TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Can't respond to that - never needed to talk to Dell support, and I've probably had a dozen Dell laptops between work and the 4 I've bought for myself. I still have 2 old Dell XP laptops that must be approaching 8-10 years old, and both still work fine, but the displays (fluorescent backlights are nearing the end of their lives) are getting tired. I've only had one "conversation" (actually an email chat and opened a ticket) with Apple regarding a bug, and they were very slow to respond - took several weeks for them to agree the issue was theirs and roll out a patch.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Yes, there is no "magic in the box" for either side. But the bigger point is, why on earth would you want to work on any 10 yr old machine, other than to boast that you can work on a 10 yr old machine, and somehow that makes that machine better. I wouldn't want to work on a 10 yr old computer any more than I would like to run 10 yr old software, which is what that machine was designed for. It just doesn't make any sense if you are as impatient as the average user, or depend on a reasonable computer to make a living. I can't imagine how many clients I would retain if I explained that it will take me 4 days to complete the edits for a shoot using my 10 yr old (fill in the blank) computer, when I know that with current stuff I can do it in a half a day. They would walk, or insist that I do it for market rate (in which case I'd be working for peanuts on the hour). Again, I don't see a value in using old, slow machines.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

If you do not truly need portability, a desktop computer would be better than a laptop.

Screen size is one factor: I have a laptop for travel and almost never attempt editing on its screen. Too hard to see, very frustrating. My monitor at home is 27", which is very good for editing. Also, you want to be sure your monitor screen is not reflective so you will be able to use it in various lighting conditions.

Internal components: Laptops tend to be stuck at whatever they are when purchased. Some have expandability, but limited by the size of the internal space. Desktops can run into similar problems if the tower does not have enough room for adding components, but in general they are much more compatible with upgrades. Processing speed, RAM, and storage capacity are important factors to keep in mind.

Price: A desktop with the memory, processor, video cards, etc. that you want will be less expensive than the same/similar in a laptop. Less room, smaller components in the laptop; more room allows the components to be larger and less expensive to build.

Something to consider. But if a laptop is what you need, consider the good recommendations you have already received.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

👍👍 Many good points.

caljr Loc: Indiana

Gene 51 You obviously work to live on the other hand I love being retired and have a passion for art and design. I don't need to spend my life learning new software every year that calls for a new machine. When you buy a computer then you also need to buy the software that works on it. OS10.7.5 works for me and it's plenty fast if you know what you are doing. I went to thunder lizard seminars for years to learn what I know and it takes me no time at all with my old Mac to do any kind of design work and it should only take 500th of a second not 2 hours for a good photographer with a good eye. My 69 Mustang with it's upgrades will run circles around any new Mustang and it's made better also.

Silverman Loc: Michigan

Wow, way over my head, for sure. I am just a beginner, rookie, no real experience with Photo-Editing, so I have a Nikon D3300 with a 32gb SDHC card, maybe 200 Jpeg images, now what? I would like to shoot RAW, but have no way to process them, just my Chromebook 15 laptop, and their own photo-editing program that I do not even understand how to use.

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

Look for sales. I have a laptop 17" screen, Samsung i7, quad core, 8 GB RAM, 1 TB hard drive. It was on sale. The only thing that makes it not my ideal is a shared graphics card and I would have preferred an illuminated keyboard. It ended up being about $1200 with tax and a anti-virus program. It had Windows 8, but has been upgraded to 10. This was at Staples but I have not seen an equal to it there since.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Nah, not even close. I am also retired, but I still have some clients. I like things to happen fast on my computers so that I can get out and enjoy hiking, cycling, snowshoeing, skiing traveling, cabinetmaking, cooking, etc etc etc. I bring lots of creativity to just about everything I do. I even studied architecture and practiced for a while in the early 80s. I also have a long and storied past with motorcycles, starting with my very first - a BSA Victor 441 and ending with the very first "superbike" the 76 BMW R90S - but those are the subjects for other threads.

But I have no patience for slow stuff. Slow takes away time from doing the things that I like. Any 10 yr old computer is going to be far to slow for me. And no, I don't spend my life learning new software - skills learned in one application can easily be transferred to another. I guess I am lucky because I am not afraid or reluctant to stay current. It has freed me of hours and hours to enjoy life. I am not sure why you seem to think that staying current with software and computers is somehow saving you hours and lifetimes from having to learn new stuff. The truth is it really isn't the case at all.

I am not going to criticize your choices - lifestyle or otherwise - but I've got to give it to you - having the patience to live in the slow lane like that - I don't have that.

Take a look at some of the things that I enjoy -

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gene_lugo/

Trust me, I spend as little time in front of a computer as possible - today just happens to be a very hot and slow day. I do love my air conditioning.

DCarter Loc: Advance, NC/Floyd, VA

I just bought an Acer Aspire. I am very happy with it considering what I paid, $549.99

http://www.toppctech.com/best-photo-editing-laptops/#Acer-Aspire-E5-575G-53VG-Review

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Right. Makes a big difference.

caljr Loc: Indiana

Gene
Thanks for sharing your beautiful work, you must hall around a big zoom lens to get some of the shoots you have of the birds and other wildlife. Most of my images are taken underwater or of the grandkids and like you I need a large camera bag for underwater photography. Thanks again for sharing.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

David....if you never store images on the HD, why the need for 500GB of storage? I just have 256GB on mine.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Thanks!

I use a Sigma 150-600 Sport, which at over 6 lbs, and over 8 lbs with camera, is at the limit of portability. But I can hand-hold it as you can see, and carrying it is easy either on my Cotton Carrier or just a simple Black Rapid sling strap. I rarely bring more gear if all I am going after is birds. A lot of the other work, particularly the past few years, has been done with a combo of PC-E lenses, 24-70, 80-200 and 150/180 macros. I don' use the 600 F4 much these days since I got the Sigma Sport, and I can say first hand if there is a loss in quality, it's too minor to worry about. I would like to have the extra stop and a third for those early morning/late afternoon shots, but the D800 is pretty good up to ISO 2000, so I just crank it up as opposed to carrying the big lens and the tripod and gimbal to support it.

Underwater photography is something I have always wanted to do but never got around to it. I had a Nikonos camera in the early 70s and used it maybe 4X to play around with, and gave up on it. NYC doesn't lend itself too well to underwater shooting unless you are doing a crime scene.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Everything is over our heads till we get into it. Decide how much you want to spend, and then buy a computer in that price range. Basically, you can't go wrong if you get anything with a Core i5 processor (or AMD equivalent), and 8GB of memory. Processing programs are available for free. These might not be good enough if you plan to do major manipulations or shoot for national publications, but for average, everyday use, they will be fine.

Adjust exposure, contrast, color saturation, and sharpness. Virtually all free processing programs can do that.

Free processing -
http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/the-best-photoshop-alternatives-that-are-totally-free-5974500
http://lightzoneproject.org/

Quantus5

Agreed, every time I see a Mac that is over 8 years old. Slow as molasses...

It's not the fact that it's a Mac or not. It's just that the processor/hardware is over 8 years old... Having old hardware specs affects a Mac just like a PC.