Notebook Help

I'm having good luck with my HP Pavillion zt3000 (well, zt3010US).

And I'm running full installations of immensely resource intensive enterprise development and server environments, so with sufficient memory you should be good with Photoshop.

But getting at the second memory slot is a pain.

I would like to warn you that Compaq's suck ass. They tend to break down....a lot. A few people I know had Compaqs and they eventually just went and got a different computer because the Compaq was so bad. I don't think you'd like to go through that.

I went http://www.gateway.com/home/products/hm_ptb_catalo g.shtml there and looked at the M675 Series. It sounds like what you are looking for. I compared the M675X and the M675XL and the XL though pricey seems to be the one you are looking for. I don't know how much it weighs though. I'm almost positive it could run with Photoshop on it. I use PSP, but I've worked with Photoshop so I know it needs some space. But I think that will work. Hope this helps.

In Response to zamphir (#15655):

I would stay away from Hp and Compaq. If you have to go OEM (which you have to, since there are no generic notebooks), always try to go Dell or IBM. Both are a lot better supported by the majority of operating systems, and are a little easier to fix\upgrade than other laptops. Of course, if you have the cash, you could check out Alienware's line.

In Response to Lonely Goatherd (#15658):

Wow, the face of Poop finally makes some sense, who'd have thunk it?

  But seriously, IBM [ibm.com] is second to none when it comes to notebooks.

If money is no object, I would recommend the Dell Inspiron XPS [dell.com]. I know nothing about it, and have never used one, but just look at those specs:
Pentium 4 w/HT Technology 3.4GHz, 15.4-inch monitor, 1GB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz, 80GB Hard Drive, 4X CD/DVD burner(DVD+RW/+R), 128MB DDR ATI's MOBILITY™ RADEON™ 9700 AGP 8X Graphics

Ooohhh...

I'm not exactly sure if game graphics cards are just as good for Photoshop, but I would assume that they are. Someone else can probably clarify. Plus, I heard that you can upgrade these things pretty easily. In a few years, you could pop in a new vid card or more RAM, or whatever.

Downside: 9.4 pounds.

In Response to Magus (#15660):

That's all well and good, but does IBM (or Dell) offer any models that meet my requirements? I need specific recommendations.

In Response to FeldmanSkitzoid (#15661):

Yeah, that weight is a no-go. Note how high weight is on my list o' requirements.

Okay, so I'm an admitted Apple fan-boy, but I like to think I'm reasonable about it. So, well, whatever, take this with as much salt as you want.

You should probably get a 15" PowerBook.

• Relatively light
• Good battery life
• Runs photoshop
• largish wide screen (not 16:9, but not 4:3)
• Internal DVD/CDRW (or DVDRW/CDRW)
• Doesn't run Windows XP without emulation
• Pretty darn stylin'

So, all but one. My PB/867 runs Photoshop nicely, so if it's not going to be your primary machine, you can get a used one off eBay for under $1600. (Mine is my primary machine, with an external hard drive, keyboard, mouse, and 2nd monitor at home.)

Oh, and don't let the real Mac zealots fool you. Emulation might be acceptable on a dual G5 desktop, but it sucks ass on a non-mighty machine. If you need to run Windows apps frequently, you'll be in pain.

In Response to Lonely Goatherd (#15658):

Dell?

Dell!?!

Are you kidding?

In Response to jon (#15662):

Oh, in terms of battery life, you want something with a Centrino, not a P4.

Again, I'm running one now and it's been performing fine even though it's rated at 1.5 ghz instead of the equivalent 2.6 or so P4. And I get three to five hours of battery life.

In Response to Lonely Goatherd (#15664):

I almost put in a bit about "No PowerBook recommendations, please" but then figured that would be understood. I don't want to go purchasing second copies of all my software, and I've had a hell of a time with my wife's G4 (support has been lousy and expensive), so I think I'm going to stick to XP.

A shame, really, because I do like the PowerBooks.

I've done a fair share of tech support - including laptops - and I agree with the apparent consensus: for a Windows-native machine, the best out there is IBM. Compaq is really home-use; Dell is designed for the computer-illiterate (and uses IBM-equivalent parts, anyhow). In both cases, you lack the ability to customize and upgrade that IBM gives.

In your case, you'd probably want to look at the T-series Thinkpads; the X is too small, the G is too big, and the R is essentially a slightly larger version of the T. (However, the R-series is available with a 15" screen, somewhat larger than the 14.1" on the T.) And, of course, you can customize the internal specs to your satisfaction on any IBM; presumably, you know what you need.

Of course, if you prefer the stylin' category to reign supreme, you might want to look into Alienware [alienware.com]. Their main market is gamers, but a lot of the necessary components to a good gaming machine - graphics resolution, processor power, memory - are just as useful for what you'd be doing. They've also got the custom-machine niche cornered; if you talk to them, they can design a system around your precise needs.

Dell and IBM are the only decent OEM's out there. But for photoshop work\high end stuff, i would say skip them altogether at this point. Alienware has the only upgradeable video cards in laptops. No one else has it. And the number reason laptops get tossed is lack up upgradeability after time...well, with Alienware you won't have to worry (as much) about that. The only downside is price; if you do a test run and configure your "dream laptop" on their site, you can go over 10k.

In Response to zamphir (#15668):

Better than HP or Compaq or Gateway or Sager or Toshiba. Of course, with enough time spent you could always mount a full comp inside a largish briefcase, but whatever works...

In Response to Lonely Goatherd (#15678):

I knew I shouldn't have responded to Der Poopmeister.

Maybe Dell's SOHO and Pro equipment is better than their home stuff.

But I'm going to stand by my disdain for them, particularly as backed up by Sakuruth's statement Dell is designed for the computer-illiterate (and uses IBM-equivalent parts, anyhow).

emachines

they have some pretty powerfull amd-based laptops for significantly cheaper than IBM/Dell

Just trying to help. Anyway, awesome comic, and good luck finding your perfect laptop.

Thank you all for your help so far, but I don't need brand recommendations -- I need specific models that match the above specs as closely as possible.

In Response to jon (#15684):

Check out http://www.electrovaya.com/

go to Products, then look at the Scribbler SC-2010 w/Dock. I think it covers all your bases pretty well.

In Response to jon (#15684):

Again, the HP I'm using is the zt3010US - which is probably essentially the same as the Presario you're looking at.

The IBM T-Series mentioned before will be also a good fit, but you'll have to dig around to find a specific express model you want. And there may be a delay of a week or three before it arrives - which is why I went with the HP.

In Response to jon (#15684):

Ok jon, there's this eMachine [emachines.com], which is their top-end laptop or there's this ThinkPad [ibm.com] for a wee bit more money... Or there's an AlienWare [alienware.com] laptop, if money's no object...

Although I can't give much help in the whole buying of a Windows machine area of this convo, I can definitely tell you that, having used both Dreamweave and the Adobe equivalent, GoLive, Adobe wins. About as much as Photoshop wins over all other photo-editing programs, but it definitely wins more than Adobe Acrobat Reader wins against Preview (because, Acrobat doesn't win over Preview).
Them's my two cents. Useless to most folk here, and not on the topic of the thread, but still.

Forgive my unregisteredness. Won't happen again. I've been suggesting Sager notebooks to people for a while now. They are the original designer for many of Dell's, Gateway's, and Alienware's systems. Their support is great and they've got a model that expressly meets your needs. Plus, it's shiny: http://www.sagernotebook.com/pages/notebooks/produ ct.cfm?ProductType=3760

In Response to Lonely Goatherd (#15693):

I meant to say, shiny.

In Response to zamphir (#15680):

Any other Americans here who have more than a passing acquaintance with their televisions have surely seen at least one Dell commercial. Those alone should be proof enough that they're not aiming for a tech-savvy market.

Also, I didn't list specific models because both IBM and Alienware allow you to build your own - you start with minimum requirements for the laptop case, and then add as you need it. If you prefer to go off-the-shelf, Alienware's Sentia Extreme [alienware.com] is probably their model best suited to your needs; the comparable machines from IBM include the T40, T41 and T41p models. (A breakdown of the specification differences with links is available here [ibm.com].) And, again, all the IBMs and the Alienware can be customized and upgraded far more easily than a comparable product from another OEM - Compaq comes to mind as being particularly irritating in this regard.