Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: Paul Sumi on July 29, 2005, 03:11:21 pm

Title: What Laptop?
Post by: Paul Sumi on July 29, 2005, 03:11:21 pm
Do a search on laptop or notebook, there are a couple of recent threads in the LL forums, but here's a good place to start:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/cgi-bin....;t=1001 (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=4;t=1001)

FWIW, I'm a PC user who bought a 15" PowerBook for photography and other on-the-road use.

Paul
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: davidr805 on July 29, 2005, 10:24:13 pm
get an apple powerbook .. i would recomend the 15".. the 17" is to big ..

 
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: gman on July 30, 2005, 08:15:56 pm
Well it seems like most pros use the Powerbook.
 Does no one use anything else for serious photo use? I'm not surprised (and surprised) that most people use the PBook but it seems not many people have had a bad thing to say about the Pbook. Perhaps someone will change my mind and advise that there is a viable alternative (ha!)

Thanks to everyone who's replied so far.

Gman
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: wolfnowl on August 01, 2005, 01:29:16 am
Quote
I'm wanting to buy a laptop but not sure which one. Do I go for a PowerBook or are there any other laptops to consider? Apart from the obvious variables such as Processor etc. do any Windows based laptop screens match up to PowerBook?

This topic has been well discussed before... a search of the archives should bring up a lot.  You didn't mention how you're planning to use your laptop.  A general trade-off is processing power vs weight and heat.  Some of the more powerful notebooks out there can weigh almost 10 pounds and create enough heat that you'll want them anywhere but your lap.  It also depends on whether this is going to be your 'main' computer or if you're planning to bring it into the field and then copy everything to a (presumably more powerful) desktop when you get home.  Are you planning to use an external monitor?  If so, then the screen has to be good enough to give you a good view in the field, but you'll be connecting to a better monitor (both should be calibrated) when you're home.

Processing power, cost, size, weight, hard disk size/ type/ speed, removable drives (CD/DVD), type and amount of RAM, graphics card, USB/ firewire ports, PCI slot (for compact flash cards) or other external slots, battery life, screen quality, and a lot of other factors come into play, depending on your use.

The PC vs Apple thing goes back to the days when Bill Gates brought forth the first version of Windows.  Apparently Steve Job told Bill, "I have a better product" and Bill replied, "It doesn't matter."  Ferrari, Rolls Royce, GM and Toyota all make great cars.  Which one you purchase depends a lot on you.  The same could be said of anything.

If you have no idea what you're looking for, try typing 'laptop review' into Google or something like that, then comparing what comes up.  Follow up on any products you're interested in, go to the manufacturer's websites, check them out, then do more comparisons.  Bottom line is to actually try one, type on it, see how it feels, how it looks to you, etc.  Sort of like buying that new camera.

Mike.
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: Paul Sumi on August 01, 2005, 08:30:57 pm
Quote
At the moment I'm using a PC. (XP pro) To be honest, I don't really believe because I'm using Windows I need to use a Win. based laptop. I just need a laptop which will do the biz.
As I mentioned in my first message in this thread, I'm a PC user who bought a PowerBook for photography and other portable use.  Overall, I am very pleased with my decision.

The biggest issue that I had to resolve was the software I NEEDED to have on the PowerBook.  Most software have platform specific licenses.  In other words, you'll have to buy a new copy of PhotoShop CS for the PowerBook even if you already have the PC version (if you want to keep both licenses). Ditto for MS Office, Qualcomm Eudora and others.

Phase One Capture One PRO's license covers both platforms (but LE does not); so does ColorVision's monitor calibration software license. If you like Mozilla Firefox, it's free and available in multiple platforms.

There are some workarounds; for example I decided to get Elements 3 for OS X instead of the full version of PhotoShop.

If I were you, I'd inventory your must-have software and see which ones are 1) available for OS X and 2) have cross-platform licenses.  Then you can factor this cost into your decision.

Also - a number of PowerBook owners recommended I buy Apple's extended warranty. I did, but you have to decide if the added cost is worth it.

Paul

ps: check out the new generation of IBooks, they have added some of the features of the current PowerBooks and are less expensive.  Not as "sexy," though ;-)
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: matt4626 on August 02, 2005, 12:44:26 pm
My next laptop will most likely have a 12 inch screen as size and weight are a big problem on the road. I only use the laptop for image storage and a quick edit. I wait until I'm back home for the real photoshop work on my desk top set up.
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: wjy on August 02, 2005, 07:20:09 pm
I use a Dell laptop and I have had great luck with it.  photoshop cs works flawlessly.  I would suggest that you figure out your budget and get the most memory, fastest processer, and so on for the buck.  Wether it be Mac or PC, digital files keep getting larger, and there is nothing more aggrevating than waiting for processing.  faster is better and that is the bottom line.
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: gman on July 29, 2005, 02:31:11 pm
I'm wanting to buy a laptop but not sure which one. Do I go for a PowerBook or are there any other laptops to consider? Apart from the obvious variables such as Processor etc. do any Windows based laptop screens match up to PowerBook?
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: macgyver on July 29, 2005, 05:44:24 pm
A word of wisdom:

I recently purchased a powerbook, but I had really wondered which model to get, the 15 inch screen or 17 inch.  I came close to getting the 17, simply for the extra screen space would be great for my photos, but I ended up getting the 15.

I'm glad I did.  I love the thing, but the batterylife really isnt all that great and I have to imagine that on the 17 it would be far worse.  I can get around 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours on one charge depending on what I'm doing.

Your call, but I hope that helps.

-macgyver
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: John Camp on July 29, 2005, 11:12:11 pm
I just spent a month dragging a 17" Powerbook around the Middle East, Germany and England. Get a smaller one. In fact, if you also have to carry a lot of photo gear, along with baggage and the laptop, and don't do a lot of heavy-duty, long-distance typing, where a serious keyboard is mandatory, you might look at one of the small Sony Viaos. The screens are excellent, and they can weigh as little as a couple of pounds -- that's with an external DVD, but you're gonna have to give up something. I will say that with the Powerbook, and with some free on-line software, I've been able to both upload and download songs from an Ipod, and so keep my Powerbook filled with all my music. It's very nice to be tired of traveling, and be able to sit somewhere like a hotel lobby with some decent headphones and listen to your tunes while editing your photos...but again, if you're going to get a Powerbook, I'd get the small one.


JC
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: framah on July 31, 2005, 06:16:23 pm
Another nice thing about my 15" Powerbook is that I can load my CF card, using a card holder, right into the side of  the laptop. I don't know if PC laptops have this feature, but it is really nice on mine. I take it on all of my photo trips and I can download my cards in the field while I'm shooting with another card. Of course, my whole system is a Mac so it plays nicely with my other toys.

 Get the Powerbook and, who knows... you might switch over from the dark side.
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: Paul Sumi on August 01, 2005, 04:28:23 pm
Quote
Well it seems like most pros use the Powerbook.
 Does no one use anything else for serious photo use?
Well, depends.  I know as many photographers with Windows laptops as Apple.  

Tell us about your current computer setup.  Which OS do you use, Windows, OS X, Unix?  If you already have an investment in Windows software (or conversely, Apple OS X), seems to me you'd want your laptop to run the same software.  Many software companies (including Adobe) do not have cross platform licenses and you would have to buy a second license if you already have the OS X version and want to get the PC version.

Is this machine going to be your only computer or used in tandem with a desktop machine?  Will the laptop be used just for review and file storage, or will you be processing images for final versions?   Are size, weight and cost considerations?

The more you tell us what you want from a laptop, the better recommendations we can make.

Your "ha!" and other comments tell me that you've already made up your mind for a PowerBook.  If that's the case, go for it.  I bought mine on Amazon (decent price, no sales tax, free shipping and $150 rebate).

Paul
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: gman on August 01, 2005, 07:05:06 pm
At the moment I'm using a PC. (XP pro) To be honest, I don't really believe because I'm using Windows I need to use a Win. based laptop. I just need a laptop which will do the biz. I shoot fashion and will be doing some still life as well so I know a PB is what a lot of photographers use. The screen is one of the biggest factors for me and I know that profiling will only take it so far, so if its not a good screen to begin with its really no good to me.
  I may process some images on it but I will probably do most of that on my home machine (unless I'm away in which case I will be doing processing). I won't be using it for file storage as again will transfer them on to my home machine and then be backing up onto an external HHD.
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: jd1566 on August 02, 2005, 08:18:03 am
Laptop/Notebook decisions:
I have recently decided on a laptop for full-time image work, after much debate.  I decided on a 17" wide screen Dell with all the memory, graphic card etc that it could take.  This is my main workstation for image manipulation.  For travel I have an ancient (2001 model 14" portable) laptop that I use on trips just to transfer my files and do an initial "culling" of images.  I have identical software on both machines, but obviously on the older laptop I cannot do much manipulation without running out of resources, memory etc.  This works fine for me because my trips last a few weeks and so a bit of image clean-up is necessary to make space for more.  
My main processing PC, the Dell, works quite well though is quite large, and stretches the definition of "portable" quite a bit.  Very easy to use, comfortable to type on and the screen is truly magnificent.  One thing that you run out of very quickly is hard disk space to store images.  A practical and inexpensive back-up solution is also wanting.  I burn to DVD but this takes long and 4.7Gbytes is not enough!
Initially I plan to acquire an external HDD with a 300gbte capacity at a reasonable cost of a few hundred dollars.  Anyone have other ideas about backups and Hard Disk options?
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: Graham Welland on August 02, 2005, 01:31:33 pm
I'd concur with the other experiences here that for road use a 15in laptop is far more usable overall than a 17in (PC or PB). I used a 17in PowerBook for a while and ended up moving back to a 15in model as they are actually too big and unwieldy for travel purposes - beautiful desktop replacements if you don't travel much but almost unusable on planes etc. The sheer dimensional bulk of the screen becomes an issue if you want to use the laptop in a car, on a plane, on your lap etc.

For PS work either platform will work equally well. I have a strong preference for Macs for my personal machines but that's for other reasons less tangible reasons than just photo capture/management and limited processing. If comparing equivalent PC laptop/Mac laptops you'll certainly find PC based systems cheaper - although the Mac more desirable for other reasons.
Title: What Laptop?
Post by: slow on July 24, 2006, 06:33:28 pm
Hey

I just wanted to hear how the proffesionels workflow on their powerbooks are!?

From all the way from cam to print/web!?

I hear Gwelland and Framah talking nice about mac, so I just wanted to hear how the proffesionels use them!?

I have an iBook, and its great, but it is always nice to hear how other folks are using their macs, mainly because I think I is not so productive.

And another question; are the usb on macs generally slow? - I think it last forever before my camera has been emtied to the computer. Or are you guys using firewire? (And how great is this improvement in time?)