Any recommendations of laptop for photoediting?


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Kongo

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Apr 6, 2005
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Thinking of getting a better laptop that can do photo-editing better..

Only owned a Netbook at the moment, other than being slow, the mediocre screen quality make it very hard to do decent PP.. my spyder 2 doesnt seems to work with it too.. :think:

Can give me some recommendations of decent laptops for the purpose, don't need to be able to handle demanding 3 D games..

Prefer good screen and decent speed.. and portability too..

Budget the lower the better.. I can stretch to $2k+ if necessary, but if can stay under $2k it ll be best..

Macbook looks great.. but a bit worry abt software compatibility.. I uses Corel Graphic Suite quite often.. dunno can support or not..
 

i think corel is compatible with mac..

i use a macbook pro.. and it's great

but now that windows 7 is out.. doesn't really make a difference
 

anything with 2-4gb and a decent graphics card will handle lightroom and photoshop quite fine...
as for processors, if you can afford quad core go for it but dual core doesnt have any problems..

I'm running an intel core 2 duo with 1gb nvidia graphics card and 2gb of ram on my desktop... I can run photoshop, lightroom and itunes at the same time without any lag so.. haha
 

Thanks for the feedback.. :)

i think corel is compatible with mac..

i use a macbook pro.. and it's great

but now that windows 7 is out.. doesn't really make a difference

I am a bit particular with the screen quality too..
Some latptop monitor looks way too bluish, dim and with limited viewing angles..
Prefer the color accuracy and punch of good monitor.. like those from mac and sony..
Using a NEC MultiSync 20WGX2 IPS panel at home at the moment, may not have the widest color gamut or the accuracy of the top end model but I tot the images looked as shiok as a Mac after calibration..

anything with 2-4gb and a decent graphics card will handle lightroom and photoshop quite fine...
as for processors, if you can afford quad core go for it but dual core doesnt have any problems..

I'm running an intel core 2 duo with 1gb nvidia graphics card and 2gb of ram on my desktop... I can run photoshop, lightroom and itunes at the same time without any lag so.. haha
 

ahh yeeh
in that case if your looking at PC's sony vaios might be worth looking at...
I have to admit im not a big fan of their cameras, but their computers and PS3's are boss. haha
 

Get a colormunki or Huey Pro calibrator to get the best results... LED screens are really good looking .. like the ones on macs.. but LED is pretty common nowadays..

My preferred brand of laptops is HP/Sony.. HP service is really good
 

How about Dell laptop? The Vostro or Precision Series? Looking at a laptop that have no webcam (due to company policy of no camera at workplace) but powerful enough to photoshop. Or any other brands. Thanks
Cheers
 

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Sorry Kongo for hijacking your thread but I think the response to this question might help with your decision as well. :)

I did a search regarding laptops for photo editing and the majority of clubsnap members prefer the Macbook Pro. I am inclined to getting the Mac book pro because of it's design, the reputation, screen quality and the fact that it does not crash as often as a PC.

However, I've come across the following laptops which are not only cheaper, lighter but have better specs than the macbook pros. I'm pretty sure the Mac club snap members did their research and have come across laptops like the ones below. So why did they go with the Mac despite the better specs? Does the Mac have something more than what the specs offers?

( note: Prices for 1,2 are student prices)

1)
14.1 inch WXGA display Fujitsu LifeBook 6520WS

Price : S$1,938.00
2.53GHz Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8700
4GB DDR3 1066MHz
320GB SATA HDD
Dual Layer Super Multi Writer (DVD+ R/RW/RAM)
Approximately 1.7kg

2)
14.1 inch WXGA display Lenovo ThinkPad T400

Price : S$1,599.00 (S$1,710 w/GST)

2.53GHz Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8700
4GB DDR3 1066MHz
320GB SATA HDD
Dual Layer Super Multi Writer (DVD+ R/RW/RAM)
Approximately 1.9kg

3) Macbook Pro 13"
Price: S$ 2,147.99 incl. GST
2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
160GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Approximately 2.0kg
 

Hmmm.. OK, maybe I ll simplify my requirements..

Can someone recommend me a laptop, windows or macs, with a nice, good screen. Hopefully, color and contrast looks right for photoediting, thou I hv a spyder 2 to calibrate it if necessary..
 

Hmmm.. OK, maybe I ll simplify my requirements..

Can someone recommend me a laptop, windows or macs, with a nice, good screen. Hopefully, color and contrast looks right for photoediting, thou I hv a spyder 2 to calibrate it if necessary..

Any one of them ranging from $800 to $5k is decent. Even the Acer One netbook I'm using is passable after I calibrated with Spyder3. The software could not run properly because of the limited vertical resolution, so I had to use an external monitor to see the bottom of the dialogue where there are buttons I need to click.
 

Get a laptop that has a processor 2.4 GHz and higher, Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad best. HDD 500GB, graphics Ati or Nvidia also can as long as its 512mb or higher. Should not cost more than $1299.
 

I'm using a very basic specs for my school/photo editing laptop.
A normal Compaq laptop with Photoshop. (Compaq V3700 series - near to 3yrs old model).
*running on Vista

It works fine with me.

I'm also doing some simple editing with my Lenovo S-10 pocket PC, using PhotoImpact 12.
No complaints with it. ;)
*running on XP
 

Ditto.

Now using the elitebook 8730W with the HP dreamcolor panel, 3.06ghz core2extreme cpu, 8gb ram and Win7 x64.

This baby can handle 2.4gb 16bit PSD files with full AdobeRGB colors without any difficulty. =)

I would dare say this is one of the top few photoshop mobile workstation configs available till the Core i7 version comes out.

I like macbookpros but the BIGGEST problem about them is that their screens are LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE to calibrate/profile.
 

Ditto.

Now using the elitebook 8730W with the HP dreamcolor panel, 3.06ghz core2extreme cpu, 8gb ram and Win7 x64.

This baby can handle 2.4gb 16bit PSD files with full AdobeRGB colors without any difficulty. =)

I would dare say this is one of the top few photoshop mobile workstation configs available till the Core i7 version comes out.

I like macbookpros but the BIGGEST problem about them is that their screens are LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE to calibrate/profile.

Do you find the weight a bit on the heavy side for a portable solution? --> "Starting at 7.5 lb (3.40 kg)"
 

Just a thought to TS.
Is it necessary to use the screen of notebook for photoediting?

I.e. is it editing on the move, or comforts at home?
13" and 15" notebook can be a compromise in price, as well as weight.
MBP 15" is not cheap, btw.

I am asking this because the LCD panels (20" , 22") can be pretty cheap/ reasonable,
compared to the size it offers.
You have more room for placing your palettes or open more windows if you
use multiple monitors to span your notebook to LCD monitor.

I understand Samsung 22" is priced at ~$300.

It is definitely not at the level of IPS, but with Spyder for color calibration, still a workable solution? A tablet (another $200) and 22" screen sounds like a good environment for photoediting? :)
 

Do you find the weight a bit on the heavy side for a portable solution? --> "Starting at 7.5 lb (3.40 kg)"
it's a little heavy but it's still very portable when you use a backpack.
 

Oh.. I ll definitely use my desktop for photoediting when I am at home..

I need a laptop that can surf net and do photo editing becos I was outstationed at China very frequently recently and joined some of their organised photoshoot over there.. I do not have a fixed place of resident there so buying a desktop and fixed it there is not feasible..

I used to edit and post the photos only after I returned from the trip, which is 1 or 2 weeks after the shoot.. but the style of the group shoot organisers there usually request participants to post in around 3 days.. so bo bian I think of getting a more decent laptop to replace my net book so I can start to edit the pics over there..

I guess the limited resolution of my current ASUS N10J (1024x600, I think) could be the reason why my calibration with Spyder2 failed, as someone has pointed out above.. :think:

Just a thought to TS.
Is it necessary to use the screen of notebook for photoediting?

I.e. is it editing on the move, or comforts at home?
13" and 15" notebook can be a compromise in price, as well as weight.
MBP 15" is not cheap, btw.

I am asking this because the LCD panels (20" , 22") can be pretty cheap/ reasonable,
compared to the size it offers.
You have more room for placing your palettes or open more windows if you
use multiple monitors to span your notebook to LCD monitor.

I understand Samsung 22" is priced at ~$300.

It is definitely not at the level of IPS, but with Spyder for color calibration, still a workable solution? A tablet (another $200) and 22" screen sounds like a good environment for photoediting? :)
 

Oh.. I ll definitely use my desktop for photoediting when I am at home..

I need a laptop that can surf net and do photo editing becos I was outstationed at China very frequently recently and joined some of their organised photoshoot over there.. I do not have a fixed place of resident there so buying a desktop and fixed it there is not feasible..

I used to edit and post the photos only after I returned from the trip, which is 1 or 2 weeks after the shoot.. but the style of the group shoot organisers there usually request participants to post in around 3 days.. so bo bian I think of getting a more decent laptop to replace my net book so I can start to edit the pics over there..

I guess the limited resolution of my current ASUS N10J (1024x600, I think) could be the reason why my calibration with Spyder2 failed, as someone has pointed out above.. :think:


System requirements for he spyder2 are, Color monitor resolution 1024x768 or greater

Have you tried hooking up an external monitor? The other user never mentioned if they were successful in calibrating their screen.
 

Havent thought of that method.. can connect to an external monitor or tv that exceed vertical resolution of 768 and calibrate my laptop monitor at the same time?

connect via VGA output or HDMI? both can work?

thanks for the tips..

Any one of them ranging from $800 to $5k is decent. Even the Acer One netbook I'm using is passable after I calibrated with Spyder3. The software could not run properly because of the limited vertical resolution, so I had to use an external monitor to see the bottom of the dialogue where there are buttons I need to click.
 

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