Shopping for laptop. Budget : 2000-2500$

J

Jawn

New Member
I looked at custom Alienwares, also considered the Toshiba satellite T8100 (great specs for price but was concerned about the HDD's RPM. But does 5400 vs 7200 really make a difference? :confused:). Also considered Macbook pro, but I find it expensive for the specs.

I want to use this laptop for some video editing on the go, run programs like Avid Xpress Pro, After Effects. I won't do huge renderings, but I want something that can handle well.

My other main concern is graphics : I need a good contrast ratio / video card.

Thanks a lot for your input !

Jawn
 
If you are considering buying a Mac I strongly suggest you read my thread on the Mac platform, and they aren't over priced for their specs because they use the same specs that a PC does, they are all C2D processors. You must remember that Apple only uses high quality components in their machines.

http://www.computerforum.com/120762-macintosh-platform.html


Think long and hard of all the applications you want to run and what you want to use it for and then you can better narrow down your selection. Alienware computers IMO, are the most over priced, and they use some cheaper parts in them as well.

Video cards are only good at 2 things. Gaming and Rendering, and they both use different cards for different goals. Video editing is more RAM + Processor intensive. Plus if you are looking at using Final Cut, then you may as well look at getting a Mac.
 
tlarkin said:
If you are considering buying a Mac I strongly suggest you read my thread on the Mac platform, and they aren't over priced for their specs because they use the same specs that a PC does, they are all C2D processors. You must remember that Apple only uses high quality components in their machines.

http://www.computerforum.com/120762-macintosh-platform.html


Think long and hard of all the applications you want to run and what you want to use it for and then you can better narrow down your selection. Alienware computers IMO, are the most over priced, and they use some cheaper parts in them as well.

Video cards are only good at 2 things. Gaming and Rendering, and they both use different cards for different goals. Video editing is more RAM + Processor intensive. Plus if you are looking at using Final Cut, then you may as well look at getting a Mac.
Click to expand...

Yea. The 15'' 2.5GHz MacBook Pro is the way too go unless you can afford the 2,799$ 17''.

Also video editing really for me requires the mac as it doesnt take as long to cpu the files. And when you want to play the games boot up Bootcamp with XP/Vista and stick in your game disc.
 
i agree with kill bill. i have a 1 year old Dell xps lappy (in my signature) that i use with a 22"w monitor and keyboard/mouse. after my time with my (now) wife, i wish i would have bought a 15" mac book pro.

if u use your lappy as intended, on the road alot then a 17" becomes VERY inconvenient. so i suggest getting a 15" and having a big widescreen monitor and using the lappy just as a tower when your home.
 
Hey, if you're considering a $2000-2500 alienware, I would say alienware is a great choice. My configed m15x was just under $2000. Also, the RPM difference makes no noticeable difference. My 7200rpm seems the same as my old 5400.
 
Sir Travis D said:
Hey, if you're considering a $2000-2500 alienware, I would say alienware is a great choice. My configed m15x was just under $2000. Also, the RPM difference makes no noticeable difference. My 7200rpm seems the same as my old 5400.
Click to expand...

Alienware wouldn't suit video editing that is really really way more desgined for games seriously. And the screen on that is glossy which means it will show brighter and un-true colours. I think the 15'' or the 17'' which is very portable for me the macbook pro 2.5GHz would make the cut
 
Oh no. Alienware is made for gaming and the business world. Are you serious? I think some alienware laptops can be configured with non glossy screens. Alienware laptops pack so much more power into a laptop than any mac can do. Final cut costs $1300 on amazon, half of the op's budget. If a computer is designed for games, it has the graphics to run high quality videos, 4gigs of ram for multitasking, an extreme or penryn processors, huge hard drives for video storage, and blu-ray drives. Come on Kill Bill. Alienware laptops pride themselves on DV editing. Here is a section on the m9750 that is the old alienware laptop.


"The Area-51 m9750 has all the hardcore hardware you need to enter the world of enthusiast DV editing. Its Intel Core 2 Duo processors, ferociously fast dual 7,200RPM hard drives and array of input/output connections enable you to capture, encode and edit in real-time. If you don’t have time to finish your masterpiece, just take your new DV editing notebook with you; try doing that with your typical workstation."
http://www.alienware.com/product_de...SysCode=PC-LT-AREA51M9750&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT
 
Sorry, I don't see any businesses buying Alienware in bulk, and using them at the corporate level. Sure, it can probably perform, but as far as laptops go, it is way less cost effective, and most likely I highly doubt Dell can manufacture enough in a timely manner to say, have 2,000 alienware's on hand to sell to a business.

Alienware is a consumer laptop, and not used in business. I have never ever seen an enterprise network that ran alienware laptops. They run business class laptops, and even dell has their own business level laptops.
 
Sir Travis D said:
Dell does not own alienware, dell is partnered with alienware.

Here is alienware's main business page.
http://alienware.com/Business_Pages/index.aspx

Here is a list of businesses and colleges that use Alienware computers.
http://alienware.com/evidence/main.aspx

Wake community college, Devry, High Tech Crime Institude, World Media to name a few.
Click to expand...

LOL

Those colleges do not provide laptops. They may provide desktops in a lab, and then they have a student purchasing program where you can buy any laptop you want at an educational discount if that vendor participates.

Not to mention your alienware laptops are really only still found in niche markets, that of gamers. Microsoft doesn't supply their OS coders with Alienware laptops, the ones that write the OS, they supply them with business class machines most likely from IBM.

HP sells more business laptops than alienware by 10 fold. I know because my old work ordered about 3,000 a year. My new work we have 5,500 macbooks in our network. No one ordres Alienware by the 1000+, it would be such a waste of money.
 
What does this have to do with the op? He said he looked at alienwares, but was only concerned with the RPM. 5400rpm versus 7200rpm is not unnoticeable for me.
 
I was just pointing out that you were stretching the truth.

Besides if you are getting into video production, shake is only for the Mac platform as is Final Cut studio, and they are some of the best apps out there and are widely used in Hollywood.
 
Go with toshiba, I have a toshiba and I really love it. Its fast & I have never had any issues with it. The battery also lasts a long time if you plain on useing the battery.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top