There was a time when laptops were branded as luxury items by everybody. But, few years and a mammoth scale of technological innovations hence, laptops have very well earned its position in the list of basic necessities for students.
And in case if you wish to pursue a career in law, then the laptop can become your ultimate buddy helping you out with everything ranging from taking notes to researching for the upcoming exam.
Certain law schools specify laptop requirements in advance. Thus, it is necessary to stay well informed about the same before you make the purchase. Weight of the laptop has a pivotal role to play in determining its efficiency among students who are usually seen moving around with a bagful of heavy textbooks.
A lightweight laptop is always more preferable in this regard but students must take note that the laptop weight has an inverse relationship with its cost which increases with every inch scraped off.
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Factors To Consider
Once you are done solving the weight issue, next comes screen size as the laptop is going to be your ultimate ally for the coming three years. In such a scenario, a tiny screen size surely won’t be of much help.
Thus, a minimum of 13 inches is required so that your retina doesn’t end up getting affected due to extensive exertion. Also, make sure not to cross over the 17-inch threshold as that will unnecessarily increase the weight and cost of your laptop.
Most of the present-day laptops come with 1080p screen however for law students a 720p screen is more than sufficient as they won’t be involved much in graphics intensive tasks. Touchscreen facility can surely help you in projecting your laptop amidst friends as a trophy possession but don’t forget to consider the enhanced cost burden before doing the same.
Most of the laptops plying the market come in-built with one gigabyte of RAM which can surely keep you contended with the law school requirements. And in case if you have an unquenchable need for speed and overflowing piggy bank, you surely can opt for higher gigabytes.
However, if you go ahead with the premium option, then you won’t have to worry a thing about RAM upgrades in the coming three years.
A minimum of 40GB requirement is an absolute must for storing all those law articles and notes however if you wish to stay entertained in between those sleepy lecture sessions, then make sure to opt for additional hard drive space. Enough said, let’s now take a look at the best laptop options for law students.
Our Top Picks for Best Laptops for Law School Students
1. Dell XPS9560-5000SLV-PUS
Specs:
This 15.6-inch beauty with a virtually borderless InfinityEdge display is an absolute delight to work with. With a 5.7mm bezel, this one-of-a-kind design is thinner by 59% than the paper-crisp MacBook Pro.
Weighing down just 4 pounds, the XPS for sure is one of the lightest in the 15-inch category. Powered by 7th Gen Intel Quad Core processors, 8 GB memory with a bandwidth of 2400MHz, 4GB GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card and 256 GB solid state drive, the XPS can multitask like an absolute beast and run heavy-duty applications like a pro.
Reliable and strong Wi-Fi connection gets ensured with the Killer 1535 Wireless-AC adapter so that students can enjoy blazing fast internet which can aid in downloading even the biggest of files by automatically detecting, categorizing and prioritizing network traffic so that your tasks get catered to according to the tier of importance.
A stunning view gets guaranteed with the UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD touch screen having maximum screen resolution of 3840x2160. The rich colour of Adobe RGB gets truly represented on screen leading to vivid and bold visuals which can be viewed form even the extreme angles of 170°.
The 350-nit brightness lights up the screen much more vibrantly in comparison to typical laptops. The touch display is extremely user friendly, even for the first-time users and lets everyone interact with the technology in an intuitive manner.
2. ASUS Zenbook 13
Specs:
As a law student, you will often need to be very mobile. Studying at the library, writing papers at the community center or just checking emails on a bench in the student commons.
The ASUS ZenBook is an extremely portable laptop at 2.6 lbs. But don't let the light weight fool you. The ZenBook is a real workhorse.
The long battery life further enhances the portability of this machine. The battery life is rated at 12 hours for general-purpose usage (email, browsing).
Powered by an Intel Core i5-8250H CPU and an NVIDIA MX150 GPU for graphics, you'll have plenty of computing resources to write briefs, and maintaining notes. You'll also have enough power for watching videos and even playing a few games when you aren't studying.
The display is 13.3" diagonal and is clear and bright. It has an anti-glare coating which will be welcome if you are using the laptop in a bright environment, such as outdoors.
Given the size and weight, this laptop nicely in a backpack or briefcase. We believe this laptop is a great combination of computing power and portability at a very reasonable price and we highly recommend it.
3. ASUS N580VD-DB74T VivoBook
Specs:
The slim and sexy “icicle gold” VivoBook impresses with a brushed metal lid which offers complete protection against scratches. With a thickness of just 0.8 inches and weight of 5.1 pounds, this high-performance laptop can easily be tucked in the backpack along with other law journals.
Connectivity gets full marks in the ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 which comes loaded with a USB 3.0 port, an Ethernet jack, an USB 3.1 Type-C port and a HDMI-out on its left and a headphone jack, dual USB 2.0 ports, and a SD memory reader in the right side for hassle-free compatibility across an array of displays, peripherals and projectors.
Harman Kardon speakers weave magical soundwaves in the VivoBook Pro with its smart amplifier technology and 8cc chambers which can pump up the volume without losing out on the sound clarity.
The front-mounted stereo speakers deliver audio which is 320% louder compared to similarly-sized devices. The full-size backlit keyboard of the ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 works beautifully in low-light scenarios.
With key travel of 1.4mm, the single-piece keyboard ensures comfortable and ergonomic typing for every hand size. The dual force of Windows Hello and fingerprint sensor in the touchpad enhances log-in security and protects your device from unauthorised access.
The dual-fan architecture of the VivoBook having eight automatically-adjustable speeds help the device in maintaining its cool even after being used for a long span of time with zero noise emission.
4. ASUS VivoBook X510UQ-NH71
Specs:
This well-balanced VivoBook 15 X510UQ brings in the best of both worlds in terms of incomparable functionality and unprecedented performance. The best thing about this laptop is surely its “NanoEdge” bezel which accentuates the beauty of its 15.6 inch FHD screen.
Given its affordable price tag, the VivoBook 15 X510UQ ushers in a breath of fresh air with its brushed aluminium outer lid and soft gold finish which is otherwise rare in laptops of similar category.
The Asus beauty derives its inner prowess from an Intel Core i7-7500U processor, 940MX graphics and 8GB DDR4 RAM which paves the way for ultra-smooth visuals. Students can even enjoy blazing fast internet of up to 867Mbps courtesy the dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
At just 3.7 pounds, the amazingly thin VivoBook merges the compactness of an ultrabook with the power of an everyday laptop. The visual optimization technology of this laptop comes with four display modes: Normal, Eye-Care, Vivid and Manual each of which can be accessed by a single click.
Every video looks equally stunning with the ASUS Tru2Life Video technology which optimizes contrast and sharpness of every pixel by 150% for producing realistic and vivid imagery irrespective of the source content.
With wide angle viewing of up to 178°, students can easily indulge in sharing their screen with a group of classmates for brushing through the last-minute notes before exams.
5. Acer Chromebook CB3-131-C3SZ
Specs:
This 11.6 inch Chromebook brings along everything to guarantee you unperturbed performance on the go. Be it the long-lasting 9 hours’ of battery life or fast wireless connectivity, the Chromebook makes sure that you can stay connected to the digital space while accessing your favourite songs, videos and photos by simple finger touch.
The unique looking CB3-131-C3SZ features nano-imprint patterning technology which creates a textured yet subtle pattern making the laptop stand out in the crowd. And if you thought that such state-of-art features won’t come for cheap, then you surely are mistaken.
This third-generation Chromebook with a HD IPS anti-glare display makes it equally suitable to work outdoors. The fan-less design of the keyboard helps in bringing along efficiency and keeping the system noise free.
If you have joined a boarding for completing you law program, then it’s obvious that your will miss you family and friends during those special events such as new year and birthdays.
However, the Chromebook with its crisp screen resolution is sure to move you a step closer to your loved ones as you engage in seamless video chats with the HD webcam. Its 802.11ac Wi-Fi connection increases signal speed by three times in comparison to previous generations.
Conclusion
Convertibles are a great option if you want to mix and match your personal usage with law school requirements.
We understand how tedious it becomes to proceed with the ultimate selection when you have a never-ending list to choose from.
However, keeping your budget in mind, we have done the hard work for you so that you go ahead with your purchase without having much to worry about.
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