ralphc4176 Loc: Conyers, GA

If you want FAST, I recommend a laptop with a SSD boot drive and its own dedicated video card. I just bought my daughter an Asus 13.3" with an iCore 7 processor, 12 GB of RAM, a 256 GB SSD, and a GeForce video card with 2 GB of its own video RAM for about $1200. If you want to use something like that, you will need an external USB hard drive to store images. There are also similar, larger machines that have a smaller SSD boot drive and a hard disc drive of 500 GB or more for data and programs. My experience has been that Asus, Acer, Lenovo machines are durable and reliable. Get Windows 7 Professional if you can; Windows 8/8.1 is to Windows 7 as Vista was to XP; it's horrible!

ralphc4176 Loc: Conyers, GA

Addendum: Whatever computer you get will need to have a dedicated video card with at least 1.5 GB of its own video RAM and should have at least 8 GB of system RAM to handle graphics well.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I would recommend getting a laptop with a "SSD" - solid state drive. It will be fast and furious. My new laptop takes about 3 seconds to boot up and that always amazes me! You really don't need one with a hybrid system (regular hard drive as well) for storing your files - since you should probably have them backed up both on an external drive and to a cloud back-up system anyway. The amount of RAM storage becomes less important with an SSD - no longer any huge benefit of having 16GB of RAM (that is the memory used for the programs to run in while you are working).

Personally, I hate Windows 8. I much prefer Windows 7. If you are used to Windows 7, which I suspect you are, you will probably also not want to go to Windows 8. If you go to Best Buy you won't be given a lot of options - most new systems force you to take W8.

I see two broad types of options to stick with Windows 7 and accomplish your goals - one option would be to get a new laptop that has both the W7 and W8 operating systems - example:
Here is a beautiful system for $1600:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9075435&CatId=4935

And one for $1300:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8938126&CatId=927

You MIGHT consider getting an off-lease laptop in the $300 range - this seems like a very good laptop:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8986448&CatId=4935 I don't see how you could go wrong with that - it has a 12-month warrantee.

But another option, since SSD memory has become quite inexpensive, is to buy a good laptop with a standard hard drive and have your local tech company swap out the hard drive for a SSD - here is an example of a very good laptop for $700. A 240GB SSD is now about $100 (a 512GB SSD is $200), and it should cost no more than $100 to have it installed.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9173961&CatId=4935

You might discuss these options with your local computer repair shop - some laptops are much harder to swap hard drives than other. Swapping out involves not just physically swapping out the drive but cloning the operating system.

Be aware that most new laptops do not come with a CD/DVD drive. This allows them to be much lighter and thinner, but means you may have to shell out $40 for a separate drive that plugs in to a USB port.

ralphc4176 Loc: Conyers, GA

Second addendum: Having started my second cup of coffee this morning, I realized that I did not properly identify the processor in my daughter's computer--it's a Core i7. Also, I should add that I have also have good success with Toshiba brand computers.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

You might want to avoid Lenovo on principle.
http://www.cnet.com/news/superfish-torments-lenovo-owners-with-more-than-adware/

The SSD is a great idea. Although Dell could not sell me a computer with one, I got a 500GB Samsung SSD for OS and Programs. Data resides on a separate internal drive.

jaysnave Loc: Central Ohio

Your comments sound very familiar. I was there 8 months ago. There are tons of past discussions about PC vs. Mac so I will be short. I switched to a Macbook Pro with solid state drive and the difference is amazing. I feel like I won the lotto. The slow PC is still around smoking and grinding to start up and clean itself of spam, cookies and all the rest. It is still good for spreadsheets, but if you spend time in Lightroom, Photoshop, plug ins etc.. then you are just prolonging the misery going with a windows based machine.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

What SSD did you put into your MBP? My MBP has a 750GB drive, and my iMac has, I think, a 450GB. I was thinking of putting a Samsung 500GB SSD into one of them.

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

Thanks ottopj, I was not aware that there was a RAID type of external HD. If it's not too big, I'll buy one to Velcro on lid of my Mac. I'll look into it.

Edit:
This looks interesting:
http://www.amazon.com/Passport-portable-integrated-Thunderbolt-WDBRMP0020DBK-NESN/dp/B00ITI04YM/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&qid=1424616311&sr=8-27&keywords=raid+external+hard+drive

jaysnave Loc: Central Ohio

500 GB and it is filling up (187 free). I need to move photos to external.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

I looked at this (check this thread) and in the end decided that it was only for a few months so nixed the purchase and treated myself to a gopro instead...

This answer gave me link to a system that has more bang for the $$$ than the Alien (Dell) systems.

ottopj Loc: Annapolis, MD USA

Best part of this is that if your CD/DVD drive goes south, you still have your computer.

Haveago Loc: Swindon, Wiltshire. UK.

Jerry & Dave just go for one you can afford but with todays RAW & its editing one photo could be 50+mb.

I don't do a lot of RAW wk but I have a 2TB external HD so I would suggest the same.

Baz

ggttc Loc: TN

To be honest most of todays laptops will do a fine job...My wife bought an HP with AMD quad core A-10, one tb hard drive and 12 gigs of RAM for $600.

What you want to pay attention to is a monitor...She got a 24" Asus IPS for $300...and life is very good

2 TB back up drive for $99.

redhogbill Loc: antelope, calif

I have a couple of these in 1Tb... Small and portable... ......

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

Tiger Direct's add (for ONLY today and tomorrow) lists a pretty decent HP laptop... reg. 800... for $600.00.