Which Laptop?

[Parser]

Hi guys. Im looking at investing in a new laptop, on which I want to install various software, including Cubase, Serato Live, and some wysiwig based software also. What's the minimum spec should I be looking for in a laptop to support these programmes sufficiently, without having the computer freeze or having other general problems due to overload?

 

Regards

Gaz

[DrummerJonny]

cubase SX3 runs fine for me on my laptop:

 

Toshiba Satellite Pro

Intel T1600 1.66ghz

2.0 gb of ram

 

however, I would call this a bare minimum, and also wouldnt recommend my own laptop as it has inordinate amounts of ground loop hum.

 

one thing to remember is that RAM is dirt cheap, on the grand computer scale of things, so when choosing a laptop, if you find one that is good for everything except it has a low amount of ram, just upgrade the RAM. if I were using it for more than occasional quick edits with minimal multitracking, I would want at least 4gb, but I'm not, so hey.

[dunk_1984]

one thing to remember is that RAM is dirt cheap

 

Actually I think you'll find RAM has recently doubled in cost!! Not expensive, but not as cheap as it was!

[billy jim]

Standard kind of spec (even for laptops) now is 4gb RAM, 2.6gHz dual core processor, a few hundred gb of hard drive space, and probably reasonable graphics (especially for WYSIWYG)

 

If you are going to be using Cubase etc, a decent external soundcard would probably come in handy- I can recommend the Lexicon range (Alpha, Beta and Omega)- I have the Alpha myself, and it handles quite a bit!

[misterbassman]

I've just got my self a Dell Studio 15, Core I7 processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD cost £900 but that came with blu ray drive and 1920x1080 display that you can probably do without for sound work.

[tolley1466]

I'd reccomed the mac book. Okay it's expensive but at least you know it's well built and has a really good quality screen and graphics card

[rossmck]

I'd reccomed the mac book. Okay it's expensive but at least you know it's well built and has a really good quality screen and graphics card

 

Before this descends into Mac vs PC... I'm a Mac user, always have been, use a couple of MacBook Pros on a daily basis... However, I'd dispute the "it's well built" .. they used to be, but over the last two years I've had 3 replacements by Apple for silly faults (fans, poor connection to the display and logic board failure)

 

Additionally, imho, there are many laptops out there with better screens than Apple's current line-up - particularly since they took away the Matte screen option on all but the highest end MacBook Pro (then put it back on the lower models due to much demand)

 

That having been said, it should still be a consideration, despite the issues I've had with my recent macs (I had *none* with my old G3s and G4s!) I still like them and recommend them in many situations but I wouldn't use the well built argument any more.

[michael]

I'd reccomed the mac book. Okay it's expensive but at least you know it's well built and has a really good quality screen and graphics card

 

I am also a mac user but would the macbook have enough memory and RAM without spending more money to upgrade the spec.

 

Michael

[merlin24]

I'd reccomed the mac book. Okay it's expensive but at least you know it's well built and has a really good quality screen and graphics card

 

I am also a mac user but would the macbook have enough memory and RAM without spending more money to upgrade the spec.

 

Michael

 

Wysiwyg will not run on native MAC OS, so you would need BootCamp or parallells with XP/Vista/Win 7 installed as well.

[djandydee]

and having bought a Macbook pro in the last 6 months to replace a PC laptop with failing power, I am totally pissed off. Virtually nothing runs on Mac Os X. I miss Cool edit pro, autocad, sound web designer, hornresp, and smaart 6 dosn't run properly. I still find myself booting up the old laptop knowing it will fail within 4 minutes....

[MikeL]

Ive had a lot of sucess running Wysiwyg r24 using crossover for mac, which runs windows aplications from within osx without requiring a reboot or a copy of xp/vista. It doesnt run everything but its a usefull bit of software.

 

In awnser to your question, minimum specs I would be looking at:

 

2.6Ghz CPU (I would be looking at dual core as well)

4gb ram (ideally at least 800MHz)

Other than wysiwyg are there any really graphics heavy programs you intend to run?

if not perhaps something along the lines of an Nvieda 9400m GPU

 

Its your call at the end of the day whether your going mac or pc, a macbook pro would provide more than enough power and futre profing you'd need, but theiy arn't cheap and some people hate the o/s (I use an mbp every day and love them). Else maybe looktoward dell xps or similar

[stringman]

I'd reccomed the mac book. Okay it's expensive but at least you know it's well built and has a really good quality screen and graphics card

 

 

I have a dell studio xps 13"

it has the same graphics card as the mac, an OLED screen which is great.

But it is a dell

 

But I got it from Dell outlet for £750 c/w 3 years on site warranty

great spec and great machine.

As a rule I hate dell but I do love this machine

[tony g]

Personally I've always been a Mac user and can't reccomend them highly enough, when I got my current Mac Book 3 years ago it had to go back 3 times because of various manufaturing defects and I would agree that their QC is not what is was but saying that they exchanged the units with no fuss at all and I have found the free tech support offered at the "GeniusBar" in the local apple store to be invaluable and have yet to find an apple tech who doesnt know what he's talking about, unlike the PC world brigade - you pay a lot more for a Mac, but I reckon you get more for your money in terms of reliability and service, and remember macs don't as a rule need any virus protection which is an added cost to PCs, and still using both platforms, whilst Windows is a far better system than it was in the past I still find it a bit clunky compared to mac 0S

[Parser]

Hi guys. cheers for the advice. I've always wanted to invest in a macbook, but bugget restraints have prevented me from doing so. I've eyeballed a laptop which is somewhere within my price margain, however. It's a toshiba, with:

 

- an Intel core 2 Duo T6500 processor

- 4Gb RAM

- 320Gb hard drive

- Intel GM45 integrated graphics

- 5 in 1 bridge media slot

- ATI Mobility Radeon HD3470 graphics with 512mb dedicated memory

 

Im slightly concerned about the size of the processor, at 2.10Ghz. Other than this, would you guys say that this is adaquete?

 

Cheers

Gaz

[Locksmith]

It's worth popping into C*rrys or PCW if you want to buy a Windows machine. Since Win 7 launched, they have loads of Vista machines going cheap.

<inside info> They have to sell them before next Saturday or they get penalised. Worth looking for the right spec then making them an offer </Inside info>.

Also, all vista premium machines qualify for a free Win 7 upgrade (pay about £15 for postage). Ask for info when buying.

If anyone asks, I didn't tell you :-)

 

cheers

 

Dave J