laptop for photographer

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Limp Gawd
Joined
May 3, 2007
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I have a budget of about $2400.. I do NOT want a MBP. I have been trying to find something, but everything is just big..

I am looking for something fast (photoshop is a hog)
Big screen (16+ is great)
REALLY good calibration possibilities
Weight is NO concern.. I dont care how heavy it is.
Possibility for mirroring (need large HD space but anything over 250gb is fine)

It will be used when I am on the road with no access to the desktop.

I will be putting win7 64 bit on it too so I would love to get it with vista 64 bit so i get the free upgrade.

Ryan
 
Ummm... There really isn't much else other than a MBP if you want the battery life for being on the road a lot. You can put Windows 7 on it and make it Windows only, but off the top of my head I really can think of anything other than a MBP.
 
when i am on the road I will usually have access to external power, so if power life is anything more than 1.5 hours - 2hrs that is fine with me.

I really just don't want to pay for the premium of the MBP and I don't have ANY mac software at all.

Ryan
I will look at the W700 thanks.
 
Ok the W700 is $3000 for the config I would deal with.. Anything else out there?

They discontinued the ASUS... anything comparable to that?
 
I hate to say it, but the macbook is actually the best deal for a 17". Most of dell's and lenovo's larger solutions don't have great screen options anymore (1440x900 max).

You can also get a dell studio XPS 16 loaded for around $1900; less if you have a coupon code. That's with an intel 3ghz 6mb cache dual core, 4gb ddr3, an ATI 4670 gpu, and a 1920x1080 LED screen. The screens on dell's studio XPS line have been widely praised also.
 
Thanks guys... I have been reading up on the HP HDX18t and well the QC leaves something to be desired...

I can't do the MBP for a bunch of reasons, but really just don't want to spend the price premium to go and turn it back into a PC.

i will look into the Dell thanks
Ryan
 
Oh, there's one other thing. Do you plan to hook this thing up to an external monitor?
 
NewEgg Comparison of three high-res display laptops

I would also recommend the HP ProBook 4710s if you wanted to build one up from a cheap base (starts below $600). If you want really great color replication, the HP EliteBook 8730w (starts at 1799) has a HP DreamColor display.

Personally, my highest recommendation goes to the MacBook Pro. I like aperture must more than Lightroom, and Photoshop runs on the Mac as well. As for the 'Premium' with the 17" at 2499, the Apple 'Premium is really just a myth. That HP EliteBook i recommended is the closest you will get to it, and, stock to stock, the Apple blows away the EliteBook. Spec for Spec, the EliteBook comes out more expensive as well. (3199 for the DreamColor display... the Apple's is close to the same quality with the display.)
If you really don't want the Macbook Pro, then go with the EliteBook. It's a great design, and will serve your graphic needs well.
 
I would recommend the HP HDX18T. I don't understand your comment about the QC? Mine comes with the QX9300 2.5gh quads. You can max out the ram to 8GB (expensive, better done through newegg), and it can accomodate 2 hard drives. If you're really going to be a heavy Photoshop user, you will want to stick in an SSD (cheaper through newegg or other retailers).

Those of you recommending MBP 17, if it were to run Windows, does everythig work? I mean everything down to volume up/down, brightness of screen, display port etc?
 
Yes, with the release of Leopard, Apple included the windows drivers for their entire hardware set on the disk, so all you need to do is install windows, put in the leopard DVD and install the drivers from there. Everything works properly.
 
exe said:
I would recommend the HP HDX18T. I don't understand your comment about the QC? Mine comes with the QX9300 2.5gh quads. You can max out the ram to 8GB (expensive, better done through newegg), and it can accomodate 2 hard drives. If you're really going to be a heavy Photoshop user, you will want to stick in an SSD (cheaper through newegg or other retailers).

Those of you recommending MBP 17, if it were to run Windows, does everythig work? I mean everything down to volume up/down, brightness of screen, display port etc?
Click to expand...

Personally I try to stay away from built-for-consumer devices when buying prebuilds. If I'm going to do that, I tend to go with ASUS. For Dell/HP, I always stick with the professional/business systems. They are built better, and have less crap on them. And sometimes you get US based Support! (though I try to stay away from Dell all together.. their Blades are horrendous, and their laptops break like crazy on me..)
 
batteriesnotincluded said:
Where did you get that idea? 1920x1200 is the max; 1440x900 is the min.
Click to expand...

That used to be true. A lot of their models have dropped the 1920 res. I believe they're in the process of clearing things out to get ready for 16:9 models.

Oh, btw. The HDX18 doesn't have an LED screen option. The probook does though, but for some reason, no 64 bit OS option when I customize it.

Still, based on what you need, the XPS seems to fit pretty well. It's got HDMI and Display Port. So, if you're hooking up to a TV, great; if you're hooking up to a giant 30" monitor, great.
 
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Not sure if I can post other website here at all, but notebook review has a whole 600+ page thread on the HORRENDOUS QC of the HP 18. I mean people have posted pics of brand new out of the box laptops with scratches, hinges broken, lids that don't come flush, etc etc etc... bad. not sure If I want to go that route really, although I can pick up a sweet 18+ display, 2.66ghz, 4 gig ram, 500gb HD for under $1300 if I go that route.

The MBP would be great, but I would have to buy every piece of software over and I am not sure I want to run windows on a MAC, just I dunno. I also have PC software that isn't compatible with MAC OS and I am so used to it that I don't want to change. I don't use Lightroom so that isn't one of them. I just don't want to buy all the software over again.

Looking at the Dell now. I think I am leaning back toward the HP but I don't know about the QC... I will have to look at the Elite book.

Thanks
Ryan
 
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