# Which of these two laptops would be good for photoshop ?



## frankosmusica (Jun 7, 2010)

Hi im new to photography, but soon i hope will learn. All i want to know is if this Hp pavilion dm3 with 4gb and a dual core 1.6ghz will be good enough to run photoshop or will it freeze up in the process ??? i really like this due to the portability. I know a desktop would be way better but for now i would like to get a laptop and get the practice started


 [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Pavilion-DM3-1130US-13-3-Inch-Laptop-Silver/dp/B00318CG8C]Amazon.com: HP Pavilion DM3-1140US 13.3-Inch Laptop: Computer & Accessories[/ame]



or this one ? i really dont like this hp but its a intel dual core 2.1ghz with 4gb ram


[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Pavilion-DV4-1220US-14-1-Inch-Processor-Premium/dp/B001NPDKWG]Amazon.com: HP Pavilion DV4-1220US 14.1-Inch Laptop (2.0 GHz AMD Turion X2 RM-72 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium): Computer & Accessories[/ame]




PLEASE let me know i am looking to make a decision by tomorrow and buy one of these two


----------



## AnneRiceBowl (Jun 7, 2010)

Either one will be fine. The one major thing I do not like about either is the size. I have a 15" Toshiba laptop I use, and I speak from experience to get a BIGGER screen. Editing, even on a 15" monitor, is a GIANT PITA and it eats up production/processing/editing time.


----------



## Live_free (Jun 7, 2010)

lulz... HP...

Do you want to know where HP gets their parts? Every year when computer stores don't sell their stock they sell it back to big companies like HP for use in their computers. Basically its all the crap parts. Most of them are unmarked, unnamed, and just garbage. You get what you pay for on a computer of that price, it will last you a year, if that, and die. You would be better off building a computer, its very easy. You could get name brand parts and a better package for around the same price. Also the 4gb ram aren't going to be of much help with a 1.6ghz processor. Basically both of those computers can run it but both of their monitors will have problems as they are built from bad parts. Bad parts usually means display problems as well, you may luck out, but most likely not. Basically the color you see will be different from the actual color. If you MUST get a laptop DONT, EVER, I repeat EVER buy an HP, Dell, or any of those cheap brands. It's like buying a used 92 Honda. Not smart.


----------



## Big Mike (Jun 7, 2010)

Laptops aren't a good idea for photo editing.


----------



## bigtwinky (Jun 7, 2010)

Both are pretty much similar and should give you the same type of performance in Photoshop.

Will it be great?  Probably not.  But again, it depends on what you will be doing in Photoshop.  Some longer processing might take a while, few mins, to get done.  But if you are just doing basic adjustments to an image, it should be ok.  If you get into multiple layers and so on, then you are handling big size files.

The hard drive is slow in the second one at onl 5400 rpm.  The first has a 7200 rpm.  While the second has a bigger monitor (not by much though), the second has a bigger and faster hard drive.


----------



## AnneRiceBowl (Jun 7, 2010)

Live_free said:


> lulz... HP...
> 
> Do you want to know where HP gets their parts? Every year when computer stores don't sell their stock they sell it back to big companies like HP for use in their computers. Basically its all the crap parts. Most of them are unmarked, unnamed, and just garbage. You get what you pay for on a computer of that price, it will last you a year, if that, and die. You would be better off building a computer, its very easy. You could get name brand parts and a better package for around the same price. Also the 4gb ram aren't going to be of much help with a 1.6ghz processor. Basically both of those computers can run it but both of their monitors will have problems as they are built from bad parts. Bad parts usually means display problems as well, you may luck out, but most likely not. Basically the color you see will be different from the actual color. If you MUST get a laptop DONT, EVER, I repeat EVER buy an HP, Dell, or any of those cheap brands. It's like buying a used 92 Honda. Not smart.



Yeah that, and I agree that HP and other cheap brands are to be left on the shelf, however the OP is looking for something that is _portable_, which a desktop is not. 

When I was shopping for a new laptop May '09, I took the time and did not rush myself when doing research. I went with a Toshiba Satellite with 250G hard drive and 3G RAM. I have since upgraded to 4G RAM. I run AutoDesk software (3D modeling and animation software), most of the Adobe CS3 programs, Flash CS4, and a few Adobe CS5 programs (will be fully upgraded to  CS5 in a few weeks), and I have no issues, especially since I upgraded the RAM. The Toshiba Satellite I have has a 64-bit dual core AMD processor. The only thing I have had to replace since I bought it in May '09 was one of the RAM cards, but it was a quick and easy fix, and I took the opportunity to add a gig of RAM. Mine also came with Windows Vista, which will is also being upgraded to Windows 7 in a few weeks. As with any laptop, you will need to keep the air vents cleaned out, or it will overheat, but this can be maintained with a simple can of compressed air.

I've heard nothing but great things about Toshiba, and many people agree that they are the best non-Mac laptops.

I was fortunate enough to catch mine on sale. It was $647-ish after tax, including the anti-virus software. A good tip, especially if you have any friends or family that are computer repair people or if you are a computer person, is to not buy the gimmick store warranties and repair options, which will drive up the final cost(s) of the computer.

ETA: Like BigMike stated, laptops are not good for photo editing. The monitors cannot be calibrated, for one. Also, because of the screen size, it's very difficult to see and catch and do small, detailed work. You can try to hook-up a larger monitor to the laptop.


----------



## PushingTin (Jun 7, 2010)

i recommend a macbook if u can afford it...


----------



## icassell (Jun 7, 2010)

AnneRiceBowl said:


> ETA: Like BigMike stated, laptops are not good for photo editing. The monitors cannot be calibrated, for one. .



This is not entirely correct.  I have no difficulty calibrating the monitor on my Dell Latitude 830 (although I usually use it with an outboard IPS panel monitor).  The problem with the laptop monitor is that viewing angle is critical and that is beyond annoying.  The computer itself was great for editing for my Canon 30D with 8MP RAW files. I am replacing it (should be here this week) with a desktop i7 quad core now that I have a 7D with much larger files.


----------



## NateS (Jun 7, 2010)

I don't know....I've heard about not using a laptop for editing.  I have an HP DM3 laptop and I use it for editing with no problems.  I haven't calibrated it, but every single time I print through zenfolio/mpix, my colors in the prints are spot on EXACT with what is shown on my laptop.  Viewing angle also doesn't change the contrast on this screen unless you get some pretty extreme angles.

I do have a desktop that is "beefier" inside and has a much bigger screen...yeah, it's nicer to use, but my little laptop works wonders when I need it to.


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 7, 2010)

so between these two wich on should i get i know the screen is small, but like i said i want portability for now and later on i will hook it to a monitor thats after i get some experience doing this but right now i need a laptop and these two caught my eyes please let me know wich one would be better k thanks


----------



## icassell (Jun 7, 2010)

I would stay away from Vista.  My kids have had nothing but problems with that OS (I use XP Pro on my laptop, but am getting Win 7 with my new desktop beast).  I don't know why anyone would still sell a vista machine now that Win 7 is out.


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 7, 2010)

about the operating system dont worry i will maybe downgrade to xp or get windows 7 so what you guys think which one ?


----------



## icassell (Jun 7, 2010)

I have no experience with HP laptops, so can't help there.


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 7, 2010)

i need more help


----------



## NateS (Jun 7, 2010)

frankosmusica said:


> so between these two wich on should i get i know the screen is small, but like i said i want portability for now and later on i will hook it to a monitor thats after i get some experience doing this but right now i need a laptop and these two caught my eyes please let me know wich one would be better k thanks



I have a DM3-1030us.  I love it.  Even when I'm in the living room with the desktop computer, I often use this laptop to edit my pictures...it does such a great job.  It is a small screen, but I can zoom in for detail to see what I need.  As for portability, I love the size and it is lightweight and easy to haul.

Mine has 4gb of ram and a AMD Dual Core 1.6ghz proc.  Processor may seem on the slow side but as a dual core, it is plenty fast.  Not as fast as my desktop, but it's not really slow either.  I edit D90 RAW's just fine usin Capture NX2.

As I mentioned already, the screen's default settings match my prints basically spot on, it is crystal clear and doesn't have much change in picture until at extreme angles.  I love my DM3 and would highly recommend it.  My mom has a DM4 and she really likes it as well...it's a little bigger and heavier than what I prefer though, but it is also a great laptop.

Hope that helps.  You can feel free to see my website and the insect section.  Most of those were edited with that laptop so you can judge for yourself if the colors look right to you (on your screen at least).


Looks like the DM3 you linked has basically identical specs to mine.  Mine is Windows 7 64 bit and I love it.  I've had no problems with this OS and no problems with my editing programs running on it.  I think the 64bit is a lot of why it runs so well regardless of the somewhat slower processor.

As for battery.....you will not get 5.5 hours...I've not been able to do that at all.  If you browse the web and nothing else with the screen on 50% brightness, you'll get 3 to 3 1/2 hours which is good enough for me.  If you are doing much editing, you'll burn through the battery quick....like an hour...but I always just plug into the wall when editing.


----------



## rpm (Jun 7, 2010)

frank: don't get the 13inch laptop, the AMD Neo is not compareable to the Turion X2 clock for clock. but if you can see if you can get an Intel processor based laptop, intel vs amd, intel wins in raw performance where as amd is better in terms of price/performance when a limited budget is factored in.

as for Vista vs W7 vs XP. dont bother getting XP as its not going to be actively supported by Microsoft with fixes or updates anymore. as for Vista vs W7, Vista SP2 has sorted out all of the issues that resulted in the Vista-stigma that has spread like wildfire across the internet and forums when it first released. i personally have had no issues with Vista but thats also cause ive always used it with a machine that exceeded the recommended requirements and either of the laptops you're considering does so. 

OS should be the least of your concerns at the moment.

see if you can get atleast a 15inch laptop (17 if possible) with an intel chip dual core cetrino or Core2Duo chip (be wary of the dual-celeron chips which are very underwhelming) coupled with 4GB RAM and you're sorted. an AMD based chip with the aforementioned attributes will still serve you well. don't worry so much about HDD space as that can always be supplemented with a lovely fat external hdd. worry about the processor, screen size and ram for now. 

note: avoid atoms, celerons, neos and core2s that are under 2ghz. those are the little brothers of the big brothers you really want to be looking at.

you want: Cetrinos, Core2Duos (you find these randomly in laptops - Cetrino Duo Cores are more common), i5s, Turions (im not famaliar with AMD's lineup but I do know that the Turions are their main mobile based processors and their Neos are equvilant to intel's atoms).

RAM: if you can be picky DDR2-800 (otherwise 667 will be fine) or DDR3

Screen: 15inches+


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 7, 2010)

thanks bro


----------



## bigtwinky (Jun 7, 2010)

frankosmusica said:


> i need more help



If your only choices are from the above, get the one with the bigger and faster hard drive as its the only real difference between the two


----------



## entity06 (Jun 7, 2010)

the best laptop for editing is a desktop ....>_>


----------



## Fedaykin (Jun 7, 2010)

I suggest a laptop instead. I am currently editing on my ****ty Acer laptop. It's slow as heck, and the screen is abysmal for editing. So I plan on getting a Desktop dedicated to editing. Looking to find someone who can build one for me, couple it with a good monitor. 

OP, get a desktop if you can. You get more bang for your buck. Make sure it has a good monitor and get it calibrated day one.


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 8, 2010)

thanks you guys really help but i found a better and faster laptop a sony vaio ( dont know exactly the model but it has a core i3 processor and 4gb ram, 15 inch screen i think this one will be the one i will be purchasing tomorrow and its only 516 !!!!! plus tax


----------



## rpm (Jun 8, 2010)

great catch with the i3s. they essentially replace the Core 2s from the last gen. im sure you'll be a happy camper


----------



## Sebastian Riel Ph. (Jun 8, 2010)

I would recommend a labtop running windows xp. Unless your willing to spend $2-4000 on a quality product you will want to squeeze all the performance you can get. P.s don't get a labtop with windows vista, it will be the worst mistake of your life


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 9, 2010)

thanks rpm , yeah i believe its pretty damn cheap its only 516 !!! core i3 with 4gb ram sony vaio damn good deal


----------



## UUilliam (Jun 9, 2010)

CAPS LOCK FOR EMPHASIS:
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT BUY A LAPTOP FOR HEAVY EDITING

You are best getting a desktop computer, better yet, get a custom built desktop.

Quadcore 2.6ghz processor
Nvidia 9600 graphics card
4x2gbram DDR3
minimum 250gb hard drive + 1 500gb external hard drive (2 preferrably)
large screen ~(larger, the better)
about 21" should do
if possible, dual screen

this is assuming you will be doing a heavy work flow, for myspace photos or to show friends and family photos, any laptop will do, and really if you are just starting out (unless you have used photoshop before, which I doubt) I dont advice you to buy it yet as it costs too much, use a free program like gimp which is comparable, or buy Photoshop elements


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 9, 2010)

and what about a cracked photoshop program, my friend has one and said he would give me a copy of it, is this bad or what ? i say to get some practice i believe its allright i guess what you guys think ? yeah your probably right im starting tof not want to buy a real expensive laptop maybe even a refurbished one since im not like all that at photoshop, yes ive used it before i had photography class last year but yeah your probably right uuilliam i will buy an expensive one later on in the future


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 9, 2010)

this is the one i was telling you guys about, but i kind of realized yeah i only have about 660 dollars and if i buy this i will be left with only 100 im going to be pretty much broke

its only 516 but na im a beginner i need some money left for the rest of my equipment i need everything !!!!! i wanted to start out with buying a laptop first but i will go for a cheaper one there at officemax maybe a refurbished since they have some awesome deals


heres the model number watch look it up 

sony vaio vpc eb11fx-wi


----------



## NateS (Jun 9, 2010)

frankosmusica said:


> and what about a cracked photoshop program, my friend has one and said he would give me a copy of it, is this bad or what ? i say to get some practice i believe its allright i guess what you guys think ? yeah your probably right im starting tof not want to buy a real expensive laptop maybe even a refurbished one since im not like all that at photoshop, yes ive used it before i had photography class last year but yeah your probably right uuilliam i will buy an expensive one later on in the future




Well a cracked photoshop program is theft.  How do feel about stealing?  Are you okay with somebody stealing your images when/if they get good and not giving you proper compensation for them....same deal.


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 9, 2010)

for practice ? i mean i will buy it but i have partime job and stuff but yeah your right dude i will just use a free version one


----------



## AlexL (Jun 9, 2010)

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Pavilion-DM3-1130US-13-3-Inch-Laptop-Silver/dp/B00318CG8C/]Amazon.com: HP Pavilion DM3-1130US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Silver): Computer & Accessories[/ame]

I think the DM3 would be better cause it looks like it have a independent graphics card.


----------



## icassell (Jun 9, 2010)

frankosmusica said:


> this is the one i was telling you guys about, but i kind of realized yeah i only have about 660 dollars and if i buy this i will be left with only 100 im going to be pretty much broke
> 
> its only 516 but na im a beginner i need some money left for the rest of my equipment i need everything !!!!! i wanted to start out with buying a laptop first but i will go for a cheaper one there at officemax maybe a refurbished since they have some awesome deals
> 
> ...




Check out Dell's Home Outlet.  Great prices on refurbs and scratch/dent all with full warranty:


Dell Outlet - Refurbished Computers - Refurbished Laptops - Refurbished PCs | Dell


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 10, 2010)

dont really like dells


----------



## rpm (Jun 10, 2010)

get the i3. its a good deal. if you can squeeze out for an i5 or even a higher clocked i3, better even, curious you say you'd be broke if you had 100usd left, is that 'im broke for the month' or 'i cant buy anymore equipment for the month'. i will assume its the latter, if so, rather not compromise on what you can get due to the desire to buy the rest of your equipment this month. if you can get a better laptop. get it now dont worry about anything else - you dont want to regret a laptop purchase! - worry about a new lens or new gear for the coming month or the next pay check. 

as for the whole debate about using a cracked photoshop. lets all be frank. if we had the choice of a freeware or using photoshop (cracked or not) you'd take the latter. there is no comparison even in the education department of things. rather take the cracked photoshop and learn, get used to it and live with it. later buy it when the new one comes out or when you can afford to (esp if you're a student the price drop is amazing!).


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 10, 2010)

ill see because i really dont want to be left with 100 dollars in my pocket until the next paycheck plus i will be buying a desktop for heavy editing later on


----------



## skieur (Jun 10, 2010)

frankosmusica said:


> about the operating system dont worry i will maybe downgrade to xp or get windows 7 so what you guys think which one ?


 
I have Media Centre XP on one and Windows 7 on my other one. Both work quite well. Windows Vista does indeed have a poor reputation.

skieur


----------



## rpm (Jun 10, 2010)

frankosmusica said:


> ill see because i really dont want to be left with 100 dollars in my pocket until the next paycheck plus i will be buying a desktop for heavy editing later on



if you're not going to be in a financial fix and its more of a 'to buy list' set back, then dont worry about how much you'll have left. usually the money you set out to spend is money to be spent - i mean that is why you set it aside in the first place is it not? rather maximise what you can get with it. even if its a single purchase. dont compromise. but im sure you know it already...so i wont say anymore on this matter from now on.

curious, have you simply considered getting a desktop first and be done with it? the beauty of it is that no one component needs to remain in the case if you can afford a better one. i mean unless you want a laptop anyway, id skip it entirely. 

100usd can nab you a 50mm 1.8 prime? we actually dont know what camera system you're on lol


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 10, 2010)

well yeah ive thought about a  desktop too, but i need a laptop and i dont have anyroom in room plus we have a desktop a slow one in the living room and soon we will be moving so yeah for now ill go for the laptop i will maybe get that hp pavilion with a intel core 2 duo 2.1ghz and 4gb ram for $ 440 dollars


----------



## rpm (Jun 11, 2010)

C2D are all really great. they're underestimated these days cause of the newer tech. but for the most part all multi-core processors can hold you down for a long time without a need for an upgrade, years even, as they havent been maximised to their potential yet. also they are great for large scale multi-tasking...you'll be happy with it. 

btw. what other gear you looking at getting?


----------



## misskrys (Jun 11, 2010)

HP :thumbdown:

I have had an HP desktop, my dad had an HP laptop. Both were complete piece of crap, and we wanted to throw them off the roof. Don't do Vista - it was released just to get it out for the holiday season (at least that's what the rumors are) and isn't as good as it should be. Get XP or 7.

Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more! <----- Go here and look around. They have customer feedback on most everything they sell, and a lot of the people who write the reviews are hardcore computer geeks. They usually have pretty good deals too.


----------



## frankosmusica (Jun 12, 2010)

the next thing im looking to get after the laptop is a camera to start shooting possibly a Sony a330, what you guys think will the sony a330 do the job for wedding an events photography ? or do i need to look at the a500 and up ?


----------



## rpm (Jun 12, 2010)

hmmmm id get the camera first actually lol for the most part any camera can be used. its the lens that will define your limitations in the actual wedding. not well versed in Sony, but im sure you can find good deals in the used market...


----------

