[IanCD]

[quote name='PuxaVida' timestamp='1330092685' post='16129']

Hi all,

I've been searching for a decent laptop to be used for image processing, which should be able to handle the future .nef files coming from the D800.

So I'm not a Mac user (except for the iPad I own, which is quite user friendly due to it's unnecessity <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />).



I liked the MacBook pro and MacBook air because of the minimalist design. But surely there must be other criterias considered because beauty alone is not enough.

[/quote]



Hi Serkan,

Might be worth looking at [url="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/forums/thread486-3.htm"]this thread on CinC[/url] - which gives a balance of views between Mac and PC, the thread started in 2008 but has had several recent responses: see particularly Colin's response third from last.



[quote name='PuxaVida' timestamp='1330092685' post='16129']

So the setup I need is a small/portable, fast and robust system (both in terms of soft- and hardware), and I want to use my existing 22" IPS monitor. And of course the interfaces are crucial:

- CF / SD card slots (supporting the improved new card versions) should be there. Better on board, at least via adapter.

- My existing monitor has a DVI interface (the panel is 1680 x 1050 and 16:10). And I want to connect it to the laptop.

- Fast interface for external data storage/back up.



I don't have the expertise on new class CPUs (2 cores / or 4 cores needed?)... Would the 4GB RAM enough? What about the graphics card...

MacBook Pro or even MacBook Air looks good, but I have no clue about the software part and I have concerns about the Apple's interface compatibility approach (esp. regarding the Thunderbolt - DVI adapter).

Any suggestions are very welcome...



Serkan

[/quote]



Definitely quad core now... there's no reason to go for older dual core CPUs.



Second generation i3 Sandy Bridge from Intel seems to be standard fit in PC laptops, i5 is available in many and even i7 (very fast) in top-end. I think there's a MacBook pro with the i7 in.



You'll be able to get a machine with more RAM than 4Gb.

Windows 7 is almost always 64-bit as standard now, which is needed to make use of > 4Gb RAM.

I'd go for dedicated graphics (either NVidia or ATI) though I'm not sure whether this is needed as such for photo editing... (certainly speeds up some video editing)

I can't comment re software, card slots or interfaces - specifics will take some searching..! <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



Good luck with your hunting..! <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

Best wishes,

Ian