Monthly Archives: January 2007

Guest Post :: Switching To A Mac

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 29th, 2007 Posted in Guest Posts, Switching to Macs

On a general legal listserv to which I subscribe, someone recently stated that he was considering switching to a Mac and asked for feedback/suggestions. Attorney Robert B. Ransom of Leventis & Ransom in Columbia, SC provided the answer listed below. Because I was so impressed with its insight and thoroughness, I asked Rob to let… Continue Reading

When Smaller and Proprietary Are Better Than Bigger and Open

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 27th, 2007 Posted in Technology

"Bigger is better" — or so the myth says. However, there is also a saying that "there is an exception to every rule." AppleMatters recently published an article which explained how and why Apple is it in this case. Consider these excerpts from this article: Apple commands about 5 percent of the U.S. computer market… Continue Reading

What Type of Computer Would Jack Bauer Use?

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 24th, 2007 Posted in Miscellaneous

I have been a huge fan of "24" since its very first episode. It is one of the most creative and unique shows on network television, and it continues to be as fresh and interesting today as it was when it premiered. So, what does this have to do with Macs? Chris’ Blog pointed out… Continue Reading

Guest Post :: How to Protect Files on USB Drives

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 23rd, 2007 Posted in Guest Posts, How Do I ... ?

Today, I am pleased to present a guest post from one of my readers, Robert E. Nuddleman, Esq. of San Jose, California which explains how to protect files on USB "thumb" drives. Robert has used Macs in his practice for about six years, and he says that he is "continually amazed with the performance versus… Continue Reading

The Mac Lawyer Well Received and Praised

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 22nd, 2007 Posted in This Blog

It has been a little over five months since I lauched this blog. I have received a lot of positive feedback and support from my readers during that time, and for that I am truly grateful. These comments have come from places such as California, Texas, and even the British West Indies. Here is a… Continue Reading

Which Mac is the “Value King”?

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 19th, 2007 Posted in Hardware

Mac360 recently determined which Mac is the "Value King" — the one that was (a) "affordable, but powerful"; (b) "attractive yet efficient in design"; and (c) in "that sweet spot between price, power, capability, et al." Its analysis determined that the new Core 2 Duo 24-inch iMac (priced at $1,999) was the winner. This model… Continue Reading

Preview of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 17th, 2007 Posted in Software

At the Macworld Expo in San Francisco last week, Microsoft offered a sneak preview of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, which is expected to be relesed in the latter part of this year. This version will come in Universal Binary format, which will run natively on both Apple’s PowerPC and Intel-based Macs. Among the highlights… Continue Reading

Arrival & Setup of My New MacBook

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 16th, 2007 Posted in Hardware

After months of forcing myself to wait to order a new MacBook, I finally broke down and placed an Order last week for a black one with 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB RAM, and 160 GB hard drive. Apple kept its delivery record perfect with me by once again delivering the product… Continue Reading

Another Lawyer’s Take on Running PC Programs on Macs

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 15th, 2007 Posted in Software, Switching to Macs

The following article was published last Friday at the Bankruptcy Practice Pro blog, and it is worth reading: So you’ve finally done it. You bought a Mac. It’s amazing because the tools you formerly used on a PC are all there on your Mac. Until one day when you realize that one of the most… Continue Reading

MacWorld 2007

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 12th, 2007 Posted in Hardware

Unless you’ve literally been living under a rock, you know that MacWorld 2007 was held earlier this week in San Francisco, CA. During the much anticipated Steve Jobs keynote address, several new products were announced including the iPhone and Apple TV. Somewhat unexpectedly, no major announcements were made specifically for the Mac. Nonetheless, Apple is… Continue Reading

Software Offerings from Clarity Legal Software

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 11th, 2007 Posted in Software

Clarity Legal Software LLC recently announced the release of the following legal software, which works on both Windows/PC and Apple/MacIntel operating systems: DepoSmart :: DepoSmart is Clarity’s Legal Software’s flagship product and is available for Windows PC or Apple Intel/Universal Binary operating systems. With DepoSmart, you can analyze, annotate, and print transcripts. Users can also… Continue Reading

The Mac Lawyer Gets Facelift

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 9th, 2007 Posted in Miscellaneous

Well, "I" didn’t get a facelift, but the site has. I just wanted to freshen things up a bit and to make the blog’s appearance a little more "Mac-like." Also, in case you were wondering, yes that’s me (or at least part of me) watching over my blog. Hopefully, that picture won’t scare away too… Continue Reading

How to Learn iTunes?

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 5th, 2007 Posted in How Do I ... ?, Software

This post is for those who may have gotten an iPod for Christmas and for those who maybe already have an iPod but never learned all the features of iTunes. If you fall into either category, you should check out the excellent tutorial provided by MacZealots.com, which covers the following topics: Getting Music on Your… Continue Reading

Plugins for Safari Web Browser

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 4th, 2007 Posted in Software

You may not know it, but many excellent plugins have been developed for Apple’s Safari web browser. However, you now have a resource to track such extensions. Pimp My Safari is a collection of excellent plugins and apps to enhance Safari. Its emphasis is on plugins that work within Safari, but it also occasionally lists… Continue Reading

Visual Thesaurus

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 3rd, 2007 Posted in Software

Face it, lawyers are paid to communicate. Our clients want us to be advocates (or gladiators) for their position, and we use language as our primary weapon. My children ask me what I do at work, and I tell them that I am a wordsmith, which always draws a chuckle from my wife. Sometimes, we… Continue Reading

Productivity Programs for Mac Lawyers

By J. Benjamin Stevens on January 2nd, 2007 Posted in Software

In response to my friend, David Swanner‘s recent post, “Programs to Help Lawyers be More Productive” at the South Carolina Trial Law Blog, Grant Griffiths published the following list of programs and hardware that lawyers can use on a Mac to be more productive: Dictation: Dave suggest Speak-Write to do dictation with. While this looks… Continue Reading