lizardspots: More laptop help please? :3

Teh Leezard (

lizardspots) wrote,
@ 2009-07-06 11:33:00

Current mood:

busy

More laptop help please? :3
Hi guys :D

Further to my post last week about buying laptops in the States, I have decided to buy mine in the UK after all - thank you everyone for your advice, but in all honesty, I don't feel comfortable buying anything abroad. :/ I'm worried about guarantees/warranty issues cropping up, and I am completely technostupid, so chances are I *will* have problems xD

So, fellow digital artists on my flist! What laptops do you have? I am a PC girl, but I am not averse to switching to a Mac if you can convince me how and why it's better :D (and can also direct me to a Mac-compatible equivalent to Open Canvas!)

My budget is £600, and I am looking to get a desktop replacement.

At the moment, for PC, I have my eye on the Acer Aspire 8930G (18.4 inch screen!!!!) but I will need to test it out for real in a shop to make sure it's not too heavy for me. xD

Any other recommendations you guys have would be vastly appreciated! *hugs*

In other news:
I've noticed a recent splurge of new people friending me - welcome! Yayyyy :3 Thanks for friending me, I hope you will enjoy my art and non-art posts. Drop me a comment to introduce yourself! ♥

(38 comments) - (Post a new comment)

cathybites
2009-07-06 11:17 am UTC (link)

As someone who uses both a Mac and a PC every day, let me say that buying a Mac isn't worth the extra cash.

I have a Compaq Presario that's going on three years and it still runs fine (other than the clickers on the touchpad starting to wear out, but I use a mouse most of the time anyways). I know other people have had issues with Compaq products, but mine's done good by me.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	lizardspots 2009-07-06 11:26 am UTC (link)
	Thanks for the info! What do you use your mac and pc for? Internet? Art? Work stuff? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	cathybites 2009-07-06 11:28 am UTC (link)
	I use the Mac for work and the PC for home, but it's really all for the same things since my work involves art and the internet. The only difference is fanart, which I obviously don't do at work - they seem to frown on drawing penises XD. All of my own art I do on my PC. Edited at 2009-07-06 11:29 am UTC (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

lizardspots
2009-07-06 11:40 am UTC (link)

I am looking for a desktop replacement - so all the office type programs (docs, spreadsheets, powerpoint etc) as well as internet and artwork. And although the Mac looks awfully shiny and I've heard so much about how good they are for artists.... I don't think I can justify spending so much for a laptop JUST for art when art is not my actual work.

Are work/office tasks too difficult to do on a Mac?

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	cathybites 2009-07-06 11:45 am UTC (link)
	I've heard so much about how good they are for artists Not true. This used to be the case but it's really not anymore. or, not that they aren't good for artists, but they're no better than PCs. You can buy Microsoft Office for a Mac, but I think it's a lot more expensive and sometimes there are compatibility issues when working with a document created on a PC. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	lizardspots 2009-07-06 11:48 am UTC (link)
	Bah. In that case, I can't see why a Mac would be good for me at all! I think I'll stick with the PC - do you have any recommendations for PC laptops? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

cathybites
2009-07-06 01:34 pm UTC (link)

WOOHOO! Another one saved from the cult. ;P

Like I said, I have nothing but good things to say about my Compaq, and I know other people have had good luck with Acer and Sony. but, then again, I know people who refuse to go near those brands. I think the best thing is just find the one that best fits your needs and price range, and then look up reviews for it if you have any concerns.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

emerald_dragon8
2009-07-06 11:21 am UTC (link)

I have a Mac which I used with a tablet and I highly recommend them. I don't know what it's like in the UK, but go into a Mac shop and see if you can have a fiddle with one - the graphics are just so much better. I've used Corel before, which is good, but my laptop was stolen and I lost my copy of it. And at the moment I'm using Photoshop, which took me a while to get used to but I like it.

:)

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	emerald_dragon8 2009-07-06 11:23 am UTC (link)
	Also, I do use a PC, but that's for work-related things, so mostly spreadsheets and stuff. Part of the decision, I think, depends on what other functions you want - for instance, do you want to do any spreadsheet/database kind of work, or is it mostly internet and art? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	lizardspots 2009-07-06 11:29 am UTC (link)
	Thanks for your info! I am looking to get a desktop replacement, so that would include documents, spreadsheets, html editing, powerpoint (or Mac equivalent) etc etc.... as well as internet and art. With that in mind, what would you recommend? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

emerald_dragon8
2009-07-06 11:36 am UTC (link)

In that case I'd probably (loath as I am to say this) lean towards the PC - Macs are great, and if you want to spend the money on Word for Mac then I'd go for one, but for an easier time with documents, spreadsheets and powerpoint, I'd probably go for a PC, partially because they're cheaper, too. All I use my Mac for is art and the internet (and occasionally writing) - I use a PC for spreadsheets and the like because it's just simpler.

Hope this has helped a little. I would still have a look at a Mac if you have time - see if the graphics are good enough to make it worth while for you. :) And they're shiny!

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

lizardspots
2009-07-06 11:46 am UTC (link)

Yay Stephen icon love. :3 here, have another one. :D

Thank you for your info, despite your aversion to PCs! In all honesty, artwork is only a hobby of mine, and I can't justify spending so much on a laptop if work/office related tasks are so finnicky on a Mac. But yes, they are very shiny, aren't they? :3 Thank you for all your advice!

For the PC laptop, do you have any recommendations?

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	emerald_dragon8 2009-07-06 11:40 am UTC (link)
	And ICON LOVE, btw! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	HP Touch 2 dashamus 2009-07-06 11:35 am UTC (link)
	Mia and I were looking at an HP Touch 2 at the weekend. The whole 14" screen is a tablet and it spins to form a normal desktop. I think its a bit above your price though :( ~£700-750. But definitely look, even if it just for squee value S (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: HP Touch 2 lizardspots 2009-07-06 11:42 am UTC (link)
	Ouch! Yeah, that's too expensive for me - I don't think I can justify spending that much for squeeworthy tablet joy. :( Also, how are you and Mia? Haven't spoken to you guys in a while. :D (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	Re: HP Touch 2 dashamus 2009-07-06 11:49 am UTC (link)
	On the converse to that, you would get a laptop and a 14" wacom tablet for that price ;) I'm getting wacoms that size for about £200 so you could consider it a normal laptop + a big fancy wacom We are good, both stressing over theses S (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	Re: HP Touch 2 lizardspots 2009-07-06 11:52 am UTC (link)
	Hee, that does sound amazing, but I am already getting a big fancy Wacom (12 inch) from a friend who never uses hers. Woe for stress! Sending good karma your way. ^_^ (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Re: HP Touch 2 frek 2009-07-06 12:42 pm UTC (link)
	On the downside, the Touch screen laptops don't have pressure sensitivity. So, even though you can draw on them, it's not anything like using a tablet. I was really disappointed when I found that out. (Reply to this) (Parent)

ook
2009-07-06 12:00 pm UTC (link)

As a person who has used both PC and Mac laptops and desktops for home and work, I suggest getting a PC. A PC will be cheaper and you'll find more software to use on it. There's no Mac equivalent to Open Canvas.

The main thing (if you get a PC) is whether you want Vista or XP. Vista is a real RAM hog, so you'll want as much RAM as you can afford. Also, some older programs won't run on 64-bit Vista (which is what most new PCs come with these days). If you want to use XP, be sure to get a computer that will be able to run XP (or at least 32-bit Vista). Some of the newer CPU processors (like the i7 chips) can't run XP.

Something to remember as well (if you buy a Mac), is that some of the older Mac software will NOT work on the new Macs that are being produced these days. Apple used to be totally backwards compatible, but that is a thing of the past (due to the CPU chips they are using now). This changeover was rolled in last year.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

snakeling
2009-07-06 05:44 pm UTC (link)

The main thing (if you get a PC) is whether you want Vista or XP.
At this point, I'd just wait for Windows 7 to be released (or make sure that the free upgrade is included in the price). While I haven't used it personally (or Vista, tbh), my brother has, and it's apparently much less a resource-hog, and all around much better and more usable than Vista. I could ask him for what's different, if you're interested.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

ikky
2009-07-06 12:16 pm UTC (link)

I've used Mac and PC and I would not buy a PC again. I believe all the new Macs come with BootCamp, a program which allows you to use both the Windows Os and Mac Os on the same machine, you can buy a copy of Windows XP and run your PC programs right on your Mac. I also run Microsoft Word on my Mac and have never had a problem, and you can get the home/student edition for $130, which is comparable to the PC version.

That being said, I have not had any of the viruses and other nasties that PCs get regularly on my Mac. How many PC users can say that they've never had a virus?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	ook 2009-07-06 12:49 pm UTC (link)
	That's the one thing to remember about Macs, they're much more harder to for viruses and bugs to infect (although it's not impossible -- I've gotten Mac-based viruses before). If viruses have been a big problem for you in the past, then you might consider a Mac. (Reply to this) (Parent)

jou
2009-07-06 01:15 pm UTC (link)

"I've used Mac and PC and I would not buy a PC again."

This is generally my sentiment, though not for any of the reasons that Lizard specified. I've just had so much trouble in the past with PCs breaking, crashing, getting viruses, losing my files... and I'm not the technogeek I wish I was, so I feel a bit lost when that happens. I like Mac's Applecare program, and the fact that they're helpful and speedy as hell with repairs.

So yeah, I don't know that I can say that my mac is any greater for making art than my PC was, but I definitely feel much safer using it.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	hope_guides_me 2009-07-06 01:42 pm UTC (link)
	It also doesn't suck that their Applecare agents speak English as a first language. I could never understand the tech support agents for Dell. (Reply to this) (Parent)

frek
2009-07-06 12:33 pm UTC (link)

As someone who has used both macs and windows pcs (and who sells both as well), I'd just stick with a windows computer. You can get the same programs (mostly) on a mac or a pc, but PCs are just more universally compatible with all the different stuff you can get (like opencanvas). Not to mention you can get a pc equal in features to a mac for about half the price.

Some people are talking about Vista being a resources hog - and it is - but Microsoft is releasing Windows 7 on October 22 (In the US, i'm not sure if the release is the same in the UK?). And I know at least in the US most manufacturer's are offering a free upgrade to windows 7 when you buy a pc between now and October 22 - again not sure if they are in the UK. I'm currently running a release candidate of Windows 7 on my computer and I can tell you it's worth the upgrade, even if you have to pay for it. It's trimmed down from Vista, has the features that made Vista nice and will work with all those things that Vista didn't work with. (Basically it's what Vista should have been.)

After you've decided mac vs pc, it doesn't matter which brand you go with. Honestly, the parts all come from the same place so other than maybe customer service, they're all the same.

If you have any questions at all, just let me know. I work with this stuff every day so I can help if you need it. :)

(Reply to this) (Thread)

frek
2009-07-06 12:39 pm UTC (link)

Also? Just so you know, a laptop that large is going to weigh quite a bit and not be real portable. Most laptops come with a 15.4" screen and honestly, it's a lot larger than you'd think it'd be. (The laptop I use has a 13" screen, which is suitable even for doing artwork on it.)

Also? When they list the battery life in the information, it's a good rule of thumb to divide that in half. Realistically, nobody gets the quoted battery life. Another reason such a large screen is bad - they kill battery life - unless you plan on leaving it plugged in most of the time.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	hope_guides_me 2009-07-06 01:40 pm UTC (link)
	My first laptop was an Acer Aspire. I've recently turned into a machead, but I'd never buy another Acer... not without getting their extended warranty, at least. (Reply to this)

freckles42
2009-07-06 04:33 pm UTC (link)

I love my HP Pavilion (I have a dv6000, which is about 18 months old). I do ALL my creative work on here - I have the full Adobe suite, my wacom tablet, and pretty much every creative application I could need. Only thing I wish I had was Final Cut Pro, which is Mac-only. I just make do with Adobe Premiere Pro.

Anyway! I built my computer on the HP site - it cost about $1000 (about 610 pounds). You could probably get it under your budget - I built my for art AND gaming (I play World of Warcraft) so I got a huge graphics card upgrade, the most ram they could jam in there, and the fastest processors.

However, I can play WoW, run Photoshop, and have firefox and trillian open with no problems. :)

Just make sure you get a great firewall and virus scanner - those are worth the investment!

(Reply to this)

amorettea
2009-07-06 05:10 pm UTC (link)

I live in a Mac based world due to education and newspaper layout preferring their formats. Biggest advantage: ease of use (I have a friend who set up my PC at work. He used to design software for Microsoft and can't get the system to stop trying to install Windows every time I open Word. Seriously, a team leader on the early development of Vista. Big time PC and Windoze knowledge and he still can't fix the damn bug.) and much less concern with viruses and other malware.

And about battery life: the test is run with the screen OFF and the CPU running at 75%. Really. That is the standard. It's like testing gas mileage by running a car downhill out of gear. So, if you are not actually using your computer, you can get four hours out of your battery. Doing anything heavy in the graphics and wham! make sure you have the AC plug-in.

(Reply to this)

deathbringer
2009-07-06 06:05 pm UTC (link)

DO NOT go for a "cheap" online computer seller, such as Time (the one i used), as if it's broken (like mine was) getting it fixed is like getting a tap dance from a stone. In fact the only way they took mine back in the end was because my dad luckily discovered the courier company they used was round the corner from where he worked, so he took it to them. If i had been living in Scotland or something, or if dad worked in an office or something somewhere else, i'd probably still be waiting for them to come and get it now.
I understand Acer ones to be "budget" ones sold in Tesco and the like, well come to think of it most of the computers we've had have been from Tesco and have been servicable, i suppose. They are usually good enough for the latest games to come out at the moment they are sold to be run in "medium quality" XD. But are not too future proof. Then again as you'll probably be using it for art and not GTAIV, then it ought to be perfick.
Oh, i think some older peripherals like tablets don't work with Vista, or at least they didn't when it was released, there might be backwards-compatible drivers now. Or maybe it's impossible so that Microsoft ensures everybody "upgrades" to the "latest level of compatitbility" by having to buy all new printers and things to go with thier new computer and bin otherwise perfectly good ones they had before.
Also a new windows is coming out later in the year and it's supposed to be a lot better than Vista. That's "better" in the terms of real people who live in the real world, and not Microsoft marketing, so i'm inclined to actually beleive it XD.

(Reply to this)

	moonytoes 2009-07-06 06:20 pm UTC (link)
	I wouldn't even glance at an Acer. They're cheap but in a nasty way. But I'm afraid I can't recommend anything else! Bf's family have PC Toshiba makes which have big clear screens and no problems as of yet. :) (Reply to this)

its_art
2009-07-06 07:14 pm UTC (link)

I'm a dyed-in-the-wood Mac girl, but from the sounds of your budgetary restrictions and needs, I'd just stick with a PC. It is costly to switch. And the most decent Macs are going to cost you extra (I personally think they're worth it, but it seems others don't agree with me, so I'll just go with the flow).

For fan art on the Mac, I use Photoshop/Illustrator... But that's a lot more intensive (especially monetarily) than open canvas).

(Reply to this)

	faynia 2009-07-06 08:00 pm UTC (link)
	Feeling indecisive are we? ^___^ (Reply to this)

veryshortlist
2009-07-06 08:33 pm UTC (link)

I've been using my mac laptop for about two years and while I like it, it's because I like the layout, the colors, how my folders are organized in a way I understand. It makes sense to me. I used my friend's Dell and it was less intuitive. I couldn't search the whole system, for instance. Or maybe I could, and just didn't figure out how.

That said, macs cost about twice as much as pcs of the same memory and processor type, and it's not so worth it. I'm thinking about getting a pc after this computer, though that won't be for awhile.

If you're going to be using it as a desktop, obviously get as much memory as you can afford, because the industry standard doubles every 18 months, and you're going to need more down the line. Like several people said, after a point, laptops are pretty much all the same, and the biggest difference becomes the quality of customer service. I've heard good things about Sony. Dell's is not as good.

(Reply to this)

	cassandramalfoy 2009-07-06 09:21 pm UTC (link)
	I don't blame you Lizard, better to be safe than sorry. :D I have a new Windows Vista HP 2009 laptop since my old laptop sadly died after five years; I haven't uploaded ant open canvas or anything yet so instead I think I'm going to just buy open canvas from best buy later when I have enough saved up. (Reply to this)

	one_short_fuse 2009-07-06 10:03 pm UTC (link)
	Don't know if this will mean much, in terms of Mac vs. PC, but... I have a Dell Inspiron 1525, it had vista - I wiped the hard drive and put OS X on it, and it's WAY faster. I paid about $650 for it a year ago (refurbished), I'm going to buy a license for OS X, and overall, I probably saved about $1000. (Reply to this)

	theheartless69 2009-07-06 11:17 pm UTC (link)
	PC all the way :D (Reply to this)

ashkitty
2009-07-08 09:14 am UTC (link)

I have a mid-range Gateway laptop (MT3705 or something like that, it's a few years old and is probably called something else now) which is actually awesome and has worked really well. It weighs about 4 pounds so is nice and light, and runs everything I want it to, though I did wipe Vista off it and install XP within about 24 hours of owning it. I'm not an artist, so I cannot help you there, but do like to run lots of resource-hoggy things all at once.

I dislike Macs, part of which is the interface, which is a personal thing, and part is how hard they are to take apart and fix yourself--I've sort of been keeping track, and Macs break or die just as much as PCs do; I'm not really sure why people keep insisting otherwise. There aren't as many viruses for Macs, but it's not like keeping viruses off the PC is all that hard. The only thing that's broken on my gateway so far is part of the keyboard, and that's because I missed a screw when I was taking it apart and sort of snaped it off--definitely my fault, not theirs! (...I sort of take stuff apart a lot.)

(Reply to this)

(38 comments) - (Post a new comment)

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