Lawyers can be away from their computer for as much time as they can be in front of it, or more. When you are away from the office, if you can’t be without the resources on your computer, you can either take it with you or access it remotely via software such as Symantec PCAnywhere or a service such as Citrix GoToMyPC or 01 Communique I’m InTouch. This review focuses on I’m InTouch.
By Sean Doherty
Law.com
After moving my office from California to New York in 1996, and back again in 2007, I have learned the value of living with less paper by converting it to digital format. There is less paper to store, maintain and move; and it is easier to find information in digital format. If you find either of those values important, you will need a scanner to realize them.
The first, and most important step in living with less paper is to choose a good scanner to convert paper into a digital format. Look for a scanner that fits into the office without a forklift; that is easy to load; that does not suffer from unnecessary, intermittent paper jams; and that offers quality, duplex scanning with output to a variety of formats, including PDF and TIFF. And of course, it would be nice if it was bundled with feature-rich software that integrates the scanner with other desktop applications.
With the above requirements in mind, I reviewed Hewlett Packard's successor to the Scanjet 7710, the new Scanjet 7000 -- and I was not disappointed by its performance. As a home-office, work-group scanner, the Scanjet 7000 fit right next to my desk, integrated with my desktop applications (Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat), provided excellent scanning quality, and handled a variety of paper of varying quality and size without a paper jam. Here's how it worked in my home office.
The primary purpose of redaction for lawyers is to remove information from documents that you do not want others to see -- because they would use it against you or your client. That is a simple enough concept, but many "miss" redacting important data.
Today, most all documents are in electronic format and their redaction requires the correct application of software like Informative Graphics Corp. Redact-It Desktop. And, in the event you have a multitude of documents to review and redact, automation -- but less than a fully automated process.
E-mail has been a critical application for law firms for almost as long as I can remember. Today, it is even more critical as lawyers gain mobility and access their messaging applications anywhere, anytime, and as message stores take on the burden of housing voice mail from new IP-PBX systems and from unified communications applications. So what happens when e-mail is unavailable?
I am sure we can always find something to do when a mail server is down, but it may not be as productive and communicative as messaging. With that in mind, and with the fact that more law firms use Microsoft Exchange than not, I reviewed a high availability (HA) solution for Exchange: Teneros Application Continuity Appliance.
For those of you still looking for the best notebook to replace your PC or to travel with, check out LAPTOP Magazine's December 2, 2008 issue that includes their reviews of the best notebooks of 2008.
LAPTOP Magazine's top laptops range from lightweight ultraportables where thin is "in" to big screen desktop replacements. Their top picks include:
Acer Aspire 8930G
Acer Aspire one
Alienware Area-51 m17x
Apple MacBook
Dell Vostro 1310
Gateway P-7811 FX
HP EliteBook 6930p
HP Pavilion dv5t
Lenovo ThinkPad X200
Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet
Lenovo ThinkPad X301
MSI Wind U110
Panasonic Toughbook 30
Sony VAIO FW Series (VGN-FW290)
Sony VAIO Z Series (VGN-Z540)
Toshiba Satellite A305-S6883
When an expert witness in a personal injury case asked consultant Pen Volkman if her team could create a PDF version of their 3D model of a water treatment facility -- and make it interactive. The surprising answer was yes, using Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended. Put on your glasses.
Steve Appleton of Quattlebaum, Grooms, Tull & Burrow recognized that his firm's network was no longer supplying quick, secure remote access to resources. The firm chose Windows Server 2008 to improve access to online data and eliminate redundant, offline data on mobile computers.
When used wisely, software as a service -- or cloud computing -- applications make sense. But, according to Alan Cohen, wise use of SaaS starts with asking the right questions of vendors, and yourself. Just where is your data, and how secure is it? What happens when disaster strikes?
Many solos and small firms do without practice management software due to high costs and administrative overhead. Now, software as a service, such as Clio and Rocket Matter, gives small offices other options. I took Clio for a free 30-day evaluation and found it worth a visit if you are looking for a new PM or an alternative to what you are using now.
Adobe thrilled the legal world when it released Acrobat 8, with built-in tools for redaction and Bates stamping. Consultant Brett Burney reviews the newly released version 9, and finds that while there isn't much brand new, there are noteworthy improvements for the legal community.
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