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Computer Recommendations
I'm a photographer/retoucher and I am starting to think about getting a new computer... particularly, a new laptop. I know that laptops are not the ideal tool for retouching, but I travel quite a bit so I need something portable. I can't always pack around an extra monitor! I really want a large screen, preferably 16-18 inches. Are there any models or brands that you guys would recommend? I have been doing quite a bit of research myself, but I would love to hear your opinions. edit: PCs preferred! Not wanting to spend more than $4000, ideally a little less. Jul 13 13 04:47 pm Link Lenovo...get the heavy duty one. Jul 13 13 04:54 pm Link Hard to say without a budget but on the Windows side of things the MSI gaming laptops have the specs for PS. I also really like the Lenovo Y series and Some of the Asus models, I think Lenovo still offers some with Win7 so you could avoid the atrocity that is 8. Mac is easy, they just updated Jul 13 13 04:56 pm Link Amanda Lynn Jurie wrote: I went with a Mac Mini. Better than most sub $2K laptops and very expandable. Yes you still have to lug a monitor and there is no battery but I rarely ran my laptop off batteries anyway. I travel. Set this up in the hotel/motel at night and transfer my files. I just put Lightroom on it, not Photoshop. 16 GB ram and a 240 SSD plus a 1TB drive all for under $1300 including a new copy of LR since this is my first MAC. I just drag a little MArshall 7" HDMI monitor if I don't plan on doing much work on the files while traveling. If I'm going to be out for weeks I'll take a 17" monitor for better color. Jul 13 13 05:02 pm Link OP, what is your budget? The new Macbooks are wonderful but pricey. The newest laptops will feature the Haswell chip. http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/ … n-buy-now/ or you can get a i7 with 8gb or 16gb of RAM. Go for 16gb if possible. A SSD is better on battery life and faster. If you travel you want a lighter weight machine that's tough. Forget who makes the computer. Most makers get parts from a OEM so names don't mean all that much. Research that models ratings. Although Apple, Toshiba and ASUS tend to rank highest. Don't forget to get a external HD to back up your data. Also get a cloud based back up as well. Jul 13 13 05:04 pm Link Tony Lawrence wrote: I don't want to spend more than $4000. I can suffer through carrying a heavier laptop if need be! I already have numerous externals, so I have that covered. Thanks for the advice! Jul 13 13 05:11 pm Link Rick OBanion Photo wrote: I wish they had kept the W700 series of professional models around. It was purpose built for photoshop/CAD/CGI with a wider gamut color display, built in Wacom tablet, hardware based color matcher and even a secondary screen on some models. Built like tanks and even pass some mil spec stress tests Jul 13 13 05:18 pm Link Amanda Lynn Jurie wrote: Write or call my friends here: https://www.sagernotebook.com/index.php … ted_cat=10 You can get a great machine for around $1,500.00. You don't want to lug a heavy laptop Jul 13 13 05:27 pm Link Tony Lawrence wrote: I'll definitely get in contact with them! Thanks. Jul 13 13 05:35 pm Link Practical for real use? Suggest a -- Panasonic Toughbook® http://www.panasonic.com/business/tough … puters.asp this model is mil spec certified for a 3 foot drop http://www.panasonic.com/business/tough … ook-53.asp http://www.panasonic.com/business/tough … duct=CF-53 can be ordered with 8 gig ram, Linux, Windows 7 pro, optional sunlight-viewable touchscreen etc has HDMI out, (at least hold one - they really are built to take abuse - and you don't need a broom if you drop it like most consumer brands) http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac … 105/review plus one of these http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VS239H-P-23- … 008DWITHI/ Jul 13 13 05:46 pm Link ThinkPenguin's King Penguin has a nearly 16-inch matte screen, and it's one of the few laptops that don't require any software that will subjugate you to a software vendor. It is fully compatible with a completely non-proprietary (libre) operating system like Trisquel GNU/Linux.  Most other laptops include or require non-libre programs or firmware or drivers which hide how the devices work and what they are really being instructed to do behind your back. This subjects users to uncertain security at best. Non-libre (proprietary) programs are perfect vessels for software developers to deliver surveillance malware to users. Microsoft's proprietary software is a good example of this, and it's no longer a secret. Both Apple and Microsoft are part of PRISM. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sp … documents/ The King Penguin laptop is a bit expensive, but the extra cost is worth it for our privacy and freedom. Without privacy, there will be tyranny. The only software that can be trusted to respect our privacy is libre software, because libre software requires the source code to be made available to all users, which means there will be many eyes watching the code to make sure no malicious spy features get put in. Jul 13 13 05:51 pm Link Joann Empson wrote: This is not the place to promote your political agenda, nor subject an OP simply looking for a good laptop suitable for post work, to your conspiracy theories. Jul 13 13 06:13 pm Link J O H N A L L A N wrote: Respect for the photographer/retoucher's freedom is an important criteria for the selection of a new laptop. Jul 13 13 06:17 pm Link Joann Empson wrote: QFM Jul 13 13 06:20 pm Link Joann Empson wrote: I can't hear you through my tin foil headphones. Jul 13 13 06:28 pm Link J O H N A L L A N wrote: I'm not familiar with QFM as a mainstream news source. Jul 13 13 06:37 pm Link Joann Empson wrote: QFM Jul 13 13 06:42 pm Link Macbook Pro  Jul 13 13 06:48 pm Link J O H N A L L A N wrote: I'm going to assume you're just feigning ignorance, because thinking otherwise would be kind of mean. Jul 13 13 07:03 pm Link If you've got a 4k budget, get a mac book pro, 16 gigs of ram, solid state drive doesn't need to be huge, the only thing i keep on mine is the operating system and the programs, files can go on external drive until you need to work on them. Jul 13 13 07:04 pm Link Joann Empson wrote: QFM Jul 13 13 07:12 pm Link If not a Mac, than definitely Lenovo. But be careful, Laptops have crappy screens, and Mac Pros are prtty much only ones that have usable displays. Jul 13 13 07:38 pm Link You can build a laptop to your specs with the Sager notebook lineup ( http://www.sagernotebook.com ). They can get pricey though and up to $7,000+. For your $4K limit, you can get a lot if you skip things like ultra-fast processor speeds and three hard drives or SSD in them and go the regular HD route. Should last you a long time no matter the choice. Most all of the upper tier gaming units are built by Clevo in China whereas the general consumer line may also be built by them there or in India but just a lower-grade/spec'd unit. I've never heard of them until I started playing with video and needed the extra power as the brick-and-mortar Toshiba stuff would overheat and crash after running 3 days on some video edit non-stop. I was turned onto them while searching out the run-of-the-mill consumer line and some Hollywood CGI people turned me on the them at a computer show as "Editing Workstations" and mine is capable of burning off a full length Blu-Ray HD video disk as well. They are pretty upgradeable too just like a tower unit. Sort of heavy as their power bricks are around 8 pounds (300 watts). Some now use dual video nVidia graphics cards as well with much more video RAM and a better refresh too. Might be overkill for Photoshop, but if you ever delve into video they will be welcomed. Mine I upgraded myself to 18GB RAM (3x6GB) from 6GB (3x2GB) and the amount of copper fins, cooling tubing, radiators, and 3 fans was impressive for a notebook. However, if you ever print a lot or hand files over to the Windows crowd, you might run into issues with the newer Apple's and their version of color profiles. They just do it differently. That and some sundry programs that require you to use Windows Parallels or Boot Camp to run them. Some require you to go back to OS 10.4 for some software on PowerMacs that use the newer IntelMac software. They are sort of a mess now (mostly the first part of this year) and if you follow any printer forums it always is the Mac people who have issues with "Apple's way of doing color." Some could not turn off color management either for some print software where an independent icm profile was needed to print. Apple locked it. The outfit that does a lot of color stuff (x-rite) has a lot of Mac issues with their software and hardware if you look. May as well retouch for 90% of the Windows market using that OS so "What you see doesn't differ from what you expect them to see." More so if their printer outfit most likely uses Window's based platform for their CMYK printers too. Printing correct color for others really can be a nasty beast to fix. It's gotten so bad I see there are programs that send some sort of viewer along with the image so what they and you see are closer somehow (DigitalPouch I think?). Jul 13 13 07:46 pm Link Get a 500 SSD HD with 64 GB memory. Or no less than 32 GB. You will still need at least a 1TB of storage compactly in the PC with a external 2 or more 1 TB HD's. The SSD HD is the HD were you will be doing your editing from. This will give you capacity and speeeed. Jul 13 13 08:55 pm Link Jakov Markovic wrote: I'm aware of how poor laptop screens are. I use an external display when I'm at home, but like I said in my original post, I can't always bring an external display with me. terrysphotocountry wrote: Taking notes! GRMACK wrote: Whew, lots of information! Thank you very much. I have heard a lot of horror stories about Mac's and their colour management. I have always been a PC girl and I don't know if I'm ready to switch. I understand PCs and they seem to like me a lot more than any Mac! Jul 13 13 11:34 pm Link Joann Empson wrote: We dont care...we are Canadian. Our government can't keep track of jack shit. Jul 14 13 12:00 am Link Rick OBanion Photo wrote: Canada's Privacy Commissioner is concerned: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013 … -prism-cse Jul 14 13 12:05 am Link Amanda Lynn Jurie wrote: Jakov Markovic wrote: I'm aware of how poor laptop screens are. I use an external display when I'm at home, but like I said in my original post, I can't always bring an external display with me. terrysphotocountry wrote: Taking notes! Amanda, I was always a Windows user. Then I used a Macbook and wow.... http://store.apple.com/us/configure/ME664LL/A I looked at your work and you deserve a Macbook. I'm not a Apple fan boy but photographers in my view who can afford a Mac should get one. I used to go to the Apple store. Free classes. I've met some well known photographers there. Their One to One class for $100.00 is fantastic. OSX is so simple to use. I've never been able to afford a Macbook Pro but they are the bomb. Buy one and if you don't like it sell it on Ebay. They hold their value very well. Jul 14 13 12:12 am Link Joann Empson wrote: Concerned is Canadian for...'Whatever'. We cant even be sued by the RIAA here. If your gov't wants to watch Facebook, it contains more data than they can decipher every day. Jul 14 13 12:24 am Link Tony Lawrence wrote: There are many reasons to avoid Apple products. Some of the many reasons are listed on this web page by the man who created the GNU/Linux operating system. Jul 14 13 12:24 am Link Rick OBanion Photo wrote: The point is not to decipher it every day as it comes. The massive data collection creates a dossier on every person who uses the Internet. It's trivial to stash everything into a big database and then draw up details on individuals when you please. This makes it easy to crush democratic dissent. No Privacy = No Democracy. This applies to Canada, too. Jul 14 13 12:31 am Link Jul 14 13 12:55 am Link Cherrystone wrote: Forgot those...amazing computers!! Jul 14 13 01:13 am Link I have a 32gb rammed MSI which still lags when surface blurring a 16 bit image but considerably faster  Jul 14 13 04:25 am Link Tony Lawrence wrote: I have the opposite experience, it really is a personal preference thing. I have a MDP Retina and while the screen is nice (hate the glossy) and the touchpad is pretty great; I think OSx is horrible. Even having access to to the terminal which is bonus (I work with Solaris and Linux all day) doesn't make it anymore enjoyable. I actually find it mostly unintuitive. Jul 14 13 04:48 am Link Joann Empson wrote: serious tinfoil hat case here. aside from the fact that Linux isn't imune to spyware: http://www.zdnet.com/free-software-fath … 000008516/ the big nasty government can also intercept any information entering and exiting you device regardless of what OS you run. Big deal. Jul 14 13 04:50 am Link try Razer gaming laptops. top specs and portable: http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-blade-pro and then upgrade the ram to 16GB Jul 14 13 04:58 am Link Libre software will always be safer than proprietary software because... Joann Empson wrote: Preime Photography wrote: Proprietary software leaves users in the dark and helpless against spyware planted into the system by the developer. It's like a sealed black box that you're legally forbidden to disassemble. Preime Photography wrote: The difference: proprietary operating systems can secretly send your data directly from your computer to the software vendor. Libre software would not be able to do this secretly. Jul 14 13 10:39 am Link Joann Empson wrote: Joann Empson wrote: Preime Photography wrote: Proprietary software leaves users in the dark and helpless against spyware planted into the system by the developer. It's like a sealed black box that you're legally forbidden to disassemble. Knock it off already! This isn't Soapbox - stop hijacking this thread with your political agenda and fear mongering. Jul 14 13 10:48 am Link J O H N A L L A N wrote: If someone demonstrates to me that he doesn't understand, I have a responsibility to respond and to bridge the gap. Everybody should be informed about these issues. Jul 14 13 10:50 am Link |
