'Puters

[Partial]

I agree on the Dell Outlet but unless you're spending Mac-like dollars you're getting a cheap plastic POS. If you're going to spend the big bucks on a latitude why not get a metal machine with luxury features?

Sony Vaio's are much better computers than any dell inspiron. The build quality is infinitely better, thus the price tag. I'm sure there are some cheap Sony's but for the most part they're built almost as well as Apple imo.

[retailguy]

Well Partial, we bought a top of the line small footprint Vaio for my wife during law school. Bought it a year before she went to law school. The case broke (cracked), the wireless card died, the processor fan failed, the memory stick crapped out, the 12.1 in screen has multiple bad pixels, the touchpad failed and the keyboard warped from the heat of the fan failing.

If I couldn't replace these things with used ebay parts, we'd have spent a damn fortune repairing the stupid thing. Oh yeah, nothing failed during the warranty except for the wireless card.

Piece of crap. No doubt about it. Never again.

[retailguy]

meanwhile, my T42, bought used off a 6mo. lease (one of the 1st centrino processors), has got a new hard drive. That's it. My IBM is clearly a better machine in all aspects. It isn't even close. The VAIO has a catchy purplish cover and a cool logo. But, there isn't anything else to back the bling up with.

[Partial]

meanwhile, my T42, bought used off a 6mo. lease (one of the 1st centrino processors), has got a new hard drive. That's it. My IBM is clearly a better machine in all aspects. It isn't even close. The VAIO has a catchy purplish cover and a cool logo. But, there isn't anything else to back the bling up with.

There are lemons in every manufacturing process. Sounds like you happened to get one. All of those things outside of the case cracking and the pixels seem to be the result of the fan failing and the scorching hot processor wreaking havoc.

Don't know how common it is, but they use nicer quality hardware (nicer keyboards, trackpads, displays, thinner, etc) like Apple and IBM used to. My work T61P laptop is also a tank but it weighs a million pounds and is gigantic!

[MJZiggy]

meanwhile, my T42, bought used off a 6mo. lease (one of the 1st centrino processors), has got a new hard drive. That's it. My IBM is clearly a better machine in all aspects. It isn't even close. The VAIO has a catchy purplish cover and a cool logo. But, there isn't anything else to back the bling up with.

But the Thinkpad isn't made by IBM anymore. I don't even know what I'm looking for in graphics cards.

Skin, are the new ones backward compatible with CS2?

[Partial]

meanwhile, my T42, bought used off a 6mo. lease (one of the 1st centrino processors), has got a new hard drive. That's it. My IBM is clearly a better machine in all aspects. It isn't even close. The VAIO has a catchy purplish cover and a cool logo. But, there isn't anything else to back the bling up with.

But the Thinkpad isn't made by IBM anymore. I don't even know what I'm looking for in graphics cards.

Skin, are the new ones backward compatible with CS2?

The new what? Any graphics will be sufficient. You're not doing 3D rendering so I'm sure integrated graphics will be more than adequate.

[MJZiggy]

The Dells he recommended. I'm wondering if they're backward compatible.

[Partial]

The Dells he recommended. I'm wondering if they're backward compatible.

Backwards compatible with what? CS2? Sure, they definitely are. Any computer is. I would really look into the Mac, though. I would not lead a person astray.

[SkinBasket]

Well, retail and I both have 1st hand experience with Sony products and both agree that Vaio suck ass. That's about as concrete an anti-endorsement as you're going to get.

These days, I go disposable over fancy on any computer, cuz they all be the same - just metal and plastic. And what Pizzy said about backward compatibility - no worry.

[retailguy]

CS4 requirements are here:

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/photoshop/systemreqs/?promoid=DRHXB

here's the graphics requirement:

1,024x768 display (1,280x800 recommended) with 16-bit video card


pretty basic requirements, if you stay away from the really low end laptops, you'll be ok, I'd think. The low end ones would probably still run it, but you wouldn't be too thrilled with the performance, most likely.

P, she said she didn't want a mac. Give it up. There are plenty of PC's that are really nice, let's just help her get one, ok?

[Scott Campbell]

I'm thinking about this one for my wife.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152116

[SkinBasket]

Ziggy, don't forget that you have until the 11th of July to preorder the Windows 7 upgrade for $50 (for Premium) or $100 (Professional). Just make sure that whatever you order has Windows Premium or Professional (not Ultimate) and that you preorder the matching upgrade. Price goes up to $120/$200 after the 11th.

Premium: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DHLUWK

Professional: http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Wind.../dp/B002DHGM50

[Patler]

I have this one, and I am very pleased with it:

[Partial]

Ziggy gets an education discount so it will be 5 dollars at most to upgrade to Windows 7. I personally still think Windows 7 is garbage and is a painful experience to work in, though. It almost has an Apple dock, though, so it keeps a lot of your stuff out of the way, which is a step in the right direction towards being bearable.

[Patler]

Ziggy, don't forget that you have until the 11th of July to preorder the Windows 7 upgrade for $50 (for Premium) or $100 (Professional). Just make sure that whatever you order has Windows Premium or Professional (not Ultimate) and that you preorder the matching upgrade. Price goes up to $120/$200 after the 11th.

Premium: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DHLUWK

Professional: http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Wind.../dp/B002DHGM50

What are the general differences between the different versions of Windows 7?