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

For an $800 budget and a declared non-mac user? Hmm. . .

pila

This is not rocket science.
1. Get a big screen.
2. I am an Apple guy. However. Just go with your comfort level. Get a nice mouse.
3. Maybe get an external hard drive.
4. Review all UHH suggestions for editing.
5. At first keep it simple.
6. If you have time , take a course at a community college.
7. For fun, go to the Apple Store. Look at the Mac book pro, Apple desk top, iPhone, and big Retina display iPad. Dream.
8. Then buy a cheap 17 inch lap top. Delete frequently. Organize and have fun.
Pila
9. Take shots that say. . . This does not need an edit.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Don't get cheap on buying a laptop computer. If you buy one that is under powered, you'll be waiting for the computer all the time when you are trying to edit your photos. It's not worth the wait.

Ken Moran

I teach photography in a public high school so I do alot with Photoshop and photo editing. Two years ago I needed to upgrade my personal computer so I did a lot of research into the difference between a PC and Mac. My brother, who retired from Microsoft about eight years ago, told me he has a Mac and loves it, however he also said that if I am comfortable with the PC operating system, changing to a Mac would require learning a new operating system. A Mac will run longer so you won't replace them as often but they will cost considerably more. With that in mind I settled on a Dell Ispiron 7000 (gaming computer) It has an SSD, 7th gen i7 intel with 1TB harddrive, processing speed is 2.8 - 3 Ghz and a Nvdia GEForce GTX graphics. It's basically a gaming computer but works great for photoediting. If my memory is correct I paid about $1100 direct from Dell with a 10% educators discount. Two years later it is still running like new and I am still very happy with the machine.

foggypreacher Loc: Dickinson, Texas

I recently bought a Lenova Legion Y530 with a graphics card, 16gb of ram and a 1TB HDD (will add SSD later). I7 8th generation etc. I really like it. New at Best Buy it was about $850. They had one that had been returned and I bought it for $750 and all is good.

Geographer

Great question! I am in a similar boat, preparing to travel (Europe, Southeast Asia) and looking for a laptop to store/process all the photos from my new Sony A6000. I became a Mac guy after some really bad experiences with Windows (several years ago). So I really appreciated the comprehensive reply from Gene51. Thorough, thoughtful, and with great recommendations. He has given me a lot to think about, and I really appreciate that input.