Law School doesn't support Macs!

[Frisco]

Once Windows 7 comes out I doubt anyone would want to use OS X anyway. Most people these days buying Macs are running XP or Vista as their primary OS.

Once Windows 7 comes out OS X is pretty much dead. Apple will start and eventually will only sell their computers as Windows only.

 

[TwinCities Dan]

Once Windows 7 comes out I doubt anyone would want to use OS X anyway. Most people these days buying Macs are running XP or Vista as their primary OS.

Once Windows 7 comes out OS X is pretty much dead. Apple will start and eventually will only sell their computers as Windows only.

LMFAO!

 

[ravenvii]

I'm in law school and have a Mac. ExamSoft works perfectly fine with Boot Camp.

Or, as I might do, one could simply purchase an old HP/Dell notebook, buy a new battery (if necessary), and use it only for tests. Either way there are many options and one shouldn't be too worried about using a Mac in law school.

When I sold my MacBook Pro and got an iMac, I did this. Got an Compaq Evo N800c for $100. Works beautifully.

Once Windows 7 comes out I doubt anyone would want to use OS X anyway. Most people these days buying Macs are running XP or Vista as their primary OS.

Once Windows 7 comes out OS X is pretty much dead. Apple will start and eventually will only sell their computers as Windows only.

You being a 68000, I truly hope that is sarcasm. No one who would hang here for that long be so stupid.

 

[K3mp]

Once Windows 7 comes out I doubt anyone would want to use OS X anyway. Most people these days buying Macs are running XP or Vista as their primary OS.

Once Windows 7 comes out OS X is pretty much dead. Apple will start and eventually will only sell their computers as Windows only.

You know I was thinking the same thing. I instead of putting Win7 in a VM I might just install it as the primary OS. Who needs OS X anyway? Win 7 obviously can do everything better than a Mac.

Bootcamp would work, but unfortunately Parallels or Fusion would not because the software shutsdown everything but itself and the operating system.

Can you Please explain?

 

[sushi]

Once Windows 7 comes out I doubt anyone would want to use OS X anyway. Most people these days buying Macs are running XP or Vista as their primary OS.

Once Windows 7 comes out OS X is pretty much dead. Apple will start and eventually will only sell their computers as Windows only.

Sure, we believe you.

Have some statistics to back your statement up? Doubt it.

While Windows 7 will be a good addition to the Windows OS family, it won't replace the Mac OS.

To the OP, just run Windows via Bootcamp.

 

[ravenvii]

Can you Please explain?

ExamSoft works by rebooting your computer into a modified shell, where the only thing you see is ExamSoft (actually, SofTest, ExamSoft is the company, SofTest is the program). This is so you can't go online and Google the answers or chat with friends while you take the exam or whatnot.

This, obviously, doesn't work if you're in a virtual environment (you can have ExamSoft in a window and use Safari to Google).

 

[CalBoy]

When I sold my MacBook Pro and got an iMac, I did this. Got an Compaq Evo N800c for $100. Works beautifully.

I haven't decided what I'll do just yet since I still have a full year before I'll be bothering to consider what I need for law school. By that time my current MBP would be over 3 years old and maybe won't be as reliable as I would prefer. Then again it's held up beautifully for the first two years of its life, so maybe it won't be such a big deal.

Heck if I wait and buy during the summer sale where you get a free iPod Nano, I would probably make enough selling the Nano to get myself a cheap little PC notebook and have a new macbook pro.

Oh the possibilities...

Can you Please explain?

ravenvii already mentioned the critical elements, so I'll just concur with what he said. The software essentially disables you from doing anything but typing in its window. As you can imagine, it would be quite the problem if law school students would be able to use their computers to look up information during a test. Hence the reason they use the software.

 

[neiltc13]

At my University, we sit exams using a pen and paper...

 

[CalBoy]

At my University, we sit exams using a pen and paper...

You're also not in an American law school, where modern exams have made typing one's responses quite the necessity.

Undergrads don't use this software; we still write our exams the old fashioned way.

 

[ravenvii]

You're also not in an American law school, where modern exams have made typing one's responses quite the necessity.

Undergrads don't use this software; we still write our exams the old fashioned way.

Having to write your exams by hand is a fate worse than death.

 

[K3mp]

I
ravenvii already mentioned the critical elements, so I'll just concur with what he said. The software essentially disables you from doing anything but typing in its window. As you can imagine, it would be quite the problem if law school students would be able to use their computers to look up information during a test. Hence the reason they use the software.

Ok that makes sense I misread the earlier post.

 

[dsnort]

You never worked in IT support before, have you?

You never heard a joke before, have you? (Just to be clear)!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Probably should have, but didn't!

 

[MikeTheC]

If the school is expensive to attend, then they can support a Mac. If they refuse, then find another school.

Edison State College, a probably nothing-state-college compared to some prestigious university, supports Macs. If they can do it, then this university can do it.

Students should be asking themselves if the school they're attending is taking these kinds of shortcuts in IT, then what other shortcuts are they taking with the student body's collective education?

 

[QCassidy352]

It's really the fault of ExamSoft for not writing an OS X version. The only other choice law schools really have is to go back to hand-written tests, which is far worse than suffering a PC or Windows for a few hours every semester.

...or they could allow typed exams without ExamSoft. That's what I did for 3 years of law school.

Access to the internet was vanishingly little help on my law school exams. Hell, lots of classes allowed full-text searching of the whole semester's notes, too. That may tell you the name of the case, but it's not going to help you spot the issue or apply the rule to a novel situation.

Bottom line, if your school insists on ExamSoft, just buy a mac and boot in to windows for exams. Done and done.

 

[bruinsrme]

If the school is expensive to attend, then they can support a Mac. If they refuse, then find another school.

Edison State College, a probably nothing-state-college compared to some prestigious university, supports Macs. If they can do it, then this university can do it.

Students should be asking themselves if the school they're attending is taking these kinds of shortcuts in IT, then what other shortcuts are they taking with the student body's collective education?

I am sure the school is very concerned they won't fill seats; just like at my sons school.

 

[rhsgolfer33]

If the school is expensive to attend, then they can support a Mac. If they refuse, then find another school.

Edison State College, a probably nothing-state-college compared to some prestigious university, supports Macs. If they can do it, then this university can do it.

Students should be asking themselves if the school they're attending is taking these kinds of shortcuts in IT, then what other shortcuts are they taking with the student body's collective education?

Its not about supporting Macs, its about testing, the testing software is not compatible with OS X. Of course a Mac will work on their wireless, etc, but that doesn't matter much when the company that makes the testing software only supports Windows.

Choosing a law school based on their Mac support seems a little short sighted...

Shortcut in IT, give me a break, its pretty understandable for a law school to not provide support for Macs. We're not talking about a school teaching graphics, music, photography, etc, we're talking about a law school; it would alarm me if a school with creative programs didn't support Macs, but a law school? Who cares.

Short aside, who actually needs that much support on their Mac anyway? And if it is needed that's what the Apple store, Google, and MacRumors are for.

I am sure the school is very concerned they won't fill seats; just like at my sons school.

Yeah, especially a law school; not too difficult to fill seats at most law schools.

 

[followme]

Wait a minute...

Yup, the school is just being lazy

Any school that demands the use of one particular platform is just being unnecessarily lazy. Tell the school that they should use a platform for their testing that is either cross-platform or platform-independent.

I would make that demand, or else take my money to another law school that doesn't force me to jump through hoops to support their laziness.

 

[63dot]

Examsoft works on the newest Macs w/o much issue. During exam time, it's not a great thing to have the software glitch in the middle of an IRAC. For safety, I like the idea of a dedicated PC for law school. If that bugs you, tuition and those beloved law textbooks will be a really scary cost.

 

[63dot]

It's really the fault of ExamSoft for not writing an OS X version. The only other choice law schools really have is to go back to hand-written tests, which is far worse than suffering a PC or Windows for a few hours every semester.

If you know the rule of the law (common law, MPC, exceptions such as the non-MPC states), know how to analyze the facts and the law concisely, then it shouldn't matter if you type or write an exam. Usually, law professors don't want quantity, or fluff, and model bar exam answers will attest to that.

For example, if you are writing about negligence in torts, stick with "duty, breach, causation, damages, and defenses". There's no need to write a personal blog about what one thinks about negligence on a law exam. One can get to the point by writing out an exam answer methodically and few absolutely need the faster medium of typing lest they go into a whole breakdown of the Palsgraf case and the finer points of Justice Andrews and Justice Cardozo.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

It is examsoft.

Examsoft has no motivation to support the 5% of OSX users. It is not worth their time and money to make a verson that works on OSX.

It is the price you pay for OSX being such a limited market share.

**Note any typos or anything else is due to the fact that I am drunk right now.

 

[63dot]

It is examsoft.

Examsoft has no motivation to support the 5% of OSX users. It is not worth their time and money to make a verson that works on OSX.

It is the price you pay for OSX being such a limited market share.

**Note any typos or anything else is due to the fact that I am drunk right now.

You really don't have to worry about spelling here, or in law school. Examsoft does not have spellcheck.

The way law school exams are graded is that walking into the test and putting your name on it gives you a 45 in most schools, each instance where you spot issues and apply them to the law in a sound analysis generally gives you bonuses in 5 point increments, sometimes just 2.5 points.

The typical passing bar score averages to 63.9 for the California Bar so a 60 will barely get you there and a 75 and better will have the Bar invite you to be a Bar grader. A few people in California get an 80 each year. No points taken away for any spelling errors or for anything for that matter.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

You really don't have to worry about spelling here, or in law school. Examsoft does not have spellcheck.

The way law school exams are graded is that walking into the test and putting your name on it gives you a 45 in most schools, each instance where you spot issues and apply them to the law in a sound analysis generally gives you bonuses in 5 point increments, sometimes just 2.5 points.

The typical passing bar score averages to 63.9 for the California Bar so a 60 will barely get you there and a 75 and better will have the Bar invite you to be a Bar grader. A few people in California get an 80 each year. No points taken away for any spelling errors or for anything for that matter.

Yeah, I will also add to the fact that I posted eariler. Examsoft is a nitch software. OSX is a nitch OS. So putting those 2 things together would make very limited market potentional for that software. Chances are not enough to even cover the cost of making it. Much less a profit.

 

[63dot]

Yeah, I will also add to the fact that I posted eariler. Examsoft is a nitch software. OSX is a nitch OS. So putting those 2 things together would make very limited market potentional for that software. Chances are not enough to even cover the cost of making it. Much less a profit.

It is really no big deal to get a cheap PC laptop dedicated to the three years of law school. PCs running Windows may not be as cool or fun or pretty, but they work and worrying about Windows and learning/working with the PC is the last thing that will be on the mind of any law student.

 

[rhsgolfer33]

It is really no big deal to get a cheap PC laptop dedicated to the three years of law school. PCs running Windows may not be as cool or fun or pretty, but they work and worrying about Windows and learning/working with the PC is the last thing that will be on the mind of any law student.

Seriously, when law school can cost upwards of $150,000 worrying about shelling out $300 for a PC laptop is pretty funny. Not to mention the difficulty factor. I doubt too many people attending law school right now care if they can use a Mac on tests or not.