# Help with new computer for Photoshop Use ?



## JohnYoung (Nov 9, 2012)

The two laptops I have the choice of and I don't want any other suggestions please as I only have these to choose from are:

HP Envy DV7

(details here)

Samsun Series 7 Gamer

(details here)

The specs might not say but they both come with Win8 64 Bit

I know the Samsung is a high end gaming laptop but that dosent mean it will be great at photoshop and would the cheaper HP do photoshop just as well for less money ??

I would greatly appreciate any help and advice

thanks


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## MLeeK (Nov 9, 2012)

MUST you use a laptop? They are far from ideal for editing in SO many ways. The least of which is their screens are just not set up for it and you'll need to purchase a good, quality, editing monitor to attach to it. You can calibrate a monitor on a laptop, but for it to be consistent you will need to have it parked in place where it cannot move and you will need to be looking flat on to the monitor constantly. Any movement of the monitor will seriously change how you see the image. Any angle will seriously change how you see the image-looking down at it. It will need to be placed basically at eye level. 
On top of that their systems aren't meant to handle what Photoshop throws at it. Heat is an issue. Keith (I think) has more information on the system problems with using a laptop for editing.


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## MLeeK (Nov 9, 2012)

And... if you are spending that much get a MacBook. Much more able to handle PS than a PC


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## JaronRH (Nov 9, 2012)

I've never heard of Samsun   If you're limiting yourself to the two options above, I would go with the Samsung hand's down.  I used to work at a college's IT and computer repair shop that used all HP equipment and... well let's just say I will never buy an HP Product!   Even to this day, HP equipment isn't that good.  I currently use Lenovo both at home and at the office as I've had the best experience with their computers.  I also think a Macbook, as mentioned already, would be a good yet overpriced option for you to consider.

FYI:  2012 Q3 computer Reliability Report (aka Proof that I'm not just biased  )  Computer Reliability Report 2012 Q3


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## table1349 (Nov 9, 2012)

With all due respects to the OP, laptops are a poor choice for photo/graphic editing regardless of the brand.  Unless you are willing to invest in a good external IPS monitor you are pretty much asking us to choose for you which screwdriver you should buy to drive nails with.


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## JohnYoung (Nov 9, 2012)

I have used a laptop for years which is fine and the main reason is for space as we don't have room really for a desktop PC. At the moment I use a once top end laptop and its been great but its time for a change.

Laptops do have good displays these days but I have heard many people say to use a desktop display. Can someone explain why ? The laptops I am looking at have HD displays (samsung is 1920x1080) is it the size or the technology used that makes a laptop no good.

I do have an old PC upstairs with a really good monitor and I have connected that to my laptop to see the difference and there was little in it to be honest


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## DorkSterr (Nov 9, 2012)

If you must get one of these two laptops get the Samsung. 6970 on a laptop is overkill ! And that's a good thing


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## Ysarex (Nov 9, 2012)

JohnYoung said:


> I have used a laptop for years which is fine and the main reason is for space as we don't have room really for a desktop PC. At the moment I use a once top end laptop and its been great but its time for a change.
> 
> Laptops do have good displays these days but I have heard many people say to use a desktop display. Can someone explain why ? The laptops I am looking at have HD displays (samsung is 1920x1080) is it the size or the technology used that makes a laptop no good.
> 
> I do have an old PC upstairs with a really good monitor and I have connected that to my laptop to see the difference and there was little in it to be honest



Laptops do not have good displays these days. There are basically two different types of LCD display technologies: TN and IPS/PVA. TN displays are thinner and require substantially less power, therefore: laptop. TN displays no matter how good the tech is today are unusable for photo editing (at a professional level). Two reasons: 1) A slight shift of your viewing angle produces a marked shift in the appearance of the image. 2) They are physically incapable of reproducing a sufficient percentage of the working color gamut. You can get high-quality IPS panels that are physically capable of displaying 90 to 100% of the sRGB color gamut. You can't pay any amount of money to get a TN display to be physically capable of much more than 50% of the sRGB color gamut. When you edit a photo on a laptop you basically can't see what you're doing.

Joe

More info:

I created this graphic in the sRGB color space in Photoshop:
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r201/amarelli/gamut_01.jpg
Each of the 6 colors gradates from full saturation to white, grey and black.

I activated soft-proofing in Photoshop and selected my display profile. Then did a gamut warning check. For my old desktop with a Sony CRT (good old days) I got this:
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r201/amarelli/gamut_02.jpg
Every place you see grey that's a color my CRT is physically having trouble displaying. It won't display grey in the color's place but the color it will display will be to some degree inaccurate.

I have a Toshiba laptop (TN display), higher end and designed for media use. Here's the same gamut warning executed on my laptop:
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r201/amarelli/gamut_03.jpg

Let's assume given my laptop is 3 years old that you can get one today with a display that's twice as good (I doubt it). It will still totally suck.


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## ceejtank (Nov 9, 2012)

Go for high amounts of RAM - a good videocard as well.

and most importanlty (I have apple just an fyi) but DO NOT USE WINDOWS 8.  It is an abomination and is made for a tablet and a desktop, so its the crappiest at both.  I got it for free to test, and I honestly would use windows 3.1 over windows 8.


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## JohnYoung (Nov 9, 2012)

I have heard mixed reviews on Win8 some seem to love it others hate it. These laptops I mentioned have it installed so no choice really

I have used my old laptop for a few years now for photo editing, I have heard it said that the screens are no good but to be honest i have had no problems. I did calibrate it with a spyder and all is well and my photos look the same as prints as they do on the screen so I see no problem


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## mommyof4qteez (Nov 9, 2012)

I edit on my laptop & did the same edit on my hubby's super pricey, amazing graphics alien pc & honestly couldn't really tell the difference myself...I don't think laptops are bad to edit with... just my opinion though


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## JohnYoung (Nov 10, 2012)

mommyof4qteez said:


> I edit on my laptop & did the same edit on my hubby's super pricey, amazing graphics alien pc & honestly couldn't really tell the difference myself...I don't think laptops are bad to edit with... just my opinion though



Well I think laptops used to be really bad and the cheaper ones might still be bad but I think the big desktop replacement laptops with excellent big screens (17" etc) can be used for photo editing.


Just my opinion .....


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## JClishe (Nov 11, 2012)

Whatever you do, don't blindly accept anyone's personal opinion about Windows 8 without giving it a try for yourself. All 3 of my machines are running it: My Surface tablet (which I'm typing this from), my work laptop (a Samsung Series 9), and my triple monitor desktop at home. Obviously the Surface shipped with Windows 8, but my laptop and desktop are better now that I've upgraded them to Windows 8. They boot amazingly fast, they run faster, the laptop gets better battery life, and the Start screen / live tiles are really cool. One thing that is really awesome is being able to run the same Store apps on all PC's. For example Tapatalk is a nice forum app that's been available for all mobile platforms but once you got on a desktop or laptop you had to go back to a browser. With Windows 8 you can use the exact same Windows Store apps on all devices, you're not limited to only using tablet apps on a tablet and a different set of desktop apps on a desktop. Once you actually *do it for yourself *and realize that tablets, laptops, and desktops are one big cohesive platform, you see first hand that there's some real value there.


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## JohnYoung (Nov 11, 2012)

Don't worry I always take a quite a few comments and weigh them up before I add them to my decision then act on it.

When I first bought my present laptop I had all the same comments about not to use a laptop and how bad the screens are etc. I did buy a 'then' top end laptop with a good screen and loads of weddings and happy customers later I am confident I can happily use a laptop to process my photos.

Windows 8 seems to be a love it or hate it type situation but I also know there are a LOT of Microsoft haters out there who will slate Microsoft whatever they make so you have to take it all on board to get some kind of idea of what will work for yourself


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## CowgirlMama (Nov 11, 2012)

With those options, I'd go with the Samsung. I've never had a good experience with HP, nor have my friends who've used it. Mine started having big time issues in less than a year. My Macbook Pro, on the other hand, is 3 years old and going strong.

I haven't heard much good at Windows8. Most of my friends find it highly frustrating. My gamer brother enjoys it, though.

P.S. I used Windows for a good decade before getting my Mac and happily use Windows7. I haven't tried 8 personally, but even my Windows-all-the-way friends aren't fans.


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## bunny99123 (Nov 11, 2012)

I use a laptop for editing when I travel or I did until it broke yesterday. Anyway, I had no problems with calibration of the monitor changing.  Yes I moved it around.  My next laptop will be an Apple Pro with Retina Display. My husband has one for work, and also a tower Apple set with a monitor.  He is in the printing business, and the Retina Display is very accurate to what will print.  I love editing on it when I go to his office.  It's a lot of money, but it has an awesome screen. 

 I have a newer Hp tower, and use a Dell HD monitor, and I have no issues with my photos looking different when printed.  Companys have increased screen resolution so much in the last few years, that you can get a very good screen at an affordable price.  All in all, I will purchase another labtop in the furture for travel editing, because of my positive experience.  

Try to find someone willing to let you try theirs out.  Good luck!


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## MLeeK (Nov 11, 2012)

I am going to add my two cents to the 'don't trust HP' club...
We have an HP Desktop and an HP Laptop. I didn't choose them-the husband chose the desktop and the kids bought the laptop second hand. JUNK JUNK JUNK. 
The Laptop is a DV7 and LOOKS good for editing, but eats through hard drives if you use Photoshop on it. As in burns them up. 
The Desktop has been for internet and kids games-it's gotten 2 hard drives and a video card in the two years we have owned it. One of which was within about 6 months of buying the damn thing. We also have an HP TouchPad and that thing is a GIGANTIC regret. They totally abandoned them and warranty or not you are SOL. If the thing goes completely dead-it's dead and gone. Google that one for all of the nightmares. 
We also have a Mac laptop that is older than dirt, a compaq (TOTAL JUNK), toshiba-very good to us, I use 2 dell towers that have been customized, so I am not sure you could even call them Dell's anymore. I've had good luck with them, but I also have them serviced annually because of the change out of hard drives for business and editing, etc. 
Go with something that has a rock solid reputation. When I replace laptops I'll go either Mac or Toshiba. When I replace the towers I'll go totally white box.


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## JohnYoung (Nov 12, 2012)

Crikey you have had some bad luck with all your computers.... so why does Photoshop eat the drives on the HP, that does not make any sense (that's not meant as an offense to you) I mean did you find out why ? Also I thought this particular HP (HP Envy DV7) was new out as I cannot find much info on it

Our present laptop is a Fujitsu Siemens Amilio and its been SUPERB. Its on nearly all day every day, but suppose it depends not only on the manufacturer but also the actual laptop you get from them

So I assume the Samsung wont have a long track record for laptops as I understand they have not actually been making them long compared to others .... or am I mistaken (think I read that somewhere)


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## MLeeK (Nov 12, 2012)

JohnYoung said:


> Crikey you have had some bad luck with all your computers.... so why does Photoshop eat the drives on the HP, that does not make any sense (that's not meant as an offense to you) I mean did you find out why ? Also I thought this particular HP (HP Envy DV7) was new out as I cannot find much info on it
> 
> Our present laptop is a Fujitsu Siemens Amilio and its been SUPERB. Its on nearly all day every day, but suppose it depends not only on the manufacturer but also the actual laptop you get from them
> 
> So I assume the Samsung wont have a long track record for laptops as I understand they have not actually been making them long compared to others .... or am I mistaken (think I read that somewhere)



I have no idea. I just quit trying to even run it on that computer. The kids use it for WOW and you'd think that would be pretty intensive on the computer, but it's never caused a problem. HP has a bunch of DV7 models. There are additional numbers that go with them. I think ours is about 2 years old now. 
In addition to the problems it FEELS flimsy and cheap compared to the mac and toshiba. So does the Compaq. The Mac and Toshiba feel SOLID as a rock.


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## 12sndsgood (Nov 12, 2012)

sounds like a user error Mleek. lol  j\k

fooled around with windows 8 at the store yesterday, felt like i was on my xbox. defiantly weird and didnt much care for the look itself. i like a nice noncluttered setup. so i'm still on the fence. It really all come down to when i break down and get a laptop. I'm in the market as well to have something to take with me when i'm out of town on work trips. I also want to used it for basica lightroom work on the road, as well as other basica business needs. I figure as long as I get a good screen they should be really close to what I want when I get back home. and it won't be an issue with exporting them back onto the pc to give them run-thrus before anything was sent out.


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## JohnYoung (Nov 12, 2012)

Well suppose the one I will buy does come with a 3 year warranty so one less thing to worry about


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