Help me build a laptop - Page 2

smokenjoe · 01-29-2006, 01:58 PM

Errr for most of the actual graphics work the video card does not do a whole lot if it does it would probibily use open GL somthing the Nvidia cards are better at. Photoshop and many of the image and video processing software like photoshop use well over 1gb so 2 would be the minumum. Are you going to sell the old computer? Dont sell it untill you find out you like the laptop you can connect the laptop to the home computer for easy back up and even use the higher quality monitor with the laptop on some.. You can add memoy to an old desk top a lot easer and cheaper than to a laptop.

You may also wish to look in dells buisness section for a laptop you never know where the deals are.

Find out what programs they are going to have you use and look up the requirments that might save some headache later.

Spike · 01-29-2006, 05:32 PM

I know exactly what programs I'm going to be using and they are all on my computer already, I'm quite familiar with them all. It's not like I've never done any graphic design and they're goign to teach me everything I know. It's also not like I know nothing about computers and how they work... I have half the people telling me I should use 1GB of RAM and the other half telling me I need 2. Honestly I'm not sure what I'm going to go with. My finances got all screwed up cause I had to sell my bike and now I have to buy another one. I won't be able to buy a laptop until probably next august.

smokenjoe · 01-30-2006, 06:44 PM

If you already know everything why do you need to go to school? If you are than much of an expert you should be able to start selling your work right now and skip school. Not being totaly sarcastic here you dont need a degree for non corperate work if you have the skills.

If you decide that you are not too good fro school they might require that you use diffrent programs to broden you horison or simply because the teacher likes it for no good reason. I have never heard anyone that works with grapic design or video editing that moved from 1GB to two or from 2 to four not report there was a nocable improvement even when it required them to reduce the CPU speed.

Even with raid 0 the amount of page file use with just photoshop became annoying with 1gb of memory. Photoshop in theory only requires 380MB of memory but isnt nearly as fast as with 2gb or more.

Spike · 01-30-2006, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smokenjoe

If you already know everything why do you need to go to school? If you are than much of an expert you should be able to start selling your work right now and skip school.

If you decide that you are not too good fro school they might require that you use diffrent programs to broden you horison or simply because the teacher likes it for no good reason. I have never heard anyone that works with grapic design or video editing that moved from 1GB to two or from 2 to four not report there was a nocable improvement even when it required them to reduce the CPU speed.

Even with raid 0 the amount of page file use with just photoshop became annoying with 1gb of memory. Photoshop in theory only requires 380MB of memory but isnt nearly as fast as with 2gb or more.

I never said I already knew everything now did I? I'm just saying that I know how many of the programs that will be used operate. I have been using many of them for a long time. I never said there wouldn't be a noticable difference between one GB and two did? WTF are you talking about bro?

EDIT: There was a bit of a misunderstanding from a couple posts ago. What I meant is that, I'm not going into school knowing nothing and they're going to teach me all the stuff I need to know like some people I meet. I have a good foundation for them to hone my skills and for me to gain good working experience as well as technique. I'm by no means an expert already, and I plan to go into the corporate field, so I do need a degree.

Fah-Q · 02-01-2006, 07:46 AM

Simply put, get a Mac Powerbook. Not the new Intel one but one of the current models.

Why?

1: The great majority of the graphic arts industry is standardized on Macs.

2: Unlike a PC running WinDOZE, a Mac isnt going to go down harder or more often than an experienced White House intern.

I'm speaking from experience- I'm a PC tech by trade as well as a photographer. I have a PC laptop I use for on-site data recovery jobs, a desktop PC for major data recovery/drive forensics jobs and a Mac Powerbook for my artwork and everything else.

Dell makes a decent product but get ready for some serious frustration when you call their support department. You will be talking to somebody in an outsourced call center in India who barely knows how to turn on a computer let alone how to troubleshoot a problem. Even if you have a heavy tech background sooner or later you will have to dwal with one of them.

My Powerbook is a 1.5 Ghz with 1 Gig of RAM, an 80 Gig 5400 rpm HD wiht a 15 inch widescreen. Yes, its going to be more expensive than the Dell. Its also going to be far better. You need to look into what is called TCO-Total Cost of Ownership. This includes things like downtime, support and the like. The Apple product may cost you more at the outset, but it wont be crashing all the time, slowing down due to various issues and getting viruses, trojans and spyware. You dont even need anti-virus software on a Mac.
The only possible reason you would want it is in case you accidentally pass an email based virus/trojan on to somebody with a PC.

Spike · 02-01-2006, 02:50 PM

Those are all good reasons, though I don't want a mac. I have a Dell desktop and I haven't really had problems with it that I didn't create. Everytime I've had to call support (which was only when I was trying to set up some home networking with my GFs computer after changing ISPs). Actually now that I think about it, I've NEVER called Dells support line, the support line I was just talking about was BellSouth. So that's not even an issue.

I know macs to some extent and I don't like them. Until I use an apple first hand and it outperforms my computer, I'm not switching. I plan to go up to the apple store soon and have them try and convert me. If I try one out and I'm seriously impressed then I'll think about switching. Oh and that laptop up there that I built, if I got a powerbook or similar laptop with those specs it wouild cost me at least a thousand dollars more. That's not a little cost increase, that's a HUGE cost increase. From 1200 or 1300 to 2300? That's like an 85% increase in price!!

I'm open to switching but until I've tested for myself that they're better, I'll never own a mac.