Pros & cons of using a Laptop

DrRusty

DrRusty

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After alot of thought about building a desktop for photoediting (PS Elements) I'm starting to wonder if I should just get a loptop as it will release me from being tied to a desk etc..

Ok so there are comprismises in screen size, HDD size but looking at the spec of some laptops they are unerpowered.

e.g. http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/acer-5742-core-i5-laptop-with-4gb-memory-black-08702299-pdt.html

I would love a Mac Book Pro but the buget just isn't there for such things.

So which is the better choice or is a laptop just too much of a compromise.
 
After using a laptop for years I have finally went back to a desktop. I've bought an imac which is far far better for processing images than my laptop ever was. I really don't know how I managed so long.
 
I found with my laptop that the amount of adjustment for the screen isn't sufficient to get it displaying colours correctly after using a calibration tool to measure it. As a result it still displays image slightly cooler than my desktop, and I have to remember when doing any editing on the laptop not to make any colour adjustments as they will not look right when transferred to my desktop, the web or in print.
 
DrRusty said:
After alot of thought about building a desktop for photoediting (PS Elements) I'm starting to wonder if I should just get a loptop as it will release me from being tied to a desk etc..
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I hate the way "desktop" implies "tied to a desk"!

I have a "deskop" PC (Phenom quad core based system) and a separate 21.5" IPS monitor but I have got it set up on a glass topped coffee table in front of my comfortable sofa, and I normally have my feet up on the sofa while I'm using it :cool:.

I had a 15" vaio laptop till about 9 months ago and there is no way I'd ever go back to a laptop for home use. Laptop screens do not give anything near the colour accuracy than a decent monitor will give, and they are way too small for anything but short term use (checking emails, casual browsing etc)
 
Scarecrow said:
I found with my laptop that the amount of adjustment for the screen isn't sufficient to get it displaying colours correctly after using a calibration tool to measure it. As a result it still displays image slightly cooler than my desktop, and I have to remember when doing any editing on the laptop not to make any colour adjustments as they will not look right when transferred to my desktop, the web or in print.
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Get one with an rgb screen, 110% colour gamut ideally.
 
boliston said:
Laptop screens do not give anything near the colour accuracy than a decent monitor will give, and they are way too small for anything but short term use (checking emails, casual browsing etc)
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That sort of depends on the laptop!

I have a Apple MacbookPro 17" matte 1920x1200 maxed out and it is up to anything at all, the screen is also very accurate and calibrated. I only use the Quad Xeon Mac Pro when I want 3840x1200 and am using the graphics tablet etc etc
 
I have no problem with my 17inch laptop. I like to relax on the sofa so a desktop is of no use. I use it to edit and print
 
I'm using an Acer Aspire 1350, it cost me a £100 off ebay. It's fine, thoug hI have had to expand the RAM to be able to work with large image files.

As for the screen, it's stuck at 1024x768 resolution which is a bit naff, but the coolours and contrast perfectly match printed stuff from DSCL so I'm pretty happy overall.

The PC downstairs has a great monitor, and everything looks fantastic on it, but it's not how it looks when printed so it's pretty useless!
 
Thanks for the replies - so really I would need to be looking at a 17" screen laptop. That would of course cost more than a comparable desktop which I could eventually have an even larger screen or even two.

I doubt the wife would allow the computer to be in the living room !!!

Hum .... I'll have to keep thinking on this one.
 
this is a pretty good spec with a 17" screen. Good value for money too - just maybe the white case might be a put off :shrug:
 
The main con of a laptop will always be the screen. If you must have a laptop you could get a laptop and and external monitor for serious editing.
 
This may not be of help, but I have a powerful desktop as my main PC, with big calibrated monitor, etc and also a netbook. What I often do is remote desktop from my netbook in the lounge to my desktop in the study, and run Lightroom, etc on the more powerful machine. The biggest problem with this (over issues you'd have with using a laptop normally) is the lack of colour calibration, so I always do final edits upstairs, but for browsing the catalog, keywording, quick develops, etc it can be pretty handy. I can also take the netbook with me on trips so I can upload files, etc to it as a portable harddrive and viewer, and then import them back into the main catalog when I get home.

I think it's a pretty good combination; I can sit with the wife on the sofa most of the night - and get the "that's not very good" over the shoulder review :( - and then do the colour accuracy stuff when she goes to bed :).

I can't imagine only having a laptop but plenty do!
 
DrRusty said:
That would of course cost more than a comparable desktop which I could eventually have an even larger screen or even two.
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And that's the compromise of a laptop...
 
arad85 said:
And that's the compromise of a laptop...
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Again it depends on the laptop. My laptop will happily drive a dual dvi 30" monitor at 2560x1600 or a 24/27" monitor at 1920x1200 with the laptops screen also running at 1920x1200!
 
Laptop's only for me, Ive never had anything bigger than a 15" screen and never found that to be a hinderence.
:)
 
I used a Dell 15" 1600x1200 laptop for editing for six years before moving up to a Dell 17" 1920x1200 laptop which is calibrated and has served me well for the last four. I edit, surf and do most things from a reclined position on my sofa with the laptop on the coffee table. No complaints.

I do have a quad core PC hooked up to my 40" 1920x1080 Sony TV, which is where I display my photos, but I prefer to use the laptop for editing. As much as I quite fancy an upgrade there is absolutely no need so I'm sticking with what I've got until it stops working. When I replace it I'll be looking for something quad core with 16GB RAM and a minimum 1920x1080 (would prefer 1920x1200) screen. Probably something like this or better....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/B-NEW-Dell-st...t=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item43a4d3da2d
 
Since my back operation I have trouble sitting so I use a 15" Dell Studio on my lap - actually on an upside down tea tray on my lap to keep it more stable and I have the graphics tablet on a table by my side so I can lie down and use it. I do all my computer work, including detailed retouching which can take hours like this. If I want to share a screen with anyone else or watch a tutorial whilst trying it out at the same time I can bring my old 19" screen in and attach it to the laptop but this is very rare
 
tdodd said:
I used a Dell 15" 1600x1200 laptop for editing for six years before moving up to a Dell 17" 1920x1200 laptop which is calibrated and has served me well for the last four. I edit, surf and do most things from a reclined position on my sofa with the laptop on the coffee table. No complaints.

I do have a quad core PC hooked up to my 40" 1920x1080 Sony TV, which is where I display my photos, but I prefer to use the laptop for editing. As much as I quite fancy an upgrade there is absolutely no need so I'm sticking with what I've got until it stops working. When I replace it I'll be looking for something quad core with 16GB RAM and a minimum 1920x1080 (would prefer 1920x1200) screen. Probably something like this or better....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/B-NEW-Dell-studio-XPS-17-2-93-i7-1TB-16GB-3GB-NVIDIA-/290528156205?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item43a4d3da2d
Click to expand...

Wow that's a serious laptop, but way over my budget !
 
cowasaki said:
Again it depends on the laptop. My laptop will happily drive a dual dvi 30" monitor at 2560x1600 or a 24/27" monitor at 1920x1200 with the laptops screen also running at 1920x1200!
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Pick any two of the following three items for a PC:

  • Low price
  • High performance
  • Portability

Your laptop takes the second and third of these. If you read the first post, the OP needs the first (low price) and one other.

Another example: your laptop cost more than my 16G i7-2600k/overclocked to 4.3GHz with 2x Dell 24" 1920x1200 IPS monitors. And the laptop isn't as fast either. The laptop is more portable though... At a guess it's more powerful than your quad core Xeon Mac Pro... and a WAY lower cost, but that's another wall wetting competition ;)
 
DrRusty said:
Wow that's a serious laptop, but way over my budget !
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Yes, perhaps, but he does have some cheaper stuff that's still pretty powerful. He supplied my current laptop - a Dell XPS M1710 - and saved me £400 off the price of the equivalent machine direct from Dell. Check out the rest of his listings. His feedback is beyond reproach. When the time does come to change I'm pretty sure I'll be buying from him again.
 
Got the Sony Vaio 17" screen ... 6mb and it is great for editing ......... hook it up with a Huey Pro and yer laughing
 
Editing with a mouse pad can be tricky. Not the most comfortable, but using a usb mouse is handy.

Then there where you going to use it. Sat on the sofa, fine for short bursts, but for long periods of time. Everyone is different, some can work for hours with out issue.

I use a portable hdd (usb powered) so i can switch between PC and Laptop.
 
DrRusty said:
Thanks for the replies - so really I would need to be looking at a 17" screen laptop. That would of course cost more than a comparable desktop which I could eventually have an even larger screen or even two.

I doubt the wife would allow the computer to be in the living room !!!

Hum .... I'll have to keep thinking on this one.
Click to expand...

It seems a pity that people don't think computers & living rooms go together!

To me "living" means that when I'm at home (and awake) I will be on my computer about 90% of the time as I have about zero interest in watching an "idiot box" which most people's living rooms are dominated by.
 
Just to add - most laptops now have HDMI out so you can hook up to HD TV. Works well as a make shift second monitor/ viewing images. The only issues are the calibration of laptop and tv screen can produce different results, and a long enough HDMI lead (5m should it!)
 
I love my XPS M1710 laptop with its 1920x1200 screen, I accept it's not calibrated but seem to get pretty good results when printing.

However it's 4 yrs old, one of the hinges is cracked & I fear it's going to fail on me soon.

@tdodd: I've checked over the Dell xps Studio 17 you linked to, and the screen is only 1600x900! which seems a retrograde step by Dell, even if it has quad core & 16Gb RAM.

Anyone out there able to find me an affordable 1920x1200 laptop, or shall I get an HPZr24w IPS monitor instead?
 
Oops, sorry, I didn't read the spec fully since I'm not in the market for a replacement. I just picked it as an example due to the headline figures - i7, 16GB, 1TB, 3GB. I think/hope he has machines in that class with 1920x1080. There's no way I'd want a machine with anything less. Trouble is, if you want 1920x1200 (as I do) that seems to be a bit of a rare breed these days and might require looking at the Precision line instead, which can be obscenely pricey for no real tangible benefit (other than screen resolution).
 
Like you I want to stick to 1920x1200 rather than 1080, I'm struggling to find a laptop with that screen...except the Dell precision starting around £2k!

BTW it looks as though they are reserving our 1920x1200 display for the precision range only, not an option for XPS anymore.
 
Another reason to hang on to my XPS until she croaks. :)
 
I use a Sony vaio 64bit OS, HDMI to a Samsung syncmaster B2230. As always, the biggest issue is HDD. you can free up some space if you delete windows.old (its a back up of all your data). Bear in mind ALWAYS back up to another drive.. Just in case :)
 
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