Getting new laptop. Need something for editing...

[Santana25]

I have a really nice HP Pavillion, but I am beginning to dabble in photography and editing. I am by no means a professional, but some shots I took at a friend's wedding have gotten some pretty amazing reviews. I am looking at getting a new laptop and was wondering if a tablet or something like the HP tx2 would be helpful. I like the idea of being able to use the touchscreen and stylus, but I also need it for my everyday computer use (email, surfing... ect). Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Geaux]

This thread will only turn into a MAC vs. PC pissin contest. I own both, but do my photo editing on my macbook pro.

 

[mellowGOLD]

whats your price range?

 

[adversus]

As far as platform goes, even moreso today I think it's worth looking at the Windows vs. Mac debate. Now, if your budget is < $1000, Windows is pretty much your only option for a portable.

That said, if you are willing to spend $1200-$1600, a lot more options open up, on both the Windows and PC side:

Windows: I would stay clear of Dell, but that's my personal opinion. Having a Dell Small Business account, I've bought probably 10 or so Dell machines since 2000, a mix of laptops and desktops, and the more recent ones I had nothing but problems with.

HP makes good stuff, I recently bought my mom a 15" HP laptop and it's pretty nice. I'd focus on HP or Asus if you are looking at a Windows laptop. Something with at least 4GB of RAM, 320gb HDD, SD card slot, and a Core 2 Duo (or a new i5) at the least.

Mac: I personally have a 15" MacBook Pro from 2009. You can't get Blu-ray, but they come standard with 4GB of RAM, built in SD, and at least 320GB HDD. The 13" in my opinion are just too small for photo editing unless you use an external monitor (my wife has a 13" MBP, and I can't stand the screen).

It depends what your needs are. If you have a large collection of Windows software already, it's probably worth it to stay with Windows. In that case, look at HP, Asus IMO as far as hardware goes.

If you don't mind starting over, the MacBook Pro's are superior hardware to anything you can get from the Windows world (granted you can run Windows on a Mac, I run Win 7 on mine).

DISCLAIMER: I'm a Windows developer by trade, but use Mac's for my personal laptop and photo / music production. My house is a hybrid

 

[Josh220]

If you can afford it, a Mac Pro.

However, I was in the same boat and this was my solution. I already own a laptop (MacBook) so I ended up getting the new 27" iMac. Cheaper than the Higher end MacBook Pro's and it has much more memory, processing power, better video card, not to mention the screen is amazing. They have a smaller model if 27" is too much for you

I couldn't be happier. I still use my laptop for when I need a mobile computer to take with me, but what is the point in having two laptops when you can get something MUCH more suitable for less money?

IMO look into the iMac's. Amazing for everything from games, to editing, to normal e-mail and web surfing. I can run Lightroom, CS4, and have a game running in windowed mode all at the same time and it doesn't even slow down. Try that on a laptop

 

[usayit]

Comon guys... at least ask if OP is open to the idea of Mac os x before degrading a legit question to a PC versus Mac thread... No one has yet to even acknowledge the main question: :banghead:

am looking at getting a new laptop and was wondering if a tablet or something like the HP tx2 would be helpful. I like the idea of being able to use the touchscreen and stylus, but I also need it for my everyday computer use (email, surfing... ect).

The biggest problem with laptops is monitor calibration. Not only are the displays often not up to the ask, the sheer fact that the environment's lighting conditions are not always the same. Usually the recommendation is to buy a good monitor to hook externally for your final adjustments but that recommendation kinda negates the whole idea of using a tablet. Perhaps someone will comment on that HP tablet specifically (I am a mac user) as I don't have experience with it.

 

[Village Idiot]

If you don't mind starting over, the MacBook Pro's are superior hardware to anything you can get from the Windows world (granted you can run Windows on a Mac, I run Win 7 on mine).

You seriously just said that? I use OS X and Windows and Linux. The hardware in a MBP is some of the exact same stuff you'll find in Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba, etc...

You could also get an Alienware laptop with an i7 920XM chip that's superior to any of the i7's Apple is currently offering in their notebooks, two 1GB ATI 4870 GPUs setup in crossfire mode vs. the 1 512mb Nvidia 330M in the MBP's, up to 1.2TB of HDD space, and a Blu Ray burner. Even has a backlit keyboard.

The only three things the MBP hardware has on that machine is price, size, and weight; the Alienware trumps the 17" i7 MBP every other way.

Does it mean I'd rather carry the Alienware if I didn't need a mobile gaming rig replacement? Not necessarily. I'd just say, don't make statements you can't really backup.

 

[Village Idiot]

Comon guys... at least ask if OP is open to the idea of Mac os x before degrading a legit question to a PC versus Mac thread... No one has yet to even acknowledge the main question: :banghead:

am looking at getting a new laptop and was wondering if a tablet or something like the HP tx2 would be helpful. I like the idea of being able to use the touchscreen and stylus, but I also need it for my everyday computer use (email, surfing... ect).

The biggest problem with laptops is monitor calibration. Not only are the displays often not up to the ask, the sheer fact that the environment's lighting conditions are not always the same. Usually the recommendation is to buy a good monitor to hook externally for your final adjustments but that recommendation kinda negates the whole idea of using a tablet. Perhaps someone will comment on that HP tablet specifically (I am a mac user) as I don't have experience with it.

+1.

When I'm using my 15 MBP to edit on, I hook it up to my 30" HP monitor.

I don't know if I'd honestly recommend a tablet notebook. you're just not going to have the control that you could have with something like a Wacom Intuos pen tablet. The newer Intuos 4 has 2048 levels of sensitivty and is extremely accurate. A tablet notebook probably recognizes touching and not touching and the accuracy won't be as good normally. That's something you should really take into consideration.

Wacom Technology - Intuos4

 

[DerekSalem]

To start I've built computers for *years* (I owned my own computer business for about 8 years and it helped to pay for college). I have a Macbook *and* Windows gaming rig and I use both frequently. Here are the pros and cons:

Windows: If you buy the laptop from a reputable company (don't buy a Samsung or some other such nonsense) it will perform very well and will do everything you need (especially for people that have never used Mac before this is usually the way to go only because you'll be able to use all the programs you're already familiar with). All of the Adobe programs (Photoshop in this case) will work flawlessly as long as the CPU and memory are up to par. Basically, if you like Windows...go this route.

Mac: There's only one dealer for Macs, and luckily they're very reputable. Apple is a great company to buy from and they consistently are going above and beyond to help their customers. If you get one of the new Macbook Pros you're looking at a pretty great machine (although you can get better in all 3 sizes for Windows, it's more about the device for Macs. They're *really* well designed). The battery life on the Macbooks will be much better than what you'll find on Windows machines and all Adobe applications run flawlessly here too.

It will basically come down to if you like Windows or Mac better. Either way, get Photoshop CS4/5 or Elements 8 and you'll be set as far as editing goes. I also like iPhoto/Aperture in Mac just to handle my library and basic file editing. In Windows, Lightroom handles my library and basic editing.

 

[Dao]

I think OP asked if a touch screen or tablet (I assume tablet type notebook) is useful for photo processing work. He/She did not ask for PC vs Mac.

I think a Tablet with pressure sensitive tip is a better choice than touch screen. (Such as Wacom Bamboo)

 

[adversus]

The OP asked about a new laptop, which I tried to answer. Although I didn't talk about tablets, because I personally have never used a tablet (I've used a few from HP, Panasonic, Sony) that was worth it. The current full PC tablets with a swivel screens are a gimmick in my opinion.

The only three things the MBP hardware has on that machine is price, size, and weight; the Alienware trumps the 17" i7 MBP every other way.

Hence, I said that the Macbook Pro hardware beats everything you can get in the Windows world. I don't know about you, but nearly everyone I know that uses a notebook cares a great deal about size, weight, and battery life.

Yes, you can get a more powerful laptop from Alienware, HP, Asus, or Dell. But you won't get:

1. A slim form factor
2. Relatively light weight compared to the Windows based offerings
3. ****ty battery

Congratulations, you have an i7 with 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive. And 3 hours of battery life in real world scenarios, max.

When I'm shooting in the field or taking audio samples in the field, I like knowing my laptop will go 7+ hours on a single charge.

 

[rusty9]

i have used both mac and pc, but i stand firmly by my HP laptop. it is amazing and hp makes top quality products and my hp handles a lot of programs like PS very well.

 

[burstintoflame81]

Unless you absolutely need the mobility of a laptop, get a beefed up desktop with a good monitor and a spyder to calibrate it.

 

[table1349]

Unless you absolutely need the mobility of a laptop, get a beefed up desktop with a good monitor and a spyder to calibrate it.

:thumbup: +1

Laptops are not a good solution for photo editing on their own. To the OP if you are determined to get a laptop, get an external monitor for it and do your editing on that monitor. The very fact that the laptop screen opens and closes on a hinge makes it less than ideal for photo editing as you never look at the screen at the same angle.

A desk top monitor however once set does not normally change, unless you change it so your angle of view should be the same.

 

[--ares--]

I looked at the requirements for CS5 photoshop and they are pretty low. But typically what they tell you in terms of a system you need is misguiding to say the least.

I bet any PC that has at least 2gigs of ram with multiple cores to process on can run photoshop smoothly. But that probably wouldn't multitask well.

As for what to buy look at consumer reports on what models work the best, and browse some forums for user opinions. I personally recommend Sony and IBM laptops I have had good luck with those.