So my wife and kids are getting sick of me monopolizing the computer doing my photo processing and website site stuff. I am considering a laptop (I'm a Windows guy) and don't want to spend over $1000. Anyone have any advice? My biggest concern is the IQ of the display and my colors being off. I'm not even sure you can calibrate a laptop monitor, but I don't see why not.
Any advice would be great. I'm proficient with the workings of my PC, but I know this is more then a little different.
- You can calibrate a laptop screen with a Spyder or Pantone device.
- Get a matt screen and not a gloss one, this is important.
- Resolution wise 1440x900 or higher also important, forget 1280 x etc..
- 2GB Ram and Intel Core Duo (any speed will do)
- HDD 120Gb or higher
- 15" / 17"
I have a dell laptop an Inspiron E1505. Its an older model that I dont think you can get now. I am happy with it. I think most people will agree with me here that dell is a good brand. This being said I recommend getting the accidental warranty for as long as you practically think you will be using the computer. I am a student and take my computer to class and around campus as well as travel, While I take care of my equipment things happen. This warranty covers anything. I had a friend fry his computer with a can of soda. It was fixed in under a week. My self I had a hard drive go bad and the cable between my screen and the computer cracked. They replaced the cable and screen and had a man at my house in 24hrs.
If you dont plan on moving the computer around much I would lean to a desktop. They are cheaper for a more powerful system and you can get the displays you want with it.(I love the display on my notebook, its a great resolution(1680x1050), fairly accurate color for not being intensely calibrated)
If you are going to run vista and are into photography you might look at ordering the system with the least amount of ram you can get and then buying some that fits off newegg and save some money. Go to 4gb. You wont be able to address it all with a 32bit operating system but you will be able to address 3.5gb. The suggestion of a core 2 duo processor is a fantastic one.
one thing I forgot to mention is if you want to run a 20" /24" external monitor (these guys are so cheap now), a good video card is recommended. Also most calibrators will setup both the laptop and external monitor without difficulty . External monitor is a great tool for photography and give you more accurate results.
I run a 17" MacBook Pro and 24" monitor works a treat.
As others have mentioned: DO NOT GET A GLOSSY SCREEN!!!! My MacBook is glossy and I absolutely hate it. Terrible idea by Apple. Completely worthless in many conditions.
Always, always, always, pony up the extra money if a matte screen is more expensive on a particular model you are interested in.
The most important thing for photo work and monitor/screens is: NO GLOSSY!!!
Dell has the Vostro series (small business) that offers 14, 15, 17 inch secreens with Duo Cores as standard features. They go for several hundred dollars less than the Inspiron line. For $550 I got Duo 1.4 GHz processors, 2GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD Burner etc. Great deal!
I bought an 13" XPS at outlet.dell.com and added a 24" ultrasharp. A fully loaded machine is $1,000 which means you are getting 30-40% discount. A full year's warranty including tech support is included. dave
