New Laptop

[Ashtanga 0]

I need to get a laptop for mainly digital photos, my i-pod and the internet. Which one would you buy and why?

Thanks.

[Remster 24]

Dell is crap. I miss my IBM.

But, if you use it for the apps you mentioned, and you IPOD is formated for Apple, I'd say Apple.

Remster

[cameramonkey 0]

Ok, I voted Apple based 100% on the info given.

They arent cheap, but are the best for doing all of the above.

Here are my reasons:

Dell: decent hardware, decent prices, relatively stable. However support will make you climb the walls if you ever have to use it. I spent $150,000 with Dell last year for new servers in one fell swoop. Since then we have moved to Gateway for servers due to the atrocious service we received.

IBM: "nobody was ever fired for buying IBM" or so the saying goes. A little pricey, but VERY good hardware. Cant say much about support, as I havent had the opportunity to use it except for servers. That support is pretty good.

Apple: good hardware, good reputation, not as prone to viruses. Downside, lack of software options. Unless you want to ONLY do what you indicated above, be wary. finding specialized apps can be a pain. Games arent that easy to find for them.

All that being said. if you want a stable, fast platform for video editing, internet, and Ipods, go Apple.

Two wrongs don't make a right, however three lefts DO!

[chaoskitty 0]

For photos and graphics.. Apple most definitley.

I've had a Dell craptop. It sucked. I've got a Sony Vaio now. Its not bad. Use it for work mostly so I keep all the junk off of it.

[colinl 0]

For what you want to do an Apple seems perfect. If you have a tight budget, you can try ASUS. Good hardware and very decent prices. Don't know about the support though.

[Remster 24]

I just remembered something... I dont know about IBM now. Their consumer PC and laptop division was sold off to a Chineese group ayear ago or so. Not sure if the quality will be the same now.

Remster

[colinl 0]

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I just remembered something... I dont know about IBM now. Their consumer PC and laptop division was sold off to a Chineese group ayear ago or so. Not sure if the quality will be the same now.

Yes, it's now "Lenovo".

[mnealtx 0]

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Apple: good hardware, good reputation, not as prone to viruses. Downside, lack of software options. Unless you want to ONLY do what you indicated above, be wary. finding specialized apps can be a pain. Games arent that easy to find for them.

All that being said. if you want a stable, fast platform for video editing, internet, and Ipods, go Apple.

*note my bolding*

Or, wait a month or two and grab a new Apple with the Intel processor... can get the video game compatability AND the cinema display!!

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[cameramonkey 0]

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For what you want to do an Apple seems perfect. If you have a tight budget, you can try ASUS. Good hardware and very decent prices. Don't know about the support though.

Try virtually non existent. Asus is an OEM, meaning they make generic stuff for others. if you buy Asus branded stuff, you are expected to be supported by the company you buy it from.

Dont get me wrong, I like Asus. They make solid equipment. You'll just be trying to deal with someone in Taiwan should something go wrong and your reseller cheeses out.

Two wrongs don't make a right, however three lefts DO!

[Ashtanga 0]

I heard loading video games on a laptop is not recommended because it takes up too much memory?

The only game I would want to load on it is Flight Simulator.

[mnealtx 0]

Depends on how much memory you have... I've played everything from Neverwinter Nights to Need for Speed Underground on mine, and it only has 512Mb of main memory...

I wouldn't recommend anything under 1 Gb of memory (and 2 Gb would be even better) for any computer bought new.

Max the quality and memory of the vid card, too.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[colinl 0]

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I heard loading video games on a laptop is not recommended because it takes up too much memory?

The only game I would want to load on it is Flight Simulator.

Depends on the game!
a laptop and a desktop ship with similar amounts of memory (RAM), usually smaller hard drives (40 to 100 GB in today's laptops).
A laptop CPU is usually slower than a desktop one (often in the 1.5-1.8 GHz range, 2.8GHz for desktops). Graphics cards in laptops could eat about any video game thrown at them apart the latest and greatest stuff like Doom3.

However usually a laptop for gaming isn't very practical: the LCD screen doesn't always react fast enough, and you'll have to hook up a mouse - don't even think playing Flight Simulator with the touchpad

[mcrocker 0]

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I need to get a laptop for mainly digital photos, my i-pod and the internet. Which one would you buy and why?

Thanks.

Digital Photos, iPod, Internet? Get a new MacBook Pro. runs Intel, OS X and will eventually run windows apps. really nice laptop. I have a PowerBook G4 that I love, have a MacBook Pro on order (shipping in Feb). iPhoto is a great photo management package and it is FREE

[vdschoor 0]

Quote

Quote

I need to get a laptop for mainly digital photos, my i-pod and the internet. Which one would you buy and why?

Thanks.

Digital Photos, iPod, Internet? Get a new MacBook Pro. runs Intel, OS X and will eventually run windows apps. really nice laptop. I have a PowerBook G4 that I love, have a MacBook Pro on order (shipping in Feb). iPhoto is a great photo management package and it is FREE

The current Mac can already run windows apps, but why would you even want that?

There's tons of apps out there that allow you to run windows applications on the Mac already.

Buy a Mac for what you want to do, seriously.. you're going to be much happier. No system updates 20 times a month cause some script kiddie managed to write another virus or malicious vbscript application that brings down your pc..

Go Mac and never look back.. Some applications might be a bit harder to find, but everything you need to do on a computer can be done on a Mac.. it will just be easier than on a PC..

[murrays 0]

MacBook Pro.

Apple will be releasing all computers with Intel processors by the end of the year. So, if a MacBook Pro isn't in the budget, they will be releasing iBook replacements sometime this year.

All the iLife applications...iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, etc are now compiled for the Intel chips and will be very fast compared to how they used to run on a G4 processor.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[mcrocker 0]

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The current Mac can already run windows apps, but why would you even want that?

There's tons of apps out there that allow you to run windows applications on the Mac already.

I own a Mac already, OS X 10.4 (PowerBook G4). I have yet to find a good way to run Visio. Some of my software just will not run under Mac, Virtual PC (Win XP). I'm hopeing I can get VMWare Workstation for my new Intel MacBook Pro and run XP. The PPC-> Intel Emulation is sllloooowwwww

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Go Mac and never look back.. Some applications might be a bit harder to find, but everything you need to do on a computer can be done on a Mac.. it will just be easier than on a PC..

World of Warcraft works great on my Mac, don't need much else :p (Carriun on Aggramar/Alliance)

[VectorBoy 0]

Go Mac and never look back.. Some applications might be a bit harder to find, but everything you need to do on a computer can be done on a Mac.. it will just be easier than on a PC..

[TheAnvil 0]

Get one of the new Mac laptops. They are badass.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[Miami 0]

I just placed my order for the MacBook Pro...have to box my G4 back up and send it back in. Same price so even swap...the customer service at Apple rocks!

edit - also see this thread.

Miami

[Diezel 0]

What do people think of HP laptops? Thinking of replacing my desktop with ZD8000