MacBook Pro as a Law Student

[eezacque]

An MBP is overkill. As you will mostly rely on MS Office, I wouldn't even go Apple. Buy a cheap Windows machine, and you are ready to go for a fraction of the price of an Apple, especially taking into account that your Apple is essentially dead after Applecare runs out.

 

[andersmj]

An MBP is overkill. As you will mostly rely on MS Office, I wouldn't even go Apple. Buy a cheap Windows machine, and you are ready to go for a fraction of the price of an Apple, especially taking into account that your Apple is essentially dead after Applecare runs out.

And the Windows will be dead when you bring it out the store. FWIW I've never had Applecare and did fine.

 

[Hustler1337]

Indeed, it's bigger than the 12" of the Surface anyway haha. I expect to be using my desktop monitor frequently as well.

Thank you very much. I have a law scholarship at KCL so it would be a double shame to miss out on my offer grades. And of course it would make the cost of this laptop a bit easier to stomach 😉

Where did you study?

Wow, congrats on securing a scholarship, not an easy thing to do. I studied at Queen Mary, University of London.

Btw, if you want a good discount on brand new MBPs I know an eBay seller that sells brand new, sealed US versions of the MBP with a big discount. I bought my MBP from that seller and saved £450 off the RRP. It works out much cheaper than the Education discount but bear in mind that you won't get the 3-year extended repair coverage offered to students or the £60 Apple Store gift card.

 

[Sheza]

An MBP is overkill. As you will mostly rely on MS Office, I wouldn't even go Apple. Buy a cheap Windows machine, and you are ready to go for a fraction of the price of an Apple, especially taking into account that your Apple is essentially dead after Applecare runs out.

I'm hearing that Office for Mac is going to have a new version soon, so I'm looking out for news of that. Otherwise I am prepared to run parallels to use Word if Office for Mac 2011 doesn't take my fancy.

As for cheap Windows machines - there's a reason I've narrowed it down to a Surface Pro 3 and a Retina MBP. Cheap Windows laptops have never got on well with me during my brief usage with them. I'm used to SSDs and quality IPS displays on my desktop PC. A cheap Windows laptop would degrade quickly over time, and most are heavy and clunky. The SP3 is the king of portability and flexibility, it's just whether it's good enough to replace a clamshell laptop such as the rMBP.

Wow, congrats on securing a scholarship, not an easy thing to do. I studied at Queen Mary, University of London.

Btw, if you want a good discount on brand new MBPs I know an eBay seller that sells brand new, sealed US versions of the MBP with a big discount. I bought my MBP from that seller and saved £450 off the RRP. It works out much cheaper than the Education discount but bear in mind that you won't get the 3-year extended repair coverage offered to students or the £60 Apple Store gift card.

Oh sweet! My (Apple-hating) father studied Physics there 'back in the day'. I actually applied and have visited it twice, but went for KCL in the end and couldn't risk putting it as my reserve as the grade requirements were the same. I do really like the look of their LAC and other initiatives they have.

I'll take a look on eBay (indeed some people were selling the SP3 imported at cheap prices) but I may opt for the official route in the end for that peace of mind warranty deal and keyboard layout.

 

[AppleFanatic10]

Wow, congrats on securing a scholarship, not an easy thing to do. I studied at Queen Mary, University of London.

Btw, if you want a good discount on brand new MBPs I know an eBay seller that sells brand new, sealed US versions of the MBP with a big discount. I bought my MBP from that seller and saved £450 off the RRP. It works out much cheaper than the Education discount but bear in mind that you won't get the 3-year extended repair coverage offered to students or the £60 Apple Store gift card.

I'd like to know who this guy is 🙂, am looking for a newer MacBook at a decent price anyway 🙂

 

[DJJAZZYJET]

Sure, that's what I would intend to do on or around the 28th August when I've tried both devices out at PC World (freeloading their sales demo all the way).

I saw the 256GB 13" as being £1030, any idea where that little extra off comes from?

Well the new models (slight upgrade) got dropped in price. I bought the new model the day it came out. The representative that I spoke to said if I had ordered one yesterday, it would have been £1067 and I would have got a slightly slower machine.

 

[Sheza]

Well the new models (slight upgrade) got dropped in price. I bought the new model the day it came out. The representative that I spoke to said if I had ordered one yesterday, it would have been £1067 and I would have got a slightly slower machine.

Odd, the online store is showing the new models as £1030 instead of £1019 but that's really a minor gripe.

I'm considering the 256GB (though it'll take a lot to convince the actual purchaser) because I might want to run Office 2013 in Parallels until the new office for Mac is revealed, as I'm really used to it.

 

[EShef]

The majority of laptops at my law school are indeed Apple. I say go for it, it's a good choice. 🙂

 

[DJJAZZYJET]

Odd, the online store is showing the new models as £1030 instead of £1019 but that's really a minor gripe.

I'm considering the 256GB (though it'll take a lot to convince the actual purchaser) because I might want to run Office 2013 in Parallels until the new office for Mac is revealed, as I'm really used to it.

Using the online store does not show the full university discount (if you are not on campus) i believe. Ringing up apples education store or asking on apples online chat and asking them what the price is - it should be 1018.80

I have been using office for mac from when I got my first mac and its very easy to use. Most functions are there and I'm sure you'll be able to adapt very quickly.
I went for the 256GB because I never have to worry about running out of storage. Plus the PCI-SSD is faster, because larger SSD's yield higher performance read and writes (something to help convince your purchaser)

 

[Hustler1337]

Using the online store does not show the full university discount (if you are not on campus) i believe. Ringing up apples education store or asking on apples online chat and asking them what the price is - it should be 1018.80

I have been using office for mac from when I got my first mac and its very easy to use. Most functions are there and I'm sure you'll be able to adapt very quickly.
I went for the 256GB because I never have to worry about running out of storage. Plus the PCI-SSD is faster, because larger SSD's yield higher performance read and writes (something to help convince your purchaser)

You can fool the Apple servers by making it think that you're browsing the Education Store on your college/university campus by accessing the direct link from home and get the same discounts that way. That's from my experience though.

The prices on the store come up as follows:

But it's best to double check as you say.

 

[Sheza]

You can fool the Apple servers by making it think that you're browsing the Education Store on your college/university campus by accessing the direct link from home and get the same discounts that way. That's from my experience though.

The prices on the store come up as follows:

Image

But it's best to double check as you say.

Yeah that's what I did - you can easily Google the numbers for any Uni campus in the UK. The standard education store had the rMBP 128GB at £940 compared to the Uni store's £860

 

[Hustler1337]

Yeah that's what I did - you can easily Google the numbers for any Uni campus in the UK. The standard education store had the rMBP 128GB at £940 compared to the Uni store's £860

I just had a quick chat with Apple on their online chat whilst I was asking for something else (need replacement Lightning cable) and they said that you can access the same prices as you would get direct from campus if you have a MyUniDays account. My account still works and I've checked the price and can confirm it's £1,030.80. Just thought I'd let you know. 😉

 

[Sheza]

I just had a quick chat with Apple on their online chat whilst I was asking for something else (need replacement Lightning cable) and they said that you can access the same prices as you would get direct from campus if you have a MyUniDays account. My account still works and I've checked the price and can confirm it's £1,030.80. Just thought I'd let you know. 😉

Oh snap, you're right! I have a Unidays account from Sixth Form and it seems to work.

And the mystery of the £1018 vs £1030 is solved. Upon entering the basket, it displays the price as £1018 for some reason.

 

[DJJAZZYJET]

Oh snap, you're right! I have a Unidays account from Sixth Form and it seems to work.

And the mystery of the £1018 vs £1030 is solved. Upon entering the basket, it displays the price as £1018 for some reason.

Very strange. A big in apples servers maybe?

 

[Hustler1337]

Oh snap, you're right! I have a Unidays account from Sixth Form and it seems to work.

And the mystery of the £1018 vs £1030 is solved. Upon entering the basket, it displays the price as £1018 for some reason.

Sweet! It works at home and is £1018? this must be your day 😀

I'm interested in the high-end 15" and it comes at £1,699.20 but is also lowered by £12 to £1,687.20 once added to the basket. Odd, but i'm not complaining 🙂

 

[blurped]

rMBP is great for law school

1. Any Uni (especially Law) students here that would totally recommend the rMBP, and can tell me how it's good for them in this usage scenario?

I'm a law student—3L, December graduate— and I use the rMBP, as do more than 50% of my classmates. Most are on the 15" which I think is the wiser choice because you'll utilize the extra screen space. I typically write my outlines in Word, although I did use Circus Ponies my first two semesters. I suppose I'm a mac advocate overall, but I highly recommend it. I've only met a few students who use an iPad or other tablet.

It will be handy to have some sort of digital note-taking advice, particularly in Property II, CIVPro, and Oil and Gas Law since you;ll need to draw out flow charts or property parcels. Here's some options for digital note taking or drawing:

• Draw them on paper, then take a snapshot using Evernote on your phone.
• Use a Galaxy Note III to draw them out in Evernote. Evernote for Android will sync with your Evernote mac app instantaneously. Then, you can easily drag and drop them into your outline. Check with the Professor before pulling out your phone in class though. I've found they are more receptive to it when I assure them that I'll keep my phone laid out on the desk (being in the front two rows helps b/c they can see you're not texting in class).
• Buy a small Wacom Intuos + the wireless receiver so that you can draw it out on your computer. This is a good option for professors that don't like cell phones, but it is one more thing to carry. Note that there are very limited options for handwriting mac apps at this time.

In addition, you'll benefit from being able to have two windows open side by side. It also helps to have easy access to an internet browser.

2. Does the rMBP automatically and easily scale when plugged in to an external monitor? On Windows and the SP3 you have to stick with 150% scaling or manually change it and log in and out, which is a chore I don't want to have to do every single day.

It works great with the Apple displays. Those feature an all-in-one connector that supplies power and connects the display. It also works well with the latest Apple TV, although you'll need a high-quality HDTV to read the text easily. Personally, I find the rMBP to be more than sufficient for my study needs.

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An MBP is overkill[...]especially taking into account that your Apple is essentially dead after Applecare runs out.

The life of a computer is independent to the existence of a warranty. I've never used Applecare and I've never needed it.

 

[Sheza]

I'm a law student—3L, December graduate— and I use the rMBP, as do more than 50% of my classmates. Most are on the 15" which I think is the wiser choice because you'll utilize the extra screen space. I typically write my outlines in Word, although I did use Circus Ponies my first two semesters. I suppose I'm a mac advocate overall, but I highly recommend it. I've only met a few students who use an iPad or other tablet.

It will be handy to have some sort of digital note-taking advice, particularly in Property II, CIVPro, and Oil and Gas Law since you;ll need to draw out flow charts or property parcels. Here's some options for digital note taking or drawing:

• Draw them on paper, then take a snapshot using Evernote on your phone.
• Use a Galaxy Note III to draw them out in Evernote. Evernote for Android will sync with your Evernote mac app instantaneously. Then, you can easily drag and drop them into your outline. Check with the Professor before pulling out your phone in class though. I've found they are more receptive to it when I assure them that I'll keep my phone laid out on the desk (being in the front two rows helps b/c they can see you're not texting in class).
• Buy a small Wacom Intuos + the wireless receiver so that you can draw it out on your computer. This is a good option for professors that don't like cell phones, but it is one more thing to carry. Note that there are very limited options for handwriting mac apps at this time.

In addition, you'll benefit from being able to have two windows open side by side. It also helps to have easy access to an internet browser.



It works great with the Apple displays. Those feature an all-in-one connector that supplies power and connects the display. It also works well with the latest Apple TV, although you'll need a high-quality HDTV to read the text easily. Personally, I find the rMBP to be more than sufficient for my study needs.

----------


The life of a computer is independent to the existence of a warranty. I've never used Applecare and I've never needed it.

Hi! Thanks for the post. While I would agree the 15" screen space is preferable, unfortunately my budget could not stretch that far.

I tried the competing Surface Pro 3 yesterday as it was finally released in the UK, and whilst the handwriting feature is neat, I could not see it replacing paper. I like writing on sort of rough paper with an ink pen rather than glossy paper with a ball point, if you know what I mean? The SP3 felt like the latter, and my handwriting was terrible on it. It is an incredibly thin and light device however, and I would not hesitate to get one if I had the money to spare. But I have to think about ease of use at Uni and I think the MacBook wins. Bigger screen and a much better keyboard it has to be said.

So I'm now a member of the Mac community full and proper 😉 Ordered yesterday, arrives today.

I'm terrible at drawing anyway so I think I'll stick to quick paper diagrams, take photos and make computer drawn replicas where possible.

I'm not sure but I don't think we are required to take Oil & Gas law in the UK as part of the LLB. I do want to take modules in Intellectual Property and internet law though and I could see diagrams being used for those (indeed I've drawn patent diagrams before) but for such a low number of uses, the other compromises weren't worth it to get a Surface Pro 3.

Also they had a jarring sales rep from Microsoft who shook off all the issues I knew existed with the product, claimed Apple laptops can't be upgraded (when neither can the Surface) and slated Apple needlessly. Oh, and then he whipped his iPhone out!

 

[Cassady]

Hi! Thanks for the post. While I would agree the 15" screen space is preferable, unfortunately my budget could not stretch that far.

I tried the competing Surface Pro 3 yesterday as it was finally released in the UK, and whilst the handwriting feature is neat, I could not see it replacing paper. I like writing on sort of rough paper with an ink pen rather than glossy paper with a ball point, if you know what I mean? The SP3 felt like the latter, and my handwriting was terrible on it. It is an incredibly thin and light device however, and I would not hesitate to get one if I had the money to spare. But I have to think about ease of use at Uni and I think the MacBook wins. Bigger screen and a much better keyboard it has to be said.

So I'm now a member of the Mac community full and proper 😉 Ordered yesterday, arrives today.

I'm terrible at drawing anyway so I think I'll stick to quick paper diagrams, take photos and make computer drawn replicas where possible.

I'm not sure but I don't think we are required to take Oil & Gas law in the UK as part of the LLB. I do want to take modules in Intellectual Property and internet law though and I could see diagrams being used for those (indeed I've drawn patent diagrams before) but for such a low number of uses, the other compromises weren't worth it to get a Surface Pro 3.

Also they had a jarring sales rep from Microsoft who shook off all the issues I knew existed with the product, claimed Apple laptops can't be upgraded (when neither can the Surface) and slated Apple needlessly. Oh, and then he whipped his iPhone out!

Having a quick scan through the above posts, a few points were raised about annotations - figured I'd wade in with some thoughts as well.

Adobe Acrobrat Reader, was the bane of my existence. Felt like I spent more time trying to update the thing, than actually using it. Resource hog that didn't like large pdfs - and heaven forbid you actually tried to have several pdf's open at once.

Preview on OSX has been mentioned. Allow me to mention it again - the fact that it is so versatile, means I no longer have ANY Adobe product on my MBP. This makes me happy.

Then you start discovering how many journal articles you will end up reading as a law student, and how most of these are in PDF format, and the above makes you very happy.

Then you start realising how the trackpad on a MBP/MBA is, bar none, the best trackpad ever put into a laptop, and that you can rotate the page view of pdfs and most other things, with a simple flick of two fingers, and you will be smiling.

And finally, you will realise that OSX allows you to edit the filename and save-directory of the PDF you are currently viewing in Preview, whilst it is open AND you can still scroll through it, and the hours you will have saved yourself, in renaming and filing all those THSDWFEB34123D23432FCbt52123e73.pdf documents you will end up downloading to study, and you will never go back to Windows.

At least - that's what happened to me. Honestly, Preview and the Trackpad are worth the price premium alone >> that's without even thinking about the many other productivity benefits to be had...

TLDNR >> congrats, well chosen.

 

[Sheza]

Having a quick scan through the above posts, a few points were raised about annotations - figured I'd wade in with some thoughts as well.

Adobe Acrobrat Reader, was the bane of my existence. Felt like I spent more time trying to update the thing, than actually using it. Resource hog that didn't like large pdfs - and heaven forbid you actually tried to have several pdf's open at once.

Preview on OSX has been mentioned. Allow me to mention it again - the fact that it is so versatile, means I no longer have ANY Adobe product on my MBP. This makes me happy.

Then you start discovering how many journal articles you will end up reading as a law student, and how most of these are in PDF format, and the above makes you very happy.

Then you start realising how the trackpad on a MBP/MBA is, bar none, the best trackpad ever put into a laptop, and that you can rotate the page view of pdfs and most other things, with a simple flick of two fingers, and you will be smiling.

And finally, you will realise that OSX allows you to edit the filename and save-directory of the PDF you are currently viewing in Preview, whilst it is open AND you can still scroll through it, and the hours you will have saved yourself, in renaming and filing all those THSDWFEB34123D23432FCbt52123e73.pdf documents you will end up downloading to study, and you will never go back to Windows.

At least - that's what happened to me. Honestly, Preview and the Trackpad are worth the price premium alone >> that's without even thinking about the many other productivity benefits to be had...

TLDNR >> congrats, well chosen.

Already loving the trackpad, have yet to experience Preview but I'm told it is very powerful.

Happy with this Mac so far!

 

[Samuelsan2001]

PDF I use skim

if you have a lot of PDF's to work with try an app called skim I find it much better for opening them than preview it is a very light program and sips power, preview will hammer your battery if using it with PDF all day.

 

[Tsuchiya]

I see everyone else has covered the main points, so I'll just say good luck with your degree 🙂

KCL is a great Uni, I went there for my first degree and I certainly miss the place.


(FWIW: I use a 15" rMBP and iPad combination for my law degree. The rMBP is great for essay writing, but to have in tutorials etc, the iPads portability and battery life were king)

 

[Sheza]

I see everyone else has covered the main points, so I'll just say good luck with your degree 🙂

KCL is a great Uni, I went there for my first degree and I certainly miss the place.


(FWIW: I use a 15" rMBP and iPad combination for my law degree. The rMBP is great for essay writing, but to have in tutorials etc, the iPads portability and battery life were king)

Well, unfortunately I just missed out. I'm starting at UEA instead. Still looking forward to it!