law school: busy hating on your pretty little mac.

[julie anne]

I heart my MacBook computer. Heck, even doggies like the stylish, sleek and intuitive notebook that's favored by graphic designers, music producers and video editors alike.

I’m not so sure it was the greatest idea to make the entire thing white because of people like me who, despite all manner of hand-washing, always manage to have something smudgy or splotchy on their hands. But despite the white notebook’s magnetic properties when it comes to dirt, I can’t imagine going back to a virus-prone, Windows-driven personal computer.

Based on the Chapman University School of Law’s computer guidelines for exams, however, it looks like I can’t get away from Bill Gates’ baby.

Like the nerd I am, I read Chapman’s Student Handbook and found this sad, sad bit of news regarding my beloved Mac:

“Users with Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro laptops can run Windows through Apple's Boot Camp software. ... Please note that ExamSoft does not provide support for the installation and configuration of Apple's Boot Camp. … If you do decide to use this option, we highly recommend that you contact ExamSoft directly and become very familiar with this program due to the fact that Examsoft is fairly new and untested for Mac computers.”

Julie Anne’s palm, meet Julie Anne’s forehead. Get used to each other. I have a feeling you’re going to be working together for a really, really long time.

Even if I do as the student handbook warily suggests, installing Windows using the Boot Camp software would require 5 GB of free hard drive space, and running a non-native operating system would make my processor work harder than all those folks on The Biggest Loser combined, according to some folks.

It seems that the best option now — rather than risk harm to my baby — would be to buy an inexpensive notebook computer that runs Windows. Or I'm open to any suggestions that readers may have. (PC users, throwing my Mac out the window is not an option.)

My advice? Before buying a new laptop, know exactly what computers and software your school allows. Duh, I know. But I figured that law schools would pick up on the popularity of Apple notebooks and adjust accordingly. Nope. 

You can find out exactly what you need by calling up your school’s IT people, looking through your student handbook, or checking through an awesome Web site called Mac Law Students, which has a great list of schools and their software requirements as well as software suggestions for people whose schools make accomodations for Apple computers.

Comments

[Patrick]

Don't get rid of your mac -- going back to a PC will make you want to hang yourself. Trust me.

Two options: first, the school might offer loaner laptops, or you might be able to borrow one from a friend (don't worry, you'll still have those in law school!) for taking your exams.

Alternatively, you can do the boot camp thing and upgrade your computer to handle the toll. Four gigs of RAM should more than handle the load, and if you don't have that much already you can do the upgrade for about $50, if you buy the ram and install it yourself (look online for the parts, and youtube "install ram mac" for instructional videos. it's REALLY easy). If you're really concerned about the hard drive space (5 gigs isn't that much these days, you know) you can purchase a new, huge hard drive for about a hundred bucks.

The total price tag of $150 is a lot cheaper than buying a new piece of crap laptop computer that you'll never want to use anyway.

[Silly Little Law Student]

Actually that statement about Examsoft is no longer true. The license for ExamSoft (aka SofTest) can validly be used on a Mac with Windows XP (or Vista) installed via Boot Camp. The copy of their user agreement you have quoted above is from about 2006 when the intel Mac were a brand new thing and the ability to run windows natively on a Mac was unheard of.

I took all 6 semester of law school exams on my macbook and she's all set up to take the bar exam on it this summer as well.

For Examsoft's relevant FAQ on the topic see here [ https://www.examsoft.com/dotnet/faqs/faq.aspx#65 ]

[Franklin]

I had three different macs all through law school, all worked just fine with Bootcamp. I setup Bootcamp for about a dozen people and they did not have any issues. Your processor will be just fine, and 5GB is not that much (I would recommend more space if you think you would ever use Windows for other things). Windows on a mac is no longer scary. Just avoid Vista and stick to XP.

[Account Deleted]

Wow! Patrick, Silly Law Student and Franklin, thanks for your input. I bought my Mac with the intention of using it during law school before I even started the whole law school application process. The info I quoted was from the student manual, so the school may just be using outdated information. Glad to hear you all were able to use your Macs without too much trouble! Again, tnx! :)

[Silly Little Law Student]

It's not uncommon for the school to be using outdated information. I'm pretty sure that my school still had the same statement in its handbook as well. In 2006 I was one of about 3 students to use a mac on examsoft, and as of last semester it was 1/3 to 1/2 of the students with macs in the examsoft room. It just takes a while for the administrators to catch up with the times. If you are still in doubt about whether it will work, go see your law school's head of IT. They'll help you out. Good luck!

[Slice of Pink]

Another MacBook user here. No problems so far running Boot Camp and Examsoft on the Mac.

[BKSB]

My advice? Learn to take examinations by hand. Take 1 exam by computer so you can qualify for the bar exam by computer, but test by hand during law school. I say this for one reason, paper never breaks down mid-test. I've seen people have their pc's flunk out halfway through exams, including during the bar. Examsoft is supposed to back up data, but it does not do it perfectly. If you are used to handwriting exams, you will perform better in the event of a sudden breakdown.

Otherwise, there is no significant impact on score between handwriting and computer examination. This is both a matter of practical experience and from conversations with my professors at Chapman.

[Account Deleted]

Silly Little Law Student and Slice of Pink: Thanks!
BKSB: Good to know that some students are able to get through tests without using a computer. :) However, do you find that it takes longer to finish/go over a test if writing your answers out by hand?

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