What type of computer would you recomend for a prospective law school student. Mac or a Pc ?

Question

Im a looking at buying a new computer for law school. Does anyone know what one would typically be better for me to have ?

Answer 1

It really depends what you're more familiar with using. Macs are generally more aimed at people in artistic fields than at people in business both much like with anything it can be used however you choose to use it.

Macs are more expensive to buy than most PCs, but people generally prefer the Mac operating system to Windows as well. So it really all depends on your own preferences.

Answer 2

It depends on what you're doing. I have used both, most people claim that PCs are easier to use. That may be true so long as you never connect it to the internet, and never run computationally intense programs. PCs are quite prone to viruses, spyware, and crashing. On the other hand if you like doing all those things, I reccommend a Mac. As long as you don't run windows from your mac you'll never need virus or spyware software. There are the occasional program freezes-typically when using photoshop or other RAM intensive programs. The good news is that-unlike windows-when a program freezes everything else keeps working so you can just minimize the frozen program and keep working on other things. Also Macs come with loads more features that are actually useful. Iphoto is great for organizing your digital photos, Imovie is great for your personal videos and even some professional looking DVDs. Pages is amazing for creating presentations and news letters and works great with Keynote. Also if you want to write up and word process you can use Microsoft Office. And don't forget that you can now run Windows from your Mac. All in all, I'd say that the Mac is a better value per $.

Answer 3

Depends on what applications you need to run. I'm a mac person but also have a PC at home. I like my mac because i've rarely had problems with the OS and never have hardware problems. Also virus's for macs are virtually non existant although there are some.

I'd def say no matter what you get...make sure it's a lap top. Good PC laptops will run about 1500 and macs about 2000. Mac has a great education discount though.

Talk to some students and find out if there are specific applications you need to use that may only run on one type of platform. If you just need word processing...I would go with a Mac.

Answer 4

I answer as a 2L, having a computer science degree - Definitely a PC, just because that's what everyone else will have, and tech support at your school is bound to be more familiar with them. Also, wifi networks are more likely to support PC than Mac. PC's have all the software you need for law school available to them. The most important software for you will be Word or a compatible word processor (if you're looking for cheap, go for OpenOffice). You'll also need e-mail and web browser - go with Firefox and Thunderbird. If you have constant access to the internet, this isn't so important, but otherwise you should have a decent dictionary and encyclopedia (if you're online 24/7, you're set.) Finally, you'll probably want AIM so that you can communicate with classmates. Bare-bones, though, get a decent word processor and learn to use templates - Word and OpenOffice make this easy.

Answer 5

I got an Acer brand notebook for $450 for law school (I begin in 2 weeks!). I have used Macs and PCs and I prefer PCs, but only because they cost so much less than Macs. Good luck finding a brand new Mac for under $500.

You really need a Notebook, don't get a desktop, because you will live in the library with the rest of us trying to make law review. The only applications that I can think of which we will use in law school are the word processor, adobe, and a web browser. If you are concerned about viruses, use Linux, duh. Nothing justifies spending $1000 on a computer that is absolete in 2 years. Spend less, buy often

Answer 6

It's funny how people are still going on about Macs being only for graphics. That might have been the case 20 years ago. The new Macs are cross platform and can run windows AS WELL as OSX. There's a series of quad processors coming out that will blow any PC out of the water. Pretty much every major program for the PC is made for the Mac as well. There might be more PC programs in general, but most of it is buggy crapware.

And best of all... NO VIRUSES!

Check out this guy's site:

http://www.macattorney.com/

Answer 7

Easy choice PC. You'll find you get more computer for the price with a PC, easier to use, software is much more readily available and cheaper. I've used both and prefer a PC 10 to 1. Most Mac users will tell you that PC crash or lock up all the time. I have never found that the case. A Mac crashes just as often and, like the PC, it is usually more often than not a 'user' error that caused it.

Answer 8

The easiest way to answer this question is to contact the school you'll be attending. Some have strict computer requirements, others have lax requirements. For instance, my school requires one of four types. Others just say you need a PC. I haven't seen one that allows Macs because most schools use software for finals and the software usually designed to work on a PC. And get a laptop. You'll be glad you did.

Answer 9

PC most software is based on PC not MAC, maybe it doesnt seem easy to use is not about that is about practicing and there are better results in Audio-Video if you buy the PC. There are some MACS that are good to make videos or movies but they have special video cards, most people around the globe buy PC dont ask me how do I got that information is just that when I go around I see most people using PC and there is a reason for that.

Answer 10

Get a PC. I used Macs for years, and they were fine, but if you have any kind of problem with them you're pretty much on your own because there aren't many people who know how to use them/repair them. Software now is mainly written for PCs, so if you wanted to play any games or buy any kind of specialty software, you might not be able to run it on your Mac. PCs also tend to be less expensive. Just a few things to think about.