# In need of a good WINDOWS laptop for Photography



## PandaPhotography (Aug 9, 2011)

I am a first year photography student and my laptop decided to take a crap on me. I use a canon rebel T3 and RAW imaging. So, I use a LOT of space. I, also, have Photoshop Elements and Adobe CS4 Extended. So, once again I need a lot of space. And on top of that I need affordable...meaning less then a thousand dollars. I am a student and only work part time. That is why I am making it clear I WANT A WINDOWS COMPUTER. I can*NOT* afford a Mac and honestly I was raised using windows. It is what I am used to even though I can use both without any problem. Hopeful you guys can help me. Thank you in advance for your help and time

*EDIT:* I HAVE an external hard drive. I have a desktop. I need a laptop for class! A desktop is not portable.


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## CCericola (Aug 9, 2011)

You don't need a laptop with a lot of space. You need a laptop with a lot of RAM. 
Also, You need a way to back up your files. Please don't leave them on your hard drive.


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## analog.universe (Aug 9, 2011)

I would buy a refurbished Dell (probably with an i5 in it), from outlet.dell.com.  And I would also buy two 2TB external hard drives for storing your images on.  That way if one crashes (and it will, eventually), everything's on the other one.


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## Mesoam (Aug 9, 2011)

if you're just concerned about space as opposed to portability go with a laptop with the best video you can afford, crappy video/screen = crappy prints


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## table1349 (Aug 9, 2011)

First, a laptop is not a good photo editing machine.  For under $1,000 you won't find one with an IPS screen.  To get an IPS screen you need to either, (a) spend more than $1,000 or (b) buy an external IPS monitor to go with it.  The Dell U2410 gets good reviews but is half of your budget.  The other problem with a laptop screen is consistency.  A consistent viewing angle is important if you are wanting to edit photos and you don't get consistency with a fold open laptop screen.  

Second.  You need processing power and Ram not storage space on board.  For storage you can get an external drive to hold the photos.  Get a pair so you can back them up.


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## KmH (Aug 9, 2011)

Laptops are notorious for being poor image editing platforms.

Most have a twisted nematic (TN) type of display that has limited accurate viewing angles. Another issue is the lack of calibration adjustments and the fact that the display would need to be re-calibrated when used under differnt lighting conditions.

An in-plane switching (IPS) display is preferredd for image editing, because of display wide accurate viewing angles. Many image editors use an external IPS display they plug into their laptops if their laptop has a TN type diplay.

As mentioned, laptop RAM capacity can also be an issue, particularly with CS 4 Extended and it's OpenGL rendering. Be sure the laptop can hold 4 GB of RAM.


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## PandaPhotography (Aug 9, 2011)

CCericola said:


> You don't need a laptop with a lot of space. You need a laptop with a lot of RAM.
> Also, You need a way to back up your files. Please don't leave them on your hard drive.


Already have everything backed up. I do it every other week.


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## PandaPhotography (Aug 9, 2011)

gryphonslair99 said:


> First, a laptop is not a good photo editing machine.  For under $1,000 you won't find one with an IPS screen.  To get an IPS screen you need to either, (a) spend more than $1,000 or (b) buy an external IPS monitor to go with it.  The Dell U2410 gets good reviews but is half of your budget.  The other problem with a laptop screen is consistency.  A consistent viewing angle is important if you are wanting to edit photos and you don't get consistency with a fold open laptop screen.
> 
> Second.  You need processing power and Ram not storage space on board.  For storage you can get an external drive to hold the photos.  Get a pair so you can back them up.



Yes I know a laptop is not good and I have a desktop. Which is how I am  on right now. But for college I need a laptop because I think it will be  very hard to carry a desktop from class to class.


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## johnh2005 (Aug 9, 2011)

PandaPhotography said:


> gryphonslair99 said:
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> > First, a laptop is not a good photo editing machine.  For under $1,000 you won't find one with an IPS screen.  To get an IPS screen you need to either, (a) spend more than $1,000 or (b) buy an external IPS monitor to go with it.  The Dell U2410 gets good reviews but is half of your budget.  The other problem with a laptop screen is consistency.  A consistent viewing angle is important if you are wanting to edit photos and you don't get consistency with a fold open laptop screen.
> ...



Sheesh lazy much?  lol  Anyway, try an Asus laptop.  They make some nice laptops.  I am sure you can find one under $1000.


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## PandaPhotography (Aug 9, 2011)

johnh2005 said:


> PandaPhotography said:
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Ha ha. Not strong enough. My school books are a pain enough. And alright I will check them out. Never heard of an Asus so it is something new. Thanks =D


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## Phranquey (Aug 9, 2011)

PandaPhotography said:


> johnh2005 said:
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Got an Asus G73, and it's an absolute_ powerhouse _of a laptop for the $$.... but the screen still SUX for editing.


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## chakalakasp (Aug 9, 2011)

RAM is most important.  Get 12 or 16 gb of RAM - DDR3 memory for laptops runs around $30 for 4 gigs, so this is a cheap way to boost performance.


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## PandaPhotography (Aug 10, 2011)

Phranquey said:


> PandaPhotography said:
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I can deal with a sucky screen for the few hours I am out and about. I checked into a few Asus laptop last night. I was impressed by what I saw.


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## Phranquey (Aug 10, 2011)

PandaPhotography said:


> Phranquey said:
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Well, don't get me wrong, it's definitely not a "sucky" screen...     I've got the Blu-Ray player with the HD screen, and it's heavenly for watching DVD's & surfing, but it's still marginal for "real" editing..... IF you can deal with that, Asus is great performance for the buck.


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