New laptop.....decisions.....decisions!

thenashlegend

Hey guys...
Thankfully things have picked up a bit for the summer and I'm now out workin 3 - 4 nights a week!!:D
I'm looking to buy a new laptop to run the likes of Traktor Pro.....mainly just so I can get to requests quicker than flicking through cd's!

I know there is the debate of Mac vs Windows....and there are several reviews of each but what I want is your view....first hand experience if possible!
The cost for me is the main thing, are Apple machines worth the few extra hundred quid?? Or would a laptop running Windows 7 or XP be a better idea....giving me a few extra pennies to spend on a soundcard and software??;)
Cheers lads!!

larrylamp

cant go wrong with hp pavilion, which ive bn using 4 years...b4 that a viao very expensive to fix, imo sony, hp , tosiba and dell r great....best of luck...il b soon gettin a new hp myself...

ED E

For a DJ something matt black is fine, function very much over form. With sony you tend to be buying the style vs the power. I'd be checking i3 Vostros and Inspirons from Dell and similar Satellites from Toshiba.

Not much experience with HP Laptops but in general they make decent kit.

electrogrimey

If you can afford it, go with a Mac, definitely. Even a Macbook White will do you a lot better than a PC. You're going to have it for ages, so splashing out on a Pro would still be worth it.

The only way to get as quick and as stable a machine without getting a mac is to get a PC with great specs, like 3/4 GB Ram, and make a partition on the harddrive, install Traktor and put all your music on the partition, and nothing else.

Basically, Macs are the best way to go.

eeloe

I have both, a windows 7 machine, dual core, 3gb ram and a MacBook white with 2gb ram!

And I much prefer the MacBook, feels a lot more stable for some reason, never as much as a peep out of it, where as my windows machine has BSOD'd a number of times!

IMO: Mac rules!

colin29

larrylamp wrote: »

cant go wrong with hp pavilion, which ive bn using 4 years...b4 that a viao very expensive to fix, imo sony, hp , tosiba and dell r great....best of luck...il b soon gettin a new hp myself...

I second this, I have a HP Pavilion dv6000 for the last two and a half years and has never failed me, never had a crash while running Traktor, Maschine and a few other programs.

was.deevey

Well from personal experience and my opinion ... I don't think you can go wrong with a macbook pro for long term DJ use.... yes they will probably be more expensive but worth it I reckon.

The aluminum body is Uber durable, and just feels rock solid..I don't think there is any Laptop out there that feels as good in regards build quality... go touch them, and play with them pick them up and compare to other laptops in PC world or something.

OSX is rock solid for DJ'ing .. its NEVER crashed on me.
Whatever anyone says bad about itunes .. I love it for organizing my Traktor collection, I never pre-scan my collection either.

Speed .. ok so the whole argument about apple using "old tech" or under specced hardware .. fact is it matches the OS perfectly, and as a result is stable as hell operating enviornment...

Now i'm not saying there's anything wrong with Windows in an ideal world, but for DJing, i'd be creating a separate partitions for performance and browsing "to be safe" which i feel is unnecessary on a Mac...

Mind you, i've not had a virus in over 3 years on my Windows Machines either.. but I never feel confident that windows wont crash midway though a set.

OSX isn't for everyone, its a lil bit of a learning curve but I know few people that ever "enjoy" using windows after it....hell if you don't like OSX install windows (kinda defeats the purpose though).

Everything just "works" on a mac

Disclaimer: The above is my opinion and opinion alone, I would recommend the OP to go play with, touch feel & experience various other laptops and OS's before making a decision.

Zascar

I always had driver issues and problems with my pc's and laptops, but with the mack everything just works. It's peace of mind you cannot put a price on really.

electrogrimey

Zascar wrote: »

I always had driver issues and problems with my pc's and laptops, but with the mack everything just works. It's peace of mind you cannot put a price on really.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB1D9wWxd2w

Zascar

LOL! I'm known for many things but typing/spelling/grammar isn't one of them.

Hahah that tune brings me back! So bad but yet so good....

francois

out of interest is there any linux/unix (yeah I know mac's are "kinda" unix) equivalents-not really sure about the turtle neck fanboism that goes with the cult of st steve

jtsuited

Zascar wrote: »

I always had driver issues and problems with my pc's and laptops, but with the mack everything just works. It's peace of mind you cannot put a price on really.

well there's something I never thought I'd see Zascar write!!!! Speechless!

ED E

francois wrote: »

out of interest is there any linux/unix (yeah I know mac's are "kinda" unix) equivalents-not really sure about the turtle neck fanboism that goes with the cult of st steve

Mixxx runs on Linux.

was.deevey

I have played around with Mixxx a fair bit... as a DVS solution it looks REALLY cool, but I dont have vinyl to play with it.

As a midi controlled DJ environment not really that friendly mainly due to the effects quality (pitch adjust).. and drop downs for the effects parameters .. ewww

.. as a basic 2 decks, EQ and loops its great though.

Diss the turtleneck all you like, but it does have a great OS and the software to go with the shiny hardware.

Its a lil like comparing the Gimp to Photoshop, gimp will do 99% of the stuff Photoshop will do if you push it, but in an awkward and non-industry standard workflow.

cranky bollix

larrylamp wrote: »

cant go wrong with hp pavilion, which ive bn using 4 years...b4 that a viao very expensive to fix, imo sony, hp , tosiba and dell r great....best of luck...il b soon gettin a new hp myself...

ive had a hp pavillion 2120 which ive had for about 3 years, its been nothing but trouble had to send it off to get fixed under warranty 3 or 4 times cant remember, they had to change all sorts including the mother board and their over the phone customer service is infuriating. its on its last legs at the moment, sometimes it doesnt even turn on properly.google tells me that there are loadsa issues with this model, i wont be getting a hp again.

thenashlegend

Cheers lads!!:D I'll take a look into them all....personally I think PC world is the only place to buy?! They seem to be way ahead of the other stores!!

Anima

Try taking a look online as well, usually better deals. PCWorld can be decent sometimes though and its always nicer to have a physical place to bring it back if it goes tits up.

was.deevey

I found Elara to be great for ordering PC laptops reasonably.

I second NOT going for a HP though, last company I worked for bought 4 of them, different models and intervals, all died under 2 years of purchase with motherboard and controller errors caused by overheating and would require over 300 euro worth of repair costs (out of warranty).

I'd certainly check out the different model lappies in PC world, but wouldn't buy from them :P .. not a fan of their aftersales.

Just Like Heaven

also buy using macbook you don't need antivirus, which can be horrible when your using audio software's sometimes.

Zascar

jtsuited wrote: »

well there's something I never thought I'd see Zascar write!!!! Speechless!

Oh dude I protested for years about macs, but I'm glad I got one when I had the opportunity - because if you are playing out - they are a necessity. So when I hear anyone else who is about to make the decision I'll make sure to give them my thoughts/advice. For what a DJ needs in a computer, macs win every time in simplicity of setup and stability.

However, I am still a PC man in general. I'm no apple fanboy (although I love iphones etc) - i still 100% prefer windows for normal (non-dj) day to day use. XP all the way

I would quite like a 24" iMac with Windows dual-boot though

jtsuited

must be some sort of sin to put windows on a machine as beautiful as the big screen imacs!!

fair points zascar. I've never used computers for anything other than music so my apple-fanboyism is probably a result of that.

ED E

I'm just waiting for an Ubuntu revision of Traktor. That'll be the day.

RMD

I'm very knowledgeable on computers so I wont bull**** **** you with Gigahertz processors and Ram and all that crap, since I only know the bare basics.

I bought a MacBook black 3 years ago and it's still going great. I'm not currently using it for Traktor or the likes but that's just because there's only 1 gig Ram and it's gotten a bit slow in general, as anything does after 3 years of high usage. One thing I can certainly vouch for is the build quality, I'm yet to have a crash or major ****up with it yet. I'm exactly the most caring Laptop owner, my Mac has taken tumbles off the bed, off the couch onto concrete floors etc, had water spilt on it and it's still going good as new essentially.

I'm currently saving for a MacBook Pro because I know it will last for years. I'll use my current Macbook for all the regular stuff Ie Internet, movies, games etc and keep the Pro solely for Music, doing that I know it will last me for years to come. If you think about it, it's what 1150 euro now for the base model? With good care it will easily last 4-5 years if not more, that works out as roughly 250 a year for a solid peace of kit, I think it's worth it.

Although it's pretty cliché I suppose, the slogans are true to a certain extent, it's pretty much plug and play, and ye, it just works. Before anyone assumes it, I'm not a fanboy. I hate the quality of most Apple products in general and their ridiculous price tags, but in the case of Macs I think it's worth it.

Is mise le key

Just my experience with PC's,

I have two laptops,

1. Toshiba sattelite pro running Mac OS 10
2. Fuji Siemens Lifebook running widows XP Pro

Verdict,

Toshiba running Mac OS 10 which itself is about 7 or 8 years old now has never given an issue ever & is still running perfectly.

Fuji Siemens Lifebook running windows XP pro which is about 5 years old now is freezing on start up with just desktop picture & fairly regularley need the task manager called up to shut down unresposive programs.

Both PC's are treated with the same care as in doing regular tidy ups on the HD's etc.

But also as pointed out you can run windows on an apple platform which i have done for years on mine with no bugs.

stomprockin

Is mise le key wrote: »

Just my experience with PC's,

I have two laptops,

1. Toshiba sattelite pro running Mac OS 10
2. Fuji Siemens Lifebook running widows XP Pro

Verdict,

Toshiba running Mac OS 10 which itself is about 7 or 8 years old now has never given an issue ever & is still running perfectly.

Fuji Siemens Lifebook running windows XP pro which is about 5 years old now is freezing on start up with just desktop picture & fairly regularley need the task manager called up to shut down unresposive programs.

Both PC's are treated with the same care as in doing regular tidy ups on the HD's etc.

But also as pointed out you can run windows on an apple platform which i have done for years on mine with no bugs.

All HD die after about 5-6 years,good to see your getting 8y out of it!

Is mise le key

stomprockin wrote: »

All HD die after about 5-6 years,good to see your getting 8y out of it!

Not quite accurate paddy, A HD will have a life span of 5-6 years if it is used constantly for surfing the web & used almost everyday, the Toshiba i have running Mac OS 10 has been offline for about 4 years now since i obtained the Fuji Siemens & has only been used half as much in the last 2 years for various programs i have installed on it, i would anticipate another 5 years use out of it the way it is currently. It was used for about 3-4 years on the net when new.

I also have a desktop PC that has never been online & it is approx 7-8 years old now & again it starts up perfectly & runs programs without a hitch but this gets turned on very infrequently in comparison to the laptops.

The lifespan of the HD is directly related to the amount of use of a PC.

ED E

Is mise le key is right, though I'd put that figure at 2-3 years if you are a heavy user(I'd wager several users on this forum are). After that it may live on, but the risk of failure is significantly higher.

Anima

If you defragment the drive often, that will prolong its life span and increase performance a little bit also.

PremierDJ

http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

This is a useful tool to check the stability of your laptop for audio mixing. Download the program linked and run it, ideally you are looking for a latency under 300 when idling, but mine usually goes between 300-800. If your laptop is going into the red alot, and has a high latency try disabling the wireless, and any other applications that may be running. If you could run this test in the shop before you buy your laptop you can avoid buying a machine with high latency that will be dropping out on you mid gig . Latency isn't an issue on Mac machines apparently, which is why they are so stable for Djing.

As for machine brand, just try to get a dual core processor and 2gb of RAM, that would be more than enough for DJ use, I use a high spec Dell and have had no problems at all, it does get very hot sometimes at gigs but never crashes, I use VDJ and do video DJing which is probably one of the most demanding applications you could ask a laptop to do. I have been told by those wiser than myself to avoid HP, as they have overheating & motherboard problems, but I can't speak from personal experience so i may be wrong. The latency checker above would be a good idea before you buy,assuming the shop assistant doesn't mind.

ED E

Latency is only a massive issue for scratchers.

What I'd watch is CPU load and temps. You'd want to be at 50% usage max while both decks are playing but everything else idling so that you have the overhead for FX, loops, sample triggering, loading etc etc.

With regard to the HPs I'd agree, they've had huge problems(though they deny it) with nVidia GPUs baking themselves and the mobo. Seems to be especially bad with the DV6000 series models.

Remember ambient temps in a club are likely to be far higher than in an office or your at your desk at home, good airflow is essential. On that, if you have a laptop for more than a year I suggest you open it up. Just wait and see how much dust you'll find. Blowing air through from the outside usually doesnt do it btw.

Is mise le key

Or you could get yourself a load of Vinyl & a set of decks & it wouldnt give a fu.ck what temperature the venue gets to, just have to make sure the sweat dripping from the ceiling doesnt get into the grooves on the Vinyl

:pac::p:):cool:;)

ED E

Is mise le key wrote: »

Or you could get yourself a load of Vinyl & a set of decks & it wouldnt give a fu.ck what temperature the venue gets to, just have to make sure the sweat dripping from the ceiling doesnt get into the grooves on the Vinyl

:pac::p:):cool:;)

Pff, about 5 generations too late for that I'm afraid:)

Is mise le key

Lethal_Bullet wrote: »

Pff, about 5 generations too late for that I'm afraid:)

Vinyl is eternal:D:D:D

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67731355&postcount=710

PremierDJ

Lethal_Bullet wrote: »

Latency is only a massive issue for scratchers.

What I'd watch is CPU load and temps. You'd want to be at 50% usage max while both decks are playing but everything else idling so that you have the overhead for FX, loops, sample triggering, loading etc etc.

With regard to the HPs I'd agree, they've had huge problems(though they deny it) with nVidia GPUs baking themselves and the mobo. Seems to be especially bad with the DV6000 series models.

Remember ambient temps in a club are likely to be far higher than in an office or your at your desk at home, good airflow is essential. On that, if you have a laptop for more than a year I suggest you open it up. Just wait and see how much dust you'll find. Blowing air through from the outside usually doesnt do it btw.

I use one of those laptop coolers underneath my Dell and it helps a bit, but temperatures in a resideny I have can get unbearable so it's always a concern. VDJ had a CPU usage indicator and it's never a problem, even when VJing. That said my next purchase will be a good spec Macbook Pro as I am led to believe they are by far the most reliable machine on the market, you pay for it though

ED E

Is mise le key wrote: »

Vinyl is eternal:D:D:D

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67731355&postcount=710

Ahh, I'd put my money into the other link he posted about chocolate vinyl, Yum:pac:

dingledjs wrote: »

I use one of those laptop coolers underneath my Dell and it helps a bit, but temperatures in a resideny I have can get unbearable so it's always a concern. VDJ had a CPU usage indicator and it's never a problem, even when VJing. That said my next purchase will be a good spec Macbook Pro as I am led to believe they are by far the most reliable machine on the market, you pay for it though

VJing will be alot about the GPU though AFAIK, and your RAM as a HDD is too slow to mess around with a large video buffer. Also, Apple graphics, at least in terms of gaming, have proven themselves to be a load of bull with the porting of several titles by valve over to mac. That said an MBP is plenty for VJing, but it'd wanna be.

Android 666

Lethal_Bullet wrote: »

On that, if you have a laptop for more than a year I suggest you open it up. Just wait and see how much dust you'll find. Blowing air through from the outside usually doesnt do it btw.

I usually find my spunking on the laptop after looking at some Rammstein videos helps to collect any dust resting in the immediate vicinity of the aforementioned expelled fluid. Makes the keys a mite bit sticky.

Is mise le key

Lethal_Bullet wrote: »

Ahh, I'd put my money into the other link he posted about chocolate vinyl, Yum:pac:

Wouldnt last long in a boiling Rave mind you:D

ED E

Is mise le key wrote: »

Wouldnt last long in a boiling Rave mind you:D

Where to get a 2U 19" Rack Mounted Fridge/Freezer.....

stomprockin

Is mise le key wrote: »

Not quite accurate paddy, A HD will have a life span of 5-6 years if it is used constantly for surfing the web & used almost everyday, the Toshiba i have running Mac OS 10 has been offline for about 4 years now since i obtained the Fuji Siemens & has only been used half as much in the last 2 years for various programs i have installed on it, i would anticipate another 5 years use out of it the way it is currently. It was used for about 3-4 years on the net when new.

I also have a desktop PC that has never been online & it is approx 7-8 years old now & again it starts up perfectly & runs programs without a hitch but this gets turned on very infrequently in comparison to the laptops.

The lifespan of the HD is directly related to the amount of use of a PC.

I suppose im coming from a Corporate background in work, feckin users dont even tune the PC's off in work and most of the PC's are all starting to die. There almost 6 years old and the company won't be rolling out new ones till march next year! busy times ahead for me i thinks:(

PremierDJ

Lethal_Bullet wrote: »

VJing will be alot about the GPU though AFAIK, and your RAM as a HDD is too slow to mess around with a large video buffer. Also, Apple graphics, at least in terms of gaming, have proven themselves to be a load of bull with the porting of several titles by valve over to mac. That said an MBP is plenty for VJing, but it'd wanna be.

Would I be better off with a good gaming PC then? My current Dell doesn't have a dedicated graphics card, but is dual core, 4gb RAM etc and has never crashed, but I'm still a little wary of it. I'd be happy to go with another PC which I would use only for work, anybody have any suggestions? I had been looking at the Dell Studio XPS 16 as well which seems to tick all the boxes

jtsuited

Is mise le key wrote: »

Or you could get yourself a load of Vinyl & a set of decks & it wouldnt give a fu.ck what temperature the venue gets to, just have to make sure the sweat dripping from the ceiling doesnt get into the grooves on the Vinyl

:pac::p:):cool:;)

This man speaks the truth. Bringing a laptop into a club booth sucks ass.

ED E

dingledjs wrote: »

Would I be better off with a good gaming PC then? My current Dell doesn't have a dedicated graphics card, but is dual core, 4gb RAM etc and has never crashed, but I'm still a little wary of it. I'd be happy to go with another PC which I would use only for work, anybody have any suggestions? I had been looking at the Dell Studio XPS 16 as well which seems to tick all the boxes

It all depends on the application you're using and the resolution you're outputting.