'Puters

[MJZiggy]

I wanted to wait to get a laptop until Vista went away, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to wait that long. I need one with graphic capabilities that can handle Creative Suite and Fios. I also don't want an Apple (nor do I want the debate about it).

Anyone have favorite brands/features you really like?

[MJZiggy]

Oh, and if anyone knows how to configure it so I can use it as a dual screen with my desktop monitor, I'd love to know how.

[Brando19]

I have an HP. It's a good laptop....kind of expensive...but it's good.

[Partial]

It depends what you're looking for. Hardware quality comes with price, which is why Apple and Sony are leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Acer makes a good cheap product as does Dell.

Anything that is out today will be able to run Adobe CS very fast. It's all 2d graphics and even crappy intel integrated graphics will fare just fine.

If I were you, I would look long and hard at the 13" MacBook Pro with the educator discount and either sell the free iPod touch that comes with it, or keep it. You can even run windows on it natively or through virtualization. Best computer on the market today in terms of build quality because it is A) one of the few metal machines and B) the only CNC machined computer.

[GrnBay007]

Zig, I don't know shitsky about computers....you know that.

But just want to say
You've come a long way ...you know what I mean.

[Brando19]

It depends what you're looking for. Hardware quality comes with price, which is why Apple and Sony are leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Acer makes a good cheap product as does Dell.

Anything that is out today will be able to run Adobe CS very fast. It's all 2d graphics and even crappy intel integrated graphics will fare just fine.

If I were you, I would look long and hard at the 13" MacBook Pro with the educator discount and either sell the free iPod touch that comes with it, or keep it. You can even run windows on it natively or through virtualization. Best computer on the market today in terms of build quality because it is A) one of the few metal machines and B) the only CNC machined computer.

My dad has an Acer. Partial's right...it's a good cheap computer. He bought it at walmart for like $400 and it has worked just fine for over a year.

[MJZiggy]

At work, our graphics principal uses a Mac and has horrible compatibility issues and while this isn't going to be a work computer, there are times when I will work on files at home and e-mail them to myself at work and it has to work the first time, every time because I live an hour away from work.

It MUST be Windows.

[Jimx29]

Re: 'Puters

I wanted to wait to get a laptop until Vista went away, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to wait that long. I need one with graphic capabilities that can handle Creative Suite and Fios. I also don't want an Apple (nor do I want the debate about it).

Anyone have favorite brands/features you really like?

If you buy a computer right now with vista home premium or better installed, you'll get a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it's released in October. I've been running windows 7 RC for a couple months and it's wonderful. It's what vista should of been when it came out.

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/934258?highlight_key=y

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/offers/upgrade.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/featured-pcs.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/offers/pre-order.aspx

Here's pretty good setup at Dell. Vista home premium 64 bit, 4g ram, etc..... http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthr...ghlight=laptop

I'm bouncing between that rig and a gateway that's pretty comparable at BB for almost the same price shipped:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9370441&type=product&id=1218093004316

[retailguy]

At work, our graphics principal uses a Mac and has horrible compatibility issues and while this isn't going to be a work computer, there are times when I will work on files at home and e-mail them to myself at work and it has to work the first time, every time because I live an hour away from work.

It MUST be Windows.

I won't use anything but a thinkpad. I haven't used a new Lenovo one yet, but I've used the "T" series for years. They do anything I've ever needed to do, I've dropped them on several occasions, and nary a scratch. Well worth it, if you ask me.

My wife has a Vaio. It is a piece of crap. We'll never buy another sony.

As far as dual screens, right click on the desktop, select properties, then select setting. You should have connected the other monitor, prior to this obviously. Select the second monitor, then check the box that says "extend my windows desktop onto this monitor". You can click on the advanced button to make other changes.

PM me if you need further help, happy to walk you though it.

[GBRulz]

I bought a new MBPro laptop a couple of months ago. I was worried about some compatibility issues with some programs and files, too. Not a problem though since you can install windows on them now.

I will never go back to a PC again.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Re: 'Puters

I wanted to wait to get a laptop until Vista went away, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to wait that long. I need one with graphic capabilities that can handle Creative Suite and Fios. I also don't want an Apple (nor do I want the debate about it).

Anyone have favorite brands/features you really like?

Do you have to buy now? Even though Ty is sure there are some good deals, traditionally the best prices come in sept thru early november...dead sales time.

What size screen/weight you looking at?

Ty would recommend Alienware. Sony makes a good one..depends on the model series, Lenovo has good stuff as well.

There are also brands you dont' see around much that make good products...Asus, Fujitsu, Panasonic, etc.

[Partial]

I bought a new MBPro laptop a couple of months ago. I was worried about some compatibility issues with some programs and files, too. Not a problem though since you can install windows on them now.

I will never go back to a PC again.

2nded. Even using Windows 7 is a painful experience once you're used to a Mac. It's the little things that are wonderful like expose and spotlight.

Zig, anything you can run on a Windows, especially with CS, you can run on a Mac. The one thing that people typically have problems with is Office, but I will personally mail you a copy of Microsoft Office for Mac.

Take the plunge... you'll thank me. I'm sure GBR can attest that the unibody MacBook Pros are basically the nicest, most well-built sturdiest computers ever. With the student discount plus the free iPod during the summer they're also one of the best deals out there.

With any Mac, all you have to do is plug in the monitor and it will automatically discover, configure, and set the proper resolution and enable desktop spanning for you. It's pretty wonderful.

My office is transitioning to a Mac shop from a Thinkpad shop. At first there were some gripes, now everyone seems thrilled after a month or two.

[MJZiggy]

I understand what you guys are saying, I used a mac in class and am familiar with them--the issue is that there are already compatibility issues with the graphic person and the network at my work. Sometimes we have to e-mail back and forth to get a file that will open. If I'm e-mailing homework or a work file to myself, it can NEVER have a compatibility issue with PC Windows Office and that's just not the case on our network right now. I simply can't e-mail back and forth with myself on a class day. Therefore, while I'm in school and until I have these new departments running smoothly at work, it MUST be a PC notebook so that work I do at home can absolutely reliably make it to the office.

[Partial]

I understand what you guys are saying, I used a mac in class and am familiar with them--the issue is that there are already compatibility issues with the graphic person and the network at my work. Sometimes we have to e-mail back and forth to get a file that will open. If I'm e-mailing homework or a work file to myself, it can NEVER have a compatibility issue with PC Windows Office and that's just not the case on our network right now. I simply can't e-mail back and forth with myself on a class day. Therefore, while I'm in school and until I have these new departments running smoothly at work, it MUST be a PC notebook so that work I do at home can absolutely reliably make it to the office.

You can run windows on a Mac.

Here is a little piece on bootcamp, which lets you run restart and boot to windows, and it will run as fast if not faster than equivalent hardware for a typical PC.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/what-is-macosx/compatibility.html

Here's a virtualization option which we use at work. It's okay, but not as good as I would like. I hear the version 4.0 is a huge improvement over 3.0 that we use, though.

http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/

[SkinBasket]

I buy exclusively from the Dell outlet now.

http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/topics/global.aspx/arb/online/en/InventorySearch?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh

Refirbs, scratch and dent, and new units from canceled orders - all with normal warranties. Keep your eyes open on the interweb for 20% off codes that pop up every now and again, and you can get a real nice setup real cheap. My scratch and dent had a pen mark on it. Saved 50% off retail because of a pen mark.

Sony Vaio do suck ass.