pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

This is your opinion. Many of my pro friends are happily using windows.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

n4jee Loc: New Bern, NC

My computer experience started in the late 1970's with a Sinclair ZX80, then a Radio Shack and a Kaypro. In the early 80's I bought a PC and have been using them ever since. Earlier this year I bought a used Mac Book from another Hogger, just to see what all the fuss was about. I don't think they are as intuitive as people say. I had to use my PC to Google how to shut it down. I thought I'd use it as a server for my music collection which resides in i-Tunes. It didn't support Apple's i-Tunes. I gave it to my grandson.
If you're only going to have one computer I'd suggest a laptop with a large external monitor. Otherwise you get more power for your $$$ with a desktop. You don't have to have a lot of RAM, but when a program needs more memory, and it isn't available, it starts using the hard drive for temporary storage. This slows things waaay down. You can usually get by with 16 GB, but 32 is better. A fast processor and Video card are also beneficial for photo processing.

photoman43

Check out the laptops and desktops sold by B&H photo and MicroCenter. Most could work for photo purposes. My preferred brand for a laptop is Lenovo these days. If you want to add a monitor to the laptop make sure it has the right port and video card in the laptop for such use. And make sure the ports on any computer meet your needs especially laptops.

Look for a i7 chip, 1 TB SSD, 16GB RAM of 32 GB RAM. And the right video card with its own RAM for the software you will be running.

Lenovo often has sales with good discounts. However, the laptops with big discounts may not have the right stuff in them for photo purposes.

Nikon1201

I backup with 2 external drives but also subscribe to Carbonite that keeps my whole pc backed up.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

That is mostly an outdated myth that dates back before 2020 and the introduction of the Apple Silicon Systems on Chips. Probably the best laptop value in tech for photographers right now is the lowly 2020 M1 MacBook Air, properly equipped with 16 GB unified memory and at least 512 GB storage. The desktop alternative is the 2021 M1 iMac or the 2020 M1 Mac mini. Get 16 GB unified memory and at least 512 GB internal storage.

Check Apple Refurbished for 15% off deals. https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac

I've had a 2020 M1 MacBook Air for 20 months now, and it absolutely rocks. I've edited 4K video with it, I've edited thousands of photos in Lightroom Classic with it, and it has SILENTLY and COOLLY done its job. All day battery life is common when not doing heavy lifting.

one_eyed_pete Loc: Colonie NY

I second this recommendation. I bought my current PC 1 1/2 years ago on EBAY from a DELL refurb outlet and it has worked perfectly. (i7, Nvidia GeForce 1660ti, 42 GB Ram). Cost was under 1K.

lbrande

I typically go to my computer guy. I tell him what I want to do. We then discuss the motherboard, CPU, RAM and graphics card. My budget for a new computer is typically $2500. Most $$ on the CPU and the Graphics Card. I use my older case and 1500 watt power supply.

Tommg

regardless of what new computer you decide on, I'd recommend that you consider a backup system that will allow you to keep a backup of your photos and other important information ... you'll be glad you did.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

As you’ve now discovered, the search function on UHH is useless. If you want to reference some additional discussions, try Googling ugly hedgehog new computer or UHH new computer.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Okay, I use PSP instead of LR but my current computer after a 17" laptop is an all in one from HP, does all my photo processing, you can customize most of their machines, now YMMV but it's worth a look. Bob.

Bruce T Loc: Michigan

There are special services that can recover your data if possible.
You could use an external backup drive. Costco had a 5Tb one for about $150, they also have a desk drive that is 8Tb.
Try a computer repair shop to recover your computer. Mine did the same thing and they were able to resurrect Mine.

jdmiles Loc: Texas

I've no interest in getting a MAC, no matter how many people rave about them.
I'll stick with Windows.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Huge hard drives, Solid state, biggest RAM you can get.

I take images of Nebula in Outer Space in fit file formats. The files get huge!
I use USB drives as my storage and to transfer my files around. USB drives didn't use to be so huge, but now I have several, and two that are 2 terabytes each.
So I don't lose anything until I personally delete or format one of my USB drives.
I'm using a powered USB hub to hold my USB thumb drives. I plug that into my Asus laptop I use to run my telescope equipment, and have my programs save directly to the thumb drives.
That keeps my hard drive light and fast. And if I need to do a restore or such to fix it, nothing gets lost inadvertently.
I haven't had a floppy drive in my computers for years and years now. But I have 3.5" floppy disks with pictures stored on them.
Basically, I don't trust the web to keep things I feel are important.
I used to have Dropbox when it was free. Then they extorted my images and wanted me to pay. So I got smarter and save my pictures here at home, My Way.

Specify to whoever you shop with for your next Laptop the specific's you need, and ways to save your images yourself.
Biggest, Baddest, Fastest, most powerful within your budget.
Good Luck. It is always a pain when your computer needs to be replaced.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

So they”extorted” your images and actually wanted you to pay for professionally managed storage - the nerve! You pay for your cameras, lenses, computers and HD/SSD/USB storage, but cloud storage should be free, right? Keep everything at home where it will be nice and free from fires, floods, double disk failure, lightning strikes, Power spikes, ransomware, viruses, corrupted file systems and accidental deletion. Bad advice.