Kevin.M Loc: Forked River, NJ

My 2013 MacBook Pro with is processing photos painfully slow and Topaz DeNoise will not launch.

I need to replace this machine. I looked at the new MacBook computers, they are running in the $2500.00 plus tax range, for a computer that has a 14 inch screen and I’m not in love with having to carry a thunderbolt adaptor. The new Macbook weighs 3.5 lbs and because I travel with it, weight is a big consideration.

Can I get suggestions for a laptop to replace this my mac , I have no issue changing over to a Windows OS.

I use Lightroom CC & Topaz DeNoise at this time.

I store my photo’s on an external hardrive and will probably continue to do so. I shoot anywhere from 1000 to 3000 images a year.

Thanks in advance for help with this search.

~Kevin

Craigdca Loc: California

I use and recommend Dell systems. If your external drive is formatted for Mac, you can Google “ pc read mac drive” for programs to let you access your files.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Just do what I did... Get an M1 MacBook Air with 16GB Unified Memory and 1TB storage. $1400 in the Apple Refurbished store. 2.8 pounds. Fits in an inter-office mail envelope.

Most people who reviewed this on YouTube said A) Even the base model with 8GB and 256GB SSD is all most people need, and B) It is as fast as all but high end power users need for Photoshop, Lightroom, 4K video editing in Final Cut, etc. In single core tasks, it outruns a 2019 Mac Pro tower. Max Yuryev tested his $15,000 Mac Pro against an M1 and the Mac Pro was only faster in multi-core graphics usage.

YES, the new 14" and 16" MacBook Pros are even much faster... astronomically fast for video editing! But most mere mortals don't need that speed. Instead, they buy them for the bragging rights... a silly thing if you ask me. Now, if you're a software developer, or need to edit 7 streams of 8K video, or run massive equations in Mathematica, or 140 tracks of audio with 3-4 processors on each track, you probably do need a new MacBook Pro with one of the new SOCs. If given one, I'd take it, but I'd keep and use the MacBook Air more often!

I bought this in August, with a 2TB Samsung T7 SSD (smaller than a tin of Altoids) and one of these docks: https://www.charjenpro.com/products/ultimatedock. I got an LG 27" P3 color, 4K monitor that doubles as a hub and power supply for the MacBook Air. It's a very close match for the Air's P3 monitor.

This computer has been flawless. Highlights:

> It's a full-fledged Mac.
> Even with the 13" screen size, I do not get eye fatigue. It's natively 2880 x 1800 dots, but I usually set it to look like 1440 x 900 @ 60.00Hz. That's very readable at arm's length.
> It's screaming fast with the software I use and the things I do with it.
> All my software is now Native to the M1, or is Universal (both M1 and Intel compatible). The few apps that required Rosetta 2 at first ran flawlessly, and MUCH FASTER than on my 2013 iMac. They are even faster, now that they are Native or Universal.
> The M1 MacBook Air Late 2020 has the BEST keyboard and trackpad I have ever used.
> The battery life is amazing. I don't have to charge it every day.
> It does not get hot. That's because it uses 1/3 to 1/4 the power of Intel computers with comparable performance.
> It is completely silent, with NO FAN to intrude when I'm recording audio.
> The speakers are great for an ultrabook.
> The microphones are great for an ultrabook.
> The 720P webcam is a disappointment, but good enough for Zoom calls, Skype, and FaceTime.
> Having just two Thunderbolt 3/USB4 ports is a pain, but the CharJen Pro Universal Dock 2 takes care of most of my needs. I keep the Apple charger in my backpack and run it through the dock when on the road. I have a couple of USB-A to USB-C adapters for other uses.

Apple's new M-series Systems On Chips are game changers. They DO NOT SLOW DOWN on battery power, like most PC laptops. Yes, you can get a slightly faster PC with an nVidia card in it, but it won't do squat when you unplug it. What good is that?

This sounds like hyperbole. It isn't. I have never been THIS impressed with a piece of technology since the iPhone 4, which used Apple's first SOC, over a decade ago.

Craigdca Loc: California

Just to clarify, the PC default power settings are easily adjustable to allow for high performance on battery power.

I use a PC. Macs are known for working with graphics but they aren’t worth the enormous price difference. I’d rather put the money into camera equipment.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Do a little more research, and you'll find that that sentiment is outdated. You won't find better performance per Watt on Windows. When you need to be unplugged for extended periods on location jobs, you need a Mac.

twosummers Loc: Melbourne Australia or Lincolnshire England

Stick with Mac mate - the new M1 based machines with SSD are blisteringly fast. Great battery life too so no worries on that score.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Look at the 2020 M1 Macbooks - like the Air. For $899, it will do all you want. Before you think 8GB of ram and a 256 GB SSD isn't enough, look at the many rave reviews on YouTube. It's at a whole new level, with looong battery life. You can add upgrades and spend twice as much, but it will probably not be necessary, except for bragging rights.

B&H (and probably others) have it on sale for $100 off.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604827-REG/apple_mgn93ll_a_13_3_macbook_air_with.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-K2MBhC-ARIsAMtLKRsyRakYrmgh8tOjkp0jXUbulQFea6tApBwGF36txC-yXRoK7-pTZJoaAvqLEALw_wcB

Reviews -
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=review+of+macbook+air+m1

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

I have two laptops...an ASUS Zenbook Pro and a Dell XPS 15. Both are excellent. You can use either to drive a 'real' monitor. The Dell has the nicest laptop screen I've seen.

hankswan

Take a look at the HP all in one. I bought one for my wife and it does a good job. 27inch monitor built in speakers, 16gb memory, etc. Go to HP and take a look around. Cost about $1495 all done, price, shipping, sales tax.

photoman43

I use a Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme. The current model may have a slightly different name. Also look at the Lenovo gaming laptops, Legion. You will need a lot of RAM for Topaz. Also check out the video card requirements for your software(s) and make sure your laptop will have the video card needed with its dedicated RAM.

I have had two Dell XPS laptops that were both losers so I am anti Dell.

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

My Dell is still working OK, but it's the first Dell I've purchased... hope it lasts. I was not happy with their initial service. The laptop, however, is good sofar. I've never had ASUS products fail and have been using their components for over 20 years.

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

Or a Windows laptop with a couple of spare batteries. And yes, you can certainly kick up the performance on any mid-level or higher PC - faster clock, faster memory, faster SSDs, more internal m.2 SSDs, current, not last year's GPU, etc etc etc. For $2200, I got a Intel 11th gen i7 with 8 cores, an Nvidia 3000 series graphics with 8 gb vram, 32 gb system ram (user upgradeable to 64 gb just a single screw), and a pair of Gen 4 m.2 SSD drives, 2 TB each, and those are easily upgradeable if needed to a pair of 4 TB. And there is still a 2.5" bay for cheaper SATA drives - (mechanical or SSD). The system has a Control Center that lets me operate quietly (low power), regular, or "high performance" which is actually noticeably faster but much noisier - it runs the fans at full speed. All for $2200. Additional batteries are $100 each, and powers the machine for an extra 3 hours. Apple can't come close. If I were to buy one today, I'd get the Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU with 8 cores, which is even faster, and compares favorably with the M1. Just sayin'

Canisdirus

My wife wanted another laptop... and I figured I might as well get her something upgraded that could be used as a backup image processor for me in an emergency (with her consent of course).

It's a dang sweet laptop...and the wife loves the look.
It's designed for color accuracy and is pretty speedy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CP9FLGC?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

It's $1400 now, but I picked it up for $1100...which is dirt cheap imo. I'm tempted to buy another one...

R.G. Loc: Scotland

THIS might give you some pointers.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That $949 MacBook Air is now $899 at B&H. That was Apple's reduced price a month or more ago.