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Archive 2008 · Best laptop?

  
 
klam
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p.2 #1 · Best laptop?


Lenovo T-series is phenomenal and they have a W-series that seems geared for photographers.


Dec 29, 2008 at 12:33 AM
Brian Lingle
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p.2 #2 · Best laptop?


Did you guys check out the link Mac posted for the Lenovo? It sounds amazing. The display shows 72% of the RGB colors compared to 30% on most displays. Anyone know the specs on the MBP matte displays for comparison?

Thanks for the link, Mac. Sounds awesome, but starting at $2,500, it's a little more than I want to invest in a laptop, right now. But, wow!

gzasi, sboerup, Tony, Italo, Richard, Red, Shane, Andy, ai3x, Matt, Thanks for your recommendations for the MBP and the advice regarding the glossy screens vs the new models. My girlfriend's sons are web professionals who used PC's for years and recently switched to MBP and they love them. They said for the cost difference, I might be well served with a PC for now, though, until I'm more profitable with my photography business. But that's a lot of people recommending MBP and I'm going to have to take another look-think about that.

Sam, That's a really great idea. Once again, the creative, out of the box solution. Brilliant! If I go with the MBP, I'll definitely do that. Puts it in a much better price range.

JLinkowitz, Thanks for the info on the Dell. That sounds like a lot of bang for the buck.

Zach, Thanks for the detailed info and the tip about the front end bus. I know there are a lot of things that effect processing speed and with all the technical variables, it gets pretty confusing to me. Sounds like 2.5 ghz processor, 4 gb ram, and 800 mghz front end bus are about as fast as it gets unless you make the jump to something like the Lenovo Thinkpad. I've heard that the graphics card makes a big difference in the speed, too. If the processor is 2.5 ghz, does it matter whether it's duo or quad core or whatever? Regarding the high def screen - are all 1080p screens high def? Do you need a DVI out to show the images in high def on an LCD or plasma screen tv? Is Vista still problematic? I tried editing a bunch of Raw files on my external HD and the cache on my main drive filled up so much I couldn't do anything until a friend who knows more than me deleted the cache. Had the same problem recently and I couldn't figure out how to find and delete the extra cache, so I had to run the system clean up program and wait forever until it removed the extra cache.

Questions:
Can you make a direct comparison between MBP's and PC's regarding processor ghz, ram, front end bus and all that?

That info on the Lenovo Thinkpad has me wondering about the % of the RGB gamut the various screens display. Do most laptops give that info in their specs? I haven't noticed it before. Not that I've spent much time studying specs. I guess I'd have to go to a computer store and look at them to see how much the difference really shows.

If I switch from PC to MBP, can I upgrade from PS-CS2 PC software to PS-CS4 for Mac or will I have to start over and buy the full priced version for the Mac?

Regarding PC's - in the past, I heard that some brands, like Dell, are better quality than others. Who are the best manufacturers these days? Also, the whole Intel Centrino vs AMD vs all the other kinds of processors - does the type matter much, or just the ghz?

Also, would images from the MBP show well on my Dell monitor or would I need to get an Apple monitor for editing at home on a larger display?

BTW, am I the only one here who's frustrated that the only kind of displays you can get now days are widescreen? Seems like a ridiculous waste of screen space for photo editing. The reduced size on images in portrait orientation and not having a choice on display formats really bugs me.

Edited on Dec 29, 2008 at 02:35 AM · View previous versions



Dec 29, 2008 at 01:18 AM
sboerup
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p.2 #3 · Best laptop?


Graphics card is going to help little to none on any photo editing work. Better graphics cards are for running large 30" screens, playing games or video work, not for photo. Having a great or fast graphics card wont really help you out.

Faster processor, more ram, fast HD and a better front side bus will help leaps and bounds more than a graphics card.

The thing that I have found when working on my MBP, Lightroom and Photoshop run so much faster, and the specs aren't near where my PC is. Running windows on my MBP isn't very fast, but when using LR on a Mac, it's way faster. Like, incredibly faster.



Dec 29, 2008 at 01:44 AM
Brian Lingle
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p.2 #4 · Best laptop?


sboerup, Thanks for the info on graphics cards. It's really a big help to know that. Someone told me it made a big difference in speed.

Do I understand correctly? Your MBP runs in either Mac or PC Windows and even though the Windows isn't very fast the LR in Windows PC mode on your MBP is a lot faster than it is on a PC with similar processor, ram and bus?



Dec 29, 2008 at 01:52 AM
sboerup
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p.2 #5 · Best laptop?


Well of course a better graphics card will help, but the slowdown in Photoshop or LR isn't displaying the image . . . its processing or writing to the HD (LR is intensive on writes as every time you change a setting, its writing to the sidecar file on the HD).

I run windows on my MBP for quickbooks and other things . . . but I run LR inside the Mac OS, which is much faster than my desktop PC. Sorry for the confusion.



Dec 29, 2008 at 01:59 AM
Brian Lingle
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p.2 #6 · Best laptop?


Thanks for the clarification.


Dec 29, 2008 at 02:30 AM
Brian Lingle
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p.2 #7 · Best laptop?


I thought someone recommended buying from OSW if I'm going to get a MBP and upgrade it like Sam suggested. Now I can't find their post. Deleted? I halucinated? What is OSW? I searched and didn't find anything under OSW where they sell MacBooks.


Dec 29, 2008 at 09:52 AM
Matt Khoury
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p.2 #8 · Best laptop?


fungke wrote:
i am in the same boat.
not sure if i should get a last gen refurb, current MB or MBP.
would the new MBP's video card be that much help for processing?


NO. The MB's now have vid cards. And the vid cards in the NEW MB are more powerful than the vid cards in the LAST pro's.



Dec 29, 2008 at 11:57 AM
fungke
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p.2 #9 · Best laptop?


Matt Khoury wrote:
NO. The MB's now have vid cards. And the vid cards in the NEW MB are more powerful than the vid cards in the LAST pro's.


so is it safe to assume that the current Macbook (2.4Ghz, 4GB, fast HD) is on par if not out perform the previous generation Macbook Pro (2.6GHz, 4GB, fast HD) when it comes to processing raw images and editing photos in photoshop?

I am looking at this to be my main editing system which will be tethered to an external monitor.



Dec 29, 2008 at 12:13 PM
Saad Syed
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p.2 #10 · Best laptop?


high end Lenovo + x86 OSX =P gg.

All seriousness though, MBP are nice.



Dec 29, 2008 at 06:28 PM
Italo Campilii
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p.2 #11 · Best laptop?



Can you make a direct comparison between MBP's and PC's regarding processor ghz, ram, front end bus and all that?


You can't exactly make a direct comparison because the Mac OSX software is far more advanced than Vista and XP put together. But if you wanted to make a comparison, you technically could as Macs now run on Intel processors. But really, GHZ is not as important as the operating system itself. Any previous generation MBP is just as fast as the new ones.



If I switch from PC to MBP, can I upgrade from PS-CS2 PC software to PS-CS4 for Mac or will I have to start over and buy the full priced version for the Mac?


You can't use PC software made for PC on a Mac. You CAN use PC software made for Mac on a Mac. However, if you wanted to use PC software on a Mac, you could either run a $79 program called "parallels" which allows you to install Windows XP/Vista and any windows software. It's like using a PC and a Mac simultaneously, without owning an actual PC. However, I don't recommend using powerful software such as Adobe because you'd require more than 2GB on that PC alone and more powerful graphics which I believe Parallels won't support.



Regarding PC's - in the past, I heard that some brands, like Dell, are better quality than others. Who are the best manufacturers these days? Also, the whole Intel Centrino vs AMD vs all the other kinds of processors - does the type matter much, or just the ghz?


This could bring up a lot of heat and really, it is a matter of opinion because to me PCs are all the same. But when it comes to brand, Toshiba, Acer and probably HP are known to be reliable for laptops and clone (personalized) PCs for desktop. I personally think Dell is plastic, Compaq should go to hell and Sony should focus on making TVs. Sony Vaios are probably the worst computers ever built in history.


Also, would images from the MBP show well on my Dell monitor or would I need to get an Apple monitor for editing at home on a larger display?


Sure, depends on the model of the display, resolution, glossy/matte and screen size. With MBP, you can connect a DVI monitor and a beautifully large display to extend the screen of your work. Of course, I fully recommend getting an Apple cinema display. I personally have the older version in 23" that cost me $2k and it is just wonderfully perfect. But now I also have a $250 Acer 22" and it's just as good.



BTW, am I the only one here who's frustrated that the only kind of displays you can get now days are widescreen? Seems like a ridiculous waste of screen space for photo editing. The reduced size on images in portrait orientation and not having a choice on display formats really bugs me.


That's why you have to buy a decently large screen. Minimum of 22" I'd say. There's a huge benefit in widescreen and it's that you can place more objects horizontally. For example, I can place two large protraits and compare each one from another. If I had a 30", you could make that 3 easily. There's absolutely no disadvantage in widescreen so I'd disagree with you.

In conclusion, whatever you do, buy a Mac. Even an used one. Don't go for PC, just start off the right way. TRUST me, I've been a mac user since 1997 and I have a few macs at home and just 1 PC for the heck of it. The PC is a custom built one, cost me less than $380 bucks. If you can't afford MBP, get an iMac. They're even faster than MBP and somewhat less expensive.



Dec 30, 2008 at 07:23 AM
ai3x
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p.2 #12 · Best laptop?


sboerup wrote:
Graphics card is going to help little to none on any photo editing work. Better graphics cards are for running large 30" screens, playing games or video work, not for photo. Having a great or fast graphics card wont really help you out.

Faster processor, more ram, fast HD and a better front side bus will help leaps and bounds more than a graphics card.

The thing that I have found when working on my MBP, Lightroom and Photoshop run so much faster, and the specs aren't near where my PC is. Running windows on my MBP isn't very fast, but when
...Show more

Spencer, Aperture at least offloads a lot of the image processing to the graphics card. As such a better graphics card in this situation really would help. That's Aperture though, I'm not sure as to what lightroom or photoshop do.

Alex



Dec 30, 2008 at 01:09 PM
Ben Baker
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p.2 #13 · Best laptop?


I don't know if it's the best or not, but I have had a MBP since they first came out. Almost 3 years later....no complaints. I would really like to know who else has a laptop they've had for 3 years with no upgrades, no problems and it still works just like the day you took it out of the box.


Dec 30, 2008 at 01:11 PM
Italo Campilii
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p.2 #14 · Best laptop?


I had my first MBP 17" for 4 years. Changed it only to upgrade to Intel. Never purchased an Apple care program.

WOOT!



Dec 30, 2008 at 01:14 PM
DB
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p.2 #15 · Best laptop?


I just purchased an old (feb. 2008) MBP from Amazon in November. I LOVE it. No complaints. It's super fast, has a really nice matte screen, and I upgraded the ram for something less than $70. Plus you save a lot of money getting the older generation (and no glossy screen). I guess my only complaint is that I have to buy a new version of photoshop since I last the disc for my last one (and it was something like PS7). Here's the link to my computer:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013FLTNS




Dec 30, 2008 at 02:41 PM
gillyohan
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p.2 #16 · Best laptop?


MBP is very nice. I have the last generation model. I am planning on using it for awhile. Typically better resale value, too. I used my old Power Mac desktop for over 5 years with no problems, besides beginning to struggle through large batches in Adobe Bridge (single processor G5), which I sold last year for $500. I have practically had to pay people to take old PCs away from me (and those much less than three years old).


Dec 30, 2008 at 03:25 PM
Brian Lingle
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p.2 #17 · Best laptop?


Ben and Gillyohan, I've had my Dell Inspiron 5100 since May, '03 and it was my only computer until earlier this year. Works as good as the day I got it, just too slow for the processing software and the size image files I'm processing. Also, the display screen is too contrasty and the viewing angle effects the image too much for accurate editing and retouching. The color isn't as good as my Dell desktop display, either. It's been very adequate in respect to reliability and performing at the speed it was created to perform. No complaints about that, but it has 1 GB ram and a better screen would be nice when I'm traveling or showing clients their photos on location.

Italo, Thank you for taking the time to respond to all those questions. Parallels doesn't sound like something I'd want. thanks for the warning on that. Toshiba, Acer and HP. Acer and HP used to be considered the cheap, lower quality brands. Good to know they've improved. If an Acer display is just as good, why would I get an Apple cinema display? If your MBP works on an Acer though, I guess the Dell display will work, too. iMac? Nobody has mentioned those up to now, have they? If the iMac is just as fast and costs less, why hasn't anyone else recommended it? Smaller screen size? Thanks for the info, Italo.

ai3x, Spencer said that PS and LR don't use the graphics card much.

Deb, Thanks for the link. I'll check it out. Since I posted this, I've seen another thread where they said if you call Adobe, you can switch when you upgrade. Regarding the lost disk, they have your registration ID and they can help you activate an upgrade without having the disk. They did for me for CS2. Not sure if you can upgrade from PS7 to CS4. Worth finding out, though.





Dec 30, 2008 at 04:16 PM
Brian Lingle
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p.2 #18 · Best laptop?


With all these recommendations for MBP and the fact that 2 friends who've used PC's for years recently switched and love their Mac whatevers, I am giving it serious consideration. I've been satisfied with my PC's and I like the lower price for what looks like the same processing power and display screens, but I have to say, hearing all the people who switched to Mac, I haven't heard of anyone who switched back from Mac to PC. That says a lot.


Dec 30, 2008 at 04:23 PM
RedWhiteandRed
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p.2 #19 · Best laptop?


Brian Lingle wrote:
I've been satisfied with my PC's and I like the lower price for what looks like the same processing power and display screens, but I have to say, .... That says a lot.



When we were buying my mom a laptop - my cheap as hell engineering firm brother suggested a pc notebook of one form or other. I told him to get a MacBook and if he thought it a mistake I would send him a check for the full cost. On opening and using the thing he was so impressed I have not had to go good on my offer.

Macs are great if you simply want to do the tack at hand - day in and day out - no worries.



Dec 30, 2008 at 05:23 PM
DB
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p.2 #20 · Best laptop?


Brian Lingle wrote:
Deb, Thanks for the link. I'll check it out. Since I posted this, I've seen another thread where they said if you call Adobe, you can switch when you upgrade. Regarding the lost disk, they have your registration ID and they can help you activate an upgrade without having the disk. They did for me for CS2. Not sure if you can upgrade from PS7 to CS4. Worth finding out, though.


Yeah, I called a few weeks ago -- apparently they can't upgrade you from PS 7 -- it has to be at least from CS. Oh well. I bought it used off a friend, so I didn't lose much money. On to bigger and better things!

Seriously check on Mac. Of course I know a lot of PC users who swear by them, but my husband now wants a mac and he was pretty anti-mac for a while. It's a great computer. I'd sell you my old one, but that wouldn't be fair to you!



Dec 30, 2008 at 08:11 PM
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