Decided that I dont want to have a desktop anymore. Some things about it are nice, but I'd rather the ability to be more mobile. Basically I just need something that will be able to handle photoshop and possibly after effects. The files I have in photoshop can push 3gb, so a decent amount of RAM would be nice.

Budget is $1500. Also, don't want a macbook!

I generally like macbooks.... Oh wait

No I would go with a Lenovo. Like a T400 or what ever they replaced the T400 with. I believe you can get upwards of about 6-8 gigs of memory plus a quad core for about that price. Also from my experience shun all compaq and hp. If you don't you will regret it more than trying to use windows ME on a 800mhz Pentium 2.

I think if I was you I would build a $1000 desktop and carry a $500 laptop.

Too much stuff! I just want one thing!

what you need is a desktop with 24GB of RAM

Get a MacBook Pro

what mb really wants is an ipad

I have both, and I just don't see using only a laptop, ever.

nothx.


Sure!



I have both right now too. I hate sitting at my office all day and then having to sit at my computer desk to do my personal projects.

While I don't care if you want a laptop, that specific reason seems silly. Are you going to haul a mouse around the house when you work on your projects? Working on photoshop with a touchpad is infuriating.

Matty - there's a huge difference between setting up do work at say a desk where your mouse is, and being able to just unplug and take your laptop elsewhere to watch films/email/browse/tweet/whatever.

I work in our study, but the laptop lives wherever it's needed.

The big secret that most people won't tell you when it comes to buying a laptop is that for the most part, so long as you're choosing from a known brand, it doesn't really matter. You should aim for a specific hardware configuration & then research which laptops meet your criteria. Every single brand on the planet has warehouse after warehouse full of people repairing issues caused by design flaws & faulty hardware components. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't read reviews because they often point out specific issues that may be important to you, but for the most part, all major brands offer both "bad" & "good" laptops.

The best advice that I can offer after years of working on dozens of vendors (known & likely unknown) is that the most important thing that you can learn about a laptop is how to use it properly. They all have their quirks. Some of them can only be held in a certain way or a trace on the motherboard will break (e.g., Sony Vaio VGN-FS series). Others will overheat if not internally cleaned abnormally often. Many will quickly acquire stress fractures that'll lead to a broken LCD panel once the hinges fail, if said hinges aren't internally tightened on a regular basis. I know of at least one series that's known to electrocute customers. If you're buying a new model that isn't part of a previous series, it's essentially a crap-shoot.

Decide which hardware components are essential for you & then research those models/vendors that have said hardware. It doesn't matter if the sticker says Apple, HP or Lenovo, so long as the hardware meets your requirements & you familiarize yourself with the issues that have plagued the series.

How big is your mouse??

I use my laptop and cordless mouse away from my desk all the time. At the kitchen table if I'm doing 'serious' work, or on the sofa/bed if not - the surface only needs to be reasonably flat, and not black!

I use a tablet and already carry it around with me.



Awesome advice, thanks!

He specifically said projects

Also, I 100%, bazillion times, absolutely disagree with Mentat. It is NOT just about the specs, and brand matters significantly. Lenovo is going to be your best bet for Windows, if you can afford it.

Here's what you should do:

1. Don't focus on RAM. In fact, I would go as cheap as possible on the amount of RAM. Once you get the laptop, order the RAM from Newegg and save yourself bundles of money.
2. If you can deal with a bit less space, get an SSD. The performance difference is so ridiculously massive that I can't stress this enough. Even Photoshop will thank you.
3. Focus on the number of CPU cores more than the GHz. The i7 series should have hyperthreading in addition to the number of cores, which also helps. Photoshop doesn't make a TON of use of it, but just about everything else will.
4. You don't need a fast video card, but you'll want something better than Intel integrated. If you get a discrete card, make sure it has ATI or nVidia's switching technology (Optimus is nVidia's). It saves significant power on battery. In regards to Photoshop, more video RAM will be more important than a faster video card.

What else will you be using this for besides Photoshop? Photoshop is something of a unique beast, as it's pretty awfully optimized.

I would look into business lines of laptops if you want a more quality product as well. Look at Dell Latitudes/Precisions, HP ProBook/EliteBooks, Lenovos, etc. Granted, they come with a premium, but the build quality is usually better and the support is also typically better.

Yes, I have a couch I would very much like to use.



Yeah I did, but I also meant for those other things.


Specs are a big thing about what I'm going to get. Like anything however, I'll be looking at who the company is. Id rather spend money on a company I trust. I'll keep 1-4 in mind while looking for things. Photoshop primarily is a main concern because it is such a unique thing. I assume I'll be using After Effects on it at some point as well. Other than that probably just web browsing, text editing, music. I wouldn't completely cut out games, but the last one I played was Portal 2 and havent touched one since.



Noted, thanks!

Also, if you choose to go with a business laptop, if you can spend the cash, invest in a dock/port replicator for it if it supports it. They're invaluable if you're going to be moving it around, but want to be able to quickly have it hooked up to extra monitors, a mouse, keyboard, etc. on your desk at home.

I never said that brand doesn't matter. I said that brand doesn't matter so long as you're considering known brands. For instance, I wouldn't recommend that anyone go out & purchase a VPR Matrix. To pretend that Lenovo offers the only laptop worth considering is a bit silly. However, there's no harm in following your advice, because Lenovo does indeed make a decent product. After Effects & Photoshop don't require a Lenovo & if he's interested in digging deeper, there are review websites that specialize in just these types of comparisons.

No, but an HP isn't any good. Even their business class laptops are generally pretty awful in reliability. Dell's high end laptops are okay, but Thinkpad are excellent for a reason. It's not just specs.

Blarg, I hate it when I go to use another persons laptop only to find (normally the hard way) that it is more of a taser. I even get this from my iMac sometimes if I happen to be standing next to it just right.

The scariest that I've encountered is the Sony SZ series. They refused to issue a recall despite hundreds of reported "electrocutions". It was always humorous reading the customer's description (e.g, "the computer electrocutes me"). I used to laugh hysterically & ridicule them until it happened to me. It's more "shocking" than painful, haha.

NOT ANYMORE NOW JUST A DESKTOP :|

GOTS TO GET L'TOPPIN'

The thing to laugh about is that 'electrocution' means to DIE by electricity. Not just to get shock'd.