But if your courses require you to use custom software, you may be out of luck if it isn't written for Mac OS.

To keep using your Thinkpad is free; to buy a Mac is $1100-1800 (after tax). To learn how to use Mac OS might take a few hours that you might not want to spend. Your Thinkpad can run faster if you upgrade the RAM.

Basically, unless your Thinkpad is crashing and causing you to lose work, I would recommend you keep it. If you have a thousand bucks burning a hole in your pocket, and want to have a laptop with a glowing apple sign on it, then buy a Mac. I love my Mac, but I bought it only because I was replacing a four-year-old laptop that was crashing all the time.

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What are great Laptops for law school? I'll be a 1L this fall and what to know the best laptop to get?

best laptop for law school student image

Mar

Laptop Law school 1L

Answer
I was a 1L last year and both students with Macs and students with PCs did fine, though I noticed that the Mac people had to find other Mac people and cope together when it came to exam software issues and attempting to install the drivers for the library printers.

Overall, no matter what computer you get, you need a balance between portability and usefulness. One guy bragged about his tiny Mac and how great it was for class, but then I noticed him using the one of the library's few PCs whenever he wasn't in class, presumably because that little Mac was difficult for long-term use.

You probably also want to make sure it lasts with regard to quality and with regard to not getting outdated very quickly. A Mac might be better quality, but the PC will give you more bang for your buck on getting higher end options that will hold you over for a while.

Can a public school in the US charge students with technology fees and REQUIRE them to rent laptops?

Emma W

The laptops are rented through the school? Is there a certain limit public schools can charge their students for fees?

Answer
Each state has its own rules. In New York for example, the school must provide all calculators and laptops that are required if the students don't have their own. (Although laptops are not required by state law, just calculators.)

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