The Mac Lawyer

Guest Post :: Using Windows on a Mac

The following guest post is from Todd Juneau, a registered patent attorney in Alexandria, Virginia:

I wanted to share a recent experience I had loading Windows on my Mac machines.  In summary, I am very pleased with my Mac/Windows setup.  A few years ago, I switched from Windows to Linux to Mac OS.  After a few years, I wanted to install a law office practice management suite.  Unfortunately, the ones I liked, ran on Windows.  After much research trying to find a “work-around”, I tried to load Windows on my various Mac machines.

I used Boot Camp to let me run Windows on my iMac.  It partitions the drive, lets you load Windows XP SP2 (or Vista), and gives you a way to switch OS’s by re-booting.  Which (rebooting) by the way is extremely fast.  Apparently, iMac’s are very happy running XP; my experience has been the same: fast.  I know that Parallels and other VM software lets you run both OS’s at the same time, with fast switching, but I avoided this approach due to concerns I had about having a slow machine.

Once XP SP2 is loaded (you can buy XP SP2 at Best Buy), then you can run all your favorite Windows programs natively.  Of course, you’ll need to do all the XP updates (SP3 works well on my iMac) and you’ll need to get some antivirus software -- I used ClamWin since it is free and a fast download.  I didn’t want my XP exposed to the internet without it – since Windows “announces” itself to networks, viruses can infect exposed machines within minutes, or less.

I’d recommend looking into getting the Mac Mini if you already have a flat screen and keyboard/mouse devices,  Get the bigger one (the bigger Mini), with more memory and better combo-drive.  Then, use your own flat screen, and a wireless keyboard/mouse set up –- check out Logitech EX110 –- it’s about $40.  That way, you’ll have a “Windows” keyboard, which works well on the Mac OS side, instead of a “Mac” keyboard that is missing some of the special Windows functions –- sound, shortcuts, etc.  It’s all so very compact.

Comprehensive Guide on Switching to a Mac

One of the very best websites for those considering switching to Macs is the aptly named Switch To A Mac.  This excellent site has published a ten part series of article that addresses and analyzes virtually every possible question regarding the switch.  I have listed the various topics below, and I recommend that any possible switchers check them out to help with their decision:

1. Part One: Key Questions
2. Part Two: Where To Start?
3. Part Three: What Kind Of User Are You?
4. Part Four: Mac Hardware Benefits and Purchasing
5. Part Five: The Misconception Macs Are Too Expensive
6. Part Six: Learn To Use Mac OS X
7. Part Seven: Easily Use Your Files On A Mac
8. Part Eight: Setup a New Mac 
9. Part Nine: Choose Your Mac
10. Part Ten: Expectations and Mindset
11. Part Eleven: Buying a Mac - Tips and Advice
    

Source:  "How to Switch" series, published at SwitchToAMac.com.

How Lawyers Practice Law and Serve Clients with Macs -- Really!

As my readers are aware, I presented two seminars at the ABA TechShow 2008 this past March in Chicago.  One was "How Lawyers Practice Law and Serve Clients with Macs -- Really!" which I co=presented with Jeff Richardson.  Our written materials from that session were recently republished in the September 2008 Law Practice Today webzine, as follows:

While most lawyers are wedded to the PC, these two lawyers enumerate the advantages of the Mac, for work, for home, and for the pure enjoyment of it.

For over a decade, every one of the hundreds of press releases issued by Apple has ended by noting that “Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.” Apple’s critical role in the early days of personal computers is beyond debate, but for a period of time in the 1990s, Apple seemed to have lost its way. Its computer lineup was confusing, its market share reached an all time low, the company’s stock price fell to $5 a share (in current share prices), and Dell CEO Michael Dell famously quipped that if he owned Apple, “I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.” 

Since then, the company has had a resurgence. Apple’s computers and software have received rave reviews, its market share is at the highest point since the Mac was first introduced in 1984, Apple has taken over the digital music market with the ubiquitous iPod, the company is already a formidable presence in the cell phone market with the iPhone introduced just last year, and at the time of this writing (January of 2008) Apple’s stock price has risen to over $200 a share.

With a record number of people now switching from PCs to Macs, the question for lawyers is: should you switch too? And if you do, should you maybe just switch for your home computer, or also for your office as well? Most importantly, what do you gain and what do you lose by making the switch?

Intellectual Property Lawyer Describes His Switch from PCs to Macs

Daniel Coolidge is an intellectual property attorney in Unity, New Hampshire, and he is a recent convert from PC to Mac.  What might make his conversion more meaningful to you is the fact that he also has a degree in computer engineering.  Dan recently published "One Lawyer’s Journey from the Dark Side: Leaving Microsoft and Learning to Love the Mac" in the September 2008 ABA Technology eReport.

His article explains the reasons for his "conversion," many of which are the same as other attorneys who have made the switch.  Dan said, "I type my own documents, and I used to live with an almost constant subliminal rage.  I referred to it as the wheel-spinning ratio: the ratio of time trying to fix something on the computer over productive time."  He said that Vista was the straw that broke the camel's back and made him realize that "there had to be a better way."

He summarized his conversion experience as follows:  "And what was most delightful to me was, the longer I used the Mac, the lower became my background level of rage. The Mac just worked. The wheel-spinning ratio dropped nearly to zero. For the first time in years, the computer had become a delightful tool, aesthetically pleasing and regularly useful."

Well said, Dan, and welcome to the fold.  I hope that you'll share more of your Mac experiences with us in the future.

Immigration Attorney Switches from PCs to Macs

Eric Rhodes of Triangle Immigration recently switched from PCs to Macs for his practice.  He wrote the following about his "conversion experience" on his Visa Tech Law Blog:

As a working attorney from 1999 onward, I gradually became more and more frustrated with Windows constantly crashing.  Other shortcomings of the operating system (security issues, frequent updates requiring a reboot, installation hassles) were apparent, and I was beginning to use more and more non-Microsoft products such as Mozilla’s Firefox web browser.

More importantly, many software applications that were previously Windows-only were migrating to an online subscription model accessible to computers running a variety of operating systems.  As an immigration lawyer, it is now possible for me to access AILALink (a compilation of statutory, regulatory, and secondary materials compiled by the American Immigration Lawyers Association) online, and most online case management systems are also accessible by Mac, including the system I use at my firm – LawLogix.

The tipping point for me was the discovery of a truly amazing software product called Parallels Desktop for Mac. Parallels allow you to create a virtual Windows machine on you Mac this is accessible while running the Mac operating system.  Thus, with the new Intel-based iMacs, it is possible run Windows programs using XP or Vista from a partitioned drive on Boot Camp (built into the Leopard OS) by rebooting or instantly by running Parallels.

I now own my first iMac, a maxed out 24” 3.06GHz machine with 4GB of RAM.  It’s been two months and my Leopard operating system hasn’t crashed once, although XP has crashed several times when accessed via both Boot Camp and Parallels.   My iMac is also extremely quiet when running - a nice quality touch – and it has been easy to learn the new keyboard shortcuts in Leopard.  But, when I really need to access a Windows program, I still have that option.

If you have been dissatisfied with your PC, I encourage you to consider a switch to an Intel-based iMac – you can always launch Windows using Boot Camp or Parallels (and even use it as a purely Windows machine, although Apple purists would cringe!).

Chris Pirillo's 50 Reasons to Switch to a Mac

Several months ago, noted tech enthusiast Chris Pirillo made the switch from Windows to Mac.  As part of the process, he published a list of 50 reasons for people to join him in making this move.  A few of Chris' best reasons are:

1. Excellent power management in OS X
2. OS X is noticeably more stable than Windows Vista
3. More interesting, useful, beautiful, and affordable software being developed for OS X
4. Macs make it possible to have every operating system at my fingertips
5. No stress in installing / uninstalling most programs
6. Spyware / malware / virus threat is diminished by an extreme degree
7. Time Machine -- Wow
8. Never need to defrag a Mac’s hard disk
9. Joining wireless networks in OS X is easier and more refined
10. Deleted files can easily be securely erased in OS X
11. Macs cost about the same as a comparable Windows PC for hardware and bundled software
12. Mail comes with “Data Detectors” which enable you to productively use that information
13. Preview is no joke - with annotations, basic image editing, zooming and scrolling, etc.
14. Help is the way Help should have always been all along
15. Windows users need Apple’s software more than Mac users need Microsoft’s

However, I urge you to click HERE to read his entire list, whether you have already made the switch or not.  If you haven't, these reasons might be the final push that you need to convince you to do so.  If you already have, they will remind you of how much better off you really are.

Source:  "50 Reasons to Switch from Microsoft Windows to Apple’s Mac OS X" by Chris Pirillo, published at his blog.

Top 10 Free Programs for Attorneys Using Macs

Benson Varghese of the Res Ipsa Blog has published a "Top 10" list of programs that make switching to Macs a breeze.  I have listed his recommended programs below along with a short summary of each.  However, you should read his post to get more information about each of these programs.

1. Quicksilver  ::  Uses simple commands to rapidly launch any program, file, folder, or website.
2. Anxiety  ::  Brings the iCal task list to your desktop without opening your full calendar.
3. Caffeine  ::  Turns OS X's built-in automatic screen dimming on and off with a single click.
4. Growl  ::  Provides unobtrusive notification messages from various OS X programs.
5. Adium  ::  Allows you to send/receive instant messages using various protocols.
6. Smultron  ::  Allows you to edit multiple documents in an easy-to-use tabbed interface. (See also TextWrangler and Bean)
7. Skim  ::  Offers enhanced markup capabilities with PDF documents and presentations.
8. VLC  ::  Plays most modern digital video formats.
9. iStat Menu  ::  Shows a calendar and other helpful information by clicking on the time in the taskbar.
10. Rachota  ::  Allows users to track the time spent on various projects.

Source:  "Ten Free Mac OS X Programs that Make the PC to Mac Switch a Breeze" by Benson Varghese, published at his Res Ipsa Blog.

Guest Post :: The Mac Switch: One Law Student's Switch from PC to a Mac

The following guest post is from Benson Varghese from the Res Ipsa Blog:

During my first two years in law school, I used a Windows-based laptop. The problem that I've had with Windows in the past is that after about a year the system tends to slow to a crawl. My usual solution to this is to do a clean installation of Windows every summer.  Combined with a regular backup schedule, this has ensured that I’ve never had any devastating problems with my PC setup. Unfortunately, several of my colleagues who were running their original Windows installations were not so fortunate and lost documents and even entire systems to Windows crashes.

This summer, instead of reinstalling Windows as I usually do, I decided to switch to a Mac. I did this for several different reasons.  First, both law schools and law firms are embracing Macs as a viable alternative to PCs. Second, as someone who pays particular attention to trial techniques, I've found that PowerPoint is overused and often ineffective in holding the interest of audiences. Keynote for Mac OS X, on the other hand, creates smooth presentations using fresh templates that don't overwhelm audiences with bullet points or screens full of text. Finally, I'm a firm believer in the investing adage made popular by Peter Lynch: "Invest in what you know."

As an investor in AAPL, I've purchased every generation of the iPod as I watched the Apple raise the bar time and time again in the portable media player market. With more people turning to Apple everyday based on their favorable experiences using an iPod or iPhone and the excitement created by innovative products like the MacBook Air and the iMac, I decided it was time to buy a Mac for myself to determine whether Apple is ready for continued growth in market share.

Below are the specs for my original Window-based laptop and my new MacBook. For comparison purposes, I ran 1.5 GB of RAM in each laptop during testing.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Manufacturer:	Dell	Apple
Model:	Inspiron E1705	MacBook Black
Screen Size:	17 inch	13.3 inch
RAM:	1.5 GB	2.5 GB
HDD:	120 GB @ 7200 rpm	160 GB @ 5400 rpm
Oper. System:	Vista Ultimate	OS X 10.5
Processor:	Intel Core Duo @ 1.67 Ghz	Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.4 Ghz

Things that I like about Mac and OS X:

1. Speed :: The Mac boots up much quicker than even a fresh installation of Windows. Since the Mac does have a faster processor, this was to be expected despite the faster hard drive in the Dell. In addition to the improved bootup speed, other programs like Adobe Acrobat and Photoshop run smoother on my Mac than they did in Windows.
2. Programs :: Macs have always had exceptional presentation software. Whether it is making music, designing art, or creating presentations, Macs have consistently outperformed Windows. Today, the excellence of the Mac goes beyond the world of multimedia. Whether you are using Office for Mac or Adobe Acrobat, Mac OS X runs programs that you are familiar with smoothly and stably.
3. Better security management :: While Vista attempted to rid Windows of the security issues that plagued Windows XP, the security restrictions in Vista were annoying. Vista asks for permission to run third-party software every time a program is launched. As a result, most users disable this security feature in Vista. Apple’s approach to security is far simpler. Instead of prompting you for a password every time a program is run, OS X only asks you for authorization when you first install the program. This ensures that programs are not installed without your knowledge.
4. It works out of the box :: With a new installation of Windows, I usually have to spend the better part a day installing all the programs I need to get things running smoothly. With Mac OS X, you start with a solid assortment of programs that are actually useful. Macs come with iLife which includes iPhoto for photo management, iMovie for video editing, GarageBand for editing music, and iDVD for creating DVDs with professional menus and transitions. Macs also have great built in features like a dictionary and Time Machine, which is Mac’s backup utility.
5. Ease of use :: While there is a learning curve to any new operating system, learning to use OS X is straightforward. One of the best things about using a Mac is the number of shortcuts that are available. For example, I regularly take screenshots for my blog so that I have a picture or thumbnail image to go with a story. On the Mac, by simply hitting “Command + Shift + 4” I can select any portion of the screen to automatically save as an image. To make a screenshot in Windows, without the help of third-party software requires going through the following steps: hit printscreen, paste the image into Paint, crop the image, and finally, save the crop image as a new file.

Things that could be better:

1. The single-button trackpad :: While I've gotten used to having to hold two fingers on the track pad and then clicking in order to "right click," it would be nice to see a trackpad that functions along the lines of Apple’s Mighty Mouse, where the mouse detects right and left clicks based on finger placement even though there are no distinct right and left click buttons.
2. The lack of good alternatives to certain Windows programs :: While most of the programs available for OS X strengthen the case for Macs, there are a couple of programs for which I have not been able to find good Mac alternatives. For instance, I've tried every piece of Mac blogging software that I've come across, and I've yet to find one that is as easy to use and complete in its features as Microsoft's Livewriter. While I’ll concede that blogging software might be a niche market, a bigger concern is the lack of a suitable alternative to Quicken 2008. The Mac version of Quicken (Quicken Mac 2007) lacks many key features of the Windows version. Neither Quicken Online nor any of the other Mac offerings (iBank, Moneydance) for financial management provide the depth that Quicken 2008 for Windows does. Luckily, using Parallels, Mac users can run Windows within Mac OS X, so switching to a Mac does not mean you’ll have to give up your favorite Windows programs. An alternative to Parallels is BootCamp which allows Mac users to boot directly into a Windows installation on their Macs.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my switch to a Mac. Because Apple makes both the operating system as well as its own hardware, everything runs smoothly and efficiently. This, coupled with the array of excellent third-party programs, makes Apple’s OS X the operating system to beat. From an investor’s point of view, I believe Apple has revolutionized the media industry with its offerings for artists and designers, and is now poised to revolutionize the business world. As a law student and future attorney, I echo what many others have already concluded: Apple has all the features necessary to run a successful practice and it can do so better than Windows.

My sincere thanks to Benson Varghese of the Res Ipsa Blog for this guest post.  Benson is a third-year law student at the Texas Tech University School of Law, and he is a law clerk at the United States Attorney’s Office.  He serves as an editor for both the Texas Bank Lawyer and the Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal.

Seven Reasons for Lawyers to Switch to Macs

There have been a number of excellent articles published recently by practicing attorney who use Macs in their law practices.  Last week, I mentioned the article by Kern Lewis, and this week I want to feature the one by Aaron Pelley of the Criminal Defense Law With An Apple blog that was published in this month's Law Trends and News.

His article explains why the Mac works for his practice and aims to persuade you to take a look at an Apple for your practice.  He gives the following seven reasons to switch to a Mac:

1. Simplicity  ::  First and foremost, “It just works.”  Everything on an Apple was made for an Apple, as the same company that made the hardware also made the operating system and much of the software.  As a result, they work together seamlessly.
2. Time  ::  You will save considerable time by not having to worry about things such as virus scans, Trojan scans, spyware, adware, firewall programs, and defragmenting your hard drive. You should spend your time using a computer, not maintaining it.  Also, thanks to Spotlight, your information is much easier to find on your Mac.
3. Price  ::  Macs are not really that much more expensive when you consider the quality components and software that are included. Also, Macs tend to last much longer than "comparable" PCs do. Besides, your data is too important to rish by using a cheap computer.
4. Community  ::  Mac users comprise an incredibly supportive community. If problems do arise, there are great listserves availble, including Macs In the Law Office, which provide sage advice from other Mac-using lawyers, developers, or other experts.
5. Software  ::  Most programs that run on a PC, have a Mac counterpart, including Quickbooks, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office: Word, Outlook (called Entourage), Power Point, and Excel. In addition, with emulation software, Macs can run any Windows program (until you decide to let go).
6. Customer Service  ::  Your Mac comes with excellent customer service if and when problems arise.  If you purchase Apple Care, you get protection for a full three years.  Windows PCs cannot match this type of service and protection.
7. Creativity  ::  People always point out that an Apple computer is for “creative types.”  Mr. Pelley says that criminal defense is the most creative endeavor one could pursue, and therefore they are just the type of person Macs were made for.

Source:  "Criminal Defense Law With an Apple: Seven Reasons to Switch to an Apple" by Aaron A. Pelley, published in the ABA Law Trends and News Practice Area Newsletter.

Trial Preparation and Macs

My friend Kern Lewis published an article earlier this week in the Texas Lawyer which discussed his firm's transition to Macs four years ago and the benefits they have enjoyed since doing so.  I have summarized his article below, but I strongly recommend that you read the whole thing, as these excerpts don't do it justice.

Kern writes that Macs are in law offices for a number of good reasons, including:

• Productivity. No more lost time for lawyers or staff due to a computer virus. They can also connect to new networks without any configuration. If a program locks up, only that program has to be restarted, generally with no loss of information; all other open programs are unaffected.
• Creativity. "Trying a suit should be a creative process; if it's not, the trial lawyer needs a new process."  The Mac platform fosters creativity, rather than hindering it.  Lawyers should focus on their clients' cases, not how to make a program do what they want it to do.
• Better programs. While there is still a wider selection of legal software on the Windows platform, there are now numerous Mac programs can perform any task a law office might require.
  
  • Apple's iWork programs (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) cost about one-third of their Microsoft competitors but will still save their work files in Microsoft-compatible formats. No one who tries Keynote will ever want to touch PowerPoint again.
  • NoteBook by Circus Ponies (available only for Macs) by itself justifies my firm's move to Macs. I can literally try a case with that program and a legal pad -- no files, no boxes, no binders.
  • Marketcircle's Daylite handles calendaring, to-do lists, contacts, and other case management functions for a fraction of the cost of most of the legal industry-specific case-management programs. It also syncs its information to a BlackBerry, Treo or iPhone.
  • If there happens to be a Windows program that a lawyer just can't live without, virtualization software (such as Parallels, VM Ware Fusion, or Boot Camp) enables a Mac to run Windows programs side by side with Mac programs.
• Trial presentation. Macs make a trial lawyer's job much easier in court.  They automatically recognize projectors plugged into them and can easily utilize them as an extended desktop, making it easy to present evidence to a jury or play video depositions.
• Beneficial.  Jurors have told Kern that the seemingly effortless organization on my Mac was persuasive -- not to mention making him feel youthful, hip and laid back.

Source:  "Trial Preparation Made Simple With Macs" by Kern Lewis, published at Texas Lawyer.