Laptop for Photo-editing LR2 and PS only

[Headshotzx]

As per title, for Lightroom 2 / Photoshop usage, MSN, and surfing. I wasn't sure where to put this thread, so I'll dump it in here I guess.

Dell Studio 15 Laptop - Customised

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26GHz, 3MB Cache, 1066 MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium 32 bit SP1 Edition (English)
Microsoft(R) Works 9.0 (Does Not Include Microsoft(R) Office 2003/2007 Software)
1 Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
15.4 " Widescreen WUXGA CCFL (1920x1200) TFT Display w/ TrueLife(TM) w/o Camera
Mike Ming Bunch O Surfers
4GB ( 2 X 2048MB ) Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
320GB (5400 RPM) SATA Hard Drive
Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Combination Drive with dual layer write capabilities
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450
Integrated Stereo Sound
Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100 (802.11a/g/n) Half Mini-card
Dell(TM) Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module
Silver Palmrest with Fingerprint Reader

S$1820. Not sure the conversion rate for SG to US.

Your comments? My current Dec '05 built computer is serving me quite well, with these specs:

AMD X2 3800+ 2ghz Dual Core
4x512mb DDR1 ram
Nvidia 7800gt 256mb video card
Win XP

It's still serving me well, and while it is slow, a reformat every year will keep it going fast for a few months.

Cheers,
Zexun

[Hamster_Huey]

As per title, for Lightroom 2 / Photoshop usage, MSN, and surfing. I wasn't sure where to put this thread, so I'll dump it in here I guess.

Dell Studio 15 Laptop - Customised

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26GHz, 3MB Cache, 1066 MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium 32 bit SP1 Edition (English)
Microsoft(R) Works 9.0 (Does Not Include Microsoft(R) Office 2003/2007 Software)
1 Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
15.4 " Widescreen WUXGA CCFL (1920x1200) TFT Display w/ TrueLife(TM) w/o Camera
Mike Ming Bunch O Surfers
4GB ( 2 X 2048MB ) Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
320GB (5400 RPM) SATA Hard Drive
Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Combination Drive with dual layer write capabilities
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450
Integrated Stereo Sound
Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100 (802.11a/g/n) Half Mini-card
Dell(TM) Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module
Silver Palmrest with Fingerprint Reader

S$1820. Not sure the conversion rate for SG to US.

Your comments? My current Dec '05 built computer is serving me quite well, with these specs:

AMD X2 3800+ 2ghz Dual Core
4x512mb DDR1 ram
Nvidia 7800gt 256mb video card
Win XP

It's still serving me well, and while it is slow, a reformat every year will keep it going fast for a few months.

Cheers,
Zexun

That seems pretty overkill only for lightroom2 and PS. I have an older Dell E1405 core2duo with 2 gigs of ram and integrated Intel graphics and it manages to do very well with LR2 and PS. Heck I even did a lot of 3D animations (3D Max) using the laptop (graphic card was the biggest bottleneck there).

Honestly the Intel Core2Duo chips are just amazing and I think any Core2duo with 2GB or more RAM will be great for your needs. If you have the money to blow, the laptop looks great. If it were me, I'd probably buy a cheaper laptop and use the money on some equipment or a gaming console, or something else :)

[Headshotzx]

That seems pretty overkill only for lightroom2 and PS. I have an older Dell E1405 core2duo with 2 gigs of ram and integrated Intel graphics and it manages to do very well with LR2 and PS. Heck I even did a lot of 3D animations (3D Max) using the laptop (graphic card was the biggest bottleneck there).

Honestly the Intel Core2Duo chips are just amazing and I think any Core2duo with 2GB or more RAM will be great for your needs. If you have the money to blow, the laptop looks great. If it were me, I'd probably buy a cheaper laptop and use the money on some equipment or a gaming console, or something else :)

Hey, thanks for the reply. Yea I totally forgot about me using 3ds Max or Cinema 4D occasionally. That's why I was thinking a better graphic card would be better off. Plus, maybe a game or two, but not very graphic intensive games-- CS Source at most (Source Engine-- 2005).

I have a question though. I know that for video games, the video card is one of the more important aspects to faster fps. But what about normal PS / LR2 photo-editing? Ram? Processor speed?

Cheers,
Zexun

[Mark]

Overkill, nah, nowhere near for me :lol:

I am a mac guy so I would go with a old model (not stupid glass screen) 2.5Ghz 15" MBP with 4gb RAM

Honestly that laptop is the best compromise of weight/size/performance...

And it won't fall apart on you :p

However if you want editing to be *fast* then for sure build hackintosh!

With the PS/LR2 editing the most important is RAM for sure, they just can't get enough of it, I have 8GB and when I am editing it is always maxed out...
Then CPU power... I just have quad 2.8 though and it is never maxed out

[Headshotzx]

Overkill, nah, nowhere near for me :lol:

I am a mac guy so I would go with a old model (not stupid glass screen) 2.5Ghz 15" MBP with 4gb RAM

Honestly that laptop is the best compromise of weight/size/performance...

And it won't fall apart on you :p

However if you want editing to be *fast* then for sure build hackintosh!

With the PS/LR2 editing the most important is RAM for sure, they just can't get enough of it, I have 8GB and when I am editing it is always maxed out...
Then CPU power... I just have quad 2.8 though and it is never maxed out


Ok got it. Photoshop / LR2 = RAM eatin' monsta

So I'd need more ram. 4gigs ddr2 sound good?

I'm not too sure about whether to get a 13 or 14" laptop (Dell Studio 14 or studio xps 13) for the portability... or get a 15 / 17" *desktop replacement* laptop (where I'll do all my work on the laptop).

What's the deal with DDR2 ram versus DDR3 ram for the sole comparison on photo-editing speed?

[tonylong]

Your gaming will be more demanding of your graphics card than PS will but, like you say, PS is memory-hungry.

Faster RAM is, well, faster. Get as fast as your system can process. As far as the amount, for Vista 32 you won't be able to process 4 gig, so 3 gig is fine, better than 2.

PS and Lightroom are hard-drive intensive as well. A very good investment is a second hard drive built in so you have one system drive with free space and a document/program drive with free space.

Don't forget things like backing up to external drives and plenty of USB/firewire ports. Get as many ports as you can.

As far as size, I use a 17" laptop as a portable workstation because I like the bigger size, both for photography and for other stuff I do. I can guarantee that for photography and gaming, a 17" will make a big difference (make sure you get one of the screens that have a high quality brightness/contrast/angle of view rather than the ones that get dull whenever you look sideways at them.

At least that works for me -- it all adds to the cost! The 17" Fujitsu Lifebook N Series "laptop" (more like portable table-top) that I got a couple years ago is a pretty capable workstation, costing ~2K.

[eeeksNYC]

I basically got the same computer, minus the fingerprint scanner and a smaller internal HD.

I'm running DPP, Photoshop elements 6, and Photoshop CS2. I use a WD external Mybook 500GB drive for photos.

Runs awesome...haven't gamed too much with it...just a little old school Warcraft II and Starcraft...but so far so good.

Although the glass screen can be a bit of a pain in the butt with glare.

[tonylong]

I basically got the same computer, minus the fingerprint scanner and a smaller internal HD.

I'm running DPP, Photoshop elements 6, and Photoshop CS2. I use a WD external Mybook 500GB drive for photos.

Runs awesome...haven't gamed too much with it...just a little old school Warcraft II and Starcraft...but so far so good.

Although the glass screen can be a bit of a pain in the butt with glare.

Heh! The fingerprint scanner is useless to me, but it came with the machine:)!

The glare really hasn't been a problem with me. I like the screen because it is, well, a really good screen for graphical stuff.

As far as HDD and memory, I was big on that, as well as I/O. More is better! It's not my main workstation, but when I need it to be a workstation, especially when I'm mobile, I want high performance, and it does that for me.

[Headshotzx]

Alright-- I've decided that I'll save up for a fairly portable 15" (or 16" xps) laptop from Dell (better prices over here in SG).

Few questions:


Vista Ultimate? Or would Vista Home Premium do?
Vista 64bit or 32bit? What's the real difference? (Sorry I haven't googled it, I'll do so now, but I'll still put up this question)
Processor speed of 2.26ghz is good enough, right? Assuming I'm pretty happy with my desktop AMD 2.0ghz dual core processor.
4gigs DDR2 ram seem fine. Any comments?
What's the deal with the HDD RPM's? 5400 vs 7200 rpm in the case of the Dell Studio 15 laptop.
For a 15" screen, would 1920x1200 be really advisable? Options are 1280xsomething, 1440xsomething and 1920x1200.Cheers,
Zexun

[Mark]

Alright-- I've decided that I'll save up for a fairly portable 15" (or 16" xps) laptop from Dell (better prices over here in SG).

Few questions:

Vista Ultimate? Or would Vista Home Premium do?
Vista 64bit or 32bit? What's the real difference? (Sorry I haven't googled it, I'll do so now, but I'll still put up this question)
Processor speed of 2.26ghz is good enough, right? Assuming I'm pretty happy with my desktop AMD 2.0ghz dual core processor.
4gigs DDR2 ram seem fine. Any comments?
What's the deal with the HDD RPM's? 5400 vs 7200 rpm in the case of the Dell Studio 15 laptop.
For a 15" screen, would 1920x1200 be really advisable? Options are 1280xsomething, 1440xsomething and 1920x1200.Cheers,
Zexun


If you are stuck to windows I would go with a lenovo T series...
They are incredibly tough and reliable.

In my experience with Dell low end laptops is that if they used much pieces will fall off and problems will arise... (not a big Dell fan :)) (there is a reason why they are so cheap!)

I have 5200rpm hdds, and have used 7200rpm, and cannot tell the difference...

I would go with a fast cpu 2.5 or faster, you will likely keep the computer for a long time (assuming it doesn't break)

You can get 8GB with the lenovo :D

I don't know much about windows so can't help you much with that...

[Headshotzx]

Ack!! 9.5k SG$ for a laptop?! You must be mad! :shock:

Hmm.. any err, model recommendations for Lenovo (since you prefer that over dell) that goes for around.. y'know, a more wallet friendly price? Heh :o

EDIT: Hmm.. 4gb DDR2 vs 2gb DDR3.. which is better? Are they even comparable at all?

EDIT2: Whoops, forgot to thank you for answering my questions =)

[Mark]

Ack!! 9.5k SG$ for a laptop?! You must be mad! :shock:

Hmm.. any err, model recommendations for Lenovo (since you prefer that over dell) that goes for around.. y'know, a more wallet friendly price? Heh :o

EDIT: Hmm.. 4gb DDR2 vs 2gb DDR3.. which is better? Are they even comparable at all?

Is that how much it goes for over there!?
Okay, then maybe not
Re lenovo, the SL series is cheap build, the R is good, the rest are amazing...

DDR3 is faster than DDR2

Do not get a desktop replacement for general use, it is a major PITA! :)

Dell isn't bad, just their low end stuff, like all low end stuff is crap build. If you go dell go latitude E, they are good build, the ATG is very very good build!

I would also go 14" not 15" as almost all 15" apart from apple are too big for travel IMO.

[Headshotzx]

Is that how much it goes for over there!?
Okay, then maybe not
Re lenovo, the SL series is cheap build, the R is good, the rest are amazing...

DDR3 is faster than DDR2

Do not get a desktop replacement for general use, it is a major PITA! :)

Dell isn't bad, just their low end stuff, like all low end stuff is crap build. If you go dell go latitude E, they are good build, the ATG is very very good build!

I would also go 14" not 15" as almost all 15" apart from apple are too big for travel IMO.

Oh.. no no, haha, i was looking at the W series there. The T series goes for 2.5k to 3k SG$, about 1.7 to 2.2k USD.

Why's it so that the ram goes up to 2gigs (ddr2 / ddr3) here on their site? Wouldn't dell's 15 (or 13/14") studio laptop with 4gigs ddr2 be better?

Point taken on smaller laptops for general usage and portability.

[Mark]

Oh.. no no, haha, i was looking at the W series there. The T series goes for 2.5k to 3k SG$, about 1.7 to 2.2k USD.

Why's it so that the ram goes up to 2gigs (ddr2 / ddr3) here on their site? Wouldn't dell's 15 (or 13/14") studio laptop with 4gigs ddr2 be better?

I just looked at the singapore site, and I see what you mean, on the AU site you can customise it....
Odd

As I said do not go low end laptop if this will be a laptop that you take around with you and want to keep for 3 years ish....
Check out the new latitudes as well, they seem pretty good...
(http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/latitude_e?c=sg&cs=sgbsd1&l=en&s=bsd)

[vdao1972]

As per title, for Lightroom 2 / Photoshop usage, MSN, and surfing. I wasn't sure where to put this thread, so I'll dump it in here I guess.

Dell Studio 15 Laptop - Customised

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26GHz, 3MB Cache, 1066 MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium 32 bit SP1 Edition (English)
Microsoft(R) Works 9.0 (Does Not Include Microsoft(R) Office 2003/2007 Software)
1 Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
15.4 " Widescreen WUXGA CCFL (1920x1200) TFT Display w/ TrueLife(TM) w/o Camera
Mike Ming Bunch O Surfers
4GB ( 2 X 2048MB ) Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
320GB (5400 RPM) SATA Hard Drive
Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Combination Drive with dual layer write capabilities
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450
Integrated Stereo Sound
Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100 (802.11a/g/n) Half Mini-card
Dell(TM) Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module
Silver Palmrest with Fingerprint Reader

S$1820. Not sure the conversion rate for SG to US.



Have you looked at the Studio 16? It has an upgraded display screen (for $240 USD) which delivers 100% of the RGB color gamut. As someone who is using this as a mobile editing station, it might be an upgrade worth thinking of.

Vinh

[Headshotzx]

I was looking at the latitude versus the studio/xps series and I realised that while the specs were very much the same, the latitude series cost more. Any reason for that? I mean, what are the true differences? Built quality?

Have you looked at the Studio 16? It has an upgraded display screen (for $240 USD) which delivers 100% of the RGB color gamut. As someone who is using this as a mobile editing station, it might be an upgrade worth thinking of.

Vinh

I have actually thought about that, or the Studio XPS 13. Don't know whether one is better than the other, because when both are customised to almost the same specs, the Studio XPS 13 beats the 16 in terms of battery life, for the cost of a smaller screen.

[Palladium]

for editing photos you need a good screen - make sure to check out the ThinkPad's w700

http://www.notebooks.com/2008/08/11/thinkpad-w700-lenovo-intros-biggest-thinkpad-yet-videos/

[Headshotzx]

Yea that's what I was referring to-- they cost a whopping 8k to 9.5k SGD here.

[ngray77]

I would upgrade that 5400 rpm hard drive for a 7200 rpm version. I've found a noticable difference.

[Mark]

I was looking at the latitude versus the studio/xps series and I realised that while the specs were very much the same, the latitude series cost more. Any reason for that? I mean, what are the true differences? Built quality?



I have actually thought about that, or the Studio XPS 13. Don't know whether one is better than the other, because when both are customised to almost the same specs, the Studio XPS 13 beats the 16 in terms of battery life, for the cost of a smaller screen.


Build for sure, and they don't come with heaps of junkware (unless the changed it) :)
Oh and you can get the w700 with dual screens, how crazy is that! :lol:

Look at this on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Dell-Latitude-E6400-ATG-Semi-Rugged-Laptop-ndc-4581_W0QQitemZ370148894676QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Co mputing_Laptops_EH?hash=item370148894676&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318

That thing weighs almost 3kg, but it will survive a LOT :D

http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Dell-Latitude-E6400-2-53GHz-P9500-320GB-70MB-s-HDD_W0QQitemZ290283259238QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLaptop s_Nov05?hash=item290283259238&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1240|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18

slightly slower non ruggedised version of above, lighter...

http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Dell-LATITUDE-E4300-13-3-2-4Ghz-250GB-7-2-4GB-3YR_W0QQitemZ180322076776QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Com puting_Laptops_EH?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

Thin and light laptop, 1.5kg, great if you travel alot, def fast enough for LR/PS, gfx not good enough for games

There aren't many lenovo's on ebay, and their website in singapore seems useless.... :confused:

edit dammit the links didn't work

[Headshotzx]

I would upgrade that 5400 rpm hard drive for a 7200 rpm version. I've found a noticable difference.

Point taken. For the small amount of money needed to upgrade, I will choose the faster one. Thanks.

Build for sure, and they don't come with heaps of junkware (unless the changed it) :)
Oh and you can get the w700 with dual screens, how crazy is that! :lol:

Hm, I can always delete the bloatware before using it :neutral:

The day I get a w700 is the day I successfully sell all my photography gear for the laptop =/

[KayakPhotos]

I am a mac guy so I would go with a old model (not stupid glass screen) 2.5Ghz 15" MBP with 4gb RAM

I am thinking of picking up this exact computer when I get my re-enlistment bonus. They are at a good price point on Amazon right now ($1500). After looking at the new ones, I really would prefer the older model.

[Mark]

I am thinking of picking up this exact computer when I get my re-enlistment bonus. They are at a good price point on Amazon right now ($1500). After looking at the new ones, I really would prefer the older model.

I have one, and it is easily fast enough for LR/PS, my old one survived getting dropped a whole lot of times, and is still going strong...

Oh and the w700 was a joke, it is ridiculous!

[brecklundin]

Just a suggestion/comment. Do not underestimate the eyestrain/annoyance factor of a glossy screen. If you work in rooms with overhead lighting as well as lots of windows, especially behind where you would, you will find you need to adjust/move to eliminate the reflections from the lights or background.

I have used laptops/portables exclusively for over two decades now and the single most pointless change is the move to glossy displays. While under optimal conditions there is little doubt the image will be amazing, but that is under OPTIMAL ambient lighting. In real world use I can count on one hand those who were happy with choosing a laptop with a glossy display. The second most frustrating tends is to the widescreen aspect ration. While wider they are not as tall as the old 15" standard aspect ratio. But the screen ratio is something one grows used to over time.

Visit a local computer/electronics store to see what they have in stock in order to compare for yourself. You might find you do not mind. But I would ask the store staff to unlock the laptop so you can move it around to see how different lighting affects how easily you can see what is on the screen.

The option to really look for, if you can even find one in a retail shop is a matte finish display, often called a WVA or Wide Viewing Angle display. Few if any modern day consumer grade laptops have such displays as an option. So, consider a business grade laptop instead.

Speaking of consumer grade vs. business grade laptops, there are significant differences in build quality, durability, reliability and longevity. HP, Lenovo as well as Dell all have very good lines of business grade laptops. These are built to actually be used as a portable/mobile computer and have things such as magnesium allow frames and/or cases as well as improved keyboards as well as top tier level support. Yeah they can cost about 20%-30% more, yet if you shop around you can find solid values either as a refurb or a distributor demo. A few years back I paid only $1150 for an HP NX9420 17" display laptop and has run pretty 24/7 for about 3yrs now...and travels everywhere I venture.

Also, you do want to look for a laptop with a LED backlight over the standard CCFL backlight. The LED backlight is not only far less power hungry but also a zillion times less likely to fail or die off over the life time of the laptop. One more than one occasion I had to replace the CCFL on various laptops as they became so dim you could not read the screen in anything other than a completely dark room.

Last if you are at all handy and know your way around a computer...most every part in a laptop is user replaceable. I would recommend you do get a smallish HDD then simply buy a larger capacity drive and replace the original drive right away...and to those who say it might void your warranty, nope, HDD's are user replaceable and have directly accessible panels as do RAM. Some systems now even include direct access to video and CPU components as well allowing the swapping of newer faster components. Also by the lowest amount of single stick RAM the mfg offers. That means only one stick of RAM is included leaving the other slot open for adding more RAM. You can then buy RAM either from a place like Newegg or ??? (not sure what can be had in your country) but as a rule buying RAM and installing it yourself is a far cheaper way to go, just like a smaller HDD and then buying a 500GB drive for US$100 to replace the smaller drive and slapping it in soon as you can.

Needless to say buying a dependable laptop involves a lot more than just focusing on the individual components. I do recommend a site called http://forum.notebookreview.com/ where you can do a lot of research on various brands as well as individual models. Lots of good info on more problematic systems as well.

One last thing...make sure you are buying an actual license for the operating system that INCLUDES the media for the OS. Most MFG's are now selling a license for ONLY the machine you are buying and do not include the media containing the original install CD/DVD(s)...

Sorry for such a long post but so many folks end up very unhappy with their laptops, especially when they begin to fall apart 3mos. after they buy it...or they run out of HDD space or RAM.

Good luck and if you do a bit more reearch and shop around you will end up very happy with the freedom a laptop offers.

[KayakPhotos]

I have one, and it is easily fast enough for LR/PS, my old one survived getting dropped a whole lot of times, and is still going strong...


Sounds like a winner. Now I've just got to decide what lenses I am going to purchase for my camera....Probably going to go with the 17-55 IS, a flash and a good tripod. Plus misc. accesories.

[Headshotzx]

Wow brecklundin, thanks for the informative post.

I know my way around desktop rigs and have upgraded a few times on my own already, but I don't know much about notebooks. I'll definitely DIY my upgrades if it's possible.

I don't understand what you meant by this, though:

One last thing...make sure you are buying an actual license for the operating system that INCLUDES the media for the OS. Most MFG's are now selling a license for ONLY the machine you are buying and do not include the media containing the original install CD/DVD(s)...


Are you saying that I should have a Windows Vista disk (i don't think so, right?) or should I have a Dell/Acer/HP/Sony/Lenovo etc Install disk containing Vista (and all the drivers and possible bloatware)?

Oh, on a side note, if I replace the internal harddrive of the notebook, I can use the notebook's harddrive in an external "usb powered" case, right?

Cheers,
Zexun

[Mark]

Wow brecklundin, thanks for the informative post.

I know my way around desktop rigs and have upgraded a few times on my own already, but I don't know much about notebooks. I'll definitely DIY my upgrades if it's possible.

I don't understand what you meant by this, though:



Are you saying that I should have a Windows Vista disk (i don't think so, right?) or should I have a Dell/Acer/HP/Sony/Lenovo etc Install disk containing Vista (and all the drivers and possible bloatware)?

Oh, on a side note, if I replace the internal harddrive of the notebook, I can use the notebook's harddrive in an external "usb powered" case, right?

Cheers,
Zexun

What he means by that is that many laptops these days ship with the OS installed and no disks, meaning if you want to reinstall you have to buy a disk and find the drivers....

And yes you can use the notebooks hdd in a external enclosure, you have to find the right one for it to be usb powered though...

[brecklundin]

What he means by that is that many laptops these days ship with the OS installed and no disks, meaning if you want to reinstall you have to buy a disk and find the drivers....

And yes you can use the notebooks hdd in a external enclosure, you have to find the right one for it to be usb powered though...

what pendulum sed... ;)

I buy el cheapo drive enclosures on eBay for something like 2 for US$10 (or maybe less, I really do forget??). These don't have their own power, instead they use the power supplied from your USB port or hub.

[Headshotzx]

what pendulum sed... ;)

I buy el cheapo drive enclosures on eBay for something like 2 for US$10 (or maybe less, I really do forget??). These don't have their own power, instead they use the power supplied from your USB port or hub.

Yuh, I have one 2.5" 160 hdd in an enclosure that just dropped off the table a few weeks back. Bloody thing stopped working and short circuited, oh well.

[brecklundin]

Yuh, I have one 2.5" 160 hdd in an enclosure that just dropped off the table a few weeks back. Bloody thing stopped working and short circuited, oh well.

sad end to a loyal drive...sniff... ;) But it's fun to take an old broke HDD apart to see how it really works.

[Hamster_Huey]

If you get a "Manufacturer disk" to reinstall the OS/bloatware on the laptop, bear in mind that it will only work on that particular laptop. So lets say you stop using that laptop. In that case it will be very difficult to transfer the laptop OS installation to another laptop/PC.

[Headshotzx]

If you get a "Manufacturer disk" to reinstall the OS/bloatware on the laptop, bear in mind that it will only work on that particular laptop. So lets say you stop using that laptop. In that case it will be very difficult to transfer the laptop OS installation to another laptop/PC.

Hm, why would I want 'another' OS to be on another laptop, when most probably *that* newer laptop will have it's own disk?

[Naito]

if you're getting 4gb RAM, you need a 64bit OS, not the 32bit versions. Else you'll only be able to use about 3gb of it, give or take 500mb.

[Hamster_Huey]

Hm, why would I want 'another' OS to be on another laptop, when most probably *that* newer laptop will have it's own disk?

Well not so much for laptops since all manufacturers bundle an OS along and the cost is hidden from the end user (but you are still paying for it). However in the case of a PC, if you buy components and build your own rig then you won't have your own OS. You could save a decent bit in that case by transferring the legitimately bought OS license from your old laptop (if you aren't using it, or if it died, etc) and install the OS on your PC instead. It really annoys me that a lot of manufacturers make it hard for you to do this even though you are paying for the OS when you buy their system.

[Headshotzx]

if you're getting 4gb RAM, you need a 64bit OS, not the 32bit versions. Else you'll only be able to use about 3gb of it, give or take 500mb.

Point taken. Any disadvantages of going 64bit?

Well not so much for laptops since all manufacturers bundle an OS along and the cost is hidden from the end user (but you are still paying for it). However in the case of a PC, if you buy components and build your own rig then you won't have your own OS. You could save a decent bit in that case by transferring the legitimately bought OS license from your old laptop (if you aren't using it, or if it died, etc) and install the OS on your PC instead. It really annoys me that a lot of manufacturers make it hard for you to do this even though you are paying for the OS when you buy their system.

Ah I see. I guess I should ask for the software disc for Vista, then? I doubt Dell will give it that way, though..

[brecklundin]

Headshotz:

Ummm...how big of a laptop are you wanting again? I just came across what amounts to almost the wet dream of portable solutions given current technology:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=7198641#post7198641

I am sure it's a bit spendy, it's over my budget for a new laptop this year, but I am now likely to buy a cheaper backup system this year then save for one of those next year or later this year.

[CrateMaker]

Point taken. Any disadvantages of going 64bit?



Ah I see. I guess I should ask for the software disc for Vista, then? I doubt Dell will give it that way, though..

I got a Dell Studio 17 w/ 4gigs of RAM and Vista 64bit and use LR2 and I am in love with it. It processes presets and renders changes SO much faster than my desktop running 3gigs of RAM. BTW... I got that computer from Bestbuy for a fantastic deal of $750 US. Don't hesitate to go 64bit with Vista. Is has way less problems than XP 64bit did. The only down side is some other programs (ie. Flash sites won't run on 64bit IE7). No biggie, just use the 32bit version (also included).

Good luck!