technology > recommended laptops

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July 16 Update: The recommendations are (finally) available! Please click on the link above to see the recommended systems. You will find the login information in the UO Law new students forum (lawduck.uoregon.edu) and it was also sent to you at your email address.

July 14 Update: We're getting very close to releasing our recommendations. I'm working on securing a "bargain package" MacBook and also finalizing some details with Dell. Sorry for the delay. I will broadcast an email to all incoming students as well as post a notice here and also to our new admit forum. Stay tuned!

NEW LAPTOP RECOMMENDATIONS
WILL BE RELEASED JULY 2008.
IF YOU WANT TO PURCHASE ONE OF OUR PACKAGE LAPTOPS, PLEASE CONTACT
ELIAS GAYLES, HELP DESK SUPERVISOR.

July 5, 2008

Dear New UO Law Student,

First off, congratulations on becoming a UO Law Student! The UO School of Law is a friendly, tight-knit community that offers rigorous academic challenges. Technology is an integral part of our academic community. The school's Technology office provides extensive support for students, faculty and staff. For students, the office operates a full-service help desk, and provides support for a suite of productivity and research software.

The UO Law Technology Office is primarily responsible for supporting all of the technology in the School. This includes but is not limited to dial-up, wired, and wireless Internet access, a lifetime email account, 14 network printers, a small computer lab, and a full spectrum of computer support, including a laptop loaner program in case your laptop goes to the shop for repairs.

Classroom technology includes video projectors, full Internet access, cable television access, touch-screen controller systems, and wireless microphones. Students often use classroom technology to enhance their presentations.

Finally, first-year Law students receive an intensive orientation session to get up and running with new hardware and software and the UO Law Library offers electronic research training in WestLaw and LexisNexis.

As you may know, every student is required to purchase a laptop computer. As a law student, you will use your computer every day to take notes, correspond with your peers, conduct legal research, and even to take tests. Your computer will be your constant companion, so we strongly recommend that you purchase a laptop computer rather than a desktop model. Also, we strongly urge you to select one of our recommended packages. Our staff has years of experience supporting and repairing our recommended systems. If a student brings in an off-brand computer or a different model, we do our best to help but can't provide more than basic support.

If you purchase a recommended system and bring it in to our help desk, you can take advantage of our laptop loaner program as well as rely on our staff to act as a liaison with the computer manufacturer to get your computer repaired quickly and efficiently. Also, purchasing the recommended laptop will ensure complete compatibility with your peers and faculty, ensure you purchase a quality computer from name brand companies, and enjoy the benefits of a three-year warranty that covers virtually any problems you may encounter with your laptop.

Choosing a new laptop can be fun but also a potentially confusing and stressful process. Following are some guidelines to help you with this important decision:

1. Choose the operating system you are most comfortable using. If you have experience with Windows, then select one of our Dell laptops. If you have experience with the MacOS, then choose one of our Apple laptops. One notable new development is that the Macs we recommend can also run Windows using either BootCamp (for dual booting) or Parallels Workstation (for simultaneous access to Windows applications). Please contact me if you're interested in learning more about this.

2. The working life of your laptop is only three years, which is actually a long time given the rapid pace of new developments in computer technology. So choose a laptop that suits your needs while you are in law school, not the laptop you will need after you graduate.

3. The recommended software package works equally well for both Windows and MacOS. The email, web browsing, and word processing software we use at the UO Law School is completely interchangeable between the Dells and Apples.

4. Most summer jobs and internships won't require you to use your laptop, so don't let this influence your choice.

5. Timing is everything! It's very important not to jump the gun and buy your new laptop before July 5, 2007. Why wait? Consider this scenario: Imagine yourself an extremely successful 3L law student. You've earned high grades and the faculty secretly marvel at your brilliance. You are just about ready to take the bar and [sizzle!] your computer stops working. No problem, you think, I've had the help desk repair my computer in the past but then you realize that your three-year warranty is up! Whatever is wrong with your computer is going to cost a bundle and take a good deal of your precious time! All of your notes reside on your laptop and you can't retrieve them! You're up to your eyeballs in student loans! Yikes! (OK, this scenario is a bit dramatic, but you get the idea.)

Also, buying too early may result in getting a lesser computer than the recommended laptop. We wait until the latest possible date to secure our specifications and pricing from Dell and Apple to ensure you get the best laptop for the least money. The take-home message here is to wait until after July 5, 2007 to order your laptop.

Here's a quick overview of this year's recommendations:

This year we will go with the Dell Latitude D630. It's a surprisingly rugged laptop with good performance. The specifications will 2GHz Pentium Core 2 Duo processor, 40GB hard drive, 1GB SDRAM (1 SDRAM), 24X CDRW/DVD, 14.1" WXGA LCD, Intel GMA X3100 Video, Built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, Intel 3945 WLAN (802.11b/g 54Mbps), Windows XP Professional with SP2, CompleteCare Accidental Damage 3-year Protection Plan, Backpack essentials bundle, 1GB DiskGO! USB flash drive,
Price: $1,318 (includes $19.99 shipping plus $84 for Office Standard and OneNote)

This year we will offer both the MacBook and the MacBook Pro. Both laptops are very sleek and fast and, as I mentioned previously, can run Windows. The specifications will probably be Intel Duo Core 2Ghz, 1GB RAM, 120GB Hard Drive, Either 13-in (or 15-in Display), SuperDrive, 1GB USB Sandisk flash drive, MacOS X, 3-Year AppleCare Warranty
Price: $1,366 (includes shipping, software and accessories)

For extra cost savings, we will require that you purchase Microsoft Office and, for the Windows users, Microsoft OneNote from the UO Bookstore. The cost savings are significantly cheaper than ordering directly from Dell or Apple.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns this letter doesn't address.

Best regards,