In May I posted a breakout of Mac/PC laptop use that was sent to me by Dennis Bishop, the Director of Information & Technology at the University of Oregon School of Law. At the time, the numbers revealed that Macs were doing quite well at the school:
- 209 Macs
- 136 Dell
- 77 Non-Package (not one of the school’s recommended choices)
- 65 Unknown
The Fall 2008/2009 Numbers
Dennis has updated figures, and Macs are now handily trumping the competition. He writes, “Honestly, it wasn’t really a fair fight for Dell this year because we had to stick with the aging Latitude D630 rather than offer Dell’s much sexier D6400. Intel’s delays affected Dell’s release and we had to go with the older laptop. It just couldn’t compete with the sleek MacBooks with a free iPod Nano/Touch.”
- Total – Dell Package = 102
- Total – Mac Package = 295
- Total – Non-Package = 102
- 1Ls – Dell Package = 18
- 1Ls – Mac Package = 125
- 1Ls – Non-Package = 31
- 2Ls – Dell Package = 37
- 2Ls – Mac Package = 114
- 2Ls – Non-Package = 22
- 3Ls – Dell Package = 47
- 3Ls – Mac Package = 56
- 3Ls – Non-Package = 49
Why Post This?
I’m posting this information for a couple of reasons. First, to show that Mac use at law schools is accelerating. Yes, the University of Oregon School of Law welcomes Macs with open arms, and is not necessarily representative of all law schools. But nobody is forcing students to buy Macs; they’re buying them because they see the advantages of Macintosh laptops.
Second, it is possible to support both Macs and PCs. Many law school IT departments grew comfortable with Windows over the years, despite its problems. But the combination of excellent Macintosh hardware and software, the underwhelming attributes of Windows Vista, and demand from students is forcing school IT departments to rethink their attitudes about Macs. Those that find ways to support Macs will keep students happier, and in a time of fierce competition among law schools, every advantage helps.
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