Trying to choose a notebook laptop for editing on the move (aka help!)

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stellarbeam

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Jessica
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I've been shooting live music for a while now and am serious about taking it further. The thing is my current setup of only being able to edit on a desktop PC is somewhat inconveniant, and a slow turnaround on shots... even worse is getting a backlog of shots if I've spent a week in another city shooting 3 or 4 gigs.

So I've decided to get a small laptop. Something that is light to carry about and that I can do at least quick edits almost immiediately.

Think is I'm pretty clueless with technology. I've been looking online and found the following laptop:

Acer Inspire 1410

It seems like it would do the job but when looking about for prices elsewhere most list it as 2GB RAM and 250GB storage. This one is 3GB RAM and 160GB storage...but it's the same laptop as far as I can see. I'm confused:bang:

If I get one with 2GB RAM is it easy to add more? Will 3GB RAM be enough for fairly speedy edits of photos?

My little head feels like it's about to explode.

If anyone has any advice on this laptop or recomendations of others (I'm looking for the smallest/lightest laptop possible as I'll be lugging it about festivals etc) I'd be extremely grateful.
 
13" macbook Pro !

battery life is excellent hold value well and just works every time you turn on

Al'
 
laptops nowadays are capable of using the most complex of software, go to a shop and have a feel and a hold also typing capabilities should be good for you because typing is a big thing (almost like DSLR handling). I believe there is a new Dell Inspiron laptop that's 13 inch's for around £500, and it seems pretty good spec.
 
I want to stick with PC rather than Mac for now at least. It's what I'm used to and sofware I have with multiple computer lisences can be installed. I can't afford a laptop and new software.

I'll take a look at that new Dell one. It's a little more than I was thinking of paying but I want to get something that is right. Also I'd never thought of typing etc.

Off to the nearest retail park methinks :)
 
sezzi said:
13" macbook Pro !

battery life is excellent hold value well and just works every time you turn on

Al'
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Microsoft powered lappies with W7 do too! ;) Look for a laptop with a decent screen, at least 4 hours battery life, 4gb of memory and a decent dual core CPU (i3 or i5 are the most modern. A MacBook is a great choice, although a little expensive. Dell, HP and most othe makes (although not Sony) will come in cheaper and better spectre with newer, faster processors and graphics unit.
 
menthel said:
A MacBook is a great choice, although a little expensive. Dell, HP and most othe makes (although not Sony) will come in cheaper and better spectre with newer, faster processors and graphics unit.
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i totally agree, sony vaio's are powerful but are very expensive and for much less you can get models from dell and HP. sony's are a bit like mac and you pay a lot for the design and style, although i wish dell would incorporate chiclet keyboards in there laptops.
 
Ensure the screen is matt rather than shiny. The more memory the better 4Gb is good.
 
I use a Dell Inspiron 15-something or other with Intel Core-i3 doobry-wotsit and 3Gb RAM and a 250 Gig hard drive running on Windows-7.
Cost £390, as I recall...
Runs CS-4 just fine.

Saw a few press-toggers in Afghan running smaller notebook PCs but all of them complained the screens were too small for effective editing and that they all were going back to 15" screen lappys...
Matt is OK for outdoors but glossy is better IMO: I used mine last year in Afghan (and an earlier one with the same shiny screen in Iraq in 2008).
Remember: you'll not only use it for editing - after all the work is done it's used for watching DVDs when away on jobs...
 
Theres simply no way id even consider a cheapo plastic unit like the Acer for editing outside, minimum would be a laptop with a mag alloy chassis like a Dell Latitude or Precision or a macbook pro, it will slip off your knee at some stageone of the above and the first time it does youll be glad you chose (Ask Kipax, he was glad he chose a latitude when his was trodden all over after a footy match pitch invasion, it survived totally intact and is still in use)

My personal preference is Matte screen but if you do go for a PC based lappy and its got a glossy screen then make sure it uses W-Led technology, anything less on a glossy laptop in sunlight will be murder
 
I'm not an expert on laptops, or computers generally, but I recently bought a Sony Vaio S Series (13.3") to replace an older 15.4" machine that was killing me when I travel. Quite expensive, but I just liked it and I'm very satisfied. I'd go for a 13" or 13.3" model with Windows 7. That screen size seems to be the sweet spot for portability and usability. Don't know if I would want to use it for all my editing, but it's perfectly capable, and you said "quick edits" (in the field, I assume?) I do have a powerful desktop with a 24" monitor at home in Scotland.

Make and model? I don't know. I thought about a Mac, but I don't want to change software or pay to run a dual boot system either. I've never owned an Acer, but several friends have grumbled about poor build quality and so on. I'm sure other will offer suggestions.
 
Thank you to everyone for the advice so far.

I've been looking a bit this afternoon online at screens around the 13" size and it seems the laptops aren't much heavier, so probably a better option.

And yes, just for quick edits whilst at festivals etc. My main computer has a 22" screen.

I'm going to head to a nearby, large retail park tomorrow that has all the usual electronic stores and hopefully that'll help my choice.
 
How about the Asus UL30 on CarphoneWarehouse (cheapest place). The netbooks wont handle a shed load, but the Core ULV's are meant to be decent enough :)
 
stellarbeam said:
If only I was rich!

Other than the price it's perfect.

But maybe I should splash out if it's going to be better in the long run.
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I think their listing of the specs is a bit wrong. It should improve when they really become available. More details at http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/innovation/series/Portege-R700-Series/1087011/

But... it's more expensive than the Dell mentioned earlier because it's probably 1-2 pounds lighter and Toshiba say it has a 9 hour battery life.
If you can cope with the extra weight and have somewhere to plug in after 3 hours, the Dell will save money.
 
Syk3 said:
How about the Asus UL30 on CarphoneWarehouse (cheapest place). The netbooks wont handle a shed load, but the Core ULV's are meant to be decent enough :)
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That's definately the best I've seen for the price!!! I's gone right to the top of my list!
 
Arkady is right on the money, cheap laptops are rubbish. You want lots of Ram and cache memory and sperate graphics. AMD where good at high speed latop heat but pentium processors are so good
 
Ralphmyster said:
Arkady is right on the money, cheap laptops are rubbish. You want lots of Ram and cache memory and sperate graphics. AMD where good at high speed latop heat but pentium processors are so good
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Don't get anything with a pentium label, it will be old hat! Intel are definately ahead in lappy stakes though, as they always have been.
 
stellarbeam said:
If only I was rich!

Other than the price it's perfect.

But maybe I should splash out if it's going to be better in the long run.
Click to expand...

You need to up your standards...

Now if I were rich...

capturewue.png


https://www.sonystyle.co.uk/SonySty..._Z12&uiarea=1&cCharGroupName=$BASE_GROUP)/.do

:lol:

Seriously though, for that sort of price you're not going to get much in the small laptop stakes. Unfortunately most 13" laptops are expensive, unless you get a netbook style one with a low voltage chip in.
 
Just as an aside I would avoid HP. Having bought my son a powerful laptop for Uni he now finds it overheats if used on his lap for any length of time. We are now into buying a base with cooling fans to use beneath it. OK he does use it constantly but when I queried it with PC World they didn't seem at all surprised.

I use a Dell for work and a Mac for personal use and don't have any problems with overheating.

Drove over my Dell the other day by mistake :bonk:. It trashed the screen but otherwise still worked but it was in a sturdy field editing Kata case.

Pete
 
Just my opinion, but if you are photo-editing it is quite demanding of a computer manipulating big files, running Photoshop etc. It's not for weak processors and surely for backing up your pictures you need speed, reliability etc. You also need a good screen, most laptop screens are cheap panels. In the field you need a strong machine. I work as a trainer and use laptops every day and have taken them on planes and trains, opened them scores of times each day etc. IMHO, Acers are rubbish, paint scratches, flakes, hinges are weak. The Asus UL30 is underpowered for this stuff, it will be slow and struggling, and it's flimsy. Read Gary Coyles advice again, that machine is expensive but it will last two or three years. HP business machines are fine, they run cool enough and I use them professionally without issue, but the business matt screens aren't good for photo editing but are ideal for Word etc. The Lenovo's are good, but screens are a bit dim generally, Thinkpad and business range HP and toshiba are very well built. Like Gary says, look at magnesium and titanium if you can afford it, tough but lightweight, comes at a price though. Glossy screens like Sony X-Black, LED lit are good but a nightmare outside.

Can't point to a specific model but what you are asking doesn't come cheap if you expect it to have a tough life and last more than a few months on the road. I sold a Thinkpad that had given me two tough years service, opened and closed thousands of times, run for hours and hours and hours, and it polished up almost as new. You get what you pay for, almost,
 
Peter said:
Just as an aside I would avoid HP. Having bought my son a powerful laptop for Uni he now finds it overheats if used on his lap for any length of time. We are now into buying a base with cooling fans to use beneath it. OK he does use it constantly but when I queried it with PC World they didn't seem at all surprised.

I use a Dell for work and a Mac for personal use and don't have any problems with overheating.

Drove over my Dell the other day by mistake :bonk:. It trashed the screen but otherwise still worked but it was in a sturdy field editing Kata case.

Pete
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i know what you mean about the HP's overheating, its a common flaw with HP as my grandad's one also heated up and eventually burnt the pins on the hard drive causing a meltdown.
 
BlackCloud said:
Just my opinion, but if you are photo-editing it is quite demanding of a computer manipulating big files, running Photoshop etc. It's not for weak processors and surely for backing up your pictures you need speed, reliability etc. You also need a good screen, most laptop screens are cheap panels. In the field you need a strong machine. I work as a trainer and use laptops every day and have taken them on planes and trains, opened them scores of times each day etc. IMHO, Acers are rubbish, paint scratches, flakes, hinges are weak. The Asus UL30 is underpowered for this stuff, it will be slow and struggling, and it's flimsy. Read Gary Coyles advice again, that machine is expensive but it will last two or three years. HP business machines are fine, they run cool enough and I use them professionally without issue, but the business matt screens aren't good for photo editing but are ideal for Word etc. The Lenovo's are good, but screens are a bit dim generally, Thinkpad and business range HP and toshiba are very well built. Like Gary says, look at magnesium and titanium if you can afford it, tough but lightweight, comes at a price though. Glossy screens like Sony X-Black, LED lit are good but a nightmare outside.

Can't point to a specific model but what you are asking doesn't come cheap if you expect it to have a tough life and last more than a few months on the road. I sold a Thinkpad that had given me two tough years service, opened and closed thousands of times, run for hours and hours and hours, and it polished up almost as new. You get what you pay for, almost,
Click to expand...


Thank you for this, it gives me a lot to think about. My main problem, which I should have probably mentioned in my initial post, is that I'm rather strapped for cash right now. I quit work a year ago to study photography at college and have been living of savings since (not even getting a loan) Whilst I do still have some money left I'm having to be quite careful. Right now I'm trying to find a laptop that will 'do the job'. I'm shooting a couple of festivals this year for myself and after that I really want to get some paid work. When I'm back home from college I'll be an hour and a half away from my desktop computer as I don't live in the city where all the gigs are. If I want to make myself an option for papers etc then I need to be able to deliver fast. Of course there is no guarantee I'm even going to get any paid work so right now I'm looking for something that will be on a budget but will let me be fast and professional with image delivery.
 
stellarbeam said:
Thank you for this, it gives me a lot to think about. My main problem, which I should have probably mentioned in my initial post, is that I'm rather strapped for cash right now. I quit work a year ago to study photography at college and have been living of savings since (not even getting a loan) Whilst I do still have some money left I'm having to be quite careful. Right now I'm trying to find a laptop that will 'do the job'. I'm shooting a couple of festivals this year for myself and after that I really want to get some paid work. When I'm back home from college I'll be an hour and a half away from my desktop computer as I don't live in the city where all the gigs are. If I want to make myself an option for papers etc then I need to be able to deliver fast. Of course there is no guarantee I'm even going to get any paid work so right now I'm looking for something that will be on a budget but will let me be fast and professional with image delivery.
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i at this very moment in time have, photoshop cs5, msn, google chrome, IE, word, publisher and spotify on all at the same time on my trusty dell inspiron 1545. this machine is probably best bang for buck you can get and photo editing has been a breeze. it cost me £429 and you'll probably get it less now as its a pentium processor and not the new "i" series.
 
Speaking as someone who uses a laptop exclusively for everything I would heartily recommend the Sony Vaio's.
Experience also means I can say DO NOT get a netbook, they will not do the job.

The one I currently use is the VGN-NW20ZF, fast Dual core, 4 gig of ram and decent graphics.
I run a lot of graphics intensive programs such as CS5 + tons of plug ins, astro stacking software, and have even run two astro camera's and controlled a telescope at the same time with it.

The only other thing I would advise is getting a decent laptop cooler for when using it in fixed locations as all laptops get hot.
 
Yeah, my old one has overheating issues. Can melt chocolate long after it's been turned off (as I discovered when my chocolate bar turned into chocoalte sauce)! Couldn't have that laptop on bare skin either.. it would burn!

Still, in the winter it stayed hotter longer than a hot water bottle so I stayed toasty when using it, hahaha!
 
Amazed re all these hot laptops. Yes they get hot worked hard, but i have worked in the middle east without a/c and my laptops have been ok. Some small models have a lot going on in a tight space, i guess that restricts heat dissapation, but suprised it seems so prevelant. I guess some people use them on leg or cushions etc. restricting venting at the bottom.
 
I agree with that, my 13" powerful machine gets warm but not that hot! It gets slightly uncomfortable if you're doing a lot of intensive work with it on your lap for an hour or so but otherwise it's fine.

TBH I think this is where the £500 laptops and £1000-1500 laptops show there differences...
 
BlackCloud said:
Amazed re all these hot laptops. Yes they get hot worked hard, but i have worked in the middle east without a/c and my laptops have been ok. Some small models have a lot going on in a tight space, i guess that restricts heat dissapation, but suprised it seems so prevelant. I guess some people use them on leg or cushions etc. restricting venting at the bottom.
Click to expand...

I have a tray-like 'thing' with a cushion/bean-bag attached underneath.
Designed for eating off as it has a non slip surface, it's also perfect for lap-top 'laptop' use...

Similar to this:
laptray.jpg
 
Another laptop to perhaps have a look at (may be over your budget) is the new Toshiba Portege R700

13" with the choice of some pretty nice harware and all wrapped up in a nice magnesium chassie. Apparently the lightest and thinnest 13" laptop at the moment. :)
 
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