Who Works On A Laptop / Recommendations?

Gav

Hey guys,

I did some searches here but didn't really find the answer I was looking for. I'm currently thinking about getting a laptop to work away from home, mostly just for a change of scenery. The problem I'm having is that I'm kind of in the dark when it comes to these things...no real idea what's good or what's bad. Not surfing on the cutting edge of technology. I'd want it to be able to handle ZBrush without much of a hiccup. I don't really have any brand loyalty, but I was looking at some Alienware machines.

So, I guess i actually have 2 questions...

1) Who here works on a laptop and how do you find it? Honestly I've used a laptop maybe 3 times in my life, so I'm not sure how big of a difference there is. What I'd really like to be able to do is just travel outside of my home and be able to do a little work (Like the guys that work on their novels at Starbucks!) I'm just wondering if it's easy enough to do that or if I'm expecting too much...

2) If you do have a laptop and use it for the same purpose that I would be, what do you recommend? Again, I was looking at Alienware...but really have no preference. Obviously, if there's a better machine out there dollar for dollar, I'd go after the better one. So, any recommendations based on personal experience/ knowledge?

Thanks for the help,
Gav

kwakkie

If you are going to write a novel a laptop is great for you! If you intend to make 2d/3d art I wouldnt recommend it. I have a laptop and you'd allways have to carry a mouse with you. Working in max/photoshop with a touchpad is impossible because most of the time you cant 'hold' and/or drag the mouse button very well. Also, the middle/right mouse button dont always work very well on laptops. Also, you'd have to take your wacom with you as well(unless youre good with a mouse).

Unfortunately almost all new laptops have a 'crystal' screen meaning that its almost impossible to see anything on the screen if you use them outside when the sun is shining.

On top of that, the batteries of most laptops only last for 1-3 hours, so unless you want to sit at starbucks with an extention cord, a wacom in front of you and a mouse next to your laptop, away from any bright areas, I wouldnt recommend it.

If youre going to write a novel, just buy a cheap laptop and it'll be fine, but I wouldnt recommend it for making game-art.

rollin

i knew a few people who are working with a laptop

a desktop is better (or lets say.. cheaper) but you can do A LOT with a laptop

so i´m not with kwakkie



you need ram (min 2 gig)
cpu (min dualcore)
vid-card (min 256 - 512 mb ram, not shared ram)

notman

Alienware = not worth the money (IMO). They are nice computers, but WAY overpriced

Thing you'll want to concentrate on most is video. Most laptops come with a basic video card, which is great for a majority of users, but if you want to do gaming or graphic design, then you need a decent video card. I'm not up to speed on what the latest and greatest is for video on laptops, but generally I'd avoid the Intel based video machines.

Second, make sure you do google searches on any model you're considering before you make a purchase. Look for reviews. CNet.com actually does some decent reviews on laptops. Look for battery life ratings.

Third, I personally like to look for laptops that offer 'ultra brite' displays. The name varies based on the manufacturer, but it usually says ultra ____. It's a coating they put on the display that makes it look crisper.

Finally, make sure you aren't being raped for RAM. For example: Many laptops offer a next level laptop for $200 more, and all it has is 2GB of ram instead of 1GB. RAM is cheap right now, even for laptops, and it's easy to install. It's not worth the extra cost most manufacturers charge.

As for brand names, I've liked the Gateway I bought my wife. She DID have a ram slot die, but the customer service took care of it under warranty without any hassles and it only took a week from the day it was sent to the day we got it back.
I like my HP zd8000, but their customer service BLOWS! Just ask Hawken. Overall a nice, solid laptop. They've improved them since I bought mine, but the customer service hasn't changed.
Falcon Northwest is suppose to have very nice computers also, but they are also expensive.

Also, take a trip to your local Best Buy and check out their laptops. You'll see what I mean about the 'ultra' screens. You probably won't want to buy anything there. Make sure to check the manufacturer's site first. Often they have a better deal to buy directly from them (or you can find coupon codes online).

Slum

I've taken my laptop and wacom to the park, coffee shops, library. I look like a total dork, but it does indeed work

If you are doing graphic-intensive work, you'll want to stay somewhere with power outlets because your battery will drain fast.

As for actual laptops, the dell XPS laptops are pretty powerful, and a lot cheaper than Alienware. You pay for a name and cool design with Alienware, not necessarily beefy machinery.

notman

Oh, and I don't work on laptops for living, but I've torn plenty of them appart. They use Dells here where I work, and I usually disassemble them for parts (if it's destroyed in other ways). They are constructed pretty nicely and they hold up to a lot of abuse. I've also heard they have pretty decent customer service. They own Alienware now, so a lot of their tech exists in both brands.

Gav

cheers guys, thanks for the quick response.

The desktop would still be my main workstation, but I was thinking I could use the laptop to work remotely (be it with a client or just not at home) I thought about how impractical it would be to have all the gear with me...but coffee shops and stuff here are pretty welcoming to that sort of thing. I'd favour the tablet over the mouse and just use that. I don't think that'd take up much more space than the normal laptop user / student though...definitely something to consider though, thanks

Thanks rollin for the info

cheers notman, that's a lot of useful info I don't really plan on doing any gaming, mostly just puttering with work. all of that sounds logical to me though. I was wondering how much f the price for an alienware is just the name and pretty case, hehe.

Again, thanks!
Gav

Ooops! Think i type too slow.

Hah, thanks slum! I'm aware I'd look like a total douche...but i think I'd like the change, even if it was only a few days a week. good to know I wouldn't be the only one. Thanks for the opinion on alienware

Thanks again notman, good to hear form someone who's actually ripped them apart...I've barely even touched them :P

Ryno

Hit up the discount/coupon code sites. They'll do some major discounts, and in my case it just saved me over 500 bucks.

I just got a new HP laptop (just delivered, like an hour ago), and with the discount code, it ran me just under a thousand for:

Intel Core 2 Duo 1.83 gh
17" 1680x1050
3 GB DDR2
Geforce 8600M GS 512 MB
Wireless AGN
320 Gig 5400 SATA
DVD burner, Vista, webcam, etc.

Now that is a pretty respectable machine for the money. If you're doing graphics, consider nothing less than a 17" screen. Be ready to carry a mouse and wacom with you.

Cody

I'll second Ryno's Hp vote. I bought it at Best Buy, which I never would do, but got a great deal. $550 bucks for this:

Dual Core 2.0 GHZ AMD [cheaper and just as good. Fuck Intel]
2gigs of RAM
256mb dedicated graphics card [You want this. Don't get onboard video]
250GB Hard drive
DVD burner with Lightscribe
15" Widescreen LCD

I also got Best Buy's 3 year warranty for an extra $300. So at anytime during the three years if anything happens, I get it fixed or a new laptop. So, obviously I'm gonna stomp that bitch in like 2.5 years and get a brand new one. I got it for the same reason as you. I have a screamin' fast desktop with all the fixin's, but wanted to work elsewhere, like at Empty's house. Nice to work anywhere you go. I can run Max and Mudbox just fine. Done a good bid of modeling on it. I can Mudbox a pretty high poly model with minimal slowdown, and have had absolutely NO problems with Max. Although 17" is nice, I like 15" for a few reasons. 1.PRICE [I am poor] 2.Battery life [15" lappys last a good bit longer] 3.This isn't my main computer, it's for travel and working at friend's houses [got a 22" at home, but for less than full time use 15" works great]

Sorry for long reply. No brand is perfect, but I have found this Hp fantastic. Suits my needs perfectly, and probably would suit you as well. This is one similar to mine - http://www.provantage.com/hp-compaq-kc323ua-aba~7HEWH144.htm

And yes, I have a bag big enough to bring my wacom and mouse everywhere.

Jesse Moody

I've posted before on these threads about my xps m1710. 4 gigs ram, 512 mb 7950gtx, core 2 duo. I did all my contract work on it for the past year and do all my work at home on it.

I love it.

Customer service. Best I have ever had.

Saidin311

I also do all my work on an XPS. But really though, it's attached to my desk like a desktop because of battery life, and all the other things I have plugged into it. It's also quite heavy. The bag that this XPS came with has plenty of room for all the cords, mice and tablets I need which is nice.

When I upgrade it'll be to a more powerful desktop, but I've certainly had no problems with this Dell and have been pretty happy working on a laptop.

Jeremy Lindstrom

I have a Tecra m7 T7200 laptop

Core 2 @ 2GHZ
2 GB of RAM
it came with a NVidia Quadro NVS card 256MB

It's a Tablet PC (although I rarely ever use the tablet other then for sketching) since i use the keyboard for photoshop and stuff, then i have to bust out the wacom too..

It's been very good and powerful to me. I run max and maya and Zbrush with no problems at all. It renders faster then my older PC.

Jeff Parrott

I just got a Sony Vaio laptop with dual core whatever Intel calls them today proc, few gigs of ram, a 256mb card and a bluray drive in it. It works great for game stuff. I don't do characters or much 3d personal work though. When I do work though on it I have to use an external mouse and I prefer an external keyboard. So really at that point I'm using an underpowered, more expensive, quieter desktop.

notman

Yeah, my HP is a 17" and the battery life is shit on it. But, when I bought it, I knew I was basically using it as a portable computer. I only use it to keep my work consistant between home, work, and school, so I'd always be somewhere where I could plug it in. When I'm at home, I rarely use my desktop anymore. The 17" is beautiful to do work on, but 1 hour of battery life keeps me from working on the beach

Oh, and it's heavy. The newer ones are about a pound lighter, but that doesn't amount to much.

I bought a pretty sweet backpack that HP offers and would fit my laptop. It has pockets that allow my wacom to fit perfectly. Also, for some reason as a backpack, people don't expect it to have a laptop in it, so I always think of it being less of a theft target.

thomasp

i bought a macbook as a computer-on-the-go. 13-inch tft, intel dualcore whatever, 4 gigs of ram, input device is an intuos3 a6. around 2.6 kg or so + tablet. i find it too heavy/fragile to just have it with me very often/for short trips, also a single monitor almost triggers claustrophobia for me these days. however it's easy to connect a second screen even with a different resolution without playing around with any settings, just plug and play.
it's faster than my actual desktop, so it actually get's some use even at home. the trackpad is nifty, registers two fingers for rightclick, middle button and allows for clicking directly on the pad. which is good because the normal mousebutton quite sucks.
the screen is so-so, it would be hard to see anything outside in the sun really, battery life is claimed to be up to 6 hours but i'd say it's more like 3 - 3.5 in reality and to reach 3.5, you have to turn down screen brightness below 50 %.

overall i found i am not really productive (2D/3D) if i have to work on a single screen, small wacom, crammed laptop keyboard with half the keys missing and comparably slow laptop-harddrive - for longer journeys and tasks other than something as involved as 3D it's mighty fine tho.

Joao Sapiro

got an M9750 alienware it is so good that i dont touch my desktop ( sadly ) i cant have enough of it , only bummer is the overheating due to my maltreatment of the computer hehehe , but im an ass. recomend it .

flaagan

Dell XPS system is used by a couple people here as a portable workstation, they all seem to like it. I've owned a few high-end HP Pavilions in the past and I was very happy with those.

Biggest things I can say when choosing a laptop:
- widescreen is a must... not because of the screen, but because you get a full keyboard... you'll hate swapping between a mini-laptop setup and a regular keyboard
- buy the top end you can afford, cause you're likely not going to upgrade it... but...
- dont spend *too* much on the ram, cause that can be upgraded, and usually for a decent bit less than the laptop manufacturer price when building a new system.
- don't skimp out on the video card, you *will* regret it later

sonic

I've worked in a computer repair shop and I worked IT for a large corporation, so I have seen a shit ton of broken machines. The only brand I'd recommend staying away from is Toshiba. They only break slightly more often than others, but their support is an absolute joke. At times I'd wish gonorrhea upon the entire Toshiba support staff.

Dell's Vostro series is an amazing deal for what you get. The only drawback is that it is on the heavier side. Quite frankly I am a manly man with a large package so an extra 2 pounds on my back doesn't bother me.

I got this laptop about 5 months ago:
Core2Duo 1.8ghz
2gb RAM
8600m GT 512mb dedicated
160gb HDD
15.4" Glossy (you can choose to get the non-gloss for the same price)
5 hour battery life

For about $690 + shipping. It is super sturdy and I haven't had any problems at all. It can do gaming, digital work, office shit, etc. It is solid jet black and doesn't have a shit ton of random lights everywhere, but it has nice blue LED lights for the power, caps, HDD activity, etc. I'd highly recommend it.

Use www.dealnews.com and www.techbargains.com . Dell, HP, Compaq, IBM, Lenovo, etc all go on sale very often and you can find good deals there daily.

b1ll

I work with a XPS laptop i bought like mmm 1 year or more then that.. dunno work fine for mud and max and ps, and its a good combo with ma cintiq.. Sure Ill probably buy a new desktop later this year, but , i still like the laptop.. Dont get vista tho Lol, that crap the whole deal ahahah i made sure to have the laptop with a uge screen too, Work well with ma 21xcintiqqqq yus

Jeremy Lindstrom

Yes Toshiba has shit support but my laptop is dreamy if it ever fails, I'm just gonna have to toss it.

Ruz

mine is a classed as a desktop replacement and its been ok , but i wish it had come with a dual xp vista setup:) Its an acer aspire 9920g and has a 20 inch monitor.
has an 8600 M GT vid card. (apparently the GT is important)

Its great for gaming but has been a bit disappointing for multi tasking and is rreally flipping heavy.

rawkstar

i've had multiple laptops and used all of them for work, and i found it ... just fine really, but not something you can do 8 hours a day 5 days a week, its very convenient in that you can do it anywhere, but its also not quite as ergonomic/comfortable as a chair and a pc.

the way i do it is i have a piece of wood, like a shelf from a book case will do nicely, set it on ur lap and then put a laptop and maybe a mousepad with a mouse or a tablet over to the side and it should fit just right, and then if you need to move just carry the whole setup with you, its really not too bad, much better than keeping the laptop on your lap (it gets hot) and gives you like a little mini desk setup so you can put ur mouse/tablet somewhere. its completely workable and for the longest time thats how i did the majority of my work at home.

things you need to consider when getting a laptop is the size/weight of it and what video card it comes with. 17" vs 15" is really a pretty big deal because 15" are about 5-6lbs and u can easilly pick one up with one hand, whereas 17" go up to like 12-16lbs and they get pretty bulky when you're using one all the time, but the tradeoff is that the bigger screens are usually much much better than the smaller ones. nowadays i have a 14" asus, and it works out just fine, the screen sux but its not heavy and very convenient, which i guess is basically the point.

in the end laptop vs desktop thing all really depends on how well you can organize your setup, so a laptop sitting on a pice of shelf from a bookcase could actually be more ergonomic than most cheap desks out there.

hawken

you'll need your own porter too, my old graphics beast laptop was 8kg. (the first "desktop replacement", the HP ZD2700) Thankfully there are no "early adopter" machines these days.


I work on mac hardware both at home and at work, and have a powerbook laptop which is no where near your needs (I use it for checking email, it's only 12") however a new macbook pro 17" can be picked up for just a little bit more than a windows based laptop of the same or higher spec (of course not the budget rubbish stuff) and was recommended as best laptop to run vista by whatpc or someone (memory escapes me).

512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor on new models, Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6GHz, 250gb HDD and 4gb ram. Vista not included

Best of all they are lightweight and very quiet. One of the features of my old HP beast was it's two massive fans trying desperately to cool down, or hover above the table, not sure which...

Tulkamir

Just like to throw out there that I know some people who have had Tablet PC's they worked on, and seemed to quite like. Maybe someone here can give more info on it, because I don't know how good they really are. They would just allay some of the problems I saw mentioned (Needing to carry a tablet/mouse around and such).

Oh and hawken, it was PCWorld that had the Macbook thing. Though it didn't last very long, they reviewed a PC (Phantom-X or something) that was rated faster a couple of weeks after. Fartin hardware changes too fast for that kind of thing to ever last. :P

Gav

Wow, thanks for all the useful information guys, I'll look into the suggested models. You've given me a good starting point, for sure...time to hunt, i think :P

Jeremy Lindstrom

the only problem I've had with a tablet pc is it's ok for 'general' sketching but the tablets swivel around until the keyboard is no longer accessible so it's not good for general photoshop work other then just general sketching IMO, I still have to hook up the wacom if I want to use the keyboard and shortcut keys, etc.

pliang

The only drawback would be that many of them are integrated but I just broke mine to get a replacement... I knew the fixes were prolly half assed.

On a side note...surpringly a few people are fine with their HP machines.

Gmanx

I'll put my vote in for my Dell XPS M1710. It's worked great with every app I've thrown at it. My only regret is the paltry 150 gig HD it shipped with.. Yes, it's heavy, and the battery life sucks (2 hours approx) but it's a home-based desktop replacement for me, with just the occasional trip to work.

It was recommended to me last year by the kindly folks here at PC. My other buying option was Alienware - and I'm happy with the choice I made.

Illusions

Do get one with a dedicated video card, or at least one that will support hardware rendering in your 3D application of choice...and don't be a moron like me and just assume it will work, and then discover you're permanently gimped.

Ruz

yup i did that last time and the onboard vid card didn't support any pixel shaders normal mapping etc.
Zbrush worked fine on it as it uses opengl.

so don't get onboard video which utilises the system memory to work.

StJoris

I do use a laptop much taking it to faculty and where-ever I need to be. It's a custom one, InNote/compal, which is such a standard rig you can pick and choose components. Curious how you guys move around your wacom together with laptop. I use this sleeve I bought with it, but I still have to carry it under my arm. Do you know any laptop bags that would have me fit them both in one bag?

15" laptop
A5 wide wacom

Don't mean to hijack this thread, thought it could be usefull for Gavimage too.

Gmanx

St Joris - I got a Targus ruksack with my massive Dell XPS M1710 which has room for my Intuos 3 a5wide since they're about the same length.

dom

I've been using laptops for close to 2.5 years now. I use them both for 3d sculpting and gaming. If you plan to move around a lot, my advice is to stick to to a 15 inch and when you are at home, just plug in a monitor. i started out with a dell 17 inch, which was as heavy as a brick and a year ago i switched over to a macbook pro (15 inch)

Specs wise, the mbp is pretty decent. 2.2 Ghz intel core , 4Gb of ram, Geforece 8600M 256Mb. I believe you can get a better card now. I have xp installed via bootcamp. It boots automatically into xp everytime and i only manage to get xp to use 3Gb of ram. the screen is awesome, the laptop is small and not too heavy. you could even go witha 17inch and it would be lighter and slimmer than most models.