The Mac Lawyer : Ben Stevens : Using Macs In The Practice Of Law

My friend and fellow blogger, Michael Sherman, made the switch from a PC to a Mac about a month ago.  As I predicted, he is well pleased with his decision, with his only regret being that he didn't do it sooner.  Michael recently published the following list of 10 reasons that he's glad he switched to a Mac:

1. Parallels - The Mac lovers will not like me starting with this one. But, Parallels Desktop allows me to run Windows while also running the Mac platform, side by side. This has been very helpful as I've made the transition to the Mac. Additionally, there are a couple of programs that I just don't see abandoning with the move (CaseMap being the primary one that comes to mind). With Parallels, I don't have to.
2. Speed - This baby REALLY moves. The Mac OS loads so much faster than Windows that it is hard to believe. Applications run much faster as well. What is really strange is that when I run Windows on Parallels it loads faster on my Mac then it did when I was running it natively on a PC. Go figure. And, to top that, I can run a windows program on Windows running on Parallels, running on Mac OS, faster than the program ran on my Dell Latitude PC. That is crazy.
3. Spotlight - This is Macs built in search utility. It too is lightning quick. It displays results as fast as you can type. Literally. And, it not only searches or files and folders, it searches the contents of files. Very cool. And, did I mention it is really fast?
4. PDF Printing and Viewing without Acrobat or Reader - I can read pdf files with the built in Preview application. And, every application that I've worked in so far, has a print to pdf option built into it on the Print dialog box.
5. Sweet Design - Yes, this is form and not function, but Apple just gets design like no other computer hardware or software manufacturer. If you work on your computer a lot like I do, it's nice to enjoy the design - and it does turn heads (not that I'm into that kind of thing).
6. .Mac synchronization - This is a cool feature that I didn't know about when I purchased the Mac. But, it is nifty. When you set up a .mac account, you can synchronize your bookmarks, calendar, address book, mail accounts and more. Then you can access them from any computer (including those running windows) over any browser. You also receive free disk space to upload files there that you or others you allow can access over the web.
7. Photo booth - Ok, I haven't used this in my law office yet, but my kids and I have hada lot of fun with the digital effects you can use on your photographs.
8. Keynote - iWork includes the Keynote presentation software which produces stunning slide shows that make Power Point presentations look like a grade school child's show and tell presentation.
9. Expose' - This is a handy feature. I often have a half dozen or more applications running at the same time. Even with my dual monitor setup, this can make it difficult to easily find the window I want at a particular time. Expose' allows me to access any open window with a single keystroke. So, I can hit one key and it will shrink all of the open windows to allow me to find the one I'm looking for. I can hit another key and it will hide all of the open windows and give me access to a clear desktop.
10. Stability - No blue screen of death. Enough said.

Michael concludes his post by saying, "if you are going to be getting a new computer anytime soon, there has never been a better time to switch to a Mac. I, for one, am very glad I did."  I'm glad to have Michael as a fellow Mac lawyer.

Source:  "Once You Go Mac, You Never Go Back" by Michael Sherman, published at his Lawyer Profit Systems blog.

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As you probably know, Mac OS X comes with a built-in *.pdf viewer, Preview.  However, as great as that program is, it has one flaw -- it won't combine multiple *.pdf files into one.  Fear not though, a free program called Combine PDFs does this just fine.  It allows you to drag and drop *.pdf files into its interface, where you can then rearrange and rotate files as necessary or desired.  I have used this program, and it performs its tasks quickly and easily -- just like Mac software should!

Source:  "Merge Multiple PDF's with Combine PDFs 2.1" by Gina Trapani, published at Lifehacker.com.

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As I have previously noted, it is no secret that I very badly want an iPhone.  However, I have resisted the temptation to get one (at least so far), for three main reasons:  (1) I have a good bit of time left on my current cell phone plan, (2) I love the ability to use my bluetooth phone as a wireless modem for my MacBook, and (3) I am concerned about the iPhone's slow internet connection speeds.  If any one of those three items were to be resolved, I could probably "overlook" the other two, or at least find some workable solution.

AppleInsider reported yesterday that according to analysts for CIBC World Markets, "checks suggest Apple is actually looking to introduce a 3G version of the iPhone for the U.S. market in November, ahead of the holiday season and earlier than currently expected."  The article went on to say that "a recent in-house survey of iPhone buyers that suggested the key shortcoming of the current iPhone model is its poor data connectivity through AT&T's yesteryear EDGE network. 'This isn't a surprise, and Apple's CEO Steve Jobs admitted the iPhone's cellular connectivity can use an improvement. We now believe the "improvement" could come soon.'"

If true, this is fantastic news, and I guess I know what I'll be getting myself as an early Christmas present!

Source:  "Analyst Claims iPhone Demand Slowing But 3G Model in Cards" by Prince McLean, published at AppleInsider.com.

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Law.com published an excellent article today discussing the viability of lawyers using Macs.  I should note that this article gives this blog a nice little "shout out," but that's not why you should read it.  Rather, if you have given even a moment's thought to switching, you should r ead it because the story told by Mr. Burney mirrors that told to me by other switchers in recent years.  Basically, if you give the Mac a try, you will love it and wonder how you ever got along without it.

In his article, Brett Burney notes his initial skepticism that all the wonderful things about Macs couldn't possibly be true.  Of course, these things include such things as not crashing, quick startups, not having viruses, and everything just working -- all of which Mac users sometimes take for granted.

Mr. Burney's article encapsulates what most Windows-using lawyers find when they actually give Macs a try.  In the end, he concludes that "I am happy to say that using a Mac today in the legal world is absolutely possible" -- just as I have been saying for quite some time.  Of particular interest in this article is the progression that he goes through in reaching his conclusion, as evidenced by these quotes:

• "The MacBook line of laptops are superbly designed. They look great, the keyboards are extremely usable and the actual computer is slender and graceful. There are only a few Windows laptops that can compete with the creative stylings of the MacBook...."
• "I believe the additional cost [of Macs] covers itself in the long run because the Mac is a more reliable hardware platform.  Macs don't quite require the same level of maintenance and technical support as a fleet of Windows computers."  Also, "[t]he usual complaint that Macs are too expensive dissolves quickly when you realize you literally get two computers for the price of one [when considering you can run Windows programs too]."
• "Macs just work. My MacBook Pro finds wireless networks without popping up esoteric dialog boxes. And it "wakes up" within two to five seconds after I open the lid. I rarely shut the computer down when I'm done with my work -- I just simply close the screen. When I open it again, I can immediately get back to work...."
• "Mac users can be immediately productive because the platform is very easy to use and pleasant to operate."  "[T]here are "magic tricks" on the Mac that I can no longer live without" such as the two finger scroll, the built-in sensor that automatically dims the screen in low-light, the backlit keyboard, the MagSafe power adapter, and the ability to 'print to PDF' from any print command.

This article notes that the "biggest hurdle standing in the way of a legal professional using a Mac is the lack of legal-specific software for the platform."  However, he does note that through the use of BootCamp and/or virtualization programs (such as Parallels and others), Mac-using attorneys can run Windows programs when necessary.  Of course, Windows users don't have that option... too bad!

Source:  "Hello, I'm a Lawyer With a Mac" by Brett Burney, published at Law.com.

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Well, it's official -- the era of the PC is over ... at least according to APC Magazine as exclaimed in its recent article, "The Era of the PC is Over: Why Apple is Beating Microsoft."  The Switch to a Mac blog cites the following "money quotes" from that article:

• "The recent joint interview with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at D5 highlighted for me what makes Apple a great company, and why Microsoft continues to struggle on all fronts except Windows and Office."
• "But like Steve said at D5, the era of the PC is largely over. Most innovation now is happening on what he calls post-PC devices, like music players and mobile phones. And that is what Apple is focusing on."
• "Microsoft, however, still doesn't get it and I believe the lack of understanding comes from the top. Gates still maintains that tablet PCs are going to take over the world, that Microsoft will eventually dethrone Google to be the new leader in search, that Zune will eventually rival the iPod for market share and that Microsoft has already conquered the smart phone market. Somebody please tell the man he is dreaming."
• "Apple knows that its core strength is writing and designing software and wrapping it in sleek (but nowadays relatively generic) hardware. If Apple wanted it could also throw money into areas like search and gaming but Jobs is more disciplined then that."
• "Consumer electronics are already too complicated and consumers know it. Post-PC devices need to be tightly integrated, and at the moment, the only company that does this, and does it well is Apple."

Source:  "The Era of the PC is Over: Why Apple is Beating Microsoft" by Dany Gorog, published in APC Magazine

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"Hi, I'm a Mac."  "And I'm a PC."  You've probably heard personifications of these two computer operating systems bantering on TV, where the young, hip Mac always comes out ahead of the buttoned-down PC. In law firms, like in most businesses, the reverse typically happens.

However, several lawyers who run their practices exclusively on Macs are spreading Apple gospel to other legal professionals. Rob Hyndman, principal of Hyndman Law, writes about his allegiance to Mac in his technology blog. Several months ago, Kansas attorney and fellow tech blogger Grant Griffiths co-founded the Google group Macs in the Law Office, or MILO. This group joins other online "Mac law" discussion spots like www.macattorney.com, www.maclaw.org, www.TheMacLawyer.com and www.MacLawStudents.com, as well as Apple's own marketing to lawyers at www.apple.com.

And this year might not be business as usual for law IT departments. Many PC users must switch to a new computer operating system within the next two years. Unlike previous transition periods, there may be competition this time for Vista, the successor to Microsoft's market-leading Windows XP operating system. And the most user-friendly challenge comes from Apple Inc.'s Macintosh line.

Source:  "Will Macs Replace PCs as the Computer of Choice at Law Firms?" by Luigi Benetton, published in The Lawyers Weekly.

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Wired.com published an article earlier this week which examined the web applications currently available for the iPhone.  As you may be aware, at this time, users cannot download and install applications directly onto their iPhones.  However, developers have already been quite busy developing applications which can run on the web.

Some of the web applications featured in this article include:

• iChat for iPhone  ::  Web-based chat client for AIM users.
• Meebo.com  ::  Web-based chat service that supports all the major protocols, including AIM, MSN, Yahoo and ICQ.
• iZoho  ::  iPhone-optimized version of the its online office suite, which offers access to Zoho Writer, Sheet, Show and Creator.
• Google Reader  ::  Allows you to read RSS news feeds on your iPhone.

Source:  "Chess, Chat and Cheap Gas: The IPhone's Best Web Apps Reviewed" by Scott Gilbertson, published at Wired.com.

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This week's posts have featured the iPhone.  Thus far, I have featured reviews by other lawyers.  Today, we will look at software applications already available for the iPhone (less than two weeks after its release).  I have found two websites that are worth noting:

• iPhone Atlas  ::  A resource for Apple's iPhone, containing guides to usage, troubleshooting information, pertinent news and more.
• BarCamp's iPhoneDevCampApps  ::  Making the web a better place for iPhone.

Some of the applications that look most helpful (or at least promising) for attorneys are:

• gOffice: Word Processor  ::  Basic word processor for the iPhone that outputs .doc-formatted documents.  Allows you to save templates and bits of text and to display previews of documents on the iPhone as *.png images.
• TinyBuddy Web IM  ::  Web-based instant messaging application for the iPhone.
• Telekinesis  ::  Remotely access your Mac through a collection of mini web apps on your iPhone.
• iPheed  ::  Notebook, To Do List, and Technorati Tag Tracker.
• Mojits: Application Launcher ::  Organizes links to iPhone Web apps and allows you to login for saved sets of apps and offers keyword, ratings, and comment capabilities.
• iPhone Tip of the Day  ::  Daily tips for maximizing your iPhone experience.

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As you've probably noticed, this week's posts are focused on the iPhone and how it has been received by other attorneys.  Today, I am pleased to feature the review that David Sparks published at his MacSparky blog after using the iPhone for about a week.  As you may be aware, David is a recent Mac convert, and he was so pleased with his conversion that he stated his own blog.

David originally planned not to get an iPhone.  Then, he made the "mistake" of watching Apple's guided tour of all of the iPhone's great features, and he was convinced to join the crowd and purchase one for himself.  From reading his review, he appears to be thrilled with the iPhone so far.  The following are the highlights of his review:

• Setting up the iPhone was a breeze. There was no manual configuration at all, it was already done. [After synching}, my three email accounts, photo albums, calendar and video were all set up. As of the time of this writing I still haven't bothered with the manual.
• I know a lot of people have been saying the iPhone is not a "business" phone but I'm not really sure that is true. I have been using my new phone to keep in touch with clients and my office via email like never before.
• Email is just easier with the iPhone. I particularly like the built in word/excel/pdf attachment viewer.
• I wish it would support my portable bluetooth keyboard. I'm actually okay with the on screen type pad but I have a portable bluetooth keyboard that is really convenient.
• I would really like to have a program on the iPhone that holds secured data. I have some text files with sensitive information and I can't put them on my iPhone without some sort of security.
• There has been a lot of talk about the inferiority of the Edge network but fortunately I'm nearly always around an accessable WiFi spot. A few times I've done some browsing with WiFI turned off and it is doable but not nearly as fast as WiFi. I really don't have many complaints on that issue.

Source:  "MacSparky's iPhone Review" by David Sparks, published at his MacSparky blog.

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If you are looking for an in-depth review of the iPhone by an attorney, you should check out Finis Price's review published at his TechnoEsq blog.  His article takes a close look at this technological wonder and all its many functions, and he describes what he likes and dislikes about the iPhone.

His review even includes a comparison chart of the iPhone vs. other PDAs and Smartphones.  Some of the highlights of his review are listed below, but I urge you to read his entire article for a much fuller view of the iPhone.

• Aesthetically, the iPhone begs to be touched, yet fingerprints are not a problem.  The screen is so vibrant, any fingerprints are simply not visible.
• As for accessories, you may have to buy some new ones. Some of your iPod accessories will work with the iPhone and some won't. You'll just have to experiment. The iPhone will inform you when you plug an accessory in whether it will function or not.
• My 7 year-old nephew Hunter figured out on his own how to view photographs, listen to my iPod and view movies in a few seconds (though he is the smartest 7 year-old I know, I don't think he could do the same on a Treo).
• Typing on the iPhone is quite a bit different than typing on a Treo or a Blackberry. Instead of having the predictive type guessing what you are typing and attempting to predict it, the iPhone simply waits until you've typed the word and attempts to correct the word taking into account that you may have hit the wrong key when typing. It works very well and if you trust it, you can type faster than on any other Smartphone.
• While you can't perform a search for contacts in the address book, they are sorted into sections for each letter, with each letter accessible by the alphabet running down the right of the screen. I have over 2,000 contacts in my phone and can get from A-Z in 3 seconds and to any letter of the alphabet with one push of my finger. No number takes more than 3 seconds to find.
• Each voicemail is shown, listing the caller and name (if in your address book) much the same way emails are listed in your email. To listen, you simply press the voicemail you want to listen to and it is played back, with the standard slider to rewind and forward just like a video on your computer. This feature alone is worth the price of the iPhone and is one of the revolutionary aspects of this phone.
• The iPhone's mail program ... can check IMAP, POP3 and also supports Push mail from Yahoo!  You can do everything in the mail application you can do with other phones and switch between multiple accounts and account types with the press of a button.
• Because the iPhone runs Apple's OS X, it contains a full working web browser, Safari. I'm talking about a web page that looks exactly as it does on your desktop. Additionally, you can have more than one window open at a time.
• The iPhone is definitively the best iPod ever made.

Source:  "iPhone Review for Attorneys" by Finis Price, published at his TechnoEsq blog.

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Renowned blogger Ernest Svensen (better known as Ernie the Attorney) recently published his initial impressions of his new iPhone.  The highlights of his review are listed below:

• Activation went off without a hitch: all of my contacts and calendar information synchronized like a charm.
• The sync process also ported over all of my email settings, my photos and some of my iTunes music and videos.
• The phone works absolutely great, and the iPod is the best ever. 
• So what's so special about it? Well, mostly it's the fact that the interface is both glitzy and yet intricately simple.  And, by that, I mean that a lot of time has been spent figuring out how to make things happen naturally.
• The strength of the iPhone is how smoothly all of the features work as a whole.

Source:  "iHeaven" by Ernest Svensen, published at his Ernie the Attorney blog.

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As you certainly know, Apple released its iPhone just over a week ago.  Much to my own dismay, I have not purchased one ... yet.  I am usually riding the cusp of all technological innovations, but as I grow older, I am becoming more disciplined.  Well, that and the fact that I have a good deal of time left on my current wireless "family" plan. 

I have followed iPhone mania and read most of the major reviews released so far.  The consensus is that it truly is a revolutionary invention, and I haven't seen anything to convince me otherwise.  Is it perfect?  Of course not, and those who are overly critical should remember that is the first release of this product.  How many products were perfect upon their release?

If Steve Jobs or any other other Apple executives happen to read this entry, I will gladly accept an iPhone if you are willing to send me one.  I'm not prone to wishing wistfully or for asking for Christmas presents in July, but hey, this is the iPhone we're talking about. 

I will feature the iPhone in this week's posts, including reviews written by two attorneys.  I hope that this information is useful to you.  If any of my readers have already bought an iPhone, please submit a comment to let me know your thoughts so far.

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Sorry that I haven't posted anything recently.  It has not been due to lack of interest, but solely due to a lack of time.  I intend to resume regular posting, at least a few times per week.  Thanks for bearing with me and for reading my blog.

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