What's the Best Laptop for Law Students?

[Qwjyrgij]

I know we all have our opinions.

Dell. Alienware. Toshiba. Sony. Apple. Hewlett-Packard. Compaq. Acer.

What do you think is the top notebook for use in law school?

[Nicihntm]

I don't know why people on this board have such a obsession for IBM's. They are incredibly expensive for what you get. Sure they are rated highly but there are a million brands that make great computers. Just research what you want and get it.

IBM's are overpriced in terms of computing power. But IBM builds the most solid machines on the market, and that is reason enough to buy one for law school. Best build quality + innovative recovery and data protection technology + best warranty = the only logical choice for law school.

IBM's price drops ARE random - prices will fall over time, but not on any set date. If you really want to figure out the general dates for pricedrops, try and find advanced press releases for when new models will be released. But since the dothan processor is already out, most laptop companies have already released their new notebooks, and are abandoning models based on the older banias chip.

To say that the time of the year has nothing to do with deals is completely foolish. Think about it. A lot of people are buying computers now in preparation of the impending school year; therefore companies are going to be more competitive in their pricing.

The same thing goes for times around the holiday season.

There is nothing random about pricing.

[Fksxneng]

Take a few seconds and check out reviews and you will see thousands of reviews on thousands of computers. Anyone that does their own research will surely come to their own conclusion. I highly doubt that IBMS are universally the best brand of computers.

In case you are too lazy; I took the liberty of breaking down the 5 categories of laptops. I listed how many Dells, IBM's and HP's/compaqs are in the top ten according to CNETs' editors.

Desktop Replacements

Dell: 2
IBM: 1
HP: 2

Thin and Light

HP: 2
IBM: 2
Dell: 1

Mainstream

Dell: 3
HP: 1
IBM: 1

Ultra-portable

IBM: 1
Dell: 3
Hp: 1

Business

Dell: 3
IBM: 3
HP: 3


So that comes to 11 Dells, 9 HP's, and 8 IBM's occupy the top ten spots of the 5 categories.

And of course IBM's are universally the most expensive.

Do the above numbers mean anything? No, not really. But it shows that people don't necessarily agree on what computer brand is this best. Therefore everyone should do their own research and come to their own conclusion depending on their needs. Not everyone can spend $2000+ for a laptop.

And as far as pricing goes, I believe that there is nothing random about pricing. Sure, depending on when new technology is released a price drop will occur, but all companies will raise or lower their prices depending on their competition and the current level of demand. So there is a certain unpredictable element to pricing, but I would be careful how you use the word random.

[Fcobbsfx]

I don't really understand the obsession with IBM's either. You can always find comparable machines made by reputable manufacturers for hundreds less. Personally, I am very satisfied with Toshiba and am about to buy my third Toshiba notebook. (Toshiba was for quite some time, and may still be, the best-selling notebook on the market.) I find IBM's bulky, poorly desinged and overpriced. I have never had any problems (tech, software, or customer support) with Toshiba and will be purchasing the Toshiba Satellite X205-S9810 17" Laptop instead of the IBM ultraportable for school this fall.

[Hkjbhsgl]

Toshiba's are very nice machines. If I was making a general reccomendation about a laptop, then toshiba would be very high on my list. But we're future law students, and law students NEED their laptops to be functioning properly everyday. I'm a real computer geek, and i'm very hands on with my own machines (I've been building my own computers since I was 16 or so, and upgrading/trouble shooting for much longer than that), but I acknowledge the value of having a hassle free system for law school, and IBM will simply beat out all other companies in terms of service. The warranty I purchased on my ThinkPad T60 will get me a service rep sent to my house the next day to fix any problem my machine has. To me, that's well worth the extra money.



Personally, I hate all the computer makers pretty much equally (dell edges out hp/compaq for top honors as my most hated pc maker) but I'm not viewing my laptop as a computer, I'm viewing it as a tool for law school, and I'm willing to spend top dollar on ALL my tools for law school, since I'm already spending so much on law school. BTW - IBM is actually one of the number one competitors for my start up pc security company, so I'm not shilling for IBM to help them. I just want people to get laptops they'll be happy with, and that won't add any more stress on top of the normal lawschool stress.

[Yqoetieg]

I work for Dell, they give me my paycheck every two weeks, and I'll still tell you to get an IBM. While I don't have much experience with Toshiba's, Sony's, etc. I do know that IBMs are FAR superior to either Dell or HP/Compaq notebooks. Internally, they are probably pretty comparable, but the build quality on the Dell's, HP's, and Compaq's just isn't there.

In this case, the saying that you get what you pay for is absolutely true. The laptop industry is a highly competitive field - IBM could only charge more if their product warranted the extra cost. Businesses are extremely bottom-line oriented, and yet IBM has (I believe) the #1 share in that market. This is because companies have realized it is cheaper to pony up the extra cash for one IBM laptop than buy a cheaper Dell/HP product and have to pay for constant replacement/maintenance.

I would encourage you to consider your budget when spending, and decide whether you actually want the best laptop on the market or not. If money is tight, or you don't care much about your computer, go ahead and purchase one of the cheaper competitors. I'm not saying you're going to go wrong with this choice; however, that doesn't change the fact that IBM simply has the superior machines. Trust me, I'm your local neighborhood computer geek.

[ailala]

Things to look for in the best laptops for college students:

1. A decent price that’s within your budget
2. Has all the things you need while maintaining a good size
3. Make sure it has the most up-to-date technology possible
4. Fits your personal style and likes
5. All the important ports
* USB
* HDMI
* DVD Player
* Memory Card Reader
* VGA / DVI Port
6. Wifi is a definite requirement
7. Bluetooth is optional, but highly recommended
8. Webcam
9. A decent amount of RAM (2GB+)
10. Large enough to be functional, but small enough to be portable
11. Reliability and a good track record