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Laptop specs? Suggestions?
I am currently purchasing a laptop for basically ableton use...nothing expensive, basic. I did a search but i thought i would reopen the subject and see if thoughts on the subject have changed. I am going with 4 gb of ram and a 250 hardrive but what else should i be looking at? PCI-Express card interface data streams important? (5gbps?)
I am going the pc route....i have never used a mac and i am not sure if i want to take a chance with a product i have never used?
thanks for the advice....
Re: Laptop specs? Suggestions?
If you want to save money, 2 gigs of RAM is plenty to get started. Laptop RAM is pricey, and 2 gigs is a LOT.
Having a big hard drive is important, and with Ableton a 15" or larger screen is going to be a big help as well. Make sure it has a decent assortment of USB and firewire ports as well.
You might want to stick with Windows XP if you can. Vista is still in progress as far as audio work goes, and not everything is certified.
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| Originally posted by XxchristopherxX I am currently purchasing a laptop for basically ableton use...nothing expensive, basic. I did a search but i thought i would reopen the subject and see if thoughts on the subject have changed. I am going with 4 gb of ram and a 250 hardrive but what else should i be looking at? PCI-Express card interface data streams important? (5gbps?) I am going the pc route....i have never used a mac and i am not sure if i want to take a chance with a product i have never used? thanks for the advice.... |
bro trust me, go the mac way! They are more stable and reliable, although there hardware isn't cheap you can get new os's as they come out for a fraction of the price that you would pay for windows.
i was thinking of a 13.3 widesceen display, do you think that might be a little small? (My everyday laptop is a widescreen 17) In terms of hard drive speed, would it make that much difference in going with a higher storage 5400 rpm vs a 7200 rpm drive? How many usb's would you recomend?
2 gigs of laptop ram is like $70. Buy it from newegg or somewhere similar though because manufacturers overcharge for extra memory.
Also don't listen to people saying you need a mac. I really don't see what the big deal is with Apple.
a 13 inch screen might be too small, but it depends on where you place it, i would recommend a 15 inch screen atleast. I have a laptop with a hdd thats 5400rpm and its fine, the copy copy times of large items might get annoying but its cheaper than 7200rpm. You should get atleast 4 usb,i currently have 4 and they are all being used.
Also check this site out for cool laptop deals http://www.deals2buy.com/delldeals.htm
I know i post it all the time, its not my site, i am not advertising, its just an awesome site for daily money saving deals.
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| Originally posted by Zild 2 gigs of laptop ram is like $70. Buy it from newegg or somewhere similar though because manufacturers overcharge for extra memory. Also don't listen to people saying you need a mac. I really don't see what the big deal is with Apple. |
Make sure to get rid of Vista and slap on XP.
You will need an external sound card, and if you go with one that is Firewire (the best choice IMO) you will need a solid firewire chipset. This is by far the most important but least expensive but most often overlooked feature. MAKE SURE you get a lappy with a Texas Instruments 1394 Chipset, NOT a RICOH or OHCI Compliant Chipset.
Damn, those 2 gig SO-DIMM's got CHEAP.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Zild 2 gigs of laptop ram is like $70. Buy it from newegg or somewhere similar though because manufacturers overcharge for extra memory. Also don't listen to people saying you need a mac. I really don't see what the big deal is with Apple. |
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| Originally posted by Max Thomson You will need an external sound card, and if you go with one that is Firewire (the best choice IMO) you will need a solid firewire chipset. This is by far the most important but least expensive but most often overlooked feature. MAKE SURE you get a lappy with a Texas Instruments 1394 Chipset, NOT a RICOH or OHCI Compliant Chipset. |
The 13" screens are a bit small, and can be really annoying after staring at them for too long. I have a 13" laptop and it's a bit small for extended use. on the other hand, the 15.4 screens are pretty satisfying.
Go for one with a matte screen. The glossy stuff is just silly.
Be sure you can get XP loaded on whatever laptop you choose. Some vendors don't supply XP drivers anymore. You don't want to get stuck on Vista poo, although you can often find XP drivers from 3rd party sources. But it's best to avoid that trouble..
dont get onboard graphics if you can help it..
you may not be interested in gaming but the graphics card handling all its shit rather then the cpu is always an advantage.
get the 7200rpm HDD. they're not that much more expensive if i remember.
remember ya laptop has TWO ram slots.. so if you wanna upgrade to 4GB you will need 2GB STICKS not KITS. so they might be more pricey.
Oh an you can always get a USB hub if needs be.. all peripherals might not run at full power. but you can have lots then 
British
More USB ports is good, especially if they are all on their own root hubs. Running a hub with lots of things can wreak havoc! Or, it can totally work fine. That's the pain of USB. Most of the time it should work, but when it doesn't it's a bitch.
And if you intend to do that, stay away from USB audio devices. Firewire is less problematic in my experience.
Trust me, I had a nightmare of a time with my Xone 3D when I had it.
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| Originally posted by British dont get onboard graphics if you can help it.. you may not be interested in gaming but the graphics card handling all its shit rather then the cpu is always an advantage. get the 7200rpm HDD. they're not that much more expensive if i remember. remember ya laptop has TWO ram slots.. so if you wanna upgrade to 4GB you will need 2GB STICKS not KITS. so they might be more pricey. Oh an you can always get a USB hub if needs be.. all peripherals might not run at full power. but you can have lots then British |
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| Originally posted by Zild 2 gigs of laptop ram is like $70. Buy it from newegg or somewhere similar though because manufacturers overcharge for extra memory. Also don't listen to people saying you need a mac. I really don't see what the big deal is with Apple. |
can we please not start this ^^^^^^^^ again.
pros use whatever works for them.
Macs are good, i want one, but they cost a heap and are very different if you have never used one before.
Windows is generally less expensive and works for people too, cause they are familiar..
And yeah, i have run into the root hub issue a couple of times.. sucks.
Definitely get firewire ports and equip cause they are less problematic and if i remember correctly run at faster speeds.
British
Yes, USB is really, really lame. I try to avoid it except for things like mice, keyboards, and other silly little things like such.
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| Originally posted by Beatflux Professionals use Mac. |
bitch buy a mac or you will get raped!
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| Originally posted by Zild jotos with a bag of apples shoved up their ass |
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| Originally posted by Zild AI just don't understand what is such a big deal about it that when someone comes in here saying 'I don't want a mac I want a PC' jotos with a bag of apples shoved up their ass have to come in here trying to force them to buy one anyway. |
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