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I needs me a laptop, please help me pick
brokecracker
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Okay.
Let me star tout (Ha, Star Tout) by saying that I am not that tech savvy. I know when it comes to Gigs more is better and better processing makes it run faster, but thats about it.
I am graduating soon and am in the market to buy a laptop for graphic design and home use proposes. It needs to be able to run Adobe programs (Illustrator, Photoshop, and maybe After Effects, Multipule programs at once), and have internet capabilities. I know I can run those programs on any computer but I have no Idea how much space they take up.
I am not interested in using it for gaming or other functions and I have about $600 to $700 to spend and was hoping to cash in on holiday deals.
What should I be looking for specs wise?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
Let me star tout (Ha, Star Tout) by saying that I am not that tech savvy. I know when it comes to Gigs more is better and better processing makes it run faster, but thats about it.
I am graduating soon and am in the market to buy a laptop for graphic design and home use proposes. It needs to be able to run Adobe programs (Illustrator, Photoshop, and maybe After Effects, Multipule programs at once), and have internet capabilities. I know I can run those programs on any computer but I have no Idea how much space they take up.
I am not interested in using it for gaming or other functions and I have about $600 to $700 to spend and was hoping to cash in on holiday deals.
What should I be looking for specs wise?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
brokecracker on
0
This discussion has been closed.
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i'm sure people will come out of the woodwork screaming mac in a few minutes, but your not going to find a macbook for 700
that..that is wrong on so many levels...The fastest consumer available G4 Processors didn't come close to as 1.6 C2D's performance, their ram is quite a bit slower, and the video card is laughable, even compared to the vostros 8400m GS
See if you can find a refurbished or used MacBook off Craigslist or Facebook marketplace, it's perfect for your needs.
Off dealmac.com: $749 Refurb Macbook
The HP looks swanky as fuck but I don't think I need some of the extras I would be paying for there.
The Dells you two recommended look like what I am leaning towards.
The Macs are something I will aspire towards but am not ready to drop that heavy of coin on.
Thanks to everyone.
What GB range should I look for. 120-160?
Is there anything I should rule out in general?
Also weight and appearance mean dick to me, I just want something that works.
I'd say you should take into account the file space needed for all of your programs and files, and what you really need to keep on your computer at one time before deciding on what size you should get. Just my opinion on hard drive space. Hope it helps more than harms!
If you go HP:
30% off $999 HP Pavilion Notebook PCs coupon code NB3075 [Exp 12/8]
For graphics stuff it's mac every single time, since you don't care for games then get a Macbook.
I own both a Macbook (I really should get around to selling this) and Macbook Pro, for a laptop I actually prefer the Macbook over the Pro as it's the more portable. The only real difference between the two is the graphics chipsets, you will notice no difference in desktop performance between the two.
The reason I own a Macbook Pro? Games.
---
I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
I can't believe nobody pointed this out.
I thought since Mac switched to Intel chips, the whole image editing superiority thing has really become moot. I mean, everything you can get on Mac, you can get on a PC, and you can't argue processors anymore.
At least, that's what I've gathered. I could be wrong though. *shrug*
Why Santa Rosa? Besides the incremental FSB bandwidth that means dick, you can load it with 4GBs of RAM. (Older laptops won't let you because of a technical limitation) If you are serious about Photoshop, you'll need RAM. LOTS of it.
Macs look nice and come with a lot of exclusive software that you might like. They are generally smaller than equivalent PCs. That's pretty much the whole story on Macs. If you don't want to shell out an extra $400-500 for a Macbook, as they do start at $1099, then just get a cheap PC laptop, because the Macbook is probably not worth the extra money.
Ok, so I'm not totally on crack then. Good to know.
By the way, as for personal computer experience, Dell has pretty solid customer support. While it was a couple of years ago, my notebook's fan coolant began to break down really early, and Dell sent someone to my college dorm to fix it for free.
What the hell are you talking about? One of the very few things Consumer Reports advises people to get warranties on is Apple laptops because they're damn expensive to fix if they break. Don't give me some bullshit about how the Mac is less likely to need repairs, because the data doesn't back that up.
I'm really sick of people in laptop threads who keep pressuring people to get Macs even when they say they don't want them. There should be rules against that kind of shit, because it's annoying and doesn't help anybody. The thing I hate about my Mac, is how god damn irritating and snobby the Mac community can be.
Once again a big thanks for all the info and posts!
Let me say something about the Mac/PC thing. I have a PC at home and work, but also use Macs at school in design classes. Having used them both for seven years I can honestly say that I might be the only person who does not care about which one I am using. I am familiar with the way they both operate and don't have a problem getting either to do what I want them to do.
Obviously this is going to boil down to a price issue here. While I have a graphic design job (Local Television Station) I am not really diving around in money. With car problems and student loans I just need something that I can travel with and still operate well.
The current computer I use is a HP pavilion a320n and anything might be a step up from this thing.
Not to be a prick but I don't want this tread to be hijacked into a Mac/PC dick measuring contest, not that it has been yet, but it is going there.
I graduate in eight days and then I will tell you all how the hunt goes form there. I plan on buying it with graduation money, which I don't have yet, so I'm kind of counting the chickens before the eggs hatch.
I do think I might be able to haggle because I can walk into the store and pull out cash and pay there, but
I'm not sure if electronic stores haggle at all.
Any suggestions on stores?