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The Law School requires that new students have a laptop computer. We’ll guide your selection if you haven’t made one yet. The Law School building, like most of the IU Bloomington campus, is equipped with wireless networking, and laptops make it easy to use this technology.
If you want to buy a laptop before coming to campus, we suggest a laptop that meets the Option One specifications below. A laptop with those specifications will be suitable not only for Windows XP Professional, but also for the next version of Windows, named Vista, released in early 2007. If you already own a laptop or want to buy a computer that meets the minimum specifications, review Option Two and Option Three.
Students are best served by a medium-sized, powerful laptop. But some students prefer a "desktop replacement" laptop with a larger screen and others prefer a smaller "ultra portable" laptop. Generally, larger form-factor laptops offer more performance, while powerful ultra-portable laptops are the most expensive.
We do not endorse any specific operating system, but to take electronic exams you will need a computer running Windows. If you buy a new computer using Windows XP, choose Windows XP Professional. Windows XP Home Edition has limitations and is not supported by the university. You may purchase XP Professional ($11.00), Vista Business ($10.00) or Vista Ultimate ($20.00) from Indiana University at the Information Commons.
Apple’s Macintosh operating system is supported by Indiana University Information Technology Services and works with the Law School’s wireless and wired Ethernet networks, but the Macintosh platform is not directly supported by the Law School.
Students equipped with the new generation of Apple MacBook laptops can take exams on these computers. The examination software cannot be used on older model Macs, only on the new generation models based on the Intel Core Duo processor. To use the examination software on these Macs, the student must install Boot Camp (included in OSX) and Windows XP (available on campus). Linux and similar/derivative operating systems are supported by Indiana University’s University Information Technology Services, but are not supported directly by the School of Law.
The cost of a computer is not included in your direct costs. You may request that the cost of a new computer (up to $2,500)—even one you buy before arriving on campus—be added to your financial aid "budget," increasing the amount you can borrow. You may find that you do not need an adjustment since our standard law school budget already includes $1,912 per month for living. Because most students can live comfortably on substantially less, there is often sufficient funding in the budget to for a computer. For a larger budget to include computer costs, contact Jim Schutter, director of financial aid.
For more information about financial aid, contact:
Jim Schutter
Director of Financial Aid
jischutt [at] indiana [dot] edu
(812) 855-7746
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